The positive and negatives of this year

[GophersInIowa]

Here's my take for anyone who cares. Nothing mind blowing:

Positives
1. 4-0 start. We didn't beat anyone great (although the Syracuse win looks pretty good now), but getting those 4 wins was big considering the teams we had lost to in the past few years (NDSU, South Dakota, New Mexico St., etc.).
2. Going to a bowl. Before the season, I figured getting to any bowl would be a success. Although we had some disappointments along the way, getting back to a bowl was a step in the right direction.
3. Improved defense. It wasn't great at times, but certainly much better than in the past, particularly our pass defense. We held Syracuse and Texas Tech, two high powered passing offenses, to one of their lowest passing totals of the season.
4. Michael Carter. Wow, what a year and totally unexpected. I think most of us hoped he would be able to be a solid player, but very few figured he'd have this kind of year. Wish he could have figured things out sooner, but happy he got his life turned around.
5. Wilhite and Hageman. Although a little inconsistent, our pass rush was much better this year, mainly because of these two guys. Really excited about Hageman next year.
6. Walk-on contribution, especially on the OL. Bak, Christenson, and Mottla (I believe he is a walk-on) all contributed a lot. Reiterates the importance of a strong walk-on program. These examples probably help Kill and the coaches when trying to convince recruits to walk-on.
7. Future of the OL. Even though there were a ton of injuries, I believe this unit took a step forward. Everyone returns next year. I expect the OL to be very good in 2014.
8. TE position. They didn't put up big stats or anything, but I thought they did a good job. I saw some good things from Goodger and Plsek. With Maxx Williams in the mix next year, we should be set there for several years.
9. Punt return opportunity. In 2011, we had seven punt returns. This past year we had 31.

Negatives
1. Losing to Iowa badly. Although Iowa was playing descent ball at that time, that was a very disappointing game. I didn't think it was going to be an easy win or anything, but did expect it to be a lot closer than that.
2. Not finishing against TT. Youth probably played a part in that, but still disappointing.
3. MarQueis Gray. Mostly not his fault because he was injured, but was hoping and expecting big things from him this year. I feel bad in that things just didn't work out for him, and hope he does well in the NFL. The kid deserves it.
4. Passing game, especially WR. There were going to be struggles regardless of who was the QB, but didn't think it would be as bad as it was at times. Feel bad for Green not being able to stay healthy. The WR which shall remain nameless surprised everyone until his meltdown. I honestly expected more out of Crawford-Tufts. He needs to step up next year.
5. Linebackers. I think we all knew this was going to be a weak area for us. Rallis was a former walk-on and I appreciate everything he's done for the program, but he was over matched at MLB. Hopefully someone on the roster or the JUCO can step up there next year.
6. Kicking game. Wettstein struggled early on but was solid in the BT and bowl game (4 of 9 in first four games, 10 of 13 in last nine games). Punting is still a huge problem. Not sure what the solution is other than letting a bunch of guys get an opportunity. We don't need a boomer, we just need someone who is consistent. I'll take a 40-45 yard punt every time with good hang time.
7. Injuries. Gray, Olson, Olson, Beal....the list can go on and on there. Hopefully was just bad luck and we'll get through next year without any significant injuries.

Next year's strengths
1. OL. Everyone is back and there are 8-9 guys with a good amount of experience.
2. DL. We lose Wilhite but everyone else should be back. I expect more things out of guys like Perry and Cockran
3. Secondary. We lose our two starting CBs but we return everyone at S and all the Juco's got good experience. I expect us to be nearly if not as good as this past year against the pass.
4. RB. Kirkwoodland and Williams are both big, solid, bruising backs. With the OL being better, I expect this group to get better as well. Hopefully we can find a change of pace speedy guy to carry the ball once in awhile. Edwards maybe?
5. TE. Mentioned it above but thought Goodger and Plsek did some good things this year.

Next year's weaknesses and ?
1. QB. Need to be much more consistent in the passing game. Hoping Nelson improves after his experience as a freshman.
2. WR. We certainly shouldn't be any worse than were were the second half of this season. Engal and Fruechte are solid role guys. We need a Crawford-Tufts, McDonald, or Harbison to step up.
3. LB. As already mentioned, someone has to step up at MLB. We will always have a tough time beating power running teams like WI and IA if we can't find anyone. Too many times this year, our LBs were being blocked 5-10 yards down field. Attack, attack, attack!
4. Special Teams. Who's going to kick next year? Hawthorne? Can Eldred be the guy? Who's our punt returner next year? Lots of questions.

Again, nothing mind blowing here. Next year will be interesting. I believe we should go at least 4-1 in the first five games. San Jose St. will be tough and Iowa is never easy but they're both at home. After that who knows. A lot of it will depend on Nelson in my opinion.

 

[Golden Elephant]

GII - I think that's a pretty good summary and I'd agree with most of it. I'd disagree somewhat on the Secondary. We lose 2 guys who played very well for us at CB this year: Stoudemire & Carter. I'd agree that Safety should be a strength, but CBs are ? at best without more evidence. For me, CB & LB are the big questions for 2013.

Can somebody step up and play LB well? We had SRs there in 2012, and the play was bad - guys constantly getting washed out of the play leaving our DBs to try to make solo tackles in space. We need quite a bit better or the rushing D will be just as bad in 2013.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

I am hoping the Juco ILB, Damian Wilson can step in and be that physical guy we need in the middle. Also hoping Roland Johnson and some others can step on the Dline. I would love to see the run defense be a strength next year, but I would settle for it not being a liability.

 

[GophersInIowa]

GII - I think that's a pretty good summary and I'd agree with most of it. I'd disagree somewhat on the Secondary. We lose 2 guys who played very well for us at CB this year: Stoudemire & Carter. I'd agree that Safety should be a strength, but CBs are ? at best without more evidence. For me, CB & LB are the big questions for 2013.

Can somebody step up and play LB well? We had SRs there in 2012, and the play was bad - guys constantly getting washed out of the play leaving our DBs to try to make solo tackles in space. We need quite a bit better or the rushing D will be just as bad in 2013.

Yeah, I'm probably a lot more optimistic about our CB position than most. We'll see.

 

[howieramone]

Good points GII. Year two was much better than year one. The second full recruiting class will be better than the first. We needed to play well at the bowl game and we did. IMO Kill and staff are ahead of the game. ETA is 2014.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Yeah, I'm probably a lot more optimistic about our CB position than most. We'll see.

I also think most of this is spot on with the excpetion of the comments on the secondary. Would feel more confident if we were only replacing one and not both of our starters at CB and Carter was a beast for us in the 2nd half of the season, he will definitely be missed. There are bodies back there but not a lot of proven talent returning on the outsides heading into next year.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

I wasn't sold on Nelson until the Bowl game.

He's a Quarterback, no doubt about it. He makes plays at the position. The TD to DC-T was a big time play; 3rd and 10, he eludes the rush, heads for the sidelines, spots DC-T and instead of throwing on the run, he stops and sets up to deliver a bullet, knowing he was going to be PLANTED into the sidelines by a closing DL. Other QB's would have taken off running, gained 6 yards, and they're attempting a FG; but hey, it looks like a nice 6-yard gain on the stat sheet.

Before the closing INT that was tipped up for the pick, Nelson was 4-for-5 throwing on 3rd down, which is when it matters most. He also ran for several other First Downs.

I like how he keeps his eyes downfield when he's breaking the pocket. He made several plays against TTU after being flushed. He doesn't give up on plays.

Flaws: I think he's accurate enough, but he doesn't throw a great ball.... right now. I think that is just form/mechanics. Some of his passes are accurate but have some serious flutter, but I think that's correctable.

Like I said, I wasn't sold on him through 6 BT starts but he showed some really solid signs during the bowl game. He makes plays and he just seems to understand the position. That's not to say that Leidner or Streveler can't come in and beat him, but I'm comfortable with him under center moving forward.

 

[tikited]

I wasn't sold on Nelson until the Bowl game.

He's a Quarterback, no doubt about it. He makes plays at the position. The TD to DC-T was a big time play; 3rd and 10, he eludes the rush, heads for the sidelines, spots DC-T and instead of throwing on the run, he stops and sets up to deliver a bullet, knowing he was going to be PLANTED into the sidelines by a closing DL. Other QB's would have taken off running, gained 6 yards, and they're attempting a FG; but hey, it looks like a nice 6-yard gain on the stat sheet.

Before the closing INT that was tipped up for the pick, Nelson was 4-for-5 throwing on 3rd down, which is when it matters most. He also ran for several other First Downs.

I like how he keeps his eyes downfield when he's breaking the pocket. He made several plays against TTU after being flushed. He doesn't give up on plays.

Flaws: I think he's accurate enough, but he doesn't throw a great ball.... right now. I think that is just form/mechanics. Some of his passes are accurate but have some serious flutter, but I think that's correctable.

Like I said, I wasn't sold on him through 6 BT starts but he showed some really solid signs during the bowl game. He makes plays and he just seems to understand the position. That's not to say that Leidner or Streveler can't come in and beat him, but I'm comfortable with him under center moving forward.

I feel the same way about Nelson. Even after the Purdue game I was a bit wary of his arm, but you don't need a rocket to succeed if you play smart, which he did against TT.

 

[Section209]

GII, I think you capped it all pretty well. I was pleased with the improvements shown from last year. There are still areas needing significant improvement. Looking forward to next year for a couple more B1G wins.

 

[mplsbadger]

Nice recap. I'm most excited about the effect that legitimate 2 deep competition at most spots on the O-Line will bring. I expect every down effort and great attention to detail will result.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I feel the same way about Nelson. Even after the Purdue game I was a bit wary of his arm, but you don't need a rocket to succeed if you play smart, which he did against TT.

I think what we know about Nelson is that he can definitely play at this level. Now we have to find out if he can live up to the hype that surrounded him coming in and become a great QB or if he will just be a average/good QB but not elite. Biggest thing next year will be keeping him healthy since he is the only proven option on the roster right now at QB.

 

[nsmike]

I think what we know about Nelson is that he can definitely play at this level. Now we have to find out if he can live up to the hype that surrounded him coming in and become a great QB or if he will just be a average/good QB but not elite. Biggest thing next year will be keeping him healthy since he is the only proven option on the roster right now at QB.

I'm hoping that Nelson attends one of the elite QB camps this summer he needs to learn how to relax and hit the wide open receivers. He has the potential to be special, he just needs to work hard and mature, I think he'll be much better next year.

 

[Go4Broke]

Here's my take for anyone who cares. Nothing mind blowing:

Negatives

4. Passing game, especially WR. There were going to be struggles regardless of who was the QB, but didn't think it would be as bad as it was at times. Feel bad for Green not being able to stay healthy. The WR which shall remain nameless surprised everyone until his meltdown. I honestly expected more out of Crawford-Tufts. He needs to step up next year.

Next year's weaknesses and ?

2. WR. We certainly shouldn't be any worse than were were the second half of this season. Engal and Fruechte are solid role guys. We need a Crawford-Tufts, McDonald, or Harbison to step up.

Again, nothing mind blowing here. Next year will be interesting. I believe we should go at least 4-1 in the first five games. San Jose St. will be tough and Iowa is never easy but they're both at home. After that who knows. A lot of it will depend on Nelson in my opinion.

GII, I didn't see any mention about how the Gophers lost their best WR (by far) before the bowl game and won't have him at all next year either. What gives?

 

[GophersInIowa]

GII, I didn't see any mention about how the Gophers lost their best WR (by far) before the bowl game and won't have him at all next year either. What gives?

The WR which shall remain nameless surprised everyone until his meltdown.

He was lost well before the bowl game.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

He was lost well before the bowl game.

Broke is right. Barker was a HUGE negative. Locker room cancer, major disruption/distraction, put the program in a negative light temporarily, etc. Should have been listed as a major negative for 2012, and him NOT being on the roster in 2013 as a MAJOR positive. It's impossible to quantify just what kind of a negative impact a player like Barker can have on a team and what kind of cancer that kind of attitude is in the locker room. That kind of a distraction could have easily cost them a game in 2012. No room on a team like this for a selfish entitled individual like Barker.

His addition-by-subtraction going into next year should not be overlooked. It will be a major plus.

 

[WHB Brewer]

Here's my take for anyone who cares. Nothing mind blowing:

Positives

9. Punt return opportunity. In 2011, we had seven punt returns. This past year we had 31.

Negatives

6. Kicking game. ........ Punting is still a huge problem. Not sure what the solution is other than letting a bunch of guys get an opportunity. We don't need a boomer, we just need someone who is consistent. I'll take a 40-45 yard punt every time with good hang time.

Punt Returns: The 2011 stat of only 7 returns is just stunning. Hard to believe that we would have less than one punt return per game in 2011. That stat was dead last #120 in 2011. The 31 punt returns in 2012 ranked #13 overall. Clearly an indication of defense improvement, being able to get off the field on 3rd down and good enough field position to be able to attempt a return.

Punting: Just depressing when you think about it. Gophers were #113 in Avg/punt and #107 in Net/punt. Clearly an opportunity for improvement. Believe it or not, but it is a slight improvement, as it is up from #116 in 2011 and dead last #120 in 2010. Middle of the pack (#60) is 41yds/punt & 38yds net. How is that not so hard to accomplish?

Apparently punting was a much higher priority under Mason, as we were in top 40 from 2007 to 2009. So, it shows that it can be done. Perhaps we need to hire Mason's special team coach.


2012
Year RK TEAM PUNTS YDS LNG AVG NET RET RETY AVG
2012 113 Minnesota 69 2617 63 37.9 34.6 31 229 7.4
2011 116 Minnesota 59 2158 68 36.6 35.7 7 54 7.7
2010 120 Minnesota 53 1822 54 34.4 32.5 13 99 7.6
2009 30 Minnesota 72 3040 63 42.2 40.4 9 132 14.7
2008 41 Minnesota 77 3163 60 41.1 38.8 18 179 9.9
2007 26 Minnesota 63 2645 61 42.0 40.3 20 107 5.4

 

[Killjoy]

Apparently punting was a much higher priority under Mason, as we were in top 40 from 2007 to 2009. So, it shows that it can be done. Perhaps we need to hire Mason's special team coach.

The word on the street is that Sid is lobbing Kill for the position.

 

[Jike Spingleton]

Apparently punting was a much higher priority under Mason, as we were in top 40 from 2007 to 2009. So, it shows that it can be done. Perhaps we need to hire Mason's special team coach.

You mean Brewster, right?

 

[John Galt]

Nice write-up. You have the loss to Iowa as a negative, but to me, the NW loss at home was worse. In hindsight I wish the Iowa game was closer, but it was somewhat predictable in that we had a young team playing their 1st B1G road game against a power running team, which we hadn't seen before. IMO the NW loss was worse because if we don't make some dumb mistakes, we win the game. I still remember walking into the stadium right at kick-off and saying what on earth is Lamonte doing back deep. 10 seconds later he had fumbled, Mark scored on NW's 1st play from scrimmage, and that was ultimately the difference in the game.

I love the potential on the O-line, but I want to see them open up holes for a 100+ yard rushing game against a top tier team. That's when we'll know they're for real...

 

[howieramone]

Nice write-up. You have the loss to Iowa as a negative, but to me, the NW loss at home was worse. In hindsight I wish the Iowa game was closer, but it was somewhat predictable in that we had a young team playing their 1st B1G road game against a power running team, which we hadn't seen before. IMO the NW loss was worse because if we don't make some dumb mistakes, we win the game. I still remember walking into the stadium right at kick-off and saying what on earth is Lamonte doing back deep. 10 seconds later he had fumbled, Mark scored on NW's 1st play from scrimmage, and that was ultimately the difference in the game.

I love the potential on the O-line, but I want to see them open up holes for a 100+ yard rushing game against a top tier team. That's when we'll know they're for real...[/QUOTE]

+1

 

[WHB Brewer]

You mean Brewster, right?

No, Mason. Kicker those seasons was Justin Kucek, a Mason recruit who punted 4yrs (2005-2008).
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/justin-kucek-1.html

 

[mplsbadger]

I thought of one more positive: sweet new uniforms with a design that may stand the test of time.

 

[lakesgopher]

I thought of one more positive: sweet new uniforms with a design that may stand the test of time.

We looked mean vs Texas tech, uni's looked great! I know I'm in the minority but when epping went nuts and rung up penalties I finally thought we aren't the same old gophers. We have a "mean streak" in us. I obviously don't want stupid penalties but I felt like next year opponents might think twice taking a cheap shot cause we can be bullies too

 

[e.bigelow]

We looked mean vs Texas tech, uni's looked great! I know I'm in the minority but when epping went nuts and rung up penalties I finally thought we aren't the same old gophers. We have a "mean streak" in us. I obviously don't want stupid penalties but I felt like next year opponents might think twice taking a cheap shot cause we can be bullies too

+1. Even though it was a little much, I like our players showing some fight at the right times. Now, if something like thy would've cost us the game, I'd be upset. But it didn't. So, I'm not too broken up about it.

 

[nc2mn]

Another positive - the guys coming off redshirt next year. Leidner, Anyanwu, Maxx W, Lauer, Hayes and Pirsig among others. I know we don't want to see the RS freshmen having to play next year, but some of the rest could be exciting.

 

[GophersInIowa]

+1. Even though it was a little much, I like our players showing some fight at the right times. Now, if something like thy would've cost us the game, I'd be upset. But it didn't. So, I'm not too broken up about it.

I could live with the first one, the second one is just stupid in my opinion. Do enough to get under their skin, then let them make dumb decisions and penalties.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Another positive - the guys coming off redshirt next year. Leidner, Anyanwu, Maxx W, Lauer, Hayes and Pirsig among others. I know we don't want to see the RS freshmen having to play next year, but some of the rest could be exciting.

What position is Anyanwu expected to play?

 

[nc2mn]

I think I've heard TE on here - but the coaches and Duke may not have decided.

 

[mplsbadger]

We looked mean vs Texas tech, uni's looked great! I know I'm in the minority but when epping went nuts and rung up penalties I finally thought we aren't the same old gophers. We have a "mean streak" in us. I obviously don't want stupid penalties but I felt like next year opponents might think twice taking a cheap shot cause we can be bullies too

Did anyone see the Jerry Kill show? He said it was the most physical game his team had played since he arrived. Basically, he seemed to be saying that this is what he's wanted all along. It was exciting to hear.

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

+1. Even though it was a little much, I like our players showing some fight at the right times. Now, if something like thy would've cost us the game, I'd be upset. But it didn't. So, I'm not too broken up about it.

I don't mind a little fight either. No more of the situations that occur at 6:12 below.