On college football: Give Brewster more time — maybe a game

COLUMBUS, OHIO - We're 33 games into the Tim Brewster era and not really sure if this is still the beginning or perhaps the beginning of the end.

A 38-7 loss at Ohio State on Saturday dropped Brewster to 12-21, 5-16 in the Big Ten. That's not good enough, but it's also hard to give up on a guy after less than three years when he was hired based on his ability to recruit.

Ironically, in the midst of a second-half pratfall that ranked alongside some of Brewster's worst moments, his prized recruit, quarterback MarQueis Gray, had his best overall game. He ran for 81 yards while completing five of six passes for 51 yards and a touchdown pass to Troy Stoudermire late in the game that saved Brewster from posting the program's first back-to-back shutout losses since 1950.

Gray definitely deserves more playing time ahead of junior starter Adam Weber, who was hurt by five dropped passes and the loss of No. 1 receiver Eric Decker (sprained foot) during a first half that saw the Gophers trailing the 18th-ranked team in the country just 7-0.

"I thought we played them extremely well, obviously, in the first half," Brewster said.

"We're right in the middle of that football game with opportunities to really do some things and make it a great game."

Good news followed by bad news. It's becoming an ugly trend in the Brewster era.

Last year, the Gophers started out 7-1, but then lost five in a row. Saturday, they were in a game at halftime on the road against an Ohio State team that last week lost to one-win Purdue.

The Gophers have played the Buckeyes 49 times -- and they lost 42 of those. So it's not a shock that they didn't win.

But to channel the Three Stooges in the second half and blow an opportunity against a quarterback (Terrelle Pryor) who came in lacking any confidence was a disappointment.

To have two blown coverages to enable Pryor, the worst passing quarterback in the Big Ten, to throw touchdown passes of 57 and 62 yards was unacceptable. To have four second-half turnovers was unacceptable. And starting the second half with a fumbled kickoff by Stoudermire was unacceptable -- and the turning point.

The ball got hung up in the wind and dropped so short that Stoudermire wasn't able to set himself. He raced up to the 30-yard line to get it, but muffed the catch. Ohio State recovered at the 31 and led 14-0 three plays later.

"Our guys are right in the middle of it and the first play of the second half was critical," Brewster said. "We felt like we could get some momentum going there, and obviously it went the other direction."

It wasn't Stoudermire's only problem. He dropped two other kickoffs before being replaced and, earlier in the game, he got into a heated sideline argument with special teams coach John Butler after committing a 15-yard kick-interference penalty while barely touching a punt returner who had called for a fair catch late.

"It was some confusion going on on the sideline when I accidently hit the punt returner," said Stoudermire, who had to be restrained by teammates. "Frustration got in and things got out of hand and we was just talking about like, how I can't hit the punt returner before he touches the ball."

Brewster downplayed the sideline incident when a reporter asked about Stoudermire and Butler "getting into it."

"Obviously, there's emotion on the sideline," Brewster said. "I don't know about 'getting into it with an assistant.' That sounds great, you know, but I mean, heck, it's coaching. It's the game of football, and emotions are a big part of it. We all want to win real badly."

Players and coaches arguing on the sideline isn't a big concern. What is a concern is an offense that lacks no identity eight games into the season. What is a concern is a defense that still can't get stops on third downs.

What is a concern is a two-game losing streak that must end Saturday at home against Michigan State.

"That is a game that's going to make our season," tight end Nick Tow-Arnett said. "This season feels a little different. Hopefully, it's not going to end up being like last year."

Brewster deserves a little more patience. But a loss this week and maybe this really is the beginning of the end.

Mark Craig • mcraig@startribune.com