Official 2013 Gopher Fall Camp Thread: Updates, Analysis, Links, etc.

Donate To GopherHole
Parski1 said:
It should be interesting to see if they redshirt Berkley Edwards. They really don't have a RB with his speed.
Click to expand...

Well the equipment folks won't have to sew on a different last name on the back of his jerseys. Hopefully he has more success than the previous #32.
 

skid said:
I understand DW (We called him Woli in HS) was moved from the frosh rotation to the 2nd team. No way he RS's. I sure would like to know what they feed him. He came into the summer at 208, been running his arse off, and recently weighed in at 225. Getting excited out west!
Click to expand...

Well you should. He looks very confident, the most of all the freshmen IMO. And he looks polished.
 

My pulse just went into the dangerous range when I read you think this is the best team you've seen in 30 years! We are all wondering if the excellent showing against Texas Tech was a one-time thing or a step up. Hope you are right.
 

1500: Notes from Day 4 of fall camp

• Cornerback Derrick Wells was limited for the second consecutive day with a sore shoulder. Again, the Gophers are considering this a very minor injury. But given that Wells is locked into a starting corner spot, the Gophers are being cautious, with no reason to rush him back.

• After being limited Sunday, senior running back James Gillum was held out of practice due to ongoing back tightness. Gillum was taking reps primarily with the second team offense before his back flared up. Kill expects Gillum to return to practice fully in the "next couple of days."

• Offensive tackle Jonah Pirsig (knee) remains in a green limited contact jersey, and he'll probably stay in one for at least a few more days. Kill said he's being tentative to clear him for full contact, keeping him out of any 11-on-11 drills.

• New linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has become a much buzzed about player in the first few days of camp, earning substantial recognition from both Kill and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys.

Linebackers coach Bill Miller is impressed with what he has seen so far from the 6-foot-5, 225-pound transfer from Hutchinson Community College, but he is holding off on making a specific evaluation.

"He looks the part," Miller said. "There's a lot of guys that look the part that aren't the part. We haven't had really had a lot of full contact. I think that is going to tell the true story. He's still in a proving mode, but so far, so good. I'm positive about him. He's very mobile, a good athlete, has good flexibility."

• Kill dubbed former wide receiver, now cornerback Marcus Jones as a "miracle-heal guy" in light of how quickly he has recovered from his second ACL surgery in two years.

"He probably looks faster and quicker now than the day he came in," Kill said. "He's put on a little bit of weight. He's playing corner and he's really played well in camp. He's been impressive with what he's done."

Jones still has a significant battle in front of him if he wants to earn playing time at corner, where he shifted over to soon after his second injury. Jones enters a mix in which Eric Murray, Briean Boddy, Jeremy Baltazar and Martez Shabazz, all of whom have one year of experience, are also vying for the same spot.

• Tuesday will mark the Gophers' first practice in full pads, but Kill doesn't plan on deviating from how practice has looked in the last couple of days. Kill said the team won't open the players up for tackling until their scrimmage on Saturday.

• Besides a reconstructed and once again healthy knee, Johnson is also sporting a new hairdo. Johnson was cutting his hair when his roommate, sophomore running back Rodrick Williams Jr. came up with an idea. Williams, who happens to have a Mohawk that he dyed blonde, jokingly shaved one into Johnson's hair before running out of the room. Johnson said his teammates ended up liking the new look, so he has stuck with it.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...oland_Johnson_feeling_100_percent_again080513

Go Gophers!!
 

StarTribune said:
• Kill, on the two young kids who sang the “Minnesota Rouser’’ for the full squad after practice: “They did a good job teaching the freshmen, so they can figure it out.”
Click to expand...

Doing my part to coach up the freshman :D.

<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/hbwZhZWWt7m/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 


monk10 said:
Doing my part to coach up the freshman :D.

<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/hbwZhZWWt7m/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Click to expand...

Very nice! :cool:
 



STrib: Damien Wilson seeks to fill Gophers' hole at middle linebacker

Another benefit of coming to Minnesota, for Wilson, was reuniting with his cousin, David Cobb, a junior running back.

Wilson and Cobb said they were like brothers growing up in Mississippi before Cobb moved away to Texas. Now they share an apartment.

“I think [Wilson’s] feeling pretty good,” Cobb said. “He’s always been a kid with a lot of confidence. Now, just knowing what to do and where to be [in Claeys’ defensive system], he can play a little faster. And I think he’s getting it down.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/218617351.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 



MN Daily: Athletic secondary fuels expectations
The Gophers are trying to build off last year’s success defending the pass.

After practice, Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover didn’t express concern for his quarterbacks. Instead, he seemed in awe of the defense.

“Those guys are flying around,” he said. “I’m standing back there watching, going, ‘He’s got it open,’ and all of a sudden [the secondary is] gobbling it up.”

http://www.mndaily.com/sports/athle...tations?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 

STrib: BTN scribe picks Gophers to go 8-4 (best case) or 4-8 (worst case)

Studying Minnesota's schedule for his Best Case/Worst Case series, Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart sees a best case of 8-4 and a worst case or 4-8.

