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

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per the STrib:

Gophers show depth at RB in scrimmage

Rodrick Williams had two touchdown runs, Berkley Edwards one, from 49 yards out. Mitch Leidner had a 29-yard touchdown run and threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to KJ Maye.

David Cobb, who rushed for 1,202 yards last year, carried six times for 40 yards.

With Kirkwood healthy, this team should have plenty of running back depth. “He could have laid down and not competed and been grumpy and all those things,” coach Jerry Kill said. “But he’s always been a positive guy. He wants to win and he’s hungry.”

The Gophers are gearing up for their annual Spring Game on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

“I have a great support system here — the coaches, the players — I love all these guys like they’re my blood brothers,” Kirkwood said. “My mom told me everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason [for the ankle injury] could have been it was time for Cobb to play.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/254067291.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Went to the last hour of yesterdays practice/ scrimmage. Observations:

First of all, the leaking roof reports are not exaggerated. I was moving around a lot and at multiple spots had water dripping on my head. Really a disgrace the the administration allowed this key piece of infrastructure for the entire athletic dept. get in such sad shape.

RBs all looked good. Kirkwood looked quicker and Williams looks huge and fast. On his long TD run he hurdled a tackler at the goal line in a Le'veon Bell like move. Edwards looks as fast as advertised. On his long TD run somebody whiffed on a tackle at the LOS and he just ran away from everybody.

WR's still had a fair amount of drops. D Jones made one amazing play on a short reception were he looked like he was down several times but managed to keep his balance. He can start and stop on a dime.
Drew W ran at least one fly sweep, but is simply too slow to turn the corner. Don't know why he would be used on that play. Maye looked good.

OL looked good. Some big guys, but no flabby guts hanging over the belts like in the previous regime. Pirsig is gigantic! They were running guys in and out with different combos all the time.

QB's. Mitch is clearly the best and made some great throws and the long run. He is a big kid up close. The other QBs had good and bad moments. We better hope Mitch stays healthy.
Strevler has a really funky throwing motion that looks like Scott Frost's at Nebraska back in the day. It is almost like a shot put and several of his throws were very wobbly. DL was clearly disruptive to the backup QBs.

DB's are some pretty big, solid looking kids. One of them put a hit on a WR that resonated through the facility and caused head shaking and groans from the sidelines. Jerry blew his whistle and I thought he was going to chew out the DB for trying to kill his teammate. He got on them because that play would have been a fifteen yard penalty. I could not hear if he thought it was targeting or a celebration penalty.

Wosniak is a legit 6'10". Dude is really tall. They had him running the seam routes that Max did last year. His lower legs are really skinny so I don't know how effective he will be run blocking given his height.
They had him lined up on the FG team as the edge blocker where he can use his wingspan to redirect the edge rushers and possibly be in position as a receiver on fakes? One of the backup QB's still managed to badly over throw him (not easy to do) on a route over the middle. Gave me flashbacks to last season LOL.

Kickers made all kicks I saw. Santoso is a big, solid kid. Not an ounce of flab on him.
 

Disagree with a couple things beaver said.

QBs: For the first half of the scrimmage Strevler looked much better than leidner with his throws. Leidner threw a few balls behind receivers to start, one of which lead to an interception. The second half leidner hit some better throws, including the long td pass which was beautifully thrown. Strevler also impressed me with his speed when he got out of the pocket. I'm no longer as worried about the QB situation/depth as I was when Nelson left. Strevler looks fairly competent.

Wozniak was not "badly overthrown" on the route over the middle. Wozniak came out of his break and stopped running for a second, must have thought the ball wasn't coming his way. Had he finished his route the ball would have been very catchable. The coaches really got on wozniak for not following through as they should have. If you are out running a route you need to finish your route. Wozniak also short armed a pass that was perfect earlier in the practice and got chewed out again. He was the one disappointing part of the practice yesterday. Leidner/strevler looked good. Berkley impressed. Roderick williams looked a lot quicker and even bigger if it was possible. The receivers made some big catches. The DL got the the QB and made some good plays in the running game and our DB look like STUDS.

Beaver was right on with the rest of his stuff. The roof was leaking like crazy. Not sure why any recruit seeing that would sign on.
 

bottlebass said:
Disagree with a couple things beaver said.

QBs: For the first half of the scrimmage Strevler looked much better than leidner with his throws. Leidner threw a few balls behind receivers to start, one of which lead to an interception. The second half leidner hit some better throws, including the long td pass which was beautifully thrown. Strevler also impressed me with his speed when he got out of the pocket. I'm no longer as worried about the QB situation/depth as I was when Nelson left. Strevler looks fairly competent.

Beaver was right on with the rest of his stuff. The roof was leaking like crazy. Not sure why any recruit seeing that would sign on.
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Pretty much agree with the assessment of Strevler. He appears also to be the fastest QB. It is his lack of experience that is my concern but I have liked what I have seen at practices this spring.

A couple of other general observations from somebody who has attended spring practices from the beginning of Kill's era. The first year Kill spent most of his time working on fundamentals and effort. There was a lot of yelling as Kill was not very happy with what he saw. Each year practices have gotten significantly better. The hitting and effort yesterday was something to behold. Kill seems to be smiling a lot also.

There were a lot of recruits at yesterday's practice, including Grant Schmidt so let's hope bottlebass is wrong about recruits not signing on because of the leaks. It is certainly a problem but it is not that bad. What is bad is the message that it is sending. A new facility is going to happen and reasonably soon. I happened to overhear conversation about this subject yesterday that the U needs to keep a low profile as their focus now is working with the legislature on funding of more classrooms.

I also suspect that the staff are inkling to new recruits that it will be done before they graduate from the U.
 

Killjoy said:
Pretty much agree with the assessment of Strevler. He appears also to be the fastest QB. It is his lack of experience that is my concern but I have liked what I have seen at practices this spring.

A couple of other general observations from somebody who has attended spring from the beginning with Kill. The first year Kill spent most of his time working on fundamentals and effort. There was a lot of yelling as Kill was not very happy with what he saw. Each year practices have gotten significantly better. The hitting and effort yesterday was something to behold. Kill seems to be smiling a lot also.

There were a lot of recruits at yesterday's practice, including Grant Schmidt so let's hope bottlebass is wrong about recruits not signing on because of the leaks. It is certainly can be a problem but it is not that bad. It is not the message you want to be sending though. It is also something the U needs to keep a low profile with while they are working with the legislature on funding of more classrooms. I suspect they are inkling to the recruits that it will be done before they graduate from the U.
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From where I stood most the practice within a 10 foot radius around me there were 7 leaks. 2 of which towards the end were a steady stream and not just dripping. When we walked the sideline Every 10 steps you would notice another leak. If it were 1-2 leaks every 30 yards or something I wouldn't think much of it. Maybe the leaks are just along the sideline where we were all standing...

One of the really hard hits happened right in front of me and we had to jump back on the sidelines. It was such a big hit you could feel the shockwaves and really gave you an appreciation of how big and fast those guys are moving. I was surprised at how hard they hit in practice.

Kill looked great yesterday, only saw him yell twice and saw him smiling and having fun with the kids multiple times.
 


bottlebass said:
From where I stood most the practice within a 10 foot radius around me there were 7 leaks. 2 of which towards the end were a steady stream and not just dripping. When we walked the sideline Every 10 steps you would notice another leak. If it were 1-2 leaks every 30 yards or something I wouldn't think much of it. Maybe the leaks are just along the sideline where we were all standing...

One of the really hard hits happened right in front of me and we had to jump back on the sidelines. It was such a big hit you could feel the shockwaves and really gave you an appreciation of how big and fast those guys are moving. I was surprised at how hard they hit in practice.

Kill looked great yesterday, only saw him yell twice and saw him smiling and having fun with the kids multiple times.
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I am certainly glad I wasn't near where you were. Sounds awful! I don't know if you attended any practices where they were punting and knocking down the insulation on ceiling. Now that was truly awful! I had to laugh when Kill said he was hoping to knock down the building by punting it down.
 

Apologies if this was posted somewhere else, but I assume there will be a few lots open for tailgating on Saturday?

We have a big crew participating in numerous Goldy's Run events in the morning, with the little ones wrapping up their fun run around 11:00. Was hoping to start a grill immediately afterwards in a lot by the stadium.
 

bottlebass said:
From where I stood most the practice within a 10 foot radius around me there were 7 leaks. 2 of which towards the end were a steady stream and not just dripping. When we walked the sideline Every 10 steps you would notice another leak. If it were 1-2 leaks every 30 yards or something I wouldn't think much of it. Maybe the leaks are just along the sideline where we were all standing...

One of the really hard hits happened right in front of me and we had to jump back on the sidelines. It was such a big hit you could feel the shockwaves and really gave you an appreciation of how big and fast those guys are moving. I was surprised at how hard they hit in practice.

Kill looked great yesterday, only saw him yell twice and saw him smiling and having fun with the kids multiple times.
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It has to help a ton to be in the 4th year now, very established, got at least a full class of kids who have heard his program now. I know one of the concerns his family had about him taking this job was the sheer rebuilding effort that was going to take place. Not that we've arrived or anything, I think he's at least comfortable with the process now, and can relax a bit and focus on teaching and football, rather than some of the off the field stuff that comes with a new regime.

Needless to say, that new football practice facility can't come soon enough. I know basketball doesn't even have one, but if they can find a way to get both done ASAP, it needs to happen cause that facility, while practical, is not gonna lure anyone here. They're coming here for the Coach Kill, TCF, and the school itself, not the other facilities, that's for sure lol.
 




JoeC: Two redshirt freshmen kickers looking to fill the void for the Gophers

The Gophers need to replace departing senior Chris Hawthorne at place-kicker this fall, and the two leading candidates are redshirt freshmen – Ryan Santoso and Andrew Harte. Both kickers were perfect in Saturday’s scrimmage.

The defense looked very good early in the scrimmage, and the offense had some explosive plays later in the scrimmage, but Coach Jerry Kill referenced the kicking game, saying, “That’s probably the thing I was most excited about.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/254388081.html
 

fatgopher said:
Apologies if this was posted somewhere else, but I assume there will be a few lots open for tailgating on Saturday?

We have a big crew participating in numerous Goldy's Run events in the morning, with the little ones wrapping up their fun run around 11:00. Was hoping to start a grill immediately afterwards in a lot by the stadium.
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yes, like last year a number of lots will be open for tailgating and i think you should be just fine timing wise. believe there is a small fee per car, but it is negligible. cheers and have a good one. ski-u-mah!
 

Killjoy said:
I am certainly glad I wasn't near where you were. Sounds awful! I don't know if you attended any practices where they were punting and knocking down the insulation on ceiling. Now that was truly awful! I had to laugh when Kill said he was hoping to knock down the building by punting it down.
Click to expand...

What I don't get is I never heard complaints about Northrup auditorium, but they spent $100 million remodeling it which was paid in part with Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement funds from the state and private donations. Northrup is not going to help our school like a successful football program will (in image & fundraising, for ex.). What the hell!!!!
Also, Robert Ndondo-Lay was outstanding in the scrimmage. He had one sack and a lot of hurries to his credit. He just may see a lot of playing time.
 

Halsey Hall said:
What I don't get is I never heard complaints about Northrup auditorium, but they spent $100 million remodeling it which was paid in part with Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement funds from the state and private donations. Northrup is not going to help our school like a successful football program will (in image & fundraising, for ex.). What the hell!!!!
Also, Robert Ndondo-Lay was outstanding in the scrimmage. He had one sack and a lot of hurries to his credit. He just may see a lot of playing time.
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He was all over the place! He would have had more than 1 sack if they were allowed to hit the QB and he did an awesome job of chasing plays down. He was hustling big time.
 



Halsey Hall said:
What I don't get is I never heard complaints about Northrup auditorium, but they spent $100 million remodeling it which was paid in part with Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement funds from the state and private donations. Northrup is not going to help our school like a successful football program will (in image & fundraising, for ex.). What the hell!!!!
Also, Robert Ndondo-Lay was outstanding in the scrimmage. He had one sack and a lot of hurries to his credit. He just may see a lot of playing time.
Click to expand...

I for one, have been to Northrup Auditorium more than I have been to the barn and TCF Stadium. Do you think it is 25 year old guys…or old ladies attending ballets and lectures who give more to the university?
 

CoMn said:
I for one, have been to Northrup Auditorium more than I have been to the barn and TCF Stadium. Do you think it is 25 year old guys…or old ladies attending ballets and lectures who give more to the university?
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Seriously? First of all, if you're talking donations, its probably the old guys watching football more than old ladies watching ballet. But more importantly 50,805 people attend football games, not to mention Big Ten Network money. What is Northrup's capacity and TV contract?
 

FreakyDeke said:
Seriously? First of all, if you're talking donations, its probably the old guys watching football more than old ladies watching ballet. But more importantly 50,805 people attend football games, not to mention Big Ten Network money. What is Northrup's capacity and TV contract?
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Let's not get carried away ;-)
 

Little old men die before little old ladies….and they leave their little old bank accounts. It isn't common for old farts to donate to sports…they start donating to the medical school to cure their ailments and when they give up…many donate to the schools and arts to leave a legacy. When one is 90 they don't go to football games anymore…the stairs are too hard. But they go to the ballet matinees. I think the difference is that the costs of what goes on at Northrup is less than the costs of running a sports program. I am not here to argue one over the other…I just think there are lots of folks who donate lots of money to the U of M that would never donate a dime to the sports programs. I personally know of a couple of them….
 

bottlebass said:
From where I stood most the practice within a 10 foot radius around me there were 7 leaks. 2 of which towards the end were a steady stream and not just dripping. When we walked the sideline Every 10 steps you would notice another leak. If it were 1-2 leaks every 30 yards or something I wouldn't think much of it. Maybe the leaks are just along the sideline where we were all standing...

One of the really hard hits happened right in front of me and we had to jump back on the sidelines. It was such a big hit you could feel the shockwaves and really gave you an appreciation of how big and fast those guys are moving. I was surprised at how hard they hit in practice.

Kill looked great yesterday, only saw him yell twice and saw him smiling and having fun with the kids multiple times.
Click to expand...

We got the message on the leaks, the people who have to know were told a long time ago. That is what the fund raising is about.
The roof leaks are also fixable if they are keeping the facility.
 

CoMn said:
Little old men die before little old ladies….and they leave their little old bank accounts. It isn't common for old farts to donate to sports…they start donating to the medical school to cure their ailments and when they give up…many donate to the schools and arts to leave a legacy. When one is 90 they don't go to football games anymore…the stairs are too hard. But they go to the ballet matinees. I think the difference is that the costs of what goes on at Northrup is less than the costs of running a sports program. I am not here to argue one over the other…I just think there are lots of folks who donate lots of money to the U of M that would never donate a dime to the sports programs. I personally know of a couple of them….
Click to expand...

Let this be a lesson to all you younger male GH's. Bag yourself a rich a cougar, wait it out, and then become a hero by helping out our beloved U of M. Everyone wins, I think.
 


per the STrib:

Secondary peak

The Gophers secondary has looked different this spring with Brock Vereen headed to the NFL, Briean Boddy-Calhoun working his way back from a knee injury and Derrick Wells out because of a shoulder injury. But Boddy-Calhoun and Wells are both expected to be a full strength by Aug. 1.

