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News, Notes, Tid-Bits and Quotes: Engel Out With Injury, Murray Impressing
By Grant Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/311708?referrer_id=388419
Following a much-needed week off, Jerry Kill and the Gophers are in the midst of preparing for their hated rivals from the east. Kill spoke with the media on Tuesday to field questions about his 8-2 Minnesota squad.
Kill Stays Put
Like he has since Minnesota’s game at Northwestern, Kill will remain in the press box for this Saturday’s contest.
“I will be in the press box,” said Kill. “That’s the best situation for our football team where we’re at right now and it’s best for me. We’re not going to change anything. It’s worked pretty well. I think it’s kind of a two-fold situation so that’s where I’ll be and we’ll go from there.”
Kill has noticed some distinct advantages when watching and coaching from above the field.
“There’s not any of us that doesn’t say when you’re up there, you can’t see better,” said Kill. “Some people have got a knack to being on the field and being able to see things. I had a gift for that and I was blessed with but you still can’t see like you can up there. [Tracy] Claeys would tell you the same thing. It’s different. The great thing for me is that you can operate things up there on all sides of the ball and you get to watch the communication with our staff…It really hasn’t changed except it’s a lot warmer for me and a lot colder for Coach Claeys.”
Injury Report
Early in the week, rumors were swirling about a possible serious knee injury to star wide receiver Derrick Engel. Kill confirmed that Engel was indeed hurt but did not know the extent of the injury.
“He did get banged up and we’ll know more as the process goes with his doctor,” said Kill. “At this point in time, he’ll get an MRI and we’ll know more about it as we go. There’s speculation one way or the other but we’ll see.”
An injury to Engel is a huge blow to the Gophers who have relied on the receiver for long scoring plays this season.
“He’s a young man that’s a walk-on player and we scholarshipped him and he’s done a great job,” said Kill of Engel. “We’ve got two freshmen that have stepped up, Maxx Williams has stepped up, but certainly Derrick has given us some big plays over the last three weeks. We’re very proud of his accomplishments.”
Although Engel may be sidelined, a number of other players were able to heal during the bye week to get ready for Wisconsin.
“We needed it,” said Kill of the bye week. “You play hard, you get banged up so you try and get as healthy as you can. We’ve had several things that we’ve gone through and some players have gone through. It helped us or we’d have been in trouble. I don’t like having a bye week when you’re rolling pretty good but the status of a lot of kids would have been questionable if we’d played the next week. In this particular case, we have some kids who are healthier than they would have been.”
Murray Impressing
One of the top players on Minnesota’s defense this season has been sophomore cornerback and Wisconsin native Eric Murray. The talented defender was a steal for Kill and the Gophers in their 2012 recruiting class.
“We had a situation where he came to camp and just did an outstanding job,” said Kill. “I can’t explain really what happened, I just know we were fortunate to get a very good player and he gets better each week. He’s a great player in our minds. He’s really done a great job. [He’s] a great kid. I think sometimes you get fortunate in recruiting.”
Most games, Murray is charged with covering the opposing team’s top wide receiver. The improvement in Murray’s game to become the team’s top corner can be attributed to a number of different factors.
“There’s no question he’s a very, very good athlete,” said Kill. “He’s a sophomore and he’s still learning. The great thing about Eric; he’s a very smart kid, he does a great job in the classroom and he studies the game. Every practice he goes to work. Sometimes you’ve got to motivate people to go to work but not him. He’s not only a good defensive back; he’s a good special teams player. He loves playing football and he takes what he does very seriously. I think he’s one of those kids that really tries to master his craft and get better.”
Epping Solid
Another Wisconsin native who will face his home state team on Saturday is offensive lineman Zac Epping. Kill has seen a vast improvement from Epping during his tenure with the Gophers.
“He’s done a really, really good job,” said Kill of Epping. “I think Zac’s a young man that just plays hard all the time and he gets every ounce out of his body that he can. He doesn’t miss practice. He’s a tough guy. He may be banged up here and there but he just keeps plugging along. He’s played through some tough injuries and just kept playing…At the end of the day, when you’ve got a kid playing for you, you just want him to get the best out of his ability he can and he’s certainly doing that right now.”
