Kill and his staff have already begun offseason measures.
Published: 2011-11-30
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The Gophers put their season to bed against Illinois last week with a 27-7 victory. The win was one of only three in the first year of the Jerry Kill era.
Minnesota can now look ahead to the 2012 season. Kill has had a full year in Minnesota and will be able to control the recruiting and offseason training for the first time going into next year.
Some of the Gophers’ issues have been corrected, but problems still exist.
For one, Kill has expressed concern throughout the year about the state of the team’s academic standing.
Kill said Minnesota was hovering close to falling below the required Academic Progress Rate guidelines. Kill and his staff enforced a check-in policy this season for the players to wake up and check-in with a team official before going to class.
The Gophers honored 24 seniors graduating from the team Saturday and will have to replace a large percentage of them. Quarterback MarQueis Gray played his first full season at the position and will be back, but most of his offensive weapons will depart, including starting running back Duane Bennett, wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight and both tight ends — Eric Lair and Collin McGarry.
“I’m still going to be the leader and help those new guys coming in,” Gray said.
The position battles have already begun as Kill and his staff had the team back in the training room Monday following the end of the season for lifting, running and conditioning. McKnight said he believes that the wide receiving corps will be able to step up in his absence.
“Most of them played this year, Devin [Crawford-Tufts], BG [Brandon Green], Ge’Shaun [Harris]. They’re going to be fine,” McKnight said. “They’ll be comfortable with the system and play fast.”
The offensive line is one position on the field that has some depth to look forward to next season. Eleven different offensive linemen played this season and Minnesota has two big recruits committed in Jonah Pirsig and Isaac Hayes.
“The offensive line has got a lot of young kids and they’re going to get bigger and stronger,” Kill said.
Minnesota’s defense was showing signs of life in the latter half of the season, but it will also be hit hard with departures. Starting defensive tackles Brandon Kirksey and Anthony Jacobs and five defensive backs graduate this year. The Gophers will have to depend on a lot of younger players to take over.
“They’ll grow up fast. You get not only spring ball and another fall camp, so they’ll get two good doses of it before we start again,” defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said.
Ra’Shede Hageman is one of the leading candidates to take over a defensive tackle position. He was recruited heavily out of high school as a tight end, but converted to the defensive line. He recorded two sacks in the final game against Illinois.
“He’s a big man and a hard guy to handle in there,” Kill said.
One defensive senior the Gophers hope to return is Troy Stoudermire, who missed most of the season with a broken arm. He would have to file for a medical hardship waiver and be granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.
“I’m very excited to get a chance to come back and play football,” Stoudermire said. “I haven’t heard anything. Hopefully it’s good news.”
Recruiting will be the next step for Kill and his staff to supplement the current Gophers roster.
“Not being in a bowl game, can we do more recruiting?” Kill asked rhetorically. “You bet. You’ve got more time to watch film.” He added, “I’ll be on the road as soon as I can get out on the road.”
Conditioning for the current roster will begin swiftly, according to Kill. After the win against Illinois, Kill was not shy about what needed to be done for Minnesota to compete at a higher level next season.
“We’re going to go back to work on Monday. We know we aren’t strong enough or fast enough yet,” Kill said. “We’re not going to take a lot of time off. Our offseason will be much different than it was a year ago. It will be much tougher and much different.”
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/30/jerry-kill-prepares-first-full-offseason-minn
Showing posts with label MN Gophers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MN Gophers. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Quick hitters
A few highlights from the Gophers' win over the Illini.
Published: 2011-11-28
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
•Minnesota led from start to finish Saturday in its win against Illinois, the first time the Gophers had a lead for an entire game this season.
•The Gophers won a game by double digits for the first time since their 2009 victory over Purdue.
•After the loss, the University of Illinois fired head coach Ron Zook. He won the first six games of the season and lost the final six.
•Minnesota had its best pass defense performance of the year against Illinois, as the Illini only gained 78 yards through the air and averaged only 2.9 yards per attempt.
•Minnesota’s defense held the Illini to less than 100 yards in both passing and rushing. The last time that happened was 2006 against Temple.
•Sixth-year senior Kim Royston finished the season third in the Big Ten in tackles with 123 and had a conference-leading 71 solo tackles.
•Minnesota finished the season last in the Big Ten in total offense and averaged only 310 yards per game this season.
•The Gophers had 19 sacks on the year, more than double their total last year — eight. They finished with a flurry and got five sacks against Illinois.
•Minnesota was last in the Big Ten in turnover margin with 17 turnovers and nine takeaways.
•Walk-on kicker Jordan Wettstein converted 43- and 51-yard field goals Saturday. The 51-yard kick was the longest of his career.
•Minnesota had only two penalties Saturday, the fewest penalties it had in a game all season.
•Sophomore Ra’Shede Hageman recorded two sacks against Illinois, his first two sacks of the season.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/28/quick-hitters
Published: 2011-11-28
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
•Minnesota led from start to finish Saturday in its win against Illinois, the first time the Gophers had a lead for an entire game this season.
•The Gophers won a game by double digits for the first time since their 2009 victory over Purdue.
•After the loss, the University of Illinois fired head coach Ron Zook. He won the first six games of the season and lost the final six.
•Minnesota had its best pass defense performance of the year against Illinois, as the Illini only gained 78 yards through the air and averaged only 2.9 yards per attempt.
•Minnesota’s defense held the Illini to less than 100 yards in both passing and rushing. The last time that happened was 2006 against Temple.
•Sixth-year senior Kim Royston finished the season third in the Big Ten in tackles with 123 and had a conference-leading 71 solo tackles.
•Minnesota finished the season last in the Big Ten in total offense and averaged only 310 yards per game this season.
•The Gophers had 19 sacks on the year, more than double their total last year — eight. They finished with a flurry and got five sacks against Illinois.
•Minnesota was last in the Big Ten in turnover margin with 17 turnovers and nine takeaways.
•Walk-on kicker Jordan Wettstein converted 43- and 51-yard field goals Saturday. The 51-yard kick was the longest of his career.
•Minnesota had only two penalties Saturday, the fewest penalties it had in a game all season.
•Sophomore Ra’Shede Hageman recorded two sacks against Illinois, his first two sacks of the season.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/28/quick-hitters
Gophers conclude 2011 with Illinois
Minnesota will host Illinois in search of its third win.
Published: 2011-11-23
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The Gophers wrap up their season against Illinois on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota has had a rocky road in head coach Jerry Kill’s first season with a 2-9 record (1-6 conference.)
With the rest of the school on Thanksgiving break, the football team is in search of a win to be thankful for this holiday weekend.
Minnesota played poorly through the first half of the season, but has shown life over the last half.
“From the second half of the Nebraska [game] on, it’s been a different group of kids,” Kill said. “We’ve gotten a little bit tougher over the last four games.”
Minnesota’s 24 seniors will be honored in their final game.
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I don’t think it’s going to hit me until afterwards,” senior defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey said.
The Illini started out the year on fire with six straight wins, but that flame has subsided and Illinois has lost five straight games. Illinois head coach Ron Zook has been with the team for seven years, but rumors are swirling about his potential departure after the recent losing streak.
Illinois will be focused on its final game in honor of its seniors, too. Zook said the team was determined at practice this week.
“Well, they don’t have school. They don’t have anything to worry about but football,” Zook said in his Tuesday press conference. Illinois is already on Thanksgiving break.
The Gophers defeated Illinois last year 38-34, in the first game after Minnesota dismissed Tim Brewster. That win was fueled by three touchdowns from former running back DeLeon Eskridge.
This year, Minnesota will try to end the year with a win behind the arm and legs of MarQueis Gray.
Gray had a poor passing performance last week but ran for 147 yards and a touchdown. Gray needs only 46 yards to set Minnesota’s single-season rushing record for quarterbacks.
“That defense is ranked just like Michigan State was. I believe in our offensive line,” Gray said. “I’m just going to have to use my feet, squirm around and make plays.”
Gray has battled a back injury the last three weeks, but says that he feels good going into the last game of the year. He added that he looks forward to being able to rehab his back in the offseason.
Illinois’ defense is one of the best in the Big Ten this season and is led by dominant pass-rusher Whitney Mercilus, who has a nation-leading 13.5 sacks.
Mercilus is 2.5 sacks away from breaking Illinois’ record for most in a season, previously held by former NFL star Simeon Rice.
Illinois ranks ninth in the nation in yards per game allowed.
“[Their] defensive ends are very, very athletic. I think they have a chance to be drafted early when they come out,” Kill said. “They’ve been impressive all year.”
The Illini defense ranks second in the Big Ten in rushing defense. Running the ball is an area that the Gophers improved last week against Northwestern. Minnesota tallied its highest total all season with 269 yards in rushing offense last week.
On the other side of the ball, Minnesota has had difficulty stopping the opposing passing game. The Gophers have allowed 229 yards per game through the air and 23 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
Illinois’ AJ Jenkins is one of the top receivers in the nation with 1,166 yards and seven touchdowns.
“He’s bigger than us and there isn’t anything I can do about that,” defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said. “I worry about him getting over the top of us. We’ll spend a lot of time trying to keep him in front of us.”
Illinois has played two quarterbacks recently, with freshman Reilly O’Toole and starter Nathan Scheelhaase getting some snaps. Zook said that he plans to use both players Saturday.
The Illini employ a three-pronged rushing attack with Scheelhaase and senior running backs Jason Ford and Troy Pollard. However, Illinois’ running game is only sixth in the Big Ten with 179 yards per game.
Although Saturday will be Minnesota’s last game, Kill said he hopes the seniors get a chance to end their careers on a high note.
“If I could have a Christmas list of giving somebody a gift, I’d love to see those seniors get a win on Saturday,” Kill said.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/23/gophers-conclude-2011-illinois
Published: 2011-11-23
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The Gophers wrap up their season against Illinois on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota has had a rocky road in head coach Jerry Kill’s first season with a 2-9 record (1-6 conference.)
With the rest of the school on Thanksgiving break, the football team is in search of a win to be thankful for this holiday weekend.
Minnesota played poorly through the first half of the season, but has shown life over the last half.
“From the second half of the Nebraska [game] on, it’s been a different group of kids,” Kill said. “We’ve gotten a little bit tougher over the last four games.”
Minnesota’s 24 seniors will be honored in their final game.
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I don’t think it’s going to hit me until afterwards,” senior defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey said.
The Illini started out the year on fire with six straight wins, but that flame has subsided and Illinois has lost five straight games. Illinois head coach Ron Zook has been with the team for seven years, but rumors are swirling about his potential departure after the recent losing streak.
Illinois will be focused on its final game in honor of its seniors, too. Zook said the team was determined at practice this week.
“Well, they don’t have school. They don’t have anything to worry about but football,” Zook said in his Tuesday press conference. Illinois is already on Thanksgiving break.
The Gophers defeated Illinois last year 38-34, in the first game after Minnesota dismissed Tim Brewster. That win was fueled by three touchdowns from former running back DeLeon Eskridge.
This year, Minnesota will try to end the year with a win behind the arm and legs of MarQueis Gray.
Gray had a poor passing performance last week but ran for 147 yards and a touchdown. Gray needs only 46 yards to set Minnesota’s single-season rushing record for quarterbacks.
“That defense is ranked just like Michigan State was. I believe in our offensive line,” Gray said. “I’m just going to have to use my feet, squirm around and make plays.”
Gray has battled a back injury the last three weeks, but says that he feels good going into the last game of the year. He added that he looks forward to being able to rehab his back in the offseason.
Illinois’ defense is one of the best in the Big Ten this season and is led by dominant pass-rusher Whitney Mercilus, who has a nation-leading 13.5 sacks.
Mercilus is 2.5 sacks away from breaking Illinois’ record for most in a season, previously held by former NFL star Simeon Rice.
Illinois ranks ninth in the nation in yards per game allowed.
“[Their] defensive ends are very, very athletic. I think they have a chance to be drafted early when they come out,” Kill said. “They’ve been impressive all year.”
The Illini defense ranks second in the Big Ten in rushing defense. Running the ball is an area that the Gophers improved last week against Northwestern. Minnesota tallied its highest total all season with 269 yards in rushing offense last week.
On the other side of the ball, Minnesota has had difficulty stopping the opposing passing game. The Gophers have allowed 229 yards per game through the air and 23 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
Illinois’ AJ Jenkins is one of the top receivers in the nation with 1,166 yards and seven touchdowns.
“He’s bigger than us and there isn’t anything I can do about that,” defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said. “I worry about him getting over the top of us. We’ll spend a lot of time trying to keep him in front of us.”
Illinois has played two quarterbacks recently, with freshman Reilly O’Toole and starter Nathan Scheelhaase getting some snaps. Zook said that he plans to use both players Saturday.
The Illini employ a three-pronged rushing attack with Scheelhaase and senior running backs Jason Ford and Troy Pollard. However, Illinois’ running game is only sixth in the Big Ten with 179 yards per game.
Although Saturday will be Minnesota’s last game, Kill said he hopes the seniors get a chance to end their careers on a high note.
“If I could have a Christmas list of giving somebody a gift, I’d love to see those seniors get a win on Saturday,” Kill said.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/23/gophers-conclude-2011-illinois
Seniors to be honored Saturday
The Gophers football team will celebrate Senior's Day at their last game this season.
Published: 2011-11-23
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The first year of the Jerry Kill era will come to a conclusion Saturday.
The season has developed into a rebuilding project for Kill and his staff, something the seniors seemingly embraced to help the future of the program.
Minnesota will honor 24 seniors Saturday, including long-time starters Duane Bennett, Chris Bunders, Anthony Jacobs, Brandon Kirksey, Da’Jon McKnight and Kim Royston.
Bennett has accumulated 2,082 rushing yards in his Gophers career, 13th on the school’s all-time list. He will hand the reigns of the running game off next year, but he said he hopes he has left a good impression on the remaining running backs on the roster.
Bennett reflected on his time at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday.
“I have mixed emotions. Excited. Bummed the ride is coming to an end,” Bennett said. “My biggest memory isn’t even on the football field. The camaraderie of my teammates, playing Madden and Call of Duty, having wing-eating contests and meeting all the different alums and telling stories — that’s my biggest memory.”
The remaining Gophers in the backfield are Donnell Kirkwood, David Cobb and Devon Wright along with LaMonte Edwards, who switched to play linebacker this season when the Gophers needed assistance on defense.
McKnight has been the Gophers’ biggest receiving threat since Eric Decker roamed the field for Minnesota. He is seventh all-time in receiving yards for the Gophers and has spread his knowledge to the younger players on the team like Marcus Jones and Devin Crawford-Tufts.
“Most of [young wide receivers] played this year. They’re going to be fine; they’ll have the same playbook and be comfortable with the system,” McKnight said. He was fraught with emotion after practice Tuesday.
“It’s kind of sad. It’s kind of getting to me,” McKnight said with a hesitation while he reflected.
Royston received a sixth year of eligibility this season when his medical hardship waiver was granted. He led the team with 110 tackles and was fourth overall in the Big Ten. Royston said he will go into Saturday’s game as if it were the Super Bowl.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling after not knowing if I would get this opportunity last year. There was a point last year when I thought my college career was over. This whole season was an extra blessing,” Royston said.
Royston has received his degree and is working toward his masters in sports management.
Senior Troy Stoudermire missed most of the season with a broken left arm and may receive a medical redshirt, which would allow him to return for a sixth season like Royston did this year.
Some of the seniors had to endure two coaching regime changes during their careers. They were recruited by Glen Mason, then had to adapt to Tim Brewster and now to Kill.
“It makes you doubt coaches and doubt what people say and not so much trust what people say. I’ve got genuine trust for coach Kill,” Kirksey said. “Some coaches promise certain kids certain things, and then theyleave. I was real happy when they did the extension on his time here.”
Bunders assisted in the growth of an extremely young offensive line rotation. He is graduating with a civil engineering degree in the spring. He said he believes the next crop of offensive lineman is in good hands but said going through the coaching changes made him a stronger player.
“It’s nice to be able to say that you’ve done all that. You can say you’re a versatile player because you’ve played in literally five or six different offenses,” Bunders said. “The new coaching staff with coach Kill, everything they have going on here is positive.”
Each senior has different goals that span from law school to the NFL, and those dreams will be confronted after Saturday’s game.
These seniors will leave the program while the start of a new foundation is laid. Several of them expressed their wish for the future success of the program under the guidance of the Kill regime.
All content © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/23/seniors-be-honored-saturday
Published: 2011-11-23
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The first year of the Jerry Kill era will come to a conclusion Saturday.
The season has developed into a rebuilding project for Kill and his staff, something the seniors seemingly embraced to help the future of the program.
Minnesota will honor 24 seniors Saturday, including long-time starters Duane Bennett, Chris Bunders, Anthony Jacobs, Brandon Kirksey, Da’Jon McKnight and Kim Royston.
Bennett has accumulated 2,082 rushing yards in his Gophers career, 13th on the school’s all-time list. He will hand the reigns of the running game off next year, but he said he hopes he has left a good impression on the remaining running backs on the roster.
Bennett reflected on his time at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday.
“I have mixed emotions. Excited. Bummed the ride is coming to an end,” Bennett said. “My biggest memory isn’t even on the football field. The camaraderie of my teammates, playing Madden and Call of Duty, having wing-eating contests and meeting all the different alums and telling stories — that’s my biggest memory.”
The remaining Gophers in the backfield are Donnell Kirkwood, David Cobb and Devon Wright along with LaMonte Edwards, who switched to play linebacker this season when the Gophers needed assistance on defense.
McKnight has been the Gophers’ biggest receiving threat since Eric Decker roamed the field for Minnesota. He is seventh all-time in receiving yards for the Gophers and has spread his knowledge to the younger players on the team like Marcus Jones and Devin Crawford-Tufts.
“Most of [young wide receivers] played this year. They’re going to be fine; they’ll have the same playbook and be comfortable with the system,” McKnight said. He was fraught with emotion after practice Tuesday.
“It’s kind of sad. It’s kind of getting to me,” McKnight said with a hesitation while he reflected.
Royston received a sixth year of eligibility this season when his medical hardship waiver was granted. He led the team with 110 tackles and was fourth overall in the Big Ten. Royston said he will go into Saturday’s game as if it were the Super Bowl.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling after not knowing if I would get this opportunity last year. There was a point last year when I thought my college career was over. This whole season was an extra blessing,” Royston said.
Royston has received his degree and is working toward his masters in sports management.
Senior Troy Stoudermire missed most of the season with a broken left arm and may receive a medical redshirt, which would allow him to return for a sixth season like Royston did this year.
Some of the seniors had to endure two coaching regime changes during their careers. They were recruited by Glen Mason, then had to adapt to Tim Brewster and now to Kill.
“It makes you doubt coaches and doubt what people say and not so much trust what people say. I’ve got genuine trust for coach Kill,” Kirksey said. “Some coaches promise certain kids certain things, and then theyleave. I was real happy when they did the extension on his time here.”
Bunders assisted in the growth of an extremely young offensive line rotation. He is graduating with a civil engineering degree in the spring. He said he believes the next crop of offensive lineman is in good hands but said going through the coaching changes made him a stronger player.
“It’s nice to be able to say that you’ve done all that. You can say you’re a versatile player because you’ve played in literally five or six different offenses,” Bunders said. “The new coaching staff with coach Kill, everything they have going on here is positive.”
Each senior has different goals that span from law school to the NFL, and those dreams will be confronted after Saturday’s game.
These seniors will leave the program while the start of a new foundation is laid. Several of them expressed their wish for the future success of the program under the guidance of the Kill regime.
All content © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/23/seniors-be-honored-saturday
Mistakes doom Gophers on the road
Minnesota rushed for 269 yards but lost 28-13 at Northwestern.
Published: 2011-11-21
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
EVANSTON, Ill. — Minnesota fell to 1-6 in conference play Saturday with a 28-13 road loss to Northwestern. The Gophers had numerous opportunities but costly turnovers in the second half led to their defeat.
Minnesota’s defense played well and created a lot of pressure on Wildcats’ quarterback Dan Persa, including two sacks and two turnovers. But Minnesota’s offense wasn’t able to take advantage of the fortune.
“We played well enough to win the game — we just didn’t make enough plays offensively,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “We moved the ball but didn’t make a few critical plays.”
Senior Duane Bennett, playing in his final road game for the Gophers, fumbled deep in Northwestern territory in the third quarter. MarQueis Gray threw an interception on a tipped ball in the end zone on a long third-quarter drive, too, and Minnesota wasn’t able to recover.
“We did some good things, but we also dropped some balls in critical moments and turned it over in critical moments,” Kill said. “You can’t do that and win.”
Persa threw for 216 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He led Northwestern, in front of a half-full stadium, to its fourth straight victory. The win made the Wildcats bowl-eligible.
By the fourth quarter, Northwestern’s no-huddle offense proved to be too quick for Minnesota’s defense. The Gophers couldn’t substitute lineman quick enough to defend and Northwestern added a touchdown to their lead in the final quarter while running out the clock.
Gray finished the day with 124 yards passing, no touchdowns and one interception. He did have success running, with 147 yards and a touchdown.
“It was a take-what-they-give-us [performance],” Gray said. “They gave us the run.”
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said he was impressed with Gray’s running abilities.
“We gave up over 100 yards on broken plays. I’m not going to lose sleep over that. I’d like guys to tackle obviously, but he’s 6’4” and 250 pounds. The kid’s a great football player,” Fitzgerald said.
Gray (147) and Bennett (127) each had more than 100 yards rushing — the first time Minnesota had two rushers break the century mark since 2006.
Bennett reached 2,000 rush yards for his Gophers career, the first to do so since Amir Pinnix in 2007.
“It’s definitely a milestone. It’s something I’m proud to accomplish. I would’ve taken the win any day,” Bennett said. “The record in general I give to my front five, my receivers, my quarterback, my coaches.”
The Gophers gained 269 yards on the ground, but that didn’t amount to many points, as Minnesota committed mistake after mistake late in its drives.
“You rush for over 200 yards and you should win the football game,” Kill said.
Malcolm Moulton dropped two potential touchdown catches on routes up the seam, and Da’Jon McKnight dropped a would-be touchdown catch in the end zone.
The Gophers had only 10 men on the field for two consecutive plays when Northwestern scored its second touchdown on a 28-yard fade from Persa to Demetrius Fields. Kill said that there was an injured player, some miscommunication and he couldn’t get the timeout called in time against the Wildcat hurry-up offense.
Senior Kim Royston racked up 17 tackles on defense and also nabbed an interception.
“Our [defensive] line played a hell of a game. I greatly appreciate that. Anytime they get pressure on the quarterback, a lot of good things happen on the back end,” Royston said.
Northwestern started the game with a 44-yard kickoff return by Venric Mark that jump-started the Wildcats’ offense. The Wildcats finished with a touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.
Northwestern continued its success on special teams by starting the next two drives in Minnesota territory and both ended with touchdowns. Northwestern led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter before the Gophers steadied the ship — they surrendered just seven more points the final three quarters.
The Gophers were only able to score one touchdown despite 393 yards of total offense, Northwestern’s 28 points came off 368 yards of offense.
“I feel like our offense did great in the stats, but stats don’t matter if you don’t finish,” Gray said. “That’s something we should’ve done. If we would’ve done that, we would’ve had a different outcome.”
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/21/mistakes-doom-gophers-road
Published: 2011-11-21
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
EVANSTON, Ill. — Minnesota fell to 1-6 in conference play Saturday with a 28-13 road loss to Northwestern. The Gophers had numerous opportunities but costly turnovers in the second half led to their defeat.
Minnesota’s defense played well and created a lot of pressure on Wildcats’ quarterback Dan Persa, including two sacks and two turnovers. But Minnesota’s offense wasn’t able to take advantage of the fortune.
“We played well enough to win the game — we just didn’t make enough plays offensively,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “We moved the ball but didn’t make a few critical plays.”
Senior Duane Bennett, playing in his final road game for the Gophers, fumbled deep in Northwestern territory in the third quarter. MarQueis Gray threw an interception on a tipped ball in the end zone on a long third-quarter drive, too, and Minnesota wasn’t able to recover.
“We did some good things, but we also dropped some balls in critical moments and turned it over in critical moments,” Kill said. “You can’t do that and win.”
Persa threw for 216 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He led Northwestern, in front of a half-full stadium, to its fourth straight victory. The win made the Wildcats bowl-eligible.
By the fourth quarter, Northwestern’s no-huddle offense proved to be too quick for Minnesota’s defense. The Gophers couldn’t substitute lineman quick enough to defend and Northwestern added a touchdown to their lead in the final quarter while running out the clock.
Gray finished the day with 124 yards passing, no touchdowns and one interception. He did have success running, with 147 yards and a touchdown.
“It was a take-what-they-give-us [performance],” Gray said. “They gave us the run.”
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said he was impressed with Gray’s running abilities.
“We gave up over 100 yards on broken plays. I’m not going to lose sleep over that. I’d like guys to tackle obviously, but he’s 6’4” and 250 pounds. The kid’s a great football player,” Fitzgerald said.
Gray (147) and Bennett (127) each had more than 100 yards rushing — the first time Minnesota had two rushers break the century mark since 2006.
Bennett reached 2,000 rush yards for his Gophers career, the first to do so since Amir Pinnix in 2007.
“It’s definitely a milestone. It’s something I’m proud to accomplish. I would’ve taken the win any day,” Bennett said. “The record in general I give to my front five, my receivers, my quarterback, my coaches.”
The Gophers gained 269 yards on the ground, but that didn’t amount to many points, as Minnesota committed mistake after mistake late in its drives.
“You rush for over 200 yards and you should win the football game,” Kill said.
Malcolm Moulton dropped two potential touchdown catches on routes up the seam, and Da’Jon McKnight dropped a would-be touchdown catch in the end zone.
The Gophers had only 10 men on the field for two consecutive plays when Northwestern scored its second touchdown on a 28-yard fade from Persa to Demetrius Fields. Kill said that there was an injured player, some miscommunication and he couldn’t get the timeout called in time against the Wildcat hurry-up offense.
