BleedGopher
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Per Randy:
On Dec. 26, Daniel Da Prato coached New Mexico’s special teams in the Rate Bowl against the Gophers, with Minnesota eventually prevailing 20-17 in overtime in Phoenix. The fact that the game needed overtime is a testament to Da Prato and his special teams, which got a game-turning 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Damon Bankston that helped tie the score 14-14 in the fourth quarter.
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck was so impressed that within a week, he hired Da Prato away from the Lobos, bringing him to Dinkytown to replace Bob Ligashesky as special teams coordinator and turn Minnesota’s special teams into an asset rather than a liability.
First, though, Da Prato had to win over his young daughters, Audrina and Everly, who had become Lobos fans.
“I’ve got little girls, and it was tough to tell them, ‘Hey, remember the Gophers?’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, bad Gophers.’ I said, ‘We’re gonna be Gophers now, so it’s, ‘Go, Gophers.’ It took them a little while to figure that out.”
“Bad Gophers” would be a way to describe certain aspects of Minnesota’s special teams in 2025. While punting, kickoffs and kickoff returns ranked in the upper half of the 18-team Big Ten last year, the Gophers struggled in field goals (17th at 66.7%), punt returns (14th at 6.0 yards per return), punt coverage (14th at 10.7) and kickoff coverage (13th at 28.8).
Front and center on the to-fix list is Minnesota’s place-kicking. Brady Denaburg was 14-for-21 on field-goal attempts last year but missed two attempts inside 30 yards and went 2-for-7 on attempts of 40 yards or longer. Denaburg has exhausted his eligibility, and Da Prato has Michigan transfer Beckham Sunderland and redshirt freshman Daniel Jackson competing for the starting job. Neither has kicked a field goal in a college football game.
Go Gophers!!
On Dec. 26, Daniel Da Prato coached New Mexico’s special teams in the Rate Bowl against the Gophers, with Minnesota eventually prevailing 20-17 in overtime in Phoenix. The fact that the game needed overtime is a testament to Da Prato and his special teams, which got a game-turning 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Damon Bankston that helped tie the score 14-14 in the fourth quarter.
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck was so impressed that within a week, he hired Da Prato away from the Lobos, bringing him to Dinkytown to replace Bob Ligashesky as special teams coordinator and turn Minnesota’s special teams into an asset rather than a liability.
First, though, Da Prato had to win over his young daughters, Audrina and Everly, who had become Lobos fans.
“I’ve got little girls, and it was tough to tell them, ‘Hey, remember the Gophers?’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, bad Gophers.’ I said, ‘We’re gonna be Gophers now, so it’s, ‘Go, Gophers.’ It took them a little while to figure that out.”
“Bad Gophers” would be a way to describe certain aspects of Minnesota’s special teams in 2025. While punting, kickoffs and kickoff returns ranked in the upper half of the 18-team Big Ten last year, the Gophers struggled in field goals (17th at 66.7%), punt returns (14th at 6.0 yards per return), punt coverage (14th at 10.7) and kickoff coverage (13th at 28.8).
Front and center on the to-fix list is Minnesota’s place-kicking. Brady Denaburg was 14-for-21 on field-goal attempts last year but missed two attempts inside 30 yards and went 2-for-7 on attempts of 40 yards or longer. Denaburg has exhausted his eligibility, and Da Prato has Michigan transfer Beckham Sunderland and redshirt freshman Daniel Jackson competing for the starting job. Neither has kicked a field goal in a college football game.
Go Gophers!!