By Grant Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/311708?referrer_id=388419
Following a much-needed week off, Jerry Kill and the Gophers are in the midst of preparing for their hated rivals from the east. Kill spoke with the media on Tuesday to field questions about his 8-2 Minnesota squad.
Kill Stays Put
Like he has since Minnesota’s game at Northwestern, Kill will remain in the press box for this Saturday’s contest.
“I will be in the press box,” said Kill. “That’s the best situation for our football team where we’re at right now and it’s best for me. We’re not going to change anything. It’s worked pretty well. I think it’s kind of a two-fold situation so that’s where I’ll be and we’ll go from there.”
Kill has noticed some distinct advantages when watching and coaching from above the field.
“There’s not any of us that doesn’t say when you’re up there, you can’t see better,” said Kill. “Some people have got a knack to being on the field and being able to see things. I had a gift for that and I was blessed with but you still can’t see like you can up there. [Tracy] Claeys would tell you the same thing. It’s different. The great thing for me is that you can operate things up there on all sides of the ball and you get to watch the communication with our staff…It really hasn’t changed except it’s a lot warmer for me and a lot colder for Coach Claeys.”
Injury Report
Early in the week, rumors were swirling about a possible serious knee injury to star wide receiver Derrick Engel. Kill confirmed that Engel was indeed hurt but did not know the extent of the injury.
“He did get banged up and we’ll know more as the process goes with his doctor,” said Kill. “At this point in time, he’ll get an MRI and we’ll know more about it as we go. There’s speculation one way or the other but we’ll see.”
An injury to Engel is a huge blow to the Gophers who have relied on the receiver for long scoring plays this season.
“He’s a young man that’s a walk-on player and we scholarshipped him and he’s done a great job,” said Kill of Engel. “We’ve got two freshmen that have stepped up, Maxx Williams has stepped up, but certainly Derrick has given us some big plays over the last three weeks. We’re very proud of his accomplishments.”
Although Engel may be sidelined, a number of other players were able to heal during the bye week to get ready for Wisconsin.
“We needed it,” said Kill of the bye week. “You play hard, you get banged up so you try and get as healthy as you can. We’ve had several things that we’ve gone through and some players have gone through. It helped us or we’d have been in trouble. I don’t like having a bye week when you’re rolling pretty good but the status of a lot of kids would have been questionable if we’d played the next week. In this particular case, we have some kids who are healthier than they would have been.”
Murray Impressing
One of the top players on Minnesota’s defense this season has been sophomore cornerback and Wisconsin native Eric Murray. The talented defender was a steal for Kill and the Gophers in their 2012 recruiting class.
“We had a situation where he came to camp and just did an outstanding job,” said Kill. “I can’t explain really what happened, I just know we were fortunate to get a very good player and he gets better each week. He’s a great player in our minds. He’s really done a great job. [He’s] a great kid. I think sometimes you get fortunate in recruiting.”
Most games, Murray is charged with covering the opposing team’s top wide receiver. The improvement in Murray’s game to become the team’s top corner can be attributed to a number of different factors.
“There’s no question he’s a very, very good athlete,” said Kill. “He’s a sophomore and he’s still learning. The great thing about Eric; he’s a very smart kid, he does a great job in the classroom and he studies the game. Every practice he goes to work. Sometimes you’ve got to motivate people to go to work but not him. He’s not only a good defensive back; he’s a good special teams player. He loves playing football and he takes what he does very seriously. I think he’s one of those kids that really tries to master his craft and get better.”
Epping Solid
Another Wisconsin native who will face his home state team on Saturday is offensive lineman Zac Epping. Kill has seen a vast improvement from Epping during his tenure with the Gophers.
“He’s done a really, really good job,” said Kill of Epping. “I think Zac’s a young man that just plays hard all the time and he gets every ounce out of his body that he can. He doesn’t miss practice. He’s a tough guy. He may be banged up here and there but he just keeps plugging along. He’s played through some tough injuries and just kept playing…At the end of the day, when you’ve got a kid playing for you, you just want him to get the best out of his ability he can and he’s certainly doing that right now.”