Senior Kim Royston racked up 17 tackles on defense and also nabbed an interception.
“Our [defensive] line played a hell of a game. I greatly appreciate that. Anytime they get pressure on the quarterback, a lot of good things happen on the back end,” Royston said.
Northwestern started the game with a 44-yard kickoff return by Venric Mark that jump-started the Wildcats’ offense. The Wildcats finished with a touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.
Northwestern continued its success on special teams by starting the next two drives in Minnesota territory and both ended with touchdowns. Northwestern led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter before the Gophers steadied the ship — they surrendered just seven more points the final three quarters.
The Gophers were only able to score one touchdown despite 393 yards of total offense, Northwestern’s 28 points came off 368 yards of offense.
“I feel like our offense did great in the stats, but stats don’t matter if you don’t finish,” Gray said. “That’s something we should’ve done. If we would’ve done that, we would’ve had a different outcome.”
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/21/mistakes-doom-gophers-road
Mistakes doom Gophers on the road
Minnesota lost to Northwestern in Evanston, 28-13.
Published: 2011-11-19
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Minnesota fell to 1-6 Saturday with a road loss to Northwestern 28-13. The Gophers had numerous opportunities, but costly turnovers in the second half led to their defeat.
In the third quarter, senior Duane Bennett, in his final road game for the Gophers, fumbled deep in Northwestern territory. MarQueis Gray threw an interception on a tipped ball in the end zone on the next drive as well and Minnesota wasn’t able to recover.
The Gophers’ defense played well and created a lot of pressure on Wildcats’ quarterback Dan Persa. The defense tallied two sacks and also had two turnovers, but Minnesota’s offense wasn’t able to take advantage of the fortune.
By the fourth quarter, Northwestern’s no-huddle offense proved to be too quick for Minnesota’s defense, which appeared tired. The Gophers couldn’t get linemen out in time to defend and Northwestern added a touchdown to its lead in the final quarter while running out the clock.
Gray (147 yards) and Bennett (127) each had more than 100 yards rushing in the game. It was the first time Minnesota had two rushers record more than 100 yards since 2006.
The Gophers gained 269 yards on the ground, but that didn’t amount to many points because they committed mistake after mistake late in their drives.
Malcolm Moulton dropped two potential touchdown catches on routes up the seam and Da’Jon McKnight dropped a would-be touchdown catch in the end zone. Minnesota had two costly turnovers.
Senior Kim Royston racked up 17 tackles on defense and also nabbed an interception.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/19/mistakes-doom-gophers-road
Mon Nov 28 2011
Published: 2011-11-19
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Minnesota fell to 1-6 Saturday with a road loss to Northwestern 28-13. The Gophers had numerous opportunities, but costly turnovers in the second half led to their defeat.
In the third quarter, senior Duane Bennett, in his final road game for the Gophers, fumbled deep in Northwestern territory. MarQueis Gray threw an interception on a tipped ball in the end zone on the next drive as well and Minnesota wasn’t able to recover.
The Gophers’ defense played well and created a lot of pressure on Wildcats’ quarterback Dan Persa. The defense tallied two sacks and also had two turnovers, but Minnesota’s offense wasn’t able to take advantage of the fortune.
By the fourth quarter, Northwestern’s no-huddle offense proved to be too quick for Minnesota’s defense, which appeared tired. The Gophers couldn’t get linemen out in time to defend and Northwestern added a touchdown to its lead in the final quarter while running out the clock.
Gray (147 yards) and Bennett (127) each had more than 100 yards rushing in the game. It was the first time Minnesota had two rushers record more than 100 yards since 2006.
The Gophers gained 269 yards on the ground, but that didn’t amount to many points because they committed mistake after mistake late in their drives.
Malcolm Moulton dropped two potential touchdown catches on routes up the seam and Da’Jon McKnight dropped a would-be touchdown catch in the end zone. Minnesota had two costly turnovers.
Senior Kim Royston racked up 17 tackles on defense and also nabbed an interception.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/19/mistakes-doom-gophers-road
Mon Nov 28 2011
Quick hitters
Published: 2011-11-17
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
•MarQueis Gray played against Wisconsin with a hurt back, an injury he sustained against Michigan State. Gray took full reps at practice this week.
“It feels a lot better, a lot better than last week,” Gray said. “It limited my reps [last week] and going into the game I wasn’t fully confident in myself because of the back injury. I plan on taking every rep this week and regain that confidence.”
Gray had his worst statistical performance of the year last week against Wisconsin. He threw for 51 yards and an interception only a week after his career-best performance against Michigan State, when he threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
•Northwestern is second-worst in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing 235 yards per game through the air.
•Minnesota has been stymied in the running game the last two weeks.
“We’re getting back to fundamentals, kind of what we did leading up to that nice run [of good games],” offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said.
Northwestern ranks ninth in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 179 yards per game on the ground.
•Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa, a senior, has thrown for more than 1,700 yards in only seven games this season, including a 372-yard performance with four touchdowns last week against Rice.
•The Wildcats’ sophomore backup quarterback, Kain Colter, has been a multi-level threat on offense. He leads the team in rushing, is second in passing and is third in receiving with 15 touchdowns overall this season.
•Led by Persa and Colter, Northwestern is first in the Big Ten in passing offense.
•The Gophers’ pass rush has steadily improved. Minnesota sacked Russell Wilson twice last week despite an enormous Badgers offensive line.
That brought its total to 12 sacks on the year, four more than all of last year.
•Northwestern’s offense runs a lot of no-huddle. This system of offense often causes defenses to remain on the field for numerous series of downs without substitutions.
•The Gophers were unable to score an offensive touchdown last week. Their only two scores were on special teams.
•Duane Bennett gave the team a jolt last week when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. He is averaging 31 yards per return this season.
Bennett, a fifth year senior, now has a kickoff return, punt return, rushing, receiving and passing touchdown during his career at Minnesota.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/17/quick-hitters
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
•MarQueis Gray played against Wisconsin with a hurt back, an injury he sustained against Michigan State. Gray took full reps at practice this week.
“It feels a lot better, a lot better than last week,” Gray said. “It limited my reps [last week] and going into the game I wasn’t fully confident in myself because of the back injury. I plan on taking every rep this week and regain that confidence.”
Gray had his worst statistical performance of the year last week against Wisconsin. He threw for 51 yards and an interception only a week after his career-best performance against Michigan State, when he threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
•Northwestern is second-worst in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing 235 yards per game through the air.
•Minnesota has been stymied in the running game the last two weeks.
“We’re getting back to fundamentals, kind of what we did leading up to that nice run [of good games],” offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said.
Northwestern ranks ninth in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 179 yards per game on the ground.
•Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa, a senior, has thrown for more than 1,700 yards in only seven games this season, including a 372-yard performance with four touchdowns last week against Rice.
•The Wildcats’ sophomore backup quarterback, Kain Colter, has been a multi-level threat on offense. He leads the team in rushing, is second in passing and is third in receiving with 15 touchdowns overall this season.
•Led by Persa and Colter, Northwestern is first in the Big Ten in passing offense.
•The Gophers’ pass rush has steadily improved. Minnesota sacked Russell Wilson twice last week despite an enormous Badgers offensive line.
That brought its total to 12 sacks on the year, four more than all of last year.
•Northwestern’s offense runs a lot of no-huddle. This system of offense often causes defenses to remain on the field for numerous series of downs without substitutions.
•The Gophers were unable to score an offensive touchdown last week. Their only two scores were on special teams.
•Duane Bennett gave the team a jolt last week when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. He is averaging 31 yards per return this season.
Bennett, a fifth year senior, now has a kickoff return, punt return, rushing, receiving and passing touchdown during his career at Minnesota.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/17/quick-hitters
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
A constant state of flux
Young hodgepodge group of offensive lineman has been thrust into game action.
Published: 2011-11-16
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The Big Ten is known for power running games behind massive offensive lines. This formula has worked well for Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan for years, but the Gophers have struggled in that regard since Laurence Maroney, Marion Barber III and Gary Russell left.
During the Glen Mason era, Minnesota had athletic system blockers, led by All-Americans Mark Setterstrom, Ben Hamilton and Greg Eslinger. Since then, the Gophers offensive line has been in constant flux.
Even by those standards, this season has been tumultuous. Head coach Jerry Kill and offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover have had to mix and match their front line.
“In all the years coach Limegrover’s been with me this may be his best coaching job, because not very many people can have a different offensive line every week and have some continuity,” Kill said.
The Gophers have had a different starting offensive line group in four of their 10 games this season, while having to make many in-game substitutions due to injuries.
These holes along the line have been plugged with undersized underclassmen. Some of them have experienced growing pains on the field.
“I think that I could take a whole group full of them from the Olsons, Lenkiewiczes — all those young offensive linemen, they’re all playing, they’re all young. I mean, everybody is young up in the offensive line except for two kids right now,” Kill said.
The linemen who have sustained injuries are: Jimmy Gjere (head), Josh Campion (head), Ed Olson (quadriceps), Tommy Olson (ankle) and Zach Mottla (head).
The injuries have been only part of the shift on the offensive line. Inconsistent play has forced Kill and Limegrover to bring in fresh bodies able to execute their offensive schemes.
In total, they’ve used 10 different offensive linemen so far this season.
Senior Chris Bunders has been the only constant on the line, but he has had to shift from his natural position of left guard to right tackle since Gjere sustained a concussion in early October.
“It’s fun. I like the challenge being able to play tackle and guard,” Bunders said. “A lot of guys have been able to step up and fill in when we’ve needed it. We have a great coach that comes out and teaches everybody, not just the starters — everybody.”
Two of those young players that have stepped up and filled in are redshirt freshmen Caleb Bak and Zac Epping. Epping has started the last six games at right guard, while Bak just entered the lineup at left guard two games ago after Tommy Olson hurt his ankle.
“[The coaches] do a good job preparing you and preparing the backups. You get in there and you’re ready to play,” Bak said.
Kill had high praises for Bak in his Nov. 1 press conference.
“It’s an amazing story,” Kill said. “When you’ve got a young man, Caleb Bak, who hasn’t been playing at all and not getting a lot of practice reps and he plays for three quarters and finds a way to get it done and you’re able to protect the passer and give him time. It’s really kind of an amazing deal.”
The Gophers’ offensive line has played through some of its injuries as well. Ed Olson had to yield to Marek Lenkiewicz because of a quad injury but returned the next game to start.
“We don’t treat it like someone is a new guy. We always practice together, we’re in film together, we all treat each other like we’re all on the first line, and that makes it a nice transition,” Ed Olson said.
Olson’s younger brother, Tommy, came to Minnesota a year after his brother Ed. He is one of the freshmen getting time on the field, and he said he is enjoying the opportunity to line up next to his brother.
“It’s a dream come true. We talked about it all the time — middle school, high school, now here. We’ve always talked about coming here and playing next to each other. It’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives,” Tommy Olson said.
Each of the players — even the younger group — has to prepare each week as though they will play. The coaching staff hasn’t had the luxury of being able to redshirt most of the younger players. Many of them could use that year to build up proper muscle for the Big Ten in an ideal situation.
Limegrover has had the task of preparing all his players to get into game action against more experienced Big Ten competition.
“You try to get guys ready at multiple positions, you try to get the guys you have in there comfortable with each other,” Limegrover said. “I’m just trying to get a group out to practice each day and make it to Saturday.”
Minnesota does have a handful of young players who are getting time to develop off the field including another pair of brothers. Kyle and Luke McAvoy will most likely be redshirted along with a small handful of others.
The Gophers also have commitments from two highly-touted high school prospects: Isaac Hayes, who is an ESPN top-150 recruit, and 6-foot-8-inch, 300-pound Jonah Pirsig from Blue Earth, Minn.
The group will in all likelihood continue to have fluctuations in its play, but is also gaining game experience playing at a Division I level against some of the most talented players in the nation.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/16/constant-state-flux
Published: 2011-11-16
Adam Richard arichard@mndaily.com
The Big Ten is known for power running games behind massive offensive lines. This formula has worked well for Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan for years, but the Gophers have struggled in that regard since Laurence Maroney, Marion Barber III and Gary Russell left.
During the Glen Mason era, Minnesota had athletic system blockers, led by All-Americans Mark Setterstrom, Ben Hamilton and Greg Eslinger. Since then, the Gophers offensive line has been in constant flux.
Even by those standards, this season has been tumultuous. Head coach Jerry Kill and offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover have had to mix and match their front line.
“In all the years coach Limegrover’s been with me this may be his best coaching job, because not very many people can have a different offensive line every week and have some continuity,” Kill said.
The Gophers have had a different starting offensive line group in four of their 10 games this season, while having to make many in-game substitutions due to injuries.
These holes along the line have been plugged with undersized underclassmen. Some of them have experienced growing pains on the field.
“I think that I could take a whole group full of them from the Olsons, Lenkiewiczes — all those young offensive linemen, they’re all playing, they’re all young. I mean, everybody is young up in the offensive line except for two kids right now,” Kill said.
The linemen who have sustained injuries are: Jimmy Gjere (head), Josh Campion (head), Ed Olson (quadriceps), Tommy Olson (ankle) and Zach Mottla (head).
The injuries have been only part of the shift on the offensive line. Inconsistent play has forced Kill and Limegrover to bring in fresh bodies able to execute their offensive schemes.
In total, they’ve used 10 different offensive linemen so far this season.
Senior Chris Bunders has been the only constant on the line, but he has had to shift from his natural position of left guard to right tackle since Gjere sustained a concussion in early October.
“It’s fun. I like the challenge being able to play tackle and guard,” Bunders said. “A lot of guys have been able to step up and fill in when we’ve needed it. We have a great coach that comes out and teaches everybody, not just the starters — everybody.”
Two of those young players that have stepped up and filled in are redshirt freshmen Caleb Bak and Zac Epping. Epping has started the last six games at right guard, while Bak just entered the lineup at left guard two games ago after Tommy Olson hurt his ankle.
“[The coaches] do a good job preparing you and preparing the backups. You get in there and you’re ready to play,” Bak said.
Kill had high praises for Bak in his Nov. 1 press conference.
“It’s an amazing story,” Kill said. “When you’ve got a young man, Caleb Bak, who hasn’t been playing at all and not getting a lot of practice reps and he plays for three quarters and finds a way to get it done and you’re able to protect the passer and give him time. It’s really kind of an amazing deal.”
The Gophers’ offensive line has played through some of its injuries as well. Ed Olson had to yield to Marek Lenkiewicz because of a quad injury but returned the next game to start.
“We don’t treat it like someone is a new guy. We always practice together, we’re in film together, we all treat each other like we’re all on the first line, and that makes it a nice transition,” Ed Olson said.
Olson’s younger brother, Tommy, came to Minnesota a year after his brother Ed. He is one of the freshmen getting time on the field, and he said he is enjoying the opportunity to line up next to his brother.
“It’s a dream come true. We talked about it all the time — middle school, high school, now here. We’ve always talked about coming here and playing next to each other. It’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives,” Tommy Olson said.
Each of the players — even the younger group — has to prepare each week as though they will play. The coaching staff hasn’t had the luxury of being able to redshirt most of the younger players. Many of them could use that year to build up proper muscle for the Big Ten in an ideal situation.
Limegrover has had the task of preparing all his players to get into game action against more experienced Big Ten competition.
“You try to get guys ready at multiple positions, you try to get the guys you have in there comfortable with each other,” Limegrover said. “I’m just trying to get a group out to practice each day and make it to Saturday.”
Minnesota does have a handful of young players who are getting time to develop off the field including another pair of brothers. Kyle and Luke McAvoy will most likely be redshirted along with a small handful of others.
The Gophers also have commitments from two highly-touted high school prospects: Isaac Hayes, who is an ESPN top-150 recruit, and 6-foot-8-inch, 300-pound Jonah Pirsig from Blue Earth, Minn.
The group will in all likelihood continue to have fluctuations in its play, but is also gaining game experience playing at a Division I level against some of the most talented players in the nation.
All content © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/16/constant-state-flux
Monday, November 14, 2011
Quick hitters: Gopher-Badger football game
Quick hitters: Gopher-Badger football game
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-14
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray became a father late Friday night, as his girlfriend gave birth to twin boys named MarShawn and MarZell.
Gray said he received a call during team activities and was given a ride to the hospital to be with his girlfriend.
“It was the best day of my life,” Gray said.
Though he and head coach Jerry Kill said it was unrelated, he had his worst statistical performance of the year Saturday.
He had only six completions for 51 yards and threw an interception. His longest completion was only 12 yards.
The 51 yards passing was Minnesota’s lowest total this season. Its previous low for passing yards was 104 yards in a 58-0 loss at Michigan.
Minnesota only had 48 plays from scrimmage.
“I said we could not win this game unless we snapped the ball 70 or 80 times,” Kill said. “We couldn’t leave our defense out on the football field all the time. Our defense was out there and they controlled the football.” Minnesota averaged a season-low 3.25 yards on those 48 plays.
Minnesota scored its two touchdowns on special teams plays. The first was a fake field goal and run by kicker Jordan Wettstein. Wettstein had to break a tackle on the five-yard run to the end zone.
“I thought I was down. I saw him coming, but I tried making a little move on him. I watched the running backs all week on that,” Wettstein said.
Wettstein missed the extra point after his touchdown.
The second special teams touchdown was a 96-yard kickoff return by senior Duane Bennett to open the second half. It was the Gophers’ second kickoff return for a touchdown this year.
Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson finished the game 16-for-17 for 178 yards and four touchdowns. His only incompletion was a dropped pass by Nick Toon.
The Gophers’ defense also gave up 16 straight completions to Matt Barkley in the first game of the year. Minnesota has given up at least nine straight completions to five different quarterbacks.
Wisconsin running back Montee Ball ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns and added a touchdown reception.
Minnesota’s running backs, by contrast, were held to 32 yards on 12 carries.
The Gophers’ defense penetrated Wisconsin’s offensive line and sacked Wilson twice, which brought Minnesota’s season total to 12.
Senior linebacker Gary Tinsley, who recorded one of those sacks, had three tackles for loss and had double-digit tackles — 12 — for the first time this year.
Minnesota recorded eight tackles for loss throughout the game, the most since its opening game against USC.
Safety Kim Royston recorded nine tackles against his former team, including one for a loss. Royston, a Minneapolis native, played for the Badgers before he transferred to Minnesota.
Despite the numerous tackles for loss and sacks, the Gophers’ defense allowed Wisconsin to succeed on third down 70 percent of the time.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/14/quick-hitters-gopher-badger-football-game
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-14
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray became a father late Friday night, as his girlfriend gave birth to twin boys named MarShawn and MarZell.
Gray said he received a call during team activities and was given a ride to the hospital to be with his girlfriend.
“It was the best day of my life,” Gray said.
Though he and head coach Jerry Kill said it was unrelated, he had his worst statistical performance of the year Saturday.
He had only six completions for 51 yards and threw an interception. His longest completion was only 12 yards.
The 51 yards passing was Minnesota’s lowest total this season. Its previous low for passing yards was 104 yards in a 58-0 loss at Michigan.
Minnesota only had 48 plays from scrimmage.
“I said we could not win this game unless we snapped the ball 70 or 80 times,” Kill said. “We couldn’t leave our defense out on the football field all the time. Our defense was out there and they controlled the football.” Minnesota averaged a season-low 3.25 yards on those 48 plays.
Minnesota scored its two touchdowns on special teams plays. The first was a fake field goal and run by kicker Jordan Wettstein. Wettstein had to break a tackle on the five-yard run to the end zone.
“I thought I was down. I saw him coming, but I tried making a little move on him. I watched the running backs all week on that,” Wettstein said.
Wettstein missed the extra point after his touchdown.
The second special teams touchdown was a 96-yard kickoff return by senior Duane Bennett to open the second half. It was the Gophers’ second kickoff return for a touchdown this year.
Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson finished the game 16-for-17 for 178 yards and four touchdowns. His only incompletion was a dropped pass by Nick Toon.
The Gophers’ defense also gave up 16 straight completions to Matt Barkley in the first game of the year. Minnesota has given up at least nine straight completions to five different quarterbacks.
Wisconsin running back Montee Ball ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns and added a touchdown reception.
Minnesota’s running backs, by contrast, were held to 32 yards on 12 carries.
The Gophers’ defense penetrated Wisconsin’s offensive line and sacked Wilson twice, which brought Minnesota’s season total to 12.
Senior linebacker Gary Tinsley, who recorded one of those sacks, had three tackles for loss and had double-digit tackles — 12 — for the first time this year.
Minnesota recorded eight tackles for loss throughout the game, the most since its opening game against USC.
Safety Kim Royston recorded nine tackles against his former team, including one for a loss. Royston, a Minneapolis native, played for the Badgers before he transferred to Minnesota.
Despite the numerous tackles for loss and sacks, the Gophers’ defense allowed Wisconsin to succeed on third down 70 percent of the time.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/14/quick-hitters-gopher-badger-football-game
Badgers pose difficult test as heavy favorites
Minnesota will face an uphill battle against Wisconsin.
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-10
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota hosts the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium to battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. This game will be the 121st in the interstate rivalry and Minnesota hasn’t won since 2003.
The Badgers came into the season with high expectations, but back-to-back last-minute losses to Michigan State and Ohio State derailed their national championship dreams.
“There are no weaknesses on that football team,” Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said. “They are two plays away from being top two or three in the country, maybe the top team in the country.”
Wisconsin’s senior quarterback Russell Wilson leads the conference in passing yards and touchdowns.
Wilson played minor league baseball with the Colorado Rockies organization last year and previously was the quarterback for North Carolina State. He had one year of eligibility left and transferred to Wisconsin to play football and attend graduate school.
Kill called him “the difference in their whole football team.”
He added: “He plays on a different level than anybody else in college football.”
The Gophers are coming off two good performances, and the play of their quarterback, MarQueis Gray, has been the difference as well.
Gray notched career-bests in completions, yards and touchdowns last week against MSU. He has progressed slowly through the year, battling cramps and a turf toe injury, but has played the entirety of the last three games.
He appears more comfortable andconfident now than at other points of the season.
“[Gray] has got a lot more confident. He’s become more of a leader instead of a friend. He’s coming out as the leader of the team,” the Gophers’ Devin Crawford-Tufts said.
Crawford-Tufts will return after suffering a quad injury against MSU.
“I hate Wisconsin. I’m excited to play in this game,” he said.
Gray has hooked up with Da’Jon McKnight for 41 receptions on the year, and no other receivers have more than 13 receptions.
The Badgers’ pass defense is second in the conference and its focus will likely be on McKnight.
On the opposite side, Wilson has spread the ball around to his top-two receivers and tight end. Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis have a combined 1,193 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Safety Kim Royston, who used to play for the Badgers, transferred to Minnesota after the 2007 season. Royston will have the task of trying to defend the Badgers’ high-powered passing attack while balancing coverage in the equally dominant Wisconsin rushing attack.
While the passing game has been successful, the Badgers’ bread and butter has always been their running game, starting with big offensive lineman. That line has blocked well this year, paving the way for Montee Ball’s 1,076 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Gophers’ defense will have its work cut out for it against this bigger, more experienced line. The Badgers’ offensive line averages 320 pounds — bigger than the Green Bay Packers.
The Gophers’ two defensive ends are freshmen, averaging 238 pounds.
“They’re big, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” defensive end Ben Perry said. “You’ve got to hit, you play low, you play with leverage and you can play against anybody.”
Wisconsin excels on its third-down conversions, which is one area in which the Gophers’ defense has improved dramatically.
Each week of the Big Ten schedule, Minnesota has reduced its opponent’s third-down success rate, down to only 30 percent against MSU on Saturday.
The Badgers’ run defense has been suspect this year. It has the two leading tacklers in the Big Ten in linebackers Chris Borland and Mike Taylor, but is surrendering 137 yards per game on the ground.
Minnesota’s running backs have not had much success, however. Senior running back Duane Bennett is the only back with a 100-yard game this season. Gray has added two with his scrambling ability, but the Gophers will need to establish the running game to have success Saturday.
Minnesota will have its hands full against a Wisconsin team that has national championship-caliber talent.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/10/badgers-pose-difficult-test-heavy-favorites
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-10
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota hosts the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium to battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. This game will be the 121st in the interstate rivalry and Minnesota hasn’t won since 2003.
The Badgers came into the season with high expectations, but back-to-back last-minute losses to Michigan State and Ohio State derailed their national championship dreams.
“There are no weaknesses on that football team,” Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said. “They are two plays away from being top two or three in the country, maybe the top team in the country.”
Wisconsin’s senior quarterback Russell Wilson leads the conference in passing yards and touchdowns.
Wilson played minor league baseball with the Colorado Rockies organization last year and previously was the quarterback for North Carolina State. He had one year of eligibility left and transferred to Wisconsin to play football and attend graduate school.
Kill called him “the difference in their whole football team.”
He added: “He plays on a different level than anybody else in college football.”
The Gophers are coming off two good performances, and the play of their quarterback, MarQueis Gray, has been the difference as well.
Gray notched career-bests in completions, yards and touchdowns last week against MSU. He has progressed slowly through the year, battling cramps and a turf toe injury, but has played the entirety of the last three games.
He appears more comfortable andconfident now than at other points of the season.
“[Gray] has got a lot more confident. He’s become more of a leader instead of a friend. He’s coming out as the leader of the team,” the Gophers’ Devin Crawford-Tufts said.
Crawford-Tufts will return after suffering a quad injury against MSU.
“I hate Wisconsin. I’m excited to play in this game,” he said.
Gray has hooked up with Da’Jon McKnight for 41 receptions on the year, and no other receivers have more than 13 receptions.
The Badgers’ pass defense is second in the conference and its focus will likely be on McKnight.
On the opposite side, Wilson has spread the ball around to his top-two receivers and tight end. Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis have a combined 1,193 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Safety Kim Royston, who used to play for the Badgers, transferred to Minnesota after the 2007 season. Royston will have the task of trying to defend the Badgers’ high-powered passing attack while balancing coverage in the equally dominant Wisconsin rushing attack.
