Jim Souhan: Brewster can't put a happy face on another dismal U showing

I could write a column about the Gophers playing pathetically in a must-win, should-win game against a lousy team. Or I could just write: Ibid.

Coach Brew says he's proud of his guys. They played hard. They displayed a "never-say-die" attitude, and "character."

Which raises a few questions, considering Tim Brewster offered that praise after his team suffered the most meaningful loss of his tenure, 35-32 to lowly Illinois on Saturday at The Bank:

• Why does a team that plays so lousy that it has to scramble back from a 21-point deficit against a backup freshman quarterback and the worst defense in the Big Ten get credit for gumption?

• Why do coaches -- and Brewster in particular -- talk so much about effort? Effort isn't to be rewarded; it is to be expected. Playing well is far different, more difficult and more important than accumulating meaningless moral victories.

• Wouldn't it show more gumption to play well from the start than to wait until the situation is hopeless? Isn't waiting until the second half a sign of procrastination, of slacker behavior or, perhaps, being just not that good? Should you really take pride in making the game close only because of a late punt block that produced a touchdown?

• Why would long-time Gophers football fans expect anything different than a bad loss to a bad team that leaves the Gophs headed toward a losing record in a bad league and a meaningless bowl?

Brewster went 7-6 last year. Glen Mason got fired after going 8-5, 10-3, 7-5, 7-5 and 6-7 in his last five seasons.

At least Coach Brew assured us that his boys will show up ready to play against South Dakota State. I am not making that up.

Isn't that why Minnesota hired Brew, to rally the troops against the hated Jackrabbits?

A week earlier, the Gophs displayed some creativity and skill in beating Michigan State. Saturday, with a chance to qualify for a bowl game and create the possibility of a seven- or eight-victory season, Minnesota fell behind 28-7 at the half.

"I know there is a belief out there that after a big game the Gophers tend to struggle," quarterback Adam Weber said. "... I just know that as a fan growing up, there has been that stigma attached to the team."

Football is a game of preparation, athletic ability, skill, precision and decision-making, and Minnesota failed in all of those categories Saturday.

Against an Illinois team that hasn't stopped the run, the Gophers came out winging deep passes, and Weber looked as erratic as he has all season.

On their first drive of the third quarter, the Gophers ran four consecutive times, for 14, 7, 2 and 6 yards to set up first-and-goal from the Illinois 1.

They tried a run up the middle for no gain. On second down, Weber took a sack that forced Minnesota to settle for a field goal. That was a bad play call compounded by Weber's inability to throw the ball away and avoid the sack. That cost the Gophers four points.

On the first play of the second drive of the third quarter, the Gophers had to burn a valuable timeout when their offense couldn't line up correctly.

The loss to Illinois means the entire season could still wind up being considered a flop, considering the expectations raised by Brewster and the weakness of the Big Ten.

But don't worry, lifelong Gophers fans: Coach Brew promises the boys will get after SDSU. Maybe not until the second half, but then those Jackrabbits better watch out.