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Gopher Football Practice Quotes: Ryan Santoso Discusses His Famous American Flag Shirt
By Alex Van Abbema
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/439342?referrer_id=
Coming off a thrilling win over Purdue on Saturday, the Gophers have turned their focus to a road game at Illinois this weekend. Minnesota has a chance to go 4-0 in the Big Ten for the first time in decades. Below are quotes from players and Coach Kill to reporters after practice.
Mitch Leidner:
KJ Maye throw:
It’s a play we rep all the time, so it really wasn’t too big of a shocker for us because that play usually works out for us in practice. It was a good route by KJ, and just a good job by him being able to get into the end zone. It all starts with the O-Line up front, and they gave me good protection. When that happens usually we can make good throws and catches.
Turning point for O-Line:
I think during the bye week we really emphasized protection. It’s just been going really well from that point. They just understand that they got to protect, and they’ve been doing a good job of that.
Offense putting up points early on:
It’s really good for our offense, just the past few weeks being able to put up a good amount of points. And having that type of confidence going forward is really going to help us. The defense has bailed us out a bunch of times this season, and last season. For us to be able to put 39 on the board was huge for us.
Use of fakes, read option during game:
That’s something we’ve emphasized the past couple of weeks is just huge on carrying out fakes, both during the zone read and different naked movements. I think it’s tough for defenses to stop because they’ve got to bring a couple of guys with me each time, which just helps Cobb or Kirkwood, or whoever has the ball to get that much more open.
Having Foster Bush back on O-Line
Yeah that’s good for us, he’s been doing well at practice since he’s been back. Good to get him healthy again. I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen up front, but I’m sure he’s going to step in and do a great job this week.
Leidner also says that he will still wear his leg brace for the rest of the year because it doesn’t bother him at all, and he’s “superstitious” about it.
Jerry Kill:
Penalties on extra points.
Well it’s both sides. You go into it, and one of them was because we were too off the ball. You don’t see that called that much. I’m not saying we weren’t but that was an unusual occurrence. And he did, Campion flinched a bit. Those are things that you can’t afford to do, and you can’t miss the extra point. Those are things as a coach that’s a sign of the coach not doing a good job, is the lack of discipline. We’ve got to get that straightened out. There’s a difference between a dumb penalty and an aggressive penalty. You should never have a penalty on the PAT.
Progression of Miles Thomas:
In the spring he was really raw, when he came in. He just keeps getting better and better, and I think most of it’s his attitude. He’s got a great attitude, and he’s very prideful and wants to do well. He’s spent a lot of time on his own this summer, working. He does not like to be embarrassed so all of those things make into a good football player. It’s one of those things where he’s getting benefits from it by playing well.
Cubit’s offense the same as it was at Western Michigan?
It’s similar, same concepts. He’s good at adjusting to what he has, and so forth, but same principles. He did a heck of a job from an offensive standpoint, and he’s done a heck of a job this year. They’ve lost a quarterback who’s a very talented kid. A transfer from Oklahoma State. And that’s why they’ll probably play two quarterbacks. And he’ll adjust to who he’s got playing. I know everybody wants to play one quarterback, but that’ll be an adjustment. But he’ll handle it well, I’ve known him for a long time.
Ryan Santoso:
On ideal kicking range:
50 was actually my max range, but you’ve got to be able to risk it every now and then. Pete said 52 was good, so I said “Alright, if you believe in me, I’ll believe in me.”
What was going through his mind during kick:
I grew up a lot this season. I was nervous for my first couple of kicks, but once I got into that groove, I know what I have to do when I’m out there now, just got to relax and do my fundamentals. I have a checklist that I go through every time I’m jogging on the field. Just keep your head down, follow through, good leg swing.
Longest kicks
Santoso said that the longest kick he ever hit was 70 in practice. Also the longest kick he has attempted in game is 58, and the longest kick he has made in game was the 52 yarder against Purdue last Saturday.
After the game on Saturday, Santoso wore an American flag shirt with an Eagle on the front. The picture of it spread all over twitter, and eventually got more than 1200 retweets. Santoso talked about the famed shirt after practice, saying “It’s kind of a pregame thing, I think it got more publicity than my kick did.”
More facts about the infamous shirt:
-Sister gave it to him for birthday.
-Wears it during warm ups before every game
-Occasionally wears it around school
Another picture that made the rounds on Twitter last week was one from the Gophers specialists at Mall of America holding an autograph session. There was nobody in line at that picture, and when asked about it Santoso said that the line “absolutely did not” pick up. Gopher specialists never get enough love!
By Alex Van Abbema
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/439342?referrer_id=
Coming off a thrilling win over Purdue on Saturday, the Gophers have turned their focus to a road game at Illinois this weekend. Minnesota has a chance to go 4-0 in the Big Ten for the first time in decades. Below are quotes from players and Coach Kill to reporters after practice.
Mitch Leidner:
KJ Maye throw:
It’s a play we rep all the time, so it really wasn’t too big of a shocker for us because that play usually works out for us in practice. It was a good route by KJ, and just a good job by him being able to get into the end zone. It all starts with the O-Line up front, and they gave me good protection. When that happens usually we can make good throws and catches.
Turning point for O-Line:
I think during the bye week we really emphasized protection. It’s just been going really well from that point. They just understand that they got to protect, and they’ve been doing a good job of that.
Offense putting up points early on:
It’s really good for our offense, just the past few weeks being able to put up a good amount of points. And having that type of confidence going forward is really going to help us. The defense has bailed us out a bunch of times this season, and last season. For us to be able to put 39 on the board was huge for us.
Use of fakes, read option during game:
That’s something we’ve emphasized the past couple of weeks is just huge on carrying out fakes, both during the zone read and different naked movements. I think it’s tough for defenses to stop because they’ve got to bring a couple of guys with me each time, which just helps Cobb or Kirkwood, or whoever has the ball to get that much more open.
Having Foster Bush back on O-Line
Yeah that’s good for us, he’s been doing well at practice since he’s been back. Good to get him healthy again. I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen up front, but I’m sure he’s going to step in and do a great job this week.
Leidner also says that he will still wear his leg brace for the rest of the year because it doesn’t bother him at all, and he’s “superstitious” about it.
Jerry Kill:
Penalties on extra points.
Well it’s both sides. You go into it, and one of them was because we were too off the ball. You don’t see that called that much. I’m not saying we weren’t but that was an unusual occurrence. And he did, Campion flinched a bit. Those are things that you can’t afford to do, and you can’t miss the extra point. Those are things as a coach that’s a sign of the coach not doing a good job, is the lack of discipline. We’ve got to get that straightened out. There’s a difference between a dumb penalty and an aggressive penalty. You should never have a penalty on the PAT.
Progression of Miles Thomas:
In the spring he was really raw, when he came in. He just keeps getting better and better, and I think most of it’s his attitude. He’s got a great attitude, and he’s very prideful and wants to do well. He’s spent a lot of time on his own this summer, working. He does not like to be embarrassed so all of those things make into a good football player. It’s one of those things where he’s getting benefits from it by playing well.
Cubit’s offense the same as it was at Western Michigan?
It’s similar, same concepts. He’s good at adjusting to what he has, and so forth, but same principles. He did a heck of a job from an offensive standpoint, and he’s done a heck of a job this year. They’ve lost a quarterback who’s a very talented kid. A transfer from Oklahoma State. And that’s why they’ll probably play two quarterbacks. And he’ll adjust to who he’s got playing. I know everybody wants to play one quarterback, but that’ll be an adjustment. But he’ll handle it well, I’ve known him for a long time.
Ryan Santoso:
On ideal kicking range:
50 was actually my max range, but you’ve got to be able to risk it every now and then. Pete said 52 was good, so I said “Alright, if you believe in me, I’ll believe in me.”
What was going through his mind during kick:
I grew up a lot this season. I was nervous for my first couple of kicks, but once I got into that groove, I know what I have to do when I’m out there now, just got to relax and do my fundamentals. I have a checklist that I go through every time I’m jogging on the field. Just keep your head down, follow through, good leg swing.
Longest kicks
Santoso said that the longest kick he ever hit was 70 in practice. Also the longest kick he has attempted in game is 58, and the longest kick he has made in game was the 52 yarder against Purdue last Saturday.
After the game on Saturday, Santoso wore an American flag shirt with an Eagle on the front. The picture of it spread all over twitter, and eventually got more than 1200 retweets. Santoso talked about the famed shirt after practice, saying “It’s kind of a pregame thing, I think it got more publicity than my kick did.”
More facts about the infamous shirt:
-Sister gave it to him for birthday.
-Wears it during warm ups before every game
-Occasionally wears it around school
Another picture that made the rounds on Twitter last week was one from the Gophers specialists at Mall of America holding an autograph session. There was nobody in line at that picture, and when asked about it Santoso said that the line “absolutely did not” pick up. Gopher specialists never get enough love!
