Doogie article - New 7/20

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Here is the link to a look at the running backs.

Really nice work on the interview with Duane Bennett.

Nice work Doogie. Any idea on when the Q&A with Davis will be posted?
 

Very engaging interview with Bennett. I really like him; thought he should have been a captain as well. Sounds like this team is starting to jell. Love the part about the Oline being the protectors of the entire O.
 

Stargenes said:
Very engaging interview with Bennett. I really like him; thought he should have been a captain as well. Sounds like this team is starting to jell. Love the part about the Oline being the protectors of the entire O.
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Every year we hear the same platitudes from players and coaches (eg "we're working hard"). Bennett has some of those, but he was pretty candid at times too. It was interesting to read about bench press improvements and how his weight drops once fall camp starts.
 

What else can he say.

Good to know he is feeling healthy and saw things to work on from last year. As far as the rest of it goes its hard for a player to say much about an upcoming season. He can't say anything bad about the coaches, the other players, and how things are going if he did he wouldnt play.
 

DB mentioned that Wright wasn't on campus. Does this validate the rumor about him not being eligible? That would mean our top two recruits didn't make it into school.
 


sonnygarcia said:
DB mentioned that Wright wasn't on campus. Does this validate the rumor about him not being eligible? That would mean our top two recruits didn't make it into school.
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Top two recruits? Jimmy Gjere, Lamonte Edwards, and probably a couple of others (James Manuel, Tom Parish, etc.) might disagree with you. While Wright certainly did well and is a solid recruit I don't recall seeing him being rated one of our top two recruits (or Hill for that matter).
 

sonnygarcia said:
DB mentioned that Wright wasn't on campus. Does this validate the rumor about him not being eligible? That would mean our top two recruits didn't make it into school.
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It doesn't make it certain that he won't be eligible, I think we'd have heard that by now, but it does mean its probably still up in the air.
 

sonnygarcia said:
DB mentioned that Wright wasn't on campus. Does this validate the rumor about him not being eligible? That would mean our top two recruits didn't make it into school.
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Actually, he said that he knew Edwards and Kirkwood were on campus. He said nothing about Wright. Not exactly the same thing as saying he was not here.
 

Bennet may not be 100% of the answer at RB. But he was a proven Big Ten-caliber RB in 2007 as a true freshman. Is it crazy to think that we haven't seen his best season yet?
 



Goldmember said:
Bennet may not be 100% of the answer at RB. But he was a proven Big Ten-caliber RB in 2007 as a true freshman. Is it crazy to think that we haven't seen his best season yet?
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I agree. I liked his answers in the interview. It seems as if he has his head screwed on right, I like the way he views the competition from the incoming freshmen, etc.

He's been working hard, and I hope we all get to see the fruits of those labors.

That being said, I still hope one of the freshmen come in and just take the job because the coach is just so taken by the ability.
 

sonnygarcia said:
DB mentioned that Wright wasn't on campus. Does this validate the rumor about him not being eligible? That would mean our top two recruits didn't make it into school.
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Don't read it as a confirmation of anything. IIRC if he had some loose ends to tie up academically and wasn't able to enroll for summer school the U of M can't pay for his housing up here. It validates that there is some risk (we already knew that) but it certainly doesn't confirm anything. Even if he was here the NCAA Clearinghouse could still fail to clear somebody and he could be sent home (Marqueis Gray) and that could happen for anybody.

Unfortunately we just have to wait.
 

koppco1 said:
Top two recruits? Jimmy Gjere, Lamonte Edwards, and probably a couple of others (James Manuel, Tom Parish, etc.) might disagree with you. While Wright certainly did well and is a solid recruit I don't recall seeing him being rated one of our top two recruits (or Hill for that matter).
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Gjere slipped my mind, but other than him, Wright and Hill were the two I was most excited about. Hopefully Wright still makes it in, out of the 3 freshman RBs he has probably played against the best competition to date, would make the transition easier. You can throw Edwards into the top bunch, but based on offers those 4 really stand out, it would suck to lose 2.
 

I think Edwards and Kirkwood could be good, but I think Wright could be an absolute monster. The fact that he´s not necessarily on campus yet doesn´t mean anything.

Hopefully all 3 freshmen are working their butts off. The job is there for the taking. I liked Bennett´s answers though. If one of those young guys becomes the go to back I would be comfortable with Bennett taking snaps in spot time and coming in on 3rd downs. He runs hard and catches the ball very well.
 



Why 17 or more carries?

When it comes to running the football, the tailback needs at least 25 carries. When you think of say the Badgers it is not unusual for them to give to the tailback 35 plus times a game. And its by design. The same is true of Iowa.

We seem to be more about possiblities, varied running style, running by committee. That is french for we don't have a tailback.

When it comes to pounding the rock, yes even Coach Brewster utter that phrase, it takes a someone who can take and give punishment. And the play calling has to favor bashing and gashing the front 7.

We have read at this time each year about how nasty the offensive line is. And Carufel has been tagged with this since he transfered. With Carufel lined up next to Wills you would think we could run right all day long. I invisioned this last year, but it never got off the ground. Whether its zone, or man, or traps or pulls I don't think this offensive line is going to be any better than it was last year. We are big, but not powerful. While the talk borders on being hostile, we are not agile. The offensive line is experienced, but far from athletic.

If you are a fly on the wall, and can see the 1st Team Defense line up against our offense where on that line is the offense guaranteed a a win. And at the same time were does the defense have a decided advantage. Wills v. Hageman, Carufel v. Edwards, Burris v. Tinsley, Bunders v. Kirksey, Alford v. Wilhite.
 

Auric@heart you haven't been listening, Horton has said we are going to run the football, if we aren't sucessful were going to keep trying until we are. I know we've heard it before but Horton has a track record to back it up. Davis has a track record of producing sucessful O-lines in his second year. I trust the coaches to know whats best for each individual I've see backs that thrived on 15 carries and I've seen backs that needed 30 there is no no magic number. As far as match ups between the offense and defense pre-fall practice will give us the answers.
 

Talk is cheap

I have heard it from Coach Brewster, I have heard it from from Coach Davis, I have heard it from Coach Horton. But talk is cheap. And there in lies the problem. It all started two years ago when Coach Brewster hoisted a sign, and broke the huddle with "Pound The Rock" and when questioned why we throwing it 35 times a game, he countered with it was not about running the football, rather a mind set. I clamored under a different moniker that the sign should come down. Then Coach Brewster brought in Coach Davis and the wonders he had wrought at USC. We were going to put a hand on the ground and get after it. Last year both tackles were still playing from a half cocked stance. Either tipping a pass, influencing the defense, or as a deference to Alford and Wills inablilty to drive out a three point stance. And now this year come Coach Horton. And the promise that we will run the ball. After all this talk, I want some action. I don't care how they do it. Out of the I, wishbone, singlewing, T formation. If you are a run based team, you run it 40 snaps a game.
 

I believe the prescription was for an aspirin. So many wondering why we didn't down the whole bottle.

Brewsters pound the rock was to address the short yardage problem that plagued the team under Dunbar's spread.

People get way too wacked out over words. Always ignore or miss the intent of the message.

Nowhere did he say we're going to be a run dominated team only that we were going to be more aggressive at point of attack. although I wouldn't be uspset about it if we were.
 

There is the problem

The point of attack. Where is it? Where was it? Where will it be? Its symantics without a solution. Platitudes without committment to play calling. Blame it on Dunbar, Fisch, or even Brewster. Stop with the all the talk of working hard, stop with pounding the rock, just stop. Each year its something catchy, something to hang your hopes on, and then Ohio State comes to town and it all goes out the open end of the stadium.


This team will live and die with the defense, special forces, and kicking game.
 

we were better in short yardage. Hoese anyone?? So we're not where we want to be. Let's not be ignorant about the progress.
 

No tailback last year gained over 400 yards. And the Gopher offense finished the season, last in the Big Ten in scoring, rushing and total offense.

What other than Coach Horton's instance that we will run the ball even if they put 10 in the box makes you think the nine starters back from that performance will make a difference?
 

I'd be shocked this year if anyone beat out Buckner for the starting RB position.
 

auric@heart said:
No tailback last year gained over 400 yards. And the Gopher offense finished the season, last in the Big Ten in scoring, rushing and total offense.

What other than Coach Horton's instance that we will run the ball even if they put 10 in the box makes you think the nine starters back from that performance will make a difference?
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whats your point? your negative about the gophers and brew! nothing you have stated about the 2010-2011 team is positive, why watch? why take the time out of your day to tear down the program/players/coaches? the answer is you either hate brew so much that it eats at you all day long(pretty sad you have that little of a life) or your not a gopher fan. are you glen mason? all of these stats on why we havent ran the ball during brew's command doesnt mean we never will! by the way. if i remember when the gophers were a "dominant" run team, how did we get all those yards stacked up and piss so many games down our legs. i thought when you are a dominant run team you control clock, eat clock, and win on a regular basis. i remember watching barber and maroney run all day and still lose against our rivals and pretty much everyone else, sure we dueced in the lucky charms of the non-conf teams, but that is pretty much it!

your just another guy who hates brewster so much you that you hope we lose every game so he will be fired. your not even thinking about the future of the gopher football program. if we fire brew, i have a feeling maturi will also be let go. we still have the worst football budget in the b10, so what a.d. and top notch coach is coming to work for pennies with a fanbase that would rather hope their team fails so they can feel good about saying "i told you so!" get over yourself you sound like a tool!
 

Facts are facts

And they have nothing to do with my support for the Gophers, and Coach Brewster. The problem is the learning curve. Learning how to win, and specifically how to win in the Big 10. The team knows what time it is. The hardest thing to learn is how to win. Not how to play the game. We perfected the zone stretch play, had thousand yard rushers, and still didn't win the Big 10 Championship. We have demonstrated agonizing ways to lose. Changing that culture is in process. To a player I believe they are working toward practicing how to win. It takes discipline, it takes repitition. Its that third down conversion late in a game to maintain control of the clock. When the game is on the line. Knowing you can execute, they cannot stop it. We were at about 33% third down conversion last year. We yielded 44%. Those stats need to be evened out. We gave up an average of 23 points a game and scored 20.


We are close, and we need the offense to do exactly what Coach Horton said. If they do, it will be a great season.
 

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