Official 2014 Spring Football Thread: Articles, Tweets, Analysis & More...

Donate To GopherHole

PiPress: Jonah Pirsig pushing for starting right tackle job

There are signs this spring that another offensive line battle could be huge as well.

Sophomore Jonah Pirsig is pushing junior starting right tackle Josh Campion after the first few practices.

"Josh Campion is a two-year starter at right tackle," offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said. "But every guy in that group knows if Jonah Pirsig's a better player there, and maybe we can move Josh somewhere else to make us better, we're going to do that."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...ll-jonah-pirsig-pushing-starting-right-tackle

Go Gophers!!
 

GopherSports: Spring Central: Meet Mike Sherels

GS: How would you describe your first few days?

MS: It certainly has been a challenge, but it has been fun. It's new for me to plan meetings and things like that. I have always embraced challenges though and have never shied away from them. I told Coach Claeys and Coach Kill that I am ready for this and I am going to work my tail end off for these kids because they deserve it. The school deserves it, this great staff deserves it, but these kids really deserve it. I went through four position coaches in five years and I had two head coaches when I played here. I know what a transition can be like and I know how hard it can be like to learn a new style and new personalities. There is a feeling out period and I hope that I have been able to mitigate some of that eliminate some of that just because I have been through it before.

GS: Before your first practice, was there a pinch-me-moment, or were you just ready to coach football?

MS: Leading up to the first practice and first meeting I was nervous. I would be lying if I said I was not. I had butterflies in my stomach, but I was excited. It was something new for me, to be the guy in charge. But as soon as the horn sounded and practice started I was at home. Being out on the field for practices and games comes very naturally for me and those nerves went away.

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/031114aaa.html

Go Gophers!!
 

MN Daily: Campbell could emerge as playmaker
The Gophers junior linebacker recorded 41 tackles in his first year with the team.

Kill said Campbell looks more confident and comfortable in spring practice after a getting full season under his belt.

“I think I’ve grown physically and mentally,” Campbell said. “I’ve put on at least 15 pounds since I’ve been here, and mentally … I learned the system more. I started studying film … looking at little things I can improve on.”

Those little things could push him toward a breakout season this year.

http://www.mndaily.com/sports/football/2014/03/11/campbell-could-emerge-playmaker

Go Gophers!!
 

If Pirsig is good enough to beat out Campion, and we can move Campion to somewhere else on the line, we do have some serious depth.
 


STrib: Gophers' Streveler gets thumbs up on injury recovery

But Streveler has alleviated those concerns with some nice throws, including two long passes to Devon Wright on Tuesday — one for a completion and one slightly overthrown.

“[The injury] doesn’t bother me anymore,” Streveler said. “I really don’t even think about it.”

Streveler is battling fellow redshirt freshman Conor Rhoda and true freshman Dominick Roden-McKinzy to be Leidner’s backup. Leidner looks head and shoulders above the rest, but the Gophers know they’ll need a backup ready, especially with how much their quarterbacks run the ball.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/249678351.html

Go Gophers!!
 

TCF=UnitedWeStand said:
If Pirsig is good enough to beat out Campion, and we can move Campion to somewhere else on the line, we do have some serious depth.
Click to expand...

Against really good athletic ends, Campion is overmatched in the passing game. If they could move him inside, that would give us some serious size on the O line. Nice to have that option.
 

beavergopher said:
Against really good athletic ends, Campion is overmatched in the passing game. If they could move him inside, that would give us some serious size on the O line. Nice to have that option.
Click to expand...

You beat me to it. When I see Josh Campion, I think guard.
 

FSN: Gophers' passing game will feature new faces in new roles

With spring ball underway, Minnesota is hoping its new-look passing game can take flight in head coach Jerry Kill's fourth season. In for Nelson is redshirt sophomore Mitch Leidner. Two of his top targets? Drew Wolitarsky and Donovahn Jones, a pair of receivers who emerged as true freshman last year and are poised to follow up with strong sophomore campaigns.

That's a lot of youth in the passing game for the Gophers. Kill knows that young unit will need one key ingredient heading into the season.

"Maturity," Kill said. "I think that's the key word is just learning the position and maturity as a player and strength. The longer you spend in the weight room, the stronger you get. . . . That's important, I think the development, just the maturity level from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint."

http://msn.foxsports.com/north/story/gophers-passing-game-will-feature-new-faces-in-new-roles-031214

Go Gophers!!
 



TCF=UnitedWeStand said:
If Pirsig is good enough to beat out Campion, and we can move Campion to somewhere else on the line, we do have some serious depth.
Click to expand...

If Campion moves inside to right guard and Pirsig takes over at right tackle, which side do you think they will run to?
 


husker70 said:
If Campion moves inside to right guard and Pirsig takes over at right tackle, which side do you think they will run to?
Click to expand...

So who would be the odd man out, Caleb Bak?

Lauer, Epping, Olson, Campion, Pirsig starting line?
 




e.bigelow said:
I can only think of one word to describe that O-Line. BIG.
Click to expand...

Lauer - 6-7, 310
Epping - 6-2, 321
Olson - 6-4, 301
Campion - 6-5, 326
Prisig - 6-9, 325

Meh...maybe Klein can get these guys in the weight room and bulk them up a little.
 

Unregistered User said:
Lauer - 6-7, 310
Epping - 6-2, 321
Olson - 6-4, 301
Campion - 6-5, 326
Prisig - 6-9, 325

Meh...maybe Klein can get these guys in the weight room and bulk them up a little.
Click to expand...

I didn't think Tommy Olson was 6-4! I thought more like 6-1 to 6-2. I stand corrected.
 

Could the Gophers have one of the top three or four OLines in the conference this year?
 



Unregistered User said:
Lauer - 6-7, 310
Epping - 6-2, 321
Olson - 6-4, 301
Campion - 6-5, 326
Prisig - 6-9, 325

Meh...maybe Klein can get these guys in the weight room and bulk them up a little.
Click to expand...

Lauer is up to about 315 now. Hopefully Olson is up to at least 315 as well. 301 is pretty average/below average for a guy in the big ten. I didn't know Jonah was already 325, i thought he was still only about 310. That is a pleasant surprise. I think could get up to 340 which i think would be an ideal weight for a RT with his 6-9 frame. Caleb bak at 302, Foster Bush at 303 and Jon Christensen at 306 all need to gain at least 10 pounds ideally as well. The height and weights from the roster are from a while ago so hopefully they all have. Every single guy on Wisconsin's starting O-line weighs at least 315 and is at least 6-4 which is what i would like us to become
 

So are Bjorklund, Lenkiewicz and the MccAvoy twins pretty much out of it and is there a good chance that they will never really see the field at all while at the U?
 

die hard gopher said:
So are Bjorklund, Lenkiewicz and the MccAvoy twins pretty much out of it and is there a good chance that they will never really see the field at all while at the U?
Click to expand...

This coaching staff likes to rotate players in and with injuries, it is highly unlikely that some of these guys don't see the field. However, time will tell.
 

Pirsig is up to 325? I hadn't noticed that yet. I figured he was still around 310-315. Wow, if he's healthy and moving well it'll be tough to keep him off the field. This is obviously a good problem to have.
 

The more the merrier. At some point in time, we'll need these backups. Get them some playing time in noncom games or when the games are blowouts in the Gopher's favor.
 

die hard gopher said:
So are Bjorklund, Lenkiewicz and the MccAvoy twins pretty much out of it and is there a good chance that they will never really see the field at all while at the U?
Click to expand...

Lenkiewicz is currently running as the 2nd team LT, Bjorklund was 2nd team RG at the last practice I saw but that was behind Foster Bush with Bak being out. Bjorklund has seen some p.t. and should get a great opportunity to start or play significantly next year with Bak and Epping graduating. As for the McAvoy's, it's looking doubtful at this point.
 

hungan1 said:
The more the merrier. At some point in time, we'll need these backups. Get them some playing time in noncom games or when the games are blowouts in the Gopher's favor.
Click to expand...
A goal for the offense and defense in the preseason is to get a three score lead early. Extend it to 4 in the third quarter. The Fourth Quarter should be the time for the backups. They should be motivated to extend it to 5.
 


STrib blog: Newest Gophers quarterback has made a good first impression

The first thing you notice about Roden-McKinzy is his height. The Kansas City native is listed at 6-foot, but I think that’s giving him an inch. He looks about five inches shorter than the 6-4 Leidner. Of course, Johnny Manziel wasn’t quite 6-foot either, and he was a pretty decent college quarterback.

In the passing drills, Roden-McKinzy has shown a nice touch. Leidner’s passes seem to have more zip, but Roden-McKinzy can get it there, too. The arm action is free and easy. I’m slipping back into baseball analysis here, but that was always a good sign with pitchers when they had “easy cheese,” good velocity without maximum effort.

Roden-McKinzy also looks like he’ll be plenty nimble as a dual-threat quarterback. I think passing is his strength, but he’ll be able to pull it down and run, too. He's listed at 214 pounds, so he's plenty sturdy. The Gophers have done a little 11-on-11 stuff, but it'll be tough to get a full read on Roden-McKinzy's abilities until they start scrimmaging after spring break.

“He’s really coming along,” Streveler said. “I think he’s doing better than I did my first spring. And I told him that. I think he’s just picking it up a little faster than I did and throwing well. I think everyone’s happy with how he’s doing.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/250144901.html

Go Gophers!!
 

MN Daily: Spring Practice Report: Competition fuels chippy Gophers

These Gophers are arguably the deepest in Kill’s three years at Minnesota, which is fueling competition among teammates. That was evident in the Gophers’ fifth – and by far most chippy – spring practice Thursday.

“You’ve got to play with some intensity in this game,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “Like I said, this game ain’t for everybody.”

The physicality started from the top, with team leader Mitch Leidner challenging defensive players after the whistle blew. Kill said Leidner is just sticking up for his teammates, but would prefer his quarterback to abstain from any extracurricular activity that could potentially get him hurt. Needless to say, Leidner’s teammates enjoy his competitive fire.

“That’s why they follow him,” Kill said. “He’s a tough sucker.”

http://www.mndaily.com/blogs/upon-f...ctice-report-competition-fuels-chippy-gophers

Go Gophers!!
 

For anyone who was there, what did Leidner do to "challenge" the defensive players?
 

STrib: Gophers' spring practice gets a bit too intense for Kill's liking

Gophers coach Jerry Kill didn’t mind the pushing and shoving he saw at Thursday’s spring practice — until quarterback Mitch Leidner got involved.

Before taking a 12-day pause for spring break, the Gophers held an intense session at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. At one point, center Tommy Olson got tangled with linebacker Chris Wipson, and Leidner got right in Wipson’s face.

“He’s sticking up for his teammates, but you don’t ever want a quarterback getting hit in the hand or something like that,” Kill said. “But again our kids — that’s why they follow [Leidner]. He’s a tough sucker. But he knows he’s not going to do that again.”

Kill insists he doesn’t like when practices get chippy, but he’d rather have to rein in his team’s intensity than try to ignite it himself.

“You see them at the end of practice, hugging each other; everyone knows it’s one heartbeat,” Kill said. “But when you’re playing, you want to have a little bit of an edge.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/250272791.html

Go Gophers!!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom