Gopher Football
Game To Forget
| 2004 Top Receiving Statistics | ||||||
| WR ““ Jared Ellerson (JR) | ||||||
| WR ““ Ernie Wheelwright (FR) | ||||||
| TE – Matt Spaeth (SO) | ||||||
| WR – Jakari Wallace (JR) | ||||||
Alabama. The offensive output against the Crimson Tide was the lowest of year for the Gopher receivers, totaling just 5 catches for 75 yards. Only wide receivers Jakari Wallace and Jared Ellerson had receptions. Ernie Wheelwright dropped two potential touchdown catches: One that was right on his hands, as well as another which was a little tougher, but still probably should’ve been caught. The second drop hurt even more, because later in that drive kicker Rhys Lloyd missed on a field goal attempt that kept Alabama in the game.
Coming in, we knew this was going be an extremely tough matchup for the Gopher receivers. Alabama came in boasting the #1 ranked passing defense in the nation, and as the game wore on we saw that Minnesota was going to do nothing to change this. In fairness to Wheelwright & Co, there were other factors that prevented them from getting a fair chance. Injury problems for Minnesota at quarterback really put a damper on any threat of a consistent passing attack. Both starter Bryan Cupito and backup Adam Ernst were banged up to the point of not being able to throw, or not being able to run. In the end though, it was the two drops from Wheelwright that really made the receivers performance sting.
Game To Remember
Toledo. This past season opened with a bang as the Gopher receivers got open all day long against an under prepared Toledo secondary. With all of the offseason talk centering around the great Gopher running back duo, the receivers took advantage of a Toledo defense that was obviously focusing on stopping the run. The bombs flew early and often as, in what may be unmatched in Gopher football history, the Minnesota WR’s and TE’s averaged OVER 30 yards per catch (30.3 to be exact) for the game. Jared Ellerson led the way with 4 receptions for 140 yards (35 yds/catch), Ernie Wheelwright had 2 catches for 52 yards (26 yards/catch), Jarod Posthumus had 1 catch for 52 yards, Paris Hamilton had 1 reception for 20 yards, and Jakari Wallace had 2 for 19 yards. The performance of these units in this game helped the Gophers to a season high 704 yards of total offense.
Relative Strength
Big play ability. The receivers had many problems this season, but one thing they didn’t need to worry about was the ability to make big things happen. When you combine the receivers and the tight ends, the Gophers produced 15 pass plays of 35 yards or more. Jared Ellerson really has a knack for getting open deep. Ernie Wheelwright gets it done with his height and body position.
| 2005 Recruiting Commitments | |||||
| Mike Chambers (WR) | 6’1″ 185 lbs | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | |||
| Eric Decker (WR) | 6’3″ 185 lbs | Rocori, MN | |||
One of my favorite plays of the year though (and one I hope we’ll see more of next year) was the 52 yard bomb down the seam thrown to Jarod Posthumus in the Toledo game. With the most of the attention focused on Ellerson and Wheelwright on the outsides, I think the seam is an area that the Gophers must attack more of and try to exploit. Posthumus and Spaeth have both shown to be capable enough receivers to warrant a shot at this next year.
Relative Weakness
Route running. Well, I just touched on the ability of the receivers to make big plays, but unfortunately, running down the field in a straight line is one of the few things the receivers did well last year. With the exception of Jakari Wallace, and an occasional comeback route from Ellerson, the Gopher receivers really have problems getting open over the middle of the field. By the end of the season, the Gopher passing game had largely been reduced to fly patterns and quick slants (Sound familiar anyone?) One thing I would really like to see the receivers improve on next year, is to become a little more like the Michigan receivers. I am always in awe of how the Wolverines are able to get ALL of their receivers the ball, and more specifically how they can get so open. With the announcement yesterday of Luke Tressel as the new Gopher Wide Reciever coach, I’m really hoping this will help guys like Wheelwright and Ellerson become more complete receivers who can get open all over the field.
Looking Ahead
There is a bit of good and bad news for the Gopher WR’s next year. The good is that they return their top 3 receivers next year in Wheelright, Ellerson & Wallace. The bad news is that this is not a very deep unit. Outside of the 3 players I just mentioned, only Logan Payne has any playing experience of the reserves. That really will make sophomore to be Micah Rucker an important player next season. As a group, they really will need to work on running routes and catching balls. Assuming the quarterback play is more stable next year with health and depth, the wide receivers simply need to step it up a notch or two. Tight End is just the opposite, as the Gophers will be in outstanding shape here.
| Depth Chart Projection for 2005 | |||
| 1st String: | Jared Ellerson (SR) | Ernie Wheelwright (SO) | |
| 2nd String: | Jakari Wallace (SR) | Micah Rucker (SO) | |
| 1st String: | Matt Spaeth (JR) | Jared Posthumus (SR) | |
| 2nd String: | Jack Simmons (FR) | Tommy Leavitt (FR) | |
Besides Matt Spaeth and Jarod Posthumus, the Gophers will also welcome three new freshmen to the mix: Jack Simmons, Tommy Leavitt, and Sam Scroggins. Of these three, Simmons is the early favorite to develop into a star.
Summary: Tight Ends
For the Tight Ends, sophomore Matt Spaeth had a solid, though not very consistent year. Matt did have about three or four really good receiving games, but outside of those he was almost a non-factor catching the ball. Jarod Posthumus looks like he has the ability to be a good pass catching TE, but he had only two catches this year. However, I believe both tight ends did a very good job in the context of what they were asked to do. Minnesota is lucky in that both Tight Ends to an outstanding job in run blocking. With both players returning next year, Minnesota should have the top group of TE’s in the conference.
Season Grade: A-
Summary: Wide Receivers
All in all, it was a rather disappointing year for the Wide Receivers. Even though Paris Hamilton was healthy this year, he found himself as the number four guy on the depth chart. After coming to Minnesota in 2003 as the top ranked junior college receiver the county, his career here ended on a disappointing note. Starter Jared Ellerson had a breakout season in 2003 with over 900 yards receiving, but he saw his 2004 totals slip down to about 520 yards. Freshman Ernie Wheelwright did a nice job, but definitely needs to work on his hands before next year. Ernie has a very bright future nonetheless. The clutch receiver for the Gophers this year was junior Jakari Wallace. Nobody for Minnesota made more clutch first down catches than Jakari did. He should see his role increase next year. Seeing that all the receivers seemed to struggle to some degree, it’s not a surprise that wide receiver coach Richard Wilson was fired after the Alabama game. The Minnesota passing game just never really clicked on a consistent basis this year, and it led to more struggles for the offense there probably should’ve been.
Season Grade: C
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