Jim Souhan: Brewster finds some relief from first game's tummy trouble

Losing to Bowling Green last week left Gophers coach Tim Brewster flat on his belly after the play that decided the game. His posture was captured for posterity by a Star Tribune photographer, so last Sunday morning fans woke to the sight of Brewster doing the Australian crawl across the Metrodome turf.

Those not enamored of his relentless salesmanship had their smoking gun — “This guy flops like a soccer player when he loses!”

Saturday, a week later, Brewster stood near the same spot, watching The Other Miami line up for a 33-yard field goal that would leave Brewster 0-2 and embarrassed.

The kick missed. The Gophers won 41-35 in the next round of overtime.

And Brewster stayed on his feet, thrusting his hands in the air as he realized he had received a reprieve. “I did stay up,” he said with a chuckle. “Hey, I’m not going to take that abuse again. They said I was laying down on the job, all kinds of things about me.

“I was just standing there, hoping and praying.”

Minutes later, when Amir Pinnix ran in from 2 yards out to win the game, Brewster behaved more like a man who had been pardoned than one who had won the lottery.

He calmly took off his headset and walked past his celebrating players to midfield for postgame handshakes, then barked at dawdling players to join in the singing of the Rouser at the far end zone.

Brewster acted less excited after his first victory than he does during his typical news conference. Maybe that’s because he’s beginning to understand the unique challenges of coaching the Gophers.

Two weeks into his tenure he’s already playing seven freshmen and weeding out seniors and watching his secondary get torched like the Insight Bowl never ended.

Brewster spent much of the game chiding players and coaches as the Gophers committed a half-dozen big mistakes — three missed field goals, a fumble, a blocked punt, for starters — that almost cost him the game. “Every baby is a beautiful baby,” he said.

This one was wrinkled and colicky, but, like a baby, you’re not allowed to give it back.

“I am relieved,” Brewster said.

We’ll wind up judging Brewster on how the athletes he recruits perform four and five years from now. For this group of players — recruited by Glen Mason, torched at the Insight Bowl, subject to all manner of collapse the past five years — every victory is salve.

“I’ll be honest, I broke down and cried,” said senior linebacker John Shevlin. “There were hugs thrown around, big men just hugging. It probably looked kind of weird, but it was a big win, a team win.

“After a game like that, it goes on so long, you’re so drained, emotionally, physically, mentally. The ups and downs really start to wear on you. So it was good to come out on top.”

Last week, Brewster challenged Shevlin. “I played average last week and I’m a senior captain and he demanded a lot out of me and I really took that upon myself, and it really got into my head that I was going to go out there and make plays and do my job,” Shevlin said. “I think, as a leader, I really needed this win, if you catch my drift. As a leader of this team, if circumstances were different, I think it would have been harder to steer the ship. So this was very important.”

It was important for the coach, too. Brewster stayed on his feet, his team survived a scare, and he got to sing the Rouser after a victory for the first time.

“We sang it twice,” he said.

Picture that — Brewster singing the Rouser like it was a drinking song, Shevlin crying, a roomful of football players hugging, all after beating the Other Miami in triple OT.

If the Gophs somehow beat Ohio State, they’re gonna need Dr. Phil.

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon on AM-1500 KSTP. jsouhan@startribune.com