PiPress: Nate Wozniak could be next man up in season opener

[BleedGopher]

per Greder:

Gophers tight end Brandon Lingen is practicing through a shoulder injury but hasn’t yet been cleared to play in the season opener versus Oregon State on Thursday.

“We’re a long ways off until that decision has to be made,” Gophers coach Tracy Claeys said after practice Saturday.

Lingen is expected to be a key player this season to help fill the go-to void left by departed receiver KJ Maye. If Lingen can’t play against the Beavers, 6-foot-10, 280-pound Nate Wozniak likely would get the start.

“He’s added so much strength and weight that now he can run and he plays awfully well for that tall,” Claeys said. “I never would have guessed that (early in his career) from the run blocking to everything. He’s improved a bunch, and I look forward to seeing him play.”

http://www.twincities.com/2016/08/2...ozniak-could-be-next-man-up-in-season-opener/

Go Gophers!!

 

[highwayman]

I think Woz will be a huge part of the offense (pun intended). How do you stop a high pass to this guy? Nearly impossible.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I think Woz will be a huge part of the offense (pun intended). How do you stop a high pass to this guy? Nearly impossible.

In the endzone I agree with you, a well thrown high pass to a guy that tall is almost impossible to stop. On the flip side a high throw over the middle in a regular down and distance situation is often the type of ball that gets tipped and intercepted. Woz has yet to do much of anything as a receiver but entering his redshirt Junior year this could definitely be the time when he takes that next step development wise and becomes a weapon for the offense.

 

[Unregistered User]

Spring of 2015, during an indoor practice, I was circling the field when I got close to the end zone near the doors to the outdoor field. It was occupied by players receiving treatment by trainers, etc. A passing play was executed, followed by a loud aawww by the fans in attendance. One of the players asked what happened, and a trainer casually said "Woz dropped a pass". The player responded in a very surprised voice saying "Woz...really"? After talking to a couple of other people I found out that Woz rarely dropped anything close to him.

He still did look razor thin at the time, so hopefully he's a real weapon this year.

You can't teach 6'10".

 

[MNGoldenGophers1]

In my overly simplistic view of the world and if I were Liedner, I'd tell Woz to go stand in the back of the end zone under the cross bar every time we got in the red zone. I would then pass the ball a couple of feet above the crossbar where only Woz could catch it and defenders would probably have little choice but to interfere with him to prevent a TD. How could this not work?

 

[WanderingGopher]

In my overly simplistic view of the world and if I were Liedner, I'd tell Woz to go stand in the back of the end zone under the cross bar every time we got in the red zone. I would then pass the ball a couple of feet above the crossbar where only Woz could catch it and defenders would probably have little choice but to interfere with him to prevent a TD. How could this not work?

It might work sometimes, but there are 5'11" corners who have a vertical leap that makes up for the height difference.

 

[MNVCGUY]

In my overly simplistic view of the world and if I were Liedner, I'd tell Woz to go stand in the back of the end zone under the cross bar every time we got in the red zone. I would then pass the ball a couple of feet above the crossbar where only Woz could catch it and defenders would probably have little choice but to interfere with him to prevent a TD. How could this not work?

Throw has to be perfect, protection has to hold up, 6'4" LB with good leaping ability has to stay out of the play, there are always a million moving parts to any play in football. But yeah in theory a guy like Woz should be able to be a really nice weapon in the redzone if he is able to create some space and make the catch when the ball comes his way.

 

[Stuff]

It might work sometimes, but there are 5'11" corners who have a vertical leap that makes up for the height difference.

Are you insinuating Wozniak cannot jump?

 

[Spoofin]

I think Woz will be a huge part of the offense (pun intended). How do you stop a high pass to this guy? Nearly impossible.

Make him use his hands


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[beavergopher]

I think Woz will be a huge part of the offense (pun intended). How do you stop a high pass to this guy? Nearly impossible.

Have Mitch sail it over his head. Did it several times last year.

 

[nsmike]

In my overly simplistic view of the world and if I were Liedner, I'd tell Woz to go stand in the back of the end zone under the cross bar every time we got in the red zone. I would then pass the ball a couple of feet above the crossbar where only Woz could catch it and defenders would probably have little choice but to interfere with him to prevent a TD. How could this not work?

B1G officials will ignore the obvious pass interference!

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

B1G officials will ignore the obvious pass interference!

They'll throw the flag, realize that the call will help Minn. and wave it off like they normally do.

 

[highwayman]

It might work sometimes, but there are 5'11" corners who have a vertical leap that makes up for the height difference.

So you're going to put your best corner on a 6-11 TE? You'd get your DC fired by Saturday night.

I'll sat it right here and now: Woz has 4 TDs and 300 rec min in 2016.

 

[jonnyganas]

So you're going to put your best corner on a 6-11 TE? You'd get your DC fired by Saturday night.

I'll sat it right here and now: Woz has 4 TDs and 300 rec min in 2016.

2016 Year Of The Woz

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk