After a one-week hiatus, Dave Mona returned to the airwaves with Sid Hartman to ask coach Jerry Kill questions related to the past week's Gopher practices and last night's scrimmage. One phrase that Kill repeated throughout the half-hour segment: "Prove it on Saturday." He was referring to the good competition, effort, and who has looked good in practice, but what matters is how you perform on game day.
1) Sid opened the show asking about the starting lineup (offense and defense): Kill responded: "We'll be fairly close when we report Tuesday." They're busy looking at film from last night's scrimmage and recent day practices and evaluating personnel and positions . . . "Nothing is for sure." The exception is Marquies Gray, according to Kill.
He did mention some names that he was high on in the offensive line: Olson brothers and John Raabe. He also talked about the center positon that's open. He also mentioned the names of Josh Campion and Zac Epping. He sounded enthused about the offensive line and the people mentioned. He said there's good competition, but "you've got to prove it on Saturday."
Turning to the defense: He mentioned Hageman, Perry, Roland Johnson, Thieren Cockran, Michael Amaefula, Botticelli, and true freshman Alex Keith on the defensive line.
He also quickly mentioned Mike Rallis, Lamonte Edwards, Spencer Reeves, Keanon Cooper and James Manuel at the linebacking position. Sounded very positive.
2) Sid asked about redshirting: "We're going to red shirt as many freshmen as we can." He said it's an important component in building a team. Nevertheless, he's very high on the skill players . . . some will be playing this fall . . . names mentoned that he was enthused about iincluded: Jamel Harbison and Andre McDonald at wide receiver; Eric Murray, Damarius Travis, and Antonio Johnson in the secondary; and Roderick Williams, Jr. and KJ Maye at runningback.
3) Sid - "You've got to feel better about the secondary: "I do . . . feel good about our team . . . it's just we're very young." He went on to say the team has good talent, speed, good competioon and are athletic, but he stressed the team is very young. He finished saying he's excited about the team's direction. Players mentioned: Brock Vereen, Michael Carter, Troy Stoudermire, Derrick Wells, and JUCO DBs.
4) Sid asked about this year's JUCO players: He spoke highly of this year's transfers: Roland Johnson has had a great camp; Martez Shabazz is going to be a great corner; Jeremy Baltazar- feels good about him; Isaac Fruechte has really come on and has three years; and mentioned James Gillum briefly saying he has done well in the classroom. He excitedly said they all have done well in the classroom.
5) Sid asked what improvements stand out: He immediately responded saying the team has improved in that they're stronger, faster, athletic, and in competition. But there are no guarantees . . . "You have to prove it on Saturday." He closed by saying in looking at practice/scrimmage film "There's a lot that's good." However, he acknowldged that there are a lot of mistakes, too, that are related to the team's youth and they're correctible.
6) Sid said it must help to have Troy Stoudermire and Marcus Jones back: He said it's good to have Stoudermire's experience back on the field and that he's a great at returning kicks. He said Jones recovery from knee surgery is remarkable . . . he said Jones is stronger and quicker than he was last year.
7) Marquies Gray: Kill said he has had a great camp and has prepared himself well. They held Gray out of the scrimmage last night - they wanted to "Work the three young guys last night."
8) Competition at the runningback postion: Sounded excited about the position and its competition. They'll get it sorted out in the next 3 or 4 days. He said they would like to redshirt one of the freshman.
9) Dave Mona then asked about the following players that caught his eye at last night's scrimmage:
Rodrick Williams, Jr. (Mona said he ran with power and low): Kill said Williams is 5-10 and weighs 237 pounds. "He runs low and has great feet."
James Manuel: "Has speed and athleticism." He's made the transition from defensive back (safety) to the linebacker exceedling well. He said sometimes you try to make a transition in position changes and they don't work out well. He was very positive about Manuel's change from the secondary to linebacker.
Eric Murray: Kill said when they recruited Murray out of Milwaukee he weighed 168 pounds. He now is up to 188 pounds, runs a 4.4 forty. (Mona said he really put a pop on a player last night.) Kill then mentioned, again, two other freshman d-backs: Antonio Johnson and Damarius Travis . . . "(they) are outstanding." He was very high on the three freshmen.
He finished by mentioning two skill players: Andre McDonald, KJ Maye, and Jamel Harbison have "outstanding skills."
10) Mona asked about the punting game: "The position is still open." There's a lot of competition. He also said Chris Elridge did some good things last night (getting the punts off quickly). Again, he said you have to "prove it on Saturday."
11) Kicking game: "We feel good . . . both have practiced well (competition)." He mentioned Chris Hawthorne and Jordan Wettstein.
After Kill left the air, Sid and Dave discussed Gopher football:
Sid, "If Marquies Gray stays healthy, they'll win a lot of games, more than many people think."
BTN personnel: Like the team's quickness , speed, athleticism. They're high on the freshman class.
Mona was impressed with Jamel Harbison and Ande McDonald (during last night's scrimmage), athletic and fast.
They briefly discussed concussion symptons that ended Jimmy Gjere football playing days. "Tough break."
Sid closed saying this year's team has a lot more speed and athletes than previous groups, including the teams of Mason and Brewster. And they're good students.
Go Gophers!!
1) Sid opened the show asking about the starting lineup (offense and defense): Kill responded: "We'll be fairly close when we report Tuesday." They're busy looking at film from last night's scrimmage and recent day practices and evaluating personnel and positions . . . "Nothing is for sure." The exception is Marquies Gray, according to Kill.
He did mention some names that he was high on in the offensive line: Olson brothers and John Raabe. He also talked about the center positon that's open. He also mentioned the names of Josh Campion and Zac Epping. He sounded enthused about the offensive line and the people mentioned. He said there's good competition, but "you've got to prove it on Saturday."
Turning to the defense: He mentioned Hageman, Perry, Roland Johnson, Thieren Cockran, Michael Amaefula, Botticelli, and true freshman Alex Keith on the defensive line.
He also quickly mentioned Mike Rallis, Lamonte Edwards, Spencer Reeves, Keanon Cooper and James Manuel at the linebacking position. Sounded very positive.
2) Sid asked about redshirting: "We're going to red shirt as many freshmen as we can." He said it's an important component in building a team. Nevertheless, he's very high on the skill players . . . some will be playing this fall . . . names mentoned that he was enthused about iincluded: Jamel Harbison and Andre McDonald at wide receiver; Eric Murray, Damarius Travis, and Antonio Johnson in the secondary; and Roderick Williams, Jr. and KJ Maye at runningback.
3) Sid - "You've got to feel better about the secondary: "I do . . . feel good about our team . . . it's just we're very young." He went on to say the team has good talent, speed, good competioon and are athletic, but he stressed the team is very young. He finished saying he's excited about the team's direction. Players mentioned: Brock Vereen, Michael Carter, Troy Stoudermire, Derrick Wells, and JUCO DBs.
4) Sid asked about this year's JUCO players: He spoke highly of this year's transfers: Roland Johnson has had a great camp; Martez Shabazz is going to be a great corner; Jeremy Baltazar- feels good about him; Isaac Fruechte has really come on and has three years; and mentioned James Gillum briefly saying he has done well in the classroom. He excitedly said they all have done well in the classroom.
5) Sid asked what improvements stand out: He immediately responded saying the team has improved in that they're stronger, faster, athletic, and in competition. But there are no guarantees . . . "You have to prove it on Saturday." He closed by saying in looking at practice/scrimmage film "There's a lot that's good." However, he acknowldged that there are a lot of mistakes, too, that are related to the team's youth and they're correctible.
6) Sid said it must help to have Troy Stoudermire and Marcus Jones back: He said it's good to have Stoudermire's experience back on the field and that he's a great at returning kicks. He said Jones recovery from knee surgery is remarkable . . . he said Jones is stronger and quicker than he was last year.
7) Marquies Gray: Kill said he has had a great camp and has prepared himself well. They held Gray out of the scrimmage last night - they wanted to "Work the three young guys last night."
8) Competition at the runningback postion: Sounded excited about the position and its competition. They'll get it sorted out in the next 3 or 4 days. He said they would like to redshirt one of the freshman.
9) Dave Mona then asked about the following players that caught his eye at last night's scrimmage:
Rodrick Williams, Jr. (Mona said he ran with power and low): Kill said Williams is 5-10 and weighs 237 pounds. "He runs low and has great feet."
James Manuel: "Has speed and athleticism." He's made the transition from defensive back (safety) to the linebacker exceedling well. He said sometimes you try to make a transition in position changes and they don't work out well. He was very positive about Manuel's change from the secondary to linebacker.
Eric Murray: Kill said when they recruited Murray out of Milwaukee he weighed 168 pounds. He now is up to 188 pounds, runs a 4.4 forty. (Mona said he really put a pop on a player last night.) Kill then mentioned, again, two other freshman d-backs: Antonio Johnson and Damarius Travis . . . "(they) are outstanding." He was very high on the three freshmen.
He finished by mentioning two skill players: Andre McDonald, KJ Maye, and Jamel Harbison have "outstanding skills."
10) Mona asked about the punting game: "The position is still open." There's a lot of competition. He also said Chris Elridge did some good things last night (getting the punts off quickly). Again, he said you have to "prove it on Saturday."
11) Kicking game: "We feel good . . . both have practiced well (competition)." He mentioned Chris Hawthorne and Jordan Wettstein.
After Kill left the air, Sid and Dave discussed Gopher football:
Sid, "If Marquies Gray stays healthy, they'll win a lot of games, more than many people think."
BTN personnel: Like the team's quickness , speed, athleticism. They're high on the freshman class.
Mona was impressed with Jamel Harbison and Ande McDonald (during last night's scrimmage), athletic and fast.
They briefly discussed concussion symptons that ended Jimmy Gjere football playing days. "Tough break."
Sid closed saying this year's team has a lot more speed and athletes than previous groups, including the teams of Mason and Brewster. And they're good students.
Go Gophers!!
