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Gophers Football Bierman Briefings – Monday, August 10 Practice Highlights
Luke Gildemeister
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/542335?referrer_id=388419
The Minnesota Gophers football team again showed off their speed and promising young talent in front of the general public this morning at the Bierman Field Athletic Building. If you had Monday morning obligations, here’s what you missed:
-It is becoming increasingly apparent that much is expected from this young wide receiving core. They found success during one-on-one drills Monday, outplaying their defensive secondary teammates. Desmond Gant, Hunter Register, Rashad Still and Brian Smith all made remarkable catches on Mitch Leidner-thrown balls. Smith, Jeff Jones, Eric Carter and Melvin Holland Jr. all spent some time with the first-team offense during eleven-on-eleven drills.
-Redshirt sophomore receiver Eric Carter continues to impress. On Monday, he hauled in a deep ball during one-on-one drills. Later during eleven-on-eleven drills, he again snagged a 45-yard ball on a play-action pass from Mitch Leidner, drawing the biggest applause of the day.
-The defensive backfield continues to look incredibly sound. In one drill, they worked on footwork and chasing down balls on various routes to simulate potential interception situations. Briean Boddy-Calhoun hasn’t stopped embracing his leadership role, as he played like a stud Monday morning. He picked off redshirt sophomore quarterback Conor Rhoda during eleven-on-eleven drills and could be heard repeatedly advising freshman defensive back KiAnte Hardin from the sidelines.
-While we are on the topic of the defensive secondary, keep an eye on redshirt junior defensive back Ace Rogers. He has showcased his tremendous speed and looks to be in top shape. During eleven-on-eleven drills Rogers was lined up at safety with the first-team defense behind cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Did I mention he already has FBS experience? He played 12 games for the Iowa State Cyclones in 2013, totaling 18 tackes and one interception.
-With a quieter demeanor compared to Sunday, Head Coach Jerry Kill focused again on making sure his players are solid fundamentally. As wide receivers caught mid-range routes early in practice, Kill could be overheard shouting, “ball security!” and “keep that ball pinned to your chest!” Similar to practice on Sunday, Kill watched closely as special teams players practiced kickoff pursuit and coverage.
In summary, the overall offensive performance picked up on Monday. Jeff Jones flashed his soft hands, Eric Carter thrived and Leidner fed off of his receivers’ performance. Ideally, the wide receiving crew will continue to progress through fall camp to capitalize on a mediocre TCU passing defense that ranked 77th among FBS schools in 2014.
*Tuesday’s 10:25 a.m. practice will be open to the public.
Luke Gildemeister
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/542335?referrer_id=388419
The Minnesota Gophers football team again showed off their speed and promising young talent in front of the general public this morning at the Bierman Field Athletic Building. If you had Monday morning obligations, here’s what you missed:
-It is becoming increasingly apparent that much is expected from this young wide receiving core. They found success during one-on-one drills Monday, outplaying their defensive secondary teammates. Desmond Gant, Hunter Register, Rashad Still and Brian Smith all made remarkable catches on Mitch Leidner-thrown balls. Smith, Jeff Jones, Eric Carter and Melvin Holland Jr. all spent some time with the first-team offense during eleven-on-eleven drills.
-Redshirt sophomore receiver Eric Carter continues to impress. On Monday, he hauled in a deep ball during one-on-one drills. Later during eleven-on-eleven drills, he again snagged a 45-yard ball on a play-action pass from Mitch Leidner, drawing the biggest applause of the day.
-The defensive backfield continues to look incredibly sound. In one drill, they worked on footwork and chasing down balls on various routes to simulate potential interception situations. Briean Boddy-Calhoun hasn’t stopped embracing his leadership role, as he played like a stud Monday morning. He picked off redshirt sophomore quarterback Conor Rhoda during eleven-on-eleven drills and could be heard repeatedly advising freshman defensive back KiAnte Hardin from the sidelines.
-While we are on the topic of the defensive secondary, keep an eye on redshirt junior defensive back Ace Rogers. He has showcased his tremendous speed and looks to be in top shape. During eleven-on-eleven drills Rogers was lined up at safety with the first-team defense behind cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Did I mention he already has FBS experience? He played 12 games for the Iowa State Cyclones in 2013, totaling 18 tackes and one interception.
-With a quieter demeanor compared to Sunday, Head Coach Jerry Kill focused again on making sure his players are solid fundamentally. As wide receivers caught mid-range routes early in practice, Kill could be overheard shouting, “ball security!” and “keep that ball pinned to your chest!” Similar to practice on Sunday, Kill watched closely as special teams players practiced kickoff pursuit and coverage.
In summary, the overall offensive performance picked up on Monday. Jeff Jones flashed his soft hands, Eric Carter thrived and Leidner fed off of his receivers’ performance. Ideally, the wide receiving crew will continue to progress through fall camp to capitalize on a mediocre TCU passing defense that ranked 77th among FBS schools in 2014.
*Tuesday’s 10:25 a.m. practice will be open to the public.