MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Mother nature had mercy on the Minnesota Gophers Thursday during the team's spring game. The friendly match between the "Maroon" and "Gold" teams — originally scheduled for Saturday — was moved up to avoid the historic snowstorm that dumped more than 15 inches on the Twin Cities metro over the weekend.

Fans enjoyed free hot dogs, burgers, games and Gopher apparel at the pregame fest, where temperatures rose to a relatively balmy 50 degrees. Photo by William Bornhoft/Patch.com Outlook on the 2018 season The Gophers went 5-7 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten in 2017, a disappointing finish after winning 9 regular season games and the Holiday Bowl in 2016. But fans Thursday remained optimistic and want to give Fleck — hired in early 2017 — a few more years to develop the program.



Season ticket holder Bob Kasper says he likes Fleck's energy and believes he can land top players for Minnesota. Fleck has so far delivered on his promise to bring top recruits to the university. The Gophers' most recent recruiting class is possibly the all-time best in program history, according to 247Sports. The next step is translating recruiting into on-field success.

"I think we start every season optimistic," Gopher fan Willy Wong told Patch. "You start with Big Ten title, and then after our first couple losses, you take it down a little bit," he laughed. "Try to get a bowl game." Patch also spoke with longtime fan "Lou" who said he's been cheering for the Gophers since 1961, when he first enrolled at the University of Minnesota. That was one year after Gophers won its last national championship. The program hasn't come close to reaching the same heights since.



"I have a chronic lung disease and I think I know what caused it; 14 straight losses to the [Wisconsin] Badgers," Lou joked.

For an exhibition match, the spring game itself provided plenty of excitement. Tyler Johnson's one-handed snag in the second quarter is an early contender for "catch of the year."

This @T_Muhneyy10 catch was so absurd, @GopherFootball should start the 2018 season with 7 points already on the board. And the one-hand snag is a #BTNStandout presented by @Discover: pic.twitter.com/0B2n8Pzoml

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) 13 April 2018 Fleck also surprised Maple Grove native and Gophers defensive end Sam Renner with a scholarship: Why we love spring football today: @Coach_Fleck paused Thursday's spring game to give walk-on defensive end Sam Renner a scholarship. Sam then got to soak in the moment with teammates and fans: pic.twitter.com/HcELbpRL8K

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) 12 April 2018 The game went down to the wire, but Maroon narrowly beat Gold 24-20 to win "Goldy's Cup."

