On Saturday, Demry Croft laced a beautifully thrown 40-yard ball into the hands of freshman wide receiver Rashad Still, earning applause from teammates and onlookers.
With rain trickling down and Kanye West’s “Amazing” blaring over the speakers, the Minnesota Gophers began their second practice around mid-morning on Saturday. Here are some observations and highlights:
-Head Coach Jerry Kill continued to stress fundamentals and discipline. On multiple occasions, Kill could be heard shouting, “finish!” to players, making sure they gave full effort until they heard the final whistle.
– Offensive Graduate Assistant Adam Weber and Wide Receivers coach Brian Anderson worked with the wide receiver squad on cuts and proper footwork, and also encouraged consistency in route running.
-A very impressive play came during seven-on-seven drills when freshman quarterback Demry Croft laced a beautifully thrown 40-yard ball into the hands of freshman wide receiver Rashad Still, earning applause from teammates and onlookers.
-Coach Kill continued to emphasize special teams on Saturday. He closely analyzed field goal situations, and could be heard telling senior placeholder Peter Mortell to get the snapped ball positioned as soon as possible. Later, Kill observed kickoff formations, evaluating various players’ speed and form as they ran downfield.
-Interim Athletic Director Beth Goetz was in attendance at practice Saturday. She seemed to be in good spirits, introducing herself to practice attendees and local media. As expected, she was heavily sought-after for quotes from various media members.
If I had to choose three words to describe the theme emphasized by Jerry Kill and his coaching staff at Saturday’s practice, it would certainly be: fundamentals, discipline and consistency. It will be interesting to watch how this group develops as fall camp continues.