Hey Everyone!
I figured I would lay out a detailed scouting report for you guys so you get a bit more info from a fan who watches/listens to every game. If you have any more questions just reply to the thread and I can answer them. Dont be afraid to post a gopher report too because Im not all that familiar with this current Gopher team.
First: This is a good UNH team, we have the longest playoff streak in FCS right now at 8 straight years, however, just like its hockey team, we have had a habbit of losing when it really matters.....Hopefully we turn that around soon. That being said, this team may be able to hang on for a little while, but ultimately Minny will win this one pretty easily (two scores). The Gophers have to be the best team that UNH has played in recent memory so this would be a pretty big upset. Now lets get to the individuals...
Offense: Great Unit here,UNH runs a no huddle and a spread so its a quick passing attack (Chip Kelly's offense was started here at UNH, he was our offensive coordinator and a NH native before he left for oregon. So picture that offense when it comes to UNH, just less talent obviously).
QB: us fans were pretty nervous about the QB spot coming into the year. Over the last 8 years we have had star QB be replaced by star QB so there was never a problem. There was more of a question mark about who would step up and be the playmaker this year. Ultimately redshirt freshman Sean Goldrich won the job, and he didnt dissapoint the other night. Remember, this was against Holy Cross, a much much weaker opponent than this week. However, he looked phenominal in his first career game. Goldrich looked remarkably poised and made excellent decisions. When nothing was there he tucked it and ran, something that we have been missing since Ricky Santos. He is not afraid to take on contact either, he looks to be a pretty bold kid. Hes not too tall (6'2 i think), hes very quick, and was pretty accurate the other night. Hes arm strength has yet to be tested so im not sure how good he is in that department.
RB: This is a strong point for the team this year, not the case in years past. You are going to see 3 guys run the ball on Saturday. The starter is Nico Steriti, a future star and hes only a sophomore (he turned down a few FBS offers to come to UNH, the only one I can remember is Navy). Hes very quick and agile, and has great burst. The second is Chris Setian, the bruiser. Every team we have ever played had a tough time bringing this kid down, hes more like a fullback and loves contact, the gophers need to wrap him or or he will get downfield pretty quick. And last but not least is Jimmy Owens, who is more like a mix of power and speed. He is your prototypical NFL RB. He is very underrated, and gets those extra yards when nothing is there, great kid. All in all our running game is something that other teams never mention because we are a pass oriented team, but it can be very good, and will need to be on Saturday if UNH has any chance.
WR: the best unit of this team, UNH features 2 FBS caliber WR's and im not exaggerating. The first is RJ Harris, I cant say enough about him, hes such an incredible talent, hes big, fast, and all you have to do is put the ball near him and he catches it. Hes only a sophomore so im really excited about his future. I swear he could start for almost any team (other than BCS schools), and he made Holy Cross look like a high school team, they couldnt catch him or stop him. The other star is Joey orlando, who is the senior workhourse. Hes been playing for us since he was a freshman, and he catches everything and more. He gets the tough yards and is the go-to guy on 3rd down for that very reason. He also returns punts. Others you will see are Jimmy Giansante, Justin mello, and Jared Allison. All very young but very talented.
TE: Not sure how good this unit is. It features Sophomores Harold Spears and Brian Ciccone. They look talented enough but Goldrich did not target them at all against Holy Cross. Usually UNH throws to the TE's more often so that was weird.
OLine: Great unit here. UNH returned all of their oline starters from last year and they were already a great unit. They manhandled Holy Cross, and Goldrich was successful because of that. Ill just mention the starters but no need to go into each one individually because they are a unit anyways. At LT is hometown kid Seamus O'Neill (6'3 281), LG is Chris Zarkoskie (6'1 292), C is Mike Coccia (6'3 294), RG is Mickey Dilima (6'4 309), and RT is Rob Bowman (6'5 305). It will be interesting to see how they do against bigten competiton, and will obviously be the key to how well the offense does. If they suck, UNH will get smoked, if they play great, we may have a shootout.
Defense: UNH runs a 4-2-5 look on D. Overall not a great unit, they were horrible last year, but the team keeps mentioning they have improved (couldnt get any worse) and they looked great against HC. The defense is big on creating turnovers, when they do, UNH wins, when they dont, teams usually score at will and UNH has to outscore everyone.
DE: fairly new unit, lost 2 starters from last year but there is still some good talent here. You will see Jay Colbert, not very big (6'1 262) but he is very fast and gets around the edge. There is Cody Muller (6'2 250), also not huge but gets to the QB and can stuff the run. You will also see Robbie Zauck (6-2 243) who has the best potential and is only a sophomore.
DT: starts with Jared Smith (6-3 292) who is the best player on the dline. he is a major run stuffer and is invited to the senior bowl this year which tells you how good he is. There is also hometown kid Matt Kaplan (6'1 293), who has been pretty decent so far. You will also see 3 huge freshman in Jullian turner (6' 311) Rashid Armand (6'1 311) and Ryan Welch (6'3 277).
LB: Best unit of the defense and it starts with Buck Buchanon award winner Matt Evans. Cant say enough about him, hes not big (6' 228 soaking wet) but he is just that instinctive player you see very little of. He is always around the ball and just creates madness. He gets interceptions, he forces fumbles, and he always wraps up. It will be a sad day when he graduates because he may be the best player on that field on both sides of the ball. his counterpart is senior Alan Buzbee (6'3 235) who is also very very good and doesnt get a whole lot of attention in Matt Evans' shadow. These two will be making all of the tackles, whether thats in the backfield or 15 yards downfield will be determined Saturday....
CB: we have Senior Dontra Peters, who believe it or not was our running back last year. Great move by the staff because he has good size for a corner (6' 200) and we were already loaded at RB. he played great against Holy Cross and had an interception, he had played corner before so he is familiar. There is also Junior Chris Houston who is lightning fast and is the interception leader. Very good football player. You will also see sophomore Steven Thames.
WS: Usually Tre Williams but I think hes hurt still, so it may be Nick Cefalo. Both are capable, nothing flashy yet.
SS: Manny Asam, best pure athlete on the defense IMO. He could play for an FBS team also. He brings the heat when it comes to hitting and you will also see him blitz the QB a lot. More of a hitter than a coverage guy.
FS: Chris Beranger, also a very hard hitter and a leader in the secondary, great football mind and like I said he loves to hit people.
Kicking: its hometown kid Mike Macarthur, hes can be very good and was last year as a freshman, he had an off night against HC but hopefully that was just an aberration. He punts also...
Other notes: COACHING....... This team is so well coached and you will know come saturday. Coach Mac is a miracle worker and I thank the football gods every saturday he is still here. Considering the lack of funding, support, and facilities this team has, and what he has built over the last decade, is nothing short of a miracle. The team is never is out of line, is not penalised often and he runs a tight ship. The players love him and he his very football smart. I cant say enough about him and one day there will be a statue of him somewhere on campus, he deserves a national title more than anyone.
Once again this team has had a bit of success against bottom feeder FBS teams. We are 5-2 against FBS under coach Mac and thats a credit to him. However, I think most teams know this now and I doubt we walk away from TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday with a W. If the Gophers somehow overlook us, then that might be a death sentence. If the Gophers prepare like this is a BigTen opponent, than there shouldnt be a problem. I just assume Minny has more size, speed, and numbers than UNH. If I had to pick a score i May say UNH keeps it close early and then fades so, Gophers 42- UNH 24.
Let me know if theres any questions. Like I said im very familiar with the team so im pretty sure I can answer any that come up. Post your opinions, or remarks and lets hope for a great game Saturday!
I figured I would lay out a detailed scouting report for you guys so you get a bit more info from a fan who watches/listens to every game. If you have any more questions just reply to the thread and I can answer them. Dont be afraid to post a gopher report too because Im not all that familiar with this current Gopher team.
First: This is a good UNH team, we have the longest playoff streak in FCS right now at 8 straight years, however, just like its hockey team, we have had a habbit of losing when it really matters.....Hopefully we turn that around soon. That being said, this team may be able to hang on for a little while, but ultimately Minny will win this one pretty easily (two scores). The Gophers have to be the best team that UNH has played in recent memory so this would be a pretty big upset. Now lets get to the individuals...
Offense: Great Unit here,UNH runs a no huddle and a spread so its a quick passing attack (Chip Kelly's offense was started here at UNH, he was our offensive coordinator and a NH native before he left for oregon. So picture that offense when it comes to UNH, just less talent obviously).
QB: us fans were pretty nervous about the QB spot coming into the year. Over the last 8 years we have had star QB be replaced by star QB so there was never a problem. There was more of a question mark about who would step up and be the playmaker this year. Ultimately redshirt freshman Sean Goldrich won the job, and he didnt dissapoint the other night. Remember, this was against Holy Cross, a much much weaker opponent than this week. However, he looked phenominal in his first career game. Goldrich looked remarkably poised and made excellent decisions. When nothing was there he tucked it and ran, something that we have been missing since Ricky Santos. He is not afraid to take on contact either, he looks to be a pretty bold kid. Hes not too tall (6'2 i think), hes very quick, and was pretty accurate the other night. Hes arm strength has yet to be tested so im not sure how good he is in that department.
RB: This is a strong point for the team this year, not the case in years past. You are going to see 3 guys run the ball on Saturday. The starter is Nico Steriti, a future star and hes only a sophomore (he turned down a few FBS offers to come to UNH, the only one I can remember is Navy). Hes very quick and agile, and has great burst. The second is Chris Setian, the bruiser. Every team we have ever played had a tough time bringing this kid down, hes more like a fullback and loves contact, the gophers need to wrap him or or he will get downfield pretty quick. And last but not least is Jimmy Owens, who is more like a mix of power and speed. He is your prototypical NFL RB. He is very underrated, and gets those extra yards when nothing is there, great kid. All in all our running game is something that other teams never mention because we are a pass oriented team, but it can be very good, and will need to be on Saturday if UNH has any chance.
WR: the best unit of this team, UNH features 2 FBS caliber WR's and im not exaggerating. The first is RJ Harris, I cant say enough about him, hes such an incredible talent, hes big, fast, and all you have to do is put the ball near him and he catches it. Hes only a sophomore so im really excited about his future. I swear he could start for almost any team (other than BCS schools), and he made Holy Cross look like a high school team, they couldnt catch him or stop him. The other star is Joey orlando, who is the senior workhourse. Hes been playing for us since he was a freshman, and he catches everything and more. He gets the tough yards and is the go-to guy on 3rd down for that very reason. He also returns punts. Others you will see are Jimmy Giansante, Justin mello, and Jared Allison. All very young but very talented.
TE: Not sure how good this unit is. It features Sophomores Harold Spears and Brian Ciccone. They look talented enough but Goldrich did not target them at all against Holy Cross. Usually UNH throws to the TE's more often so that was weird.
OLine: Great unit here. UNH returned all of their oline starters from last year and they were already a great unit. They manhandled Holy Cross, and Goldrich was successful because of that. Ill just mention the starters but no need to go into each one individually because they are a unit anyways. At LT is hometown kid Seamus O'Neill (6'3 281), LG is Chris Zarkoskie (6'1 292), C is Mike Coccia (6'3 294), RG is Mickey Dilima (6'4 309), and RT is Rob Bowman (6'5 305). It will be interesting to see how they do against bigten competiton, and will obviously be the key to how well the offense does. If they suck, UNH will get smoked, if they play great, we may have a shootout.
Defense: UNH runs a 4-2-5 look on D. Overall not a great unit, they were horrible last year, but the team keeps mentioning they have improved (couldnt get any worse) and they looked great against HC. The defense is big on creating turnovers, when they do, UNH wins, when they dont, teams usually score at will and UNH has to outscore everyone.
DE: fairly new unit, lost 2 starters from last year but there is still some good talent here. You will see Jay Colbert, not very big (6'1 262) but he is very fast and gets around the edge. There is Cody Muller (6'2 250), also not huge but gets to the QB and can stuff the run. You will also see Robbie Zauck (6-2 243) who has the best potential and is only a sophomore.
DT: starts with Jared Smith (6-3 292) who is the best player on the dline. he is a major run stuffer and is invited to the senior bowl this year which tells you how good he is. There is also hometown kid Matt Kaplan (6'1 293), who has been pretty decent so far. You will also see 3 huge freshman in Jullian turner (6' 311) Rashid Armand (6'1 311) and Ryan Welch (6'3 277).
LB: Best unit of the defense and it starts with Buck Buchanon award winner Matt Evans. Cant say enough about him, hes not big (6' 228 soaking wet) but he is just that instinctive player you see very little of. He is always around the ball and just creates madness. He gets interceptions, he forces fumbles, and he always wraps up. It will be a sad day when he graduates because he may be the best player on that field on both sides of the ball. his counterpart is senior Alan Buzbee (6'3 235) who is also very very good and doesnt get a whole lot of attention in Matt Evans' shadow. These two will be making all of the tackles, whether thats in the backfield or 15 yards downfield will be determined Saturday....
CB: we have Senior Dontra Peters, who believe it or not was our running back last year. Great move by the staff because he has good size for a corner (6' 200) and we were already loaded at RB. he played great against Holy Cross and had an interception, he had played corner before so he is familiar. There is also Junior Chris Houston who is lightning fast and is the interception leader. Very good football player. You will also see sophomore Steven Thames.
WS: Usually Tre Williams but I think hes hurt still, so it may be Nick Cefalo. Both are capable, nothing flashy yet.
SS: Manny Asam, best pure athlete on the defense IMO. He could play for an FBS team also. He brings the heat when it comes to hitting and you will also see him blitz the QB a lot. More of a hitter than a coverage guy.
FS: Chris Beranger, also a very hard hitter and a leader in the secondary, great football mind and like I said he loves to hit people.
Kicking: its hometown kid Mike Macarthur, hes can be very good and was last year as a freshman, he had an off night against HC but hopefully that was just an aberration. He punts also...
Other notes: COACHING....... This team is so well coached and you will know come saturday. Coach Mac is a miracle worker and I thank the football gods every saturday he is still here. Considering the lack of funding, support, and facilities this team has, and what he has built over the last decade, is nothing short of a miracle. The team is never is out of line, is not penalised often and he runs a tight ship. The players love him and he his very football smart. I cant say enough about him and one day there will be a statue of him somewhere on campus, he deserves a national title more than anyone.
Once again this team has had a bit of success against bottom feeder FBS teams. We are 5-2 against FBS under coach Mac and thats a credit to him. However, I think most teams know this now and I doubt we walk away from TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday with a W. If the Gophers somehow overlook us, then that might be a death sentence. If the Gophers prepare like this is a BigTen opponent, than there shouldnt be a problem. I just assume Minny has more size, speed, and numbers than UNH. If I had to pick a score i May say UNH keeps it close early and then fades so, Gophers 42- UNH 24.
Let me know if theres any questions. Like I said im very familiar with the team so im pretty sure I can answer any that come up. Post your opinions, or remarks and lets hope for a great game Saturday!