“I don’t think our secondary has really missed a beat,” Leidner said. “Jalen Myrick is a young guy who has stepped up and is playing really well, along with Eric Murray and a couple other guys back there at safety.

“They’re fast, and they’re only going to be that much more scary when Derrick gets back, too.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/254648891.html

Go Gophers!!
 

FSN: Through bad injuries, Anyanwu stayed positive, is ready to contribute

The Gophers have plenty of depth at tight end aside from those two players. Drew Goodger and Lincoln Plsek have also gained experience over the last few years and enter their senior and junior seasons, respectively.

Now Anyanwu has a chance to be a part of that tight end group and help Minnesota's passing game take a step forward.

"Every day's an opportunity to compete," Anyanwu said. "With Maxx being down with his knee injury, it's a huge opportunity for me to be able to show what I can do on the field.

"I just take it in stride and have fun out there and play football. At the end of the day, let the play take care of itself."

http://msn.foxsports.com/north/stor...stayed-positive-is-ready-to-contribute-040814

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
FSN: Through bad injuries, Anyanwu stayed positive, is ready to contribute

The Gophers have plenty of depth at tight end aside from those two players. Drew Goodger and Lincoln Plsek have also gained experience over the last few years and enter their senior and junior seasons, respectively.

Now Anyanwu has a chance to be a part of that tight end group and help Minnesota's passing game take a step forward.

"Every day's an opportunity to compete," Anyanwu said. "With Maxx being down with his knee injury, it's a huge opportunity for me to be able to show what I can do on the field.

"I just take it in stride and have fun out there and play football. At the end of the day, let the play take care of itself."

http://msn.foxsports.com/north/stor...stayed-positive-is-ready-to-contribute-040814

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I know Maxx hurt his knee at the end of the bowl game, and didn't need surgery. Did we ever hear what the diagnosis was?
 

Gophers09 said:
I know Maxx hurt his knee at the end of the bowl game, and didn't need surgery. Did we ever hear what the diagnosis was?
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Sprained MCL I believe. He was good to go for the spring but then tweaked it and they're being cautious with him.
 



BTN: Spring Football: Q&A with former Gopher QB Adam Weber

BTN.com: What are you looking forward to in this upcoming season of Minnesota Gophers football?

Weber: The team under Jerry Kill has only continued to raise the bar, making great improvements year-to-year. I’m excited about the talent they have returning on offense and defense, as well as seeing some promising young players who have been training hard for their chance to play.

BTN.com: What will be this team’s calling card in 2014? What will they rely on most to win them football games?

Weber: The Gophers are returning almost their entire starting O-line. That cohesiveness should prove to be a great strength going into the 2014 season. Behind the starting five there is great depth. The Offensive line should be a great strength for the Gophers for years to come.

http://btn.com/2014/04/11/spring-football-qa-with-former-gopher-qb-adam-weber/

Go Gophers!!
 

ESPN: Spring game preview: Minnesota

If Minnesota's offense can move the ball effectively against its own defense, that's a reason for optimism. Despite losing star defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman and defensive back Brock Vereen, coordinator Tracy Claeys can call on a pretty experienced crew. Claeys would like to see a leap forward from his linebacker group, which lost seniors Aaron Hill and James Manuel but returns guys like Damien Wilson, De'Vondre Campbell and Jack Lynn who saw action last season. Replacing Hageman will probably require a group effort, but the coaching staff likes the potential of Scott Ekpe and Cameron Botticelli inside.

All in all, the team probably has fewer question marks going into this spring game than any previous ones under Jerry Kill. That's why hopes are high in Minneapolis.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/98857/spring-game-preview-minnesota-4

Go Gophers!!
 

It looks like Weber will be covering the Spring Game along with Dave Lee, but won't be playing in the Alumni game. I haven't heard if Weber is still going to try to play pro football or if he's hung it up.
 

Heard Off. Coach on Kfan today. Hinted that Jeff Jones could come in and contribute right away. Good to hear they aren't dead set on red shirting him.
 

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