While the passing game has been successful, the Badgers’ bread and butter has always been their running game, starting with big offensive lineman. That line has blocked well this year, paving the way for Montee Ball’s 1,076 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Gophers’ defense will have its work cut out for it against this bigger, more experienced line. The Badgers’ offensive line averages 320 pounds — bigger than the Green Bay Packers.
The Gophers’ two defensive ends are freshmen, averaging 238 pounds.
“They’re big, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” defensive end Ben Perry said. “You’ve got to hit, you play low, you play with leverage and you can play against anybody.”
Wisconsin excels on its third-down conversions, which is one area in which the Gophers’ defense has improved dramatically.
Each week of the Big Ten schedule, Minnesota has reduced its opponent’s third-down success rate, down to only 30 percent against MSU on Saturday.
The Badgers’ run defense has been suspect this year. It has the two leading tacklers in the Big Ten in linebackers Chris Borland and Mike Taylor, but is surrendering 137 yards per game on the ground.
Minnesota’s running backs have not had much success, however. Senior running back Duane Bennett is the only back with a 100-yard game this season. Gray has added two with his scrambling ability, but the Gophers will need to establish the running game to have success Saturday.
Minnesota will have its hands full against a Wisconsin team that has national championship-caliber talent.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/10/badgers-pose-difficult-test-heavy-favorites
Gophers show improvement in loss to MSU
Minnesota took a close 31-24 loss in East Lansing.
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-07
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota fought hard in East Lansing, but came up short against Michigan State, losing 31-24.
Quarterback MarQueis Gray had a career day against the Spartans’ defense. He threw for 295 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The yardage was a career high, as were his 19 completions.
“I would like a win, but other than that it was a nice game. The win would’ve felt better,” Gray said.
Senior wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight had a career day as well, with nine receptions for 173 yards and three touchdowns. The yardage was a career-high, and the receptions and touchdowns tied his career-highs.
The Gophers had a chance to tie the game with 2:22 remaining. Gray and the offense took over the ball on Minnesota’s own 10-yard line. After driving down the field, Gray was intercepted for the second time by Trenton Robinson, which sealed the Spartan victory.
The last time the Gophers played in the state of Michigan, they were blown out 58-0 in Ann Arbor. Saturday’s game in East Lansing featured a different Minnesota team.
“I think we’ve made quite a bit [of progress],” head coach Jerry Kill said. “I do think we are getting better. We found a way to win last week. I wish we would’ve found a way to win today.”
He said he felt confident until the last play Minnesota could tie the score and send it to overtime.
The Gophers’ defense had a big turnover early that changed the momentum of the game, but was unable to hold off the Spartans’ passing attack over the course of the day.
Spartans’ senior quarterback Kirk Cousins finished the game with 296 yards passing and two touchdowns.
The Gophers’ offensive line double-teamed the Spartans’ All-American defensive tackle Jerel Worthy most of the day, which allowed Gray time in the pocket.
Worthy plugged up the middle of the field, holding Minnesota running backs to only 45 yards rushing, but Gray was able to exploit the defense through the air.
The game started with a flurry of scores. None of the first four scoring drives lasted longer than two minutes.
The only break in the first half tempo was when Minnesota used an eight-minute drive and some MSU penalties to bend the Spartans’ touted defense and score a field goal to take a 17-14 lead.
At the start of the game, Gray hit McKnight for a 64-yard touchdown four minutes into the first quarter. McKnight broke three tackles on the 55-yard scamper after his catch.
Minnesota had not scored first in any of its Big Ten games, but did so Saturday.
MSU quickly struck back with a 69-yard bomb from Cousins to B.J. Cunningham that put the Spartans inside the 10-yard line, and Cousins followed that up with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.
Cunningham was held without a catch in his previous game Oct. 29 against Nebraska. The Spartans were only able to put up 3 points in that game. He rebounded Saturday with 104 yards receiving against Minnesota.
The first half ended with a 51-second, 74-yard touchdown drive that gave MSU a 21-17 lead.
The Gophers’ offense broke through in the second half when Gray threw his third touchdown pass to McKnight halfway through the quarter to take a 24-21 lead.
“I think I got open because of the threat of MarQueis Gray. The defense focused on him and I got behind the defense,” McKnight said.
Minnesota played strong defense in the second half, but came up short in the fourth quarter. Each series, they bent but were able to keep from breaking.
Minnesota stopped MSU on a second-half series, but extended the drive with a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty. The Gophers’ defense stood strong again though and forced MSU to punt after a 12-yard sack by Gary Tinsley.
“The defense did a great job today. We came out ready from the start. Everybody was focused before the game. We swarmed to the ball,” Tinsley said.
Minnesota’s defense even stopped MSU on a short field after a turnover, and the Spartans had to settle for a field goal to tie the game at 24.
The Gophers’ defense made many stops on the afternoon, but allowed sporadic large gains throughout the game.
Gray had looked sharp all day, but threw an interception late in the third quarter that let MSU gain some momentum and changed the course of the game.
Spartan running back Le’Veon Bell scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 35-yard power run with 10:58 left in the game.
The Spartans’ second-ranked defense was able to dig in its heels and make a stand against Minnesota in the fourth quarter, where they held Minnesota scoreless.
The Spartans now have a 14-game home winning streak and haven’t lost at Spartan Stadium since 2009.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/05/gophers-play-well-take-loss-michigan-state
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-07
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota fought hard in East Lansing, but came up short against Michigan State, losing 31-24.
Quarterback MarQueis Gray had a career day against the Spartans’ defense. He threw for 295 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The yardage was a career high, as were his 19 completions.
“I would like a win, but other than that it was a nice game. The win would’ve felt better,” Gray said.
Senior wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight had a career day as well, with nine receptions for 173 yards and three touchdowns. The yardage was a career-high, and the receptions and touchdowns tied his career-highs.
The Gophers had a chance to tie the game with 2:22 remaining. Gray and the offense took over the ball on Minnesota’s own 10-yard line. After driving down the field, Gray was intercepted for the second time by Trenton Robinson, which sealed the Spartan victory.
The last time the Gophers played in the state of Michigan, they were blown out 58-0 in Ann Arbor. Saturday’s game in East Lansing featured a different Minnesota team.
“I think we’ve made quite a bit [of progress],” head coach Jerry Kill said. “I do think we are getting better. We found a way to win last week. I wish we would’ve found a way to win today.”
He said he felt confident until the last play Minnesota could tie the score and send it to overtime.
The Gophers’ defense had a big turnover early that changed the momentum of the game, but was unable to hold off the Spartans’ passing attack over the course of the day.
Spartans’ senior quarterback Kirk Cousins finished the game with 296 yards passing and two touchdowns.
The Gophers’ offensive line double-teamed the Spartans’ All-American defensive tackle Jerel Worthy most of the day, which allowed Gray time in the pocket.
Worthy plugged up the middle of the field, holding Minnesota running backs to only 45 yards rushing, but Gray was able to exploit the defense through the air.
The game started with a flurry of scores. None of the first four scoring drives lasted longer than two minutes.
The only break in the first half tempo was when Minnesota used an eight-minute drive and some MSU penalties to bend the Spartans’ touted defense and score a field goal to take a 17-14 lead.
At the start of the game, Gray hit McKnight for a 64-yard touchdown four minutes into the first quarter. McKnight broke three tackles on the 55-yard scamper after his catch.
Minnesota had not scored first in any of its Big Ten games, but did so Saturday.
MSU quickly struck back with a 69-yard bomb from Cousins to B.J. Cunningham that put the Spartans inside the 10-yard line, and Cousins followed that up with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.
Cunningham was held without a catch in his previous game Oct. 29 against Nebraska. The Spartans were only able to put up 3 points in that game. He rebounded Saturday with 104 yards receiving against Minnesota.
The first half ended with a 51-second, 74-yard touchdown drive that gave MSU a 21-17 lead.
The Gophers’ offense broke through in the second half when Gray threw his third touchdown pass to McKnight halfway through the quarter to take a 24-21 lead.
“I think I got open because of the threat of MarQueis Gray. The defense focused on him and I got behind the defense,” McKnight said.
Minnesota played strong defense in the second half, but came up short in the fourth quarter. Each series, they bent but were able to keep from breaking.
Minnesota stopped MSU on a second-half series, but extended the drive with a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty. The Gophers’ defense stood strong again though and forced MSU to punt after a 12-yard sack by Gary Tinsley.
“The defense did a great job today. We came out ready from the start. Everybody was focused before the game. We swarmed to the ball,” Tinsley said.
Minnesota’s defense even stopped MSU on a short field after a turnover, and the Spartans had to settle for a field goal to tie the game at 24.
The Gophers’ defense made many stops on the afternoon, but allowed sporadic large gains throughout the game.
Gray had looked sharp all day, but threw an interception late in the third quarter that let MSU gain some momentum and changed the course of the game.
Spartan running back Le’Veon Bell scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 35-yard power run with 10:58 left in the game.
The Spartans’ second-ranked defense was able to dig in its heels and make a stand against Minnesota in the fourth quarter, where they held Minnesota scoreless.
The Spartans now have a 14-game home winning streak and haven’t lost at Spartan Stadium since 2009.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/05/gophers-play-well-take-loss-michigan-state
Quick Hitters
Quick hitters
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-03
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota had its most effective passing game in completion rate (64.7) and yards per attempt (11.4) last week against Iowa.
MarQueis Gray showed improvements last week as a player and a leader.
“I’m not used to being [a vocal leader],” Gray said. “It worked Saturday, so I’m going to have to keep doing it.”
Gray will face a tough Michigan State defense that is ranked second in the nation overall and first in passing defense.
Spartans safety Isaiah Lewis leads the Big Ten with four interceptions, and has returned two of those for touchdowns. He is familiar with Gray, as they were teammates at Ben Davis high school in Indiana.
Minnesota had three sacks last week and has eight on the year. Michigan State has 25 sacks this season for a total of 180 yards lost.
The Gophers’ offensive line has been a hodgepodge of players because of numerous injuries. It will face a stout Spartans defensive line led by All-American defensive tackle Jerel Worthy.
“It’s a challenge,” offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said. “They’re very good. If you try to spend your whole day trying to solo up on those guys, you’ll be in for a long day,”
Michigan State has relied primarily on its passing game for offense. It ranks last in the Big Ten in rushing with 133 yards per game.
Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins is ranked third in the Big Ten in passing offense.
“That kid alone is worth six or seven victories just because of who he is,” Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said.
Michigan State receiver B.J. Cunningham ranks third in the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.0) and receiving yards per game (90.4), but failed to register a single reception last week against Nebraska. That broke his streak of 41 consecutive games with at least one catch.
Minnesota’s defense decreased its opponent’s third-down conversion rate for the fifth- straight week. The Gophers held Iowa to a 36 percent success rate on third down.
4Jordan Wettstein will get his second- straight start kicking for Minnesota. Chris Hawthorne is still nursing a muscle strain and will miss Saturday’s game.
4Michigan State linebacker William Gholston had a career-high 15 tackles last week against Nebraska and is third on the team in sacks. He is the cousin of former Big Ten standout Vernon Gholston.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/03/quick-hitters
PUBLISHED: 2011-11-03
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota had its most effective passing game in completion rate (64.7) and yards per attempt (11.4) last week against Iowa.
MarQueis Gray showed improvements last week as a player and a leader.
“I’m not used to being [a vocal leader],” Gray said. “It worked Saturday, so I’m going to have to keep doing it.”
Gray will face a tough Michigan State defense that is ranked second in the nation overall and first in passing defense.
Spartans safety Isaiah Lewis leads the Big Ten with four interceptions, and has returned two of those for touchdowns. He is familiar with Gray, as they were teammates at Ben Davis high school in Indiana.
Minnesota had three sacks last week and has eight on the year. Michigan State has 25 sacks this season for a total of 180 yards lost.
The Gophers’ offensive line has been a hodgepodge of players because of numerous injuries. It will face a stout Spartans defensive line led by All-American defensive tackle Jerel Worthy.
“It’s a challenge,” offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said. “They’re very good. If you try to spend your whole day trying to solo up on those guys, you’ll be in for a long day,”
Michigan State has relied primarily on its passing game for offense. It ranks last in the Big Ten in rushing with 133 yards per game.
Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins is ranked third in the Big Ten in passing offense.
“That kid alone is worth six or seven victories just because of who he is,” Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said.
Michigan State receiver B.J. Cunningham ranks third in the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.0) and receiving yards per game (90.4), but failed to register a single reception last week against Nebraska. That broke his streak of 41 consecutive games with at least one catch.
Minnesota’s defense decreased its opponent’s third-down conversion rate for the fifth- straight week. The Gophers held Iowa to a 36 percent success rate on third down.
4Jordan Wettstein will get his second- straight start kicking for Minnesota. Chris Hawthorne is still nursing a muscle strain and will miss Saturday’s game.
4Michigan State linebacker William Gholston had a career-high 15 tackles last week against Nebraska and is third on the team in sacks. He is the cousin of former Big Ten standout Vernon Gholston.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/03/quick-hitters
Quick Hitters
Quick hitters
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-31
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
—Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill got his first Big Ten and his first trophy game victory. “I don’t believe we won the game today without the fans,” Kill said.
—MarQueis Gray passed for 193 yards and a touchdown and ran for 62 yards and a touchdown. This was the first game this year that he scored as both a runner and passer. “He has to be a respected youngster and a player. This was certainly a big growth spurt in his [Gray’s] development today,” Kill said.
After a Duane Bennett fumble, Gray huddled the offense together on his own on the sideline. “It needed to be done,” Gray said. “I need to do it more often. I need to be a leader on this team.”
—The Gophers’ offensive line didn’t allow a sack, opened lanes for 178 yards rushing and allowed Gray time to find receivers for 193 yards.
—The Gophers’ defense sacked Iowa’s James Vandenberg three times Saturday. Minnesota now has eight sacks on the year. That matches its total for the entire 2010 season.
—Minnesota held Iowa to a 36 percent conversion rate on third down. By far, it’s the lowest percentage the Gophers have allowed in Big Ten play.
—Kim Royston had a career-high 16 tackles on Saturday. He leads Minnesota with 77 tackles on the year. “I’ll be in good and early at rehab icing, but I’m a safety and you’ve got to make plays,” Royston said.
—Iowa’s Marcus Coker ran for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Minnesota last gave up a 200-yard rushing performance to Chad Spann from Northern Illinois in 2010, then led by Jerry Kill.
—The Gophers lost the possession battle 31:50 – 28:10 to the Hawkeyes, but they held the ball for almost the entire fourth quarter to come back and win. Iowa held the ball for only 1:35 in the fourth quarter.
—Walk-on kicker Jordan Wettstein made his first start when Chris Hawthorne couldn’t play due to a muscle strain. Wettstein made his first field goal of the year and successfully kicked the onside kick that allowed the Gophers their game-winning drive. “His feet probably haven’t even hit the ground. He did a great job kicking,” Kill said.
—The Hawkeyes missed two field goals in the first half. Their kicker, Mike Meyer, had previously converted all four of his field goals in Big Ten play.
—Freshman wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts from Edina caught two deep passes from Gray for 100 yards. This was his first 100-yard game.
—Kyle Henderson notched his first sack for a 12-yard loss and forced his first fumble, which the Gophers recovered. “That was a miracle play. It really changed momentum of the game,” Henderson said.
—Minnesota defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey’s uncle, Christian Kirksey, plays for the Hawkeyes’ defense. Brandon said he messaged his uncle earlier this week with a picture of the pig and said, “If you want it, you got to come get it.”
After the game, Kirksey had a bandage on his face where the Floyd of Rosedale trophy was dropped and hit him during the celebration. “I think it was the right ear,” Kirksey said.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/31/quick-hitters
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-31
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
—Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill got his first Big Ten and his first trophy game victory. “I don’t believe we won the game today without the fans,” Kill said.
—MarQueis Gray passed for 193 yards and a touchdown and ran for 62 yards and a touchdown. This was the first game this year that he scored as both a runner and passer. “He has to be a respected youngster and a player. This was certainly a big growth spurt in his [Gray’s] development today,” Kill said.
After a Duane Bennett fumble, Gray huddled the offense together on his own on the sideline. “It needed to be done,” Gray said. “I need to do it more often. I need to be a leader on this team.”
—The Gophers’ offensive line didn’t allow a sack, opened lanes for 178 yards rushing and allowed Gray time to find receivers for 193 yards.
—The Gophers’ defense sacked Iowa’s James Vandenberg three times Saturday. Minnesota now has eight sacks on the year. That matches its total for the entire 2010 season.
—Minnesota held Iowa to a 36 percent conversion rate on third down. By far, it’s the lowest percentage the Gophers have allowed in Big Ten play.
—Kim Royston had a career-high 16 tackles on Saturday. He leads Minnesota with 77 tackles on the year. “I’ll be in good and early at rehab icing, but I’m a safety and you’ve got to make plays,” Royston said.
—Iowa’s Marcus Coker ran for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Minnesota last gave up a 200-yard rushing performance to Chad Spann from Northern Illinois in 2010, then led by Jerry Kill.
—The Gophers lost the possession battle 31:50 – 28:10 to the Hawkeyes, but they held the ball for almost the entire fourth quarter to come back and win. Iowa held the ball for only 1:35 in the fourth quarter.
—Walk-on kicker Jordan Wettstein made his first start when Chris Hawthorