The Minnesota Gophers took the field Tuesday morning for their fifth fall practice. After players stretched and ran through calisthenics to Justin Moore’s “Small Town USA” and Luke Bryan’s “Kick The Dust Up,” drills began. Here are some reflections and insights from the day:
-There was a formal, organized manner to practice. Players were in full gear for the first time. On previous practices, they wore shorts, but today they put on padded pants. Officials were present once again. Even Minnesota Twins all-star pitcher Glen Perkins roamed the sidelines to check out this year’s squad.
-The defense played well during 11-on-11 drills. Perhaps the most impressive play of the day came when sophomore linebacker Jonathan Celestin flew by the offensive line and laid solid contact on halfback Berkley Edwards before he could take a step. During the same drills, Associate Head Coach Tracy Claeys looked encouraged, yelling, “that’s it!”
-For the second day in a row, wide receivers seemingly won the overall battle during one-on-one drills. They continued to look like a scrappy bunch on Tuesday, fighting for balls until the conclusion of every play. A perfect example occurred when redshirt sophomore receiver Brian Smith somehow managed to hold onto a 40-yard ball with defensive back Ray Buford applying near-perfect coverage. Head Coach Jerry Kill was also seemingly thrilled with his receivers’ grit on Tuesday, hollering, “atta boy Dez!” on a great route ran by Desmond Gant. Ironically, Gant didn’t even catch the ball on the play, but coach Kill was just that ecstatic to see the excellent effort.
– Senior KJ Maye and redshirt freshman Rodney Smith handled punts during punting drills. Peter Mortell, Ryan Santoso, and freshman Jacob Herbers each received multiple punting reps.
-Minneapolis native Jeff Jones seems to be cherishing the transition from halfback (the position he played at nearby Washburn High School) to wide receiver. He displayed his soft hands again Tuesday, hauling in a long throw during one-on-one drills and making two one-handed catches early in practice.
-Coach Kill never ceases to hold his players accountable. Near the end of practice during punt coverage drills, Kill chewed out defensive back Dior Johnson, hollering, “that’s poor effort!” As punishment, Kill had Johnson and other nearby players perform pushups.
Even though Tuesday’s practice may have lacked the big performances displayed on Monday and the elevated intensity exhibited on Sunday, it was an all-around sturdy effort. Let’s hope to see the same at practice on Friday, August 14, which is open to the public.