In the best case scenario, he sees them defeating Iowa to move to 5-0 before withstanding losses to Michigan (home), Northwestern (away) and Nebraska (home) -- and then winning the next three games against Indiana (away), Penn State (home) and Wisconsin (home).

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/218715131.html

Go Gophers!!
 

1500: Gophers fall camp Day 5: Jamel Harbison working back into WR rotation

"I feel way better than I did before the injury," Harbison said. "The knee is stronger. I feel healthier. Of course I know the playbook better now. Everything is getting better on the field now after the injury ... I'm more about reading defenses, running routes based off the defense."

Notes from Day 5 of Gophers fall camp

• Tuesday was the Gophers' first practice in full pads, and like coach Jerry Kill promised a day ago, he said the layout of practice didn't change much from the first four days: "We've got a lot of work to do, but the intensity level and the pace have been good."

• Redshirt junior Donnell Kirkwood on what freshman Berkley Edwards brings to the "U" running backs unit: "Speed. And of lot it ... He's very quick. He's agile. He's crisp with his cuts. He brings a different element into the game."

Edwards is being targeted to join the rotation at running back right away. The bulk of his reps have been coming with the second team offense, with him likely positioned as the Gophers' No. 4 option behind Kirkwood, sophomore Rodrick Williams Jr. and junior David Cobb.

• Redshirt freshman Maxx Williams has been the subject to increasing hype from the coaching staff since his arrival a year ago. With the Gophers offense placing more of an emphasis on its tight ends, even Williams' teammates are bringing him up as some one to keep an eye on.

"I think Maxx Williams is really going to surprise a lot of people," junior tight end Drew Goodger said of the 6-foot-4, 254-pound Waconia native.

"He's kind of sneaky when it comes to blocking as well as getting out on routes. I think people kind of underestimate his speed and he's pretty shifty, pretty versatile. He's a good match-up against linebackers."

• Even with recently minted cornerback Marcus Jones coming off a pair of ACL injuries, Kill said the junior is being looked at again as a possibility on punt and kick returns. Jones returned 17 kicks for 445 yards in his first two injury-shortened seasons.

It still seems likely the Gophers will consider other options as well. Part of the reasoning behind Jones' shift from receiver to cornerback was to lessen his chance at injury. But it could be argued that Jones has a better chance at seeing playing time on special teams than he does at corner, where the Gophers are notably deep.

• Speaking of the return game, Kill mentioned that it would take a "real special freshman" for one of the team's newcomers to earn a spot returning kicks or punts. Kill is looking for his return man to have some experience.

While former cornerback Troy Stoudermire handled the bulk of return duties last season, sophomore receiver K.J. Maye was factored in later in the season, fielding eight kicks for 178 yards (22.2 ypr).

"We dropped a kickoff last year and it cost us the game. We dropped a punt or two. I think the reliability is more important than anything," Kill said. "We've got a couple of older kids who have been under the gun ... We've got some time to figure that out."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/..._Harbison_working_back_into_WR_rotation080713

Go Gophers!!
 

I was in the can. came out and we were down 7-0 vs NU. of course we were.
 



STrib: U coaches hope defense dominates this season

“The reality of it is, we took a little step forward last year on defense, but it wasn’t enough,” Gophers defensive backs coach Jay Sawvel said. “When you line up, you’ve got to have a will to dominate the person you’re playing against — every day.”

Sawvel spoke after Tuesday’s practice, the first in full pads.

“I didn’t think we practiced to dominate,” he said. “I think we practiced just to be out here and get better at some stuff, put our pads on and make sure they fit.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/218784071.html

Go Gophers!!
 


The Gazette: Minnesota players say ‘sky’s the limit’ this year

“I think right now we’re comfortable under Coach Kill,” safety Brock Vereen said. “We know what he expects. He’s taught us what it’s going to take to win at the highest level. That comfort-ability is going to carry over. When you’re confident in your coaching staff and you know that they’re confident in you, all you have to focus on is performing on the field.”

“From a team standpoint, it’s (the goal is) to win more games,” defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman said. “Go to a better bowl game. I’m definitely looking forward to this season. We have so many skill players that nobody even knows about. We’ve been the underdog forever. The fact that we get to prove somebody wrong is always a great thing.”

http://thegazette.com/2013/08/07/minnesota-players-say-skys-the-limit-this-year/

Go Gophers!!
 

FSN: Little experience to be found in the Gophers' wideouts

"I think we've got a lot of competition," Engel said. "We have a lot of unproven wide receivers, but we're pretty deep, too, as far as people who could step in that position. I think there's a couple of guys that are going to make an impact this year that haven't yet. I think we've got guys like Jamel Harbison, Andre McDonald, guys like that. They're ready to step in and be playmakers."

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/colle...e-found-in-the-Gop?blockID=927073&feedID=3590

Go Gophers!!
 

FSN: Donnell Kirkwood not caught up in 1,000-yard hype

"It's always being brought up," Kirkwood said of the 1,000-yard mark. "It'd be nice, but being productive is better than 1,000 yards. I could rush for 1,000 yards and have six fumbles and 30 missed blocks and it doesn't even out. For me, I've just got to be productive."

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/colle...aught-up-in-1000-y?blockID=927215&feedID=3590

Go Gophers!!
 


Gophers football: Jerry Kill wouldn't make an assistant be 'fall guy'

"If our coaches and players don't perform, then they need to fire me," he said after fall camp practice. "I'm the one that hired them. I'm the one that's teaching them. I'm the one that's coaching them. I'm the one at the top.

"That's what cracks me up when (some teams) don't win, then all of a sudden the coach fires three or four assistants and he stays. Then, he gets fired the next year. I can tell you, I ain't doing that. I can tell you that right now. I'm not going to let somebody be the fall guy for me."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_23819154/gophers-football-jerry-kill-wouldnt-make-an-assistant

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Gophers football: Jerry Kill wouldn't make an assistant be 'fall guy'

"If our coaches and players don't perform, then they need to fire me," he said after fall camp practice. "I'm the one that hired them. I'm the one that's teaching them. I'm the one that's coaching them. I'm the one at the top.

"That's what cracks me up when (some teams) don't win, then all of a sudden the coach fires three or four assistants and he stays. Then, he gets fired the next year. I can tell you, I ain't doing that. I can tell you that right now. I'm not going to let somebody be the fall guy for me."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_23819154/gophers-football-jerry-kill-wouldnt-make-an-assistant

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I like his attitude!
 


Gophers football: Hawthorne was moved by speech from Pitino’s assistant Young

“It was incredible,” Hawthorne said. “I actually spoke to him a couple days ago. What a blessing it was to have somebody like that speak to us. I really do feel that through adversity, you do see who people really are. I would argue that not many people have been dealt the kind of blows he’s been dealt. He’s clearly responded really, really well from it. He’s an awesome, awesome guy. He’s an awesome Christian guy who uses his platform to advocate for his Christian beliefs. Talking with a bunch of basketball players who I’m friends with, they absolutely love him. They love coach Pitino.”

http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers...-moved-by-speech-from-pitinos-assisant-young/

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Gophers football: Hawthorne was moved by speech from Pitino’s assistant Young

“It was incredible,” Hawthorne said. “I actually spoke to him a couple days ago. What a blessing it was to have somebody like that speak to us. I really do feel that through adversity, you do see who people really are. I would argue that not many people have been dealt the kind of blows he’s been dealt. He’s clearly responded really, really well from it. He’s an awesome, awesome guy. He’s an awesome Christian guy who uses his platform to advocate for his Christian beliefs. Talking with a bunch of basketball players who I’m friends with, they absolutely love him. They love coach Pitino.”

http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers...-moved-by-speech-from-pitinos-assisant-young/

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Always like seeing the sports intermingle like that. The more support they give each other, the better.
 

Monty519 said:
Always like seeing the sports intermingle like that. The more support they give each other, the better.
Click to expand...

One thing I liked reading in Pitino's latest blog is that he wants every basketball player back from visiting home in time for the first football game to support the team.
 

So it appears (inferring from what is written) Brian Bobek's heart was affected by a virus. It sounded like mono in previous releases, but I don't think anything was previously specifically said about his heart. Usually, you cannot recover 100% from these sort of things. Wish him the best.
 

highwayman said:
So it appears (inferring from what is written) Brian Bobek's heart was affected by a virus. It sounded like mono in previous releases, but I don't think anything was previously specifically said about his heart. Usually, you cannot recover 100% from these sort of things. Wish him the best.
Click to expand...

I had an athlete come down with this in HS, it took about a year to get back to previous form. I'm sure it's variable to whatever side effects and other issues arise though.
 


PiPress: Gophers football: D-line looks to play above preseason ranking

Claeys remembered only a few practices all spring when the defense stuffed the running game in goal line drills. At the end of Thursday's practice -- the fall's third in full pads -- it was clear the offensive line couldn't handle Hageman and company.

"I was excited to see it, because we didn't have a lot of success in the spring," Claeys said. "Our kids played much more physical. That's where you see the strength. We didn't get driven off the ball. We've got about everybody back who played well last year on the D-line. Some of those games with the rushing yards, I think the D-line took a bad rap. It wasn't them."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 

ESPN: Gophers' Kill searching for signature win

"You've got to find a way to get one of those signature wins, get one of those games," he said. "We play three or four rival games. We need to get one of those, maybe do it with a [last-minute] field goal. Everywhere I've been, we've had kind of a signature game where it flipped and we really got going for the program."

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/80990/gophers-kill-searching-for-signature-win

Go Gophers!!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom