Adam Weber has a last opportunity to beat Wisconsin tomorrow. Minnesota’s record setting quarterback was once “50-50” on his college choice between the Gophers and Badgers.
Weber, the only three-year captain in Gophers football history, has been the team’s starting quarterback since 2007, his redshirt freshman season. He is the school career record holder in passing yardage, completions and touchdowns. But Weber said playing football for him is about wins, not records.
The Gophers were 1-11 in 2007, 7-6 in 2008, 6-7 in 2009 and so far this season 1-4. In that period Minnesota is 0-8 in trophy games against Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan.
“The wins aren’t where I would have liked them to have been,” he said. “The trophies, everything, you name it. Not where you dreamed them to be. But when it’s all said and done I will leave here with a big smile on my face knowing that I just had the best five years of my life.”
As a high school player at Mounds View Weber thought seriously about becoming a Badger but although the initial process was 50-50 between Minnesota and Wisconsin, the final verdict wasn’t so tough. He walked around the Minnesota campus and knew this was where he wanted to be.
His dad, Bobby Weber, had been a Gopher defensive back. That counted and so, too, did staying home where family (including his grandmother) and friends have been able to watch him play more than if he had packed his bags for Madison. “I’ll never second guess (the decision),” Weber said.
The Gophers’ nonconference football schedules are completed through 2014. Among the new opponents will be New Mexico State in 2011. The Aggies will receive $1.6 million for agreeing to play here next year and in 2016.
The cost of scheduling teams, particularly Division I schools, keeps escalating and is even more expensive when there is no agreement to play multiple games. Ohio State, for example, will pay Colorado $1.4 million for just one game in Columbus next year.
Gophers coach Tim Brewster talking about tomorrow’s game in Madison where Minnesota tries to defeat Wisconsin for the first time since 1994: “I think you’ve got a group of guys who desperately want to go get that axe.”
Brewster’s 50th birthday is next Wednesday.
Coach Tubby Smith’s pursuit of highly hyped New England prep school point guard Naadir Tharpe didn’t become any easier when national power Kansas decided to enter the chase.