Gophers Spring Central: Spring Game Video, & Game Recap

[BleedGopher]

Go Gophers!!

 

[GopherHole Staff]

Gophers Spring Game Recap: Team Maroon Get a 3-0 Win
By U of M Athletic Communications

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/145473?referrer_id=331171

Fans of defensive football were all smiles Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium as Minnesota wrapped up its 2012 spring with the annual Maroon and Gold game. A lone 21-yard field goal from Chris Hawthorne proved to be the difference as the Maroon eked out 3-0 win in a shortened spring game that featured a running clock and just two 25-minute halves.

While jumbled lineups played havoc with the timing of both offenses, the defenses shined. The Maroon defense was particularly good, holding the Gold to just 47 yards and three first downs on eight possessions while not giving up a completed pass during the game.

Sophomore Michael Amaefula and the Maroon defensive line kept the Gold’s freshman quarterback duo of Philip Nelson and Mitch Leidner under constant pressure as the pair combined to go 0 for 8 passing. Amaefula led the unit with four tackles, including a pair of sacks, with redshirt freshman Gavin Bronson chipping in with two tackles for losses, including a sack. The unit also had four pass break-ups, two by redshirt freshman defensive back Steven Montgomery and one each by senior linebacker Ryan Grant and senior cornerback Michael Carter.

The Maroon offense, led by quarterbacks MarQuies Gray and Max Shortell, had its share of bright spots, totaling 209 yards and gaining nine first downs, but was unable to get into the end zone. Gray completed 4 of 8 passes for 62 yards, while Shortell was good on 4 of 10 attempts for 68 yards and led the games only scoring drive, marching the Maroon 71 yards on nine plays to open the second half.

Senior wide receiver Brandon Green led all receivers with three receptions for 59 yards, including a 35-yarder from Gray in the first half that was the longest play of the game. Senior Malcolm Moulton also hauled in a big play with his 33-yard reception from Shortell in the second half and finished the game with two catches for 35 yards.

Freshman running back JoJuan Harper finished the game with 44 yards on nine carries for the Maroon, with Shortell and junior running back James Gillum adding 30 and six yards each, respectively. Sophomore Donnell Kirkwood led the Gold rushing attack with 25 yards on five carries

Sophomore defensive back Cedric Thompson, junior linebacker James Manuel and sophomore defensive back Derrick Wells carried the load for the Gold defense. Thompson finished the game as the leading tackler with eight stops. Manuel collected five tackles, including a sack, and Wells was also credited with five stops.

 

[lakesgopher]

was there anyone even there? this is the first year in about 10 yrs i havent been anxious at all for our season to start. im not here to pick a fight, im neither upset of jacked about kill, but all the threads about how "minnesotans love the guy for his no b.s. approach" i would have assumed there would have been at least 5 thousand people there?

 

[gopherMD]

A little over 3000 people there. Not great weather. The young QBs did not look good but Leidner was closer to a completion than Nelson. Lots of WRs to choose from and Harbison and McDonald will add to the mix. The defense was the story.

 

[Parski1]

was there anyone even there? this is the first year in about 10 yrs i havent been anxious at all for our season to start. im not here to pick a fight, im neither upset of jacked about kill, but all the threads about how "minnesotans love the guy for his no b.s. approach" i would have assumed there would have been at least 5 thousand people there?

Seriously - That's what your posting?

 

[Formo]

A little over 3000 people there. Not great weather. The young QBs did not look good but Leidner was closer to a completion than Nelson. Lots of WRs to choose from and Harbison and McDonald will add to the mix. The defense was the story.

I saw something like 3,500 people there today. Which is 1,000 more than last year.

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

We've been unlucky with the weather the last couple years.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

was there anyone even there? this is the first year in about 10 yrs i havent been anxious at all for our season to start. im not here to pick a fight, im neither upset of jacked about kill, but all the threads about how "minnesotans love the guy for his no b.s. approach" i would have assumed there would have been at least 5 thousand people there?

The fact that it didn't live up to your assumptions is not a bad thing for Kill it's a testament that you don't really get it when it comes to Gopher football.

The Gopher football fanbase does love Coach Kill. However, that fanbase is, to a large extent, not overly passionate and not very savvy. A Gopher Spring Game isn't going to generate a lot of buzz outside of places like Gopherhole. However, we don't make up the vast majority of "fans" of the football team. That's part of the problem.

 

[John Galt]

Cedric Thompson and Derrick Wells both looked impressive. I think we're going to be happy with our secondary sooner rather than later...

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

Cedric Thompson and Derrick Wells both looked impressive. I think we're going to be happy with our secondary sooner rather than later...

I agree. Derrick Wells seems to have an "it" factor about him. It seems like he can sneak around the field and wreak some havoc.

 

[gophergrad]

Was it just me or did anyone else think that Wells looked huge? A lot bigger than I remember him being last year.

 

[mkAz]

Were there any recruits at the game?

 

[GoAUpher]

was there anyone even there? this is the first year in about 10 yrs i havent been anxious at all for our season to start. im not here to pick a fight, im neither upset of jacked about kill, but all the threads about how "minnesotans love the guy for his no b.s. approach" i would have assumed there would have been at least 5 thousand people there?

Imma not here to pick a fight...so let me close with a fight picking question. Sheesh.

 

[John Galt]

Was it just me or did anyone else think that Wells looked huge? A lot bigger than I remember him being last year.

The staff has said he's up to 205 lbs., which is significant since he was 170 last summer. Thompson has also put on some weight and muscle and seems like a guy who could see quite a bit of playing time as a 3rd safety.

 

[Arbogast]

Were there any recruits at the game?

I saw a few kids with lanyards labeled "RECRUIT" on them but I don't know who they were. So to answer your question, yes there were recruits there.

 

[Formo]

Well, since the other thread got locked because of some posters that don't have any reading comprehension before I could respond/defend my post, I'll do it here.

highwayman said it.

Highwayman said NOTHING about fans who couldn't make it to the spring game. Read his first post again and then come back.

And do you honestly believe that the people that were bored enough on Saturday to not want to come back for future spring games are bad fans?

Never once used the words 'bad fans' together. In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't even use the word 'bad'. I just said that they weren't GREAT fans (factual, BTW).

What about the thousands of fans that didn't even attend?

Don't care about them. I've missed plenty of Gopher practices/spring games in the past. Never once have I called out anyone for not making it.

All I care about is who attends the 7 home games every year, those are the real fans. The 'real fans' are certainly not the rubes who police message boards all day and criticize people who weren't stimulated by sitting in the rain with temps in the 40's watching a glorified practice.

I criticize those that expected some sort of elaborate, circus-level acrobat-type football for a SPRING GAME and then complain about how boring it was, following up by saying how they won't go to future spring games. This isn't the NFL kids.

 

[zambam]

If I had to guess, many of the fans that said the game was boring caught the hype on here (or elsewhere) from all the people that were excited for it. This likely raised their expectations for what they were going to see. They probably had never gone to a spring game before so assumed because people were excited for it it is exciting.

 

[Formo]

If I had to guess, many of the fans that said the game was boring caught the hype on here (or elsewhere) from all the people that were excited for it. This likely raised their expectations for what they were going to see. They probably had never gone to a spring game before so assumed because people were excited for it it is exciting.

Yeah, I can see that somewhat. I dunno, maybe my football upbringing of the wishbone has slanted my view of football, but I love the 'boring' vanilla football as much as I love the high flying circus act football. And any football my favorite team is partaking in is my favorite style of football to watch, no matter the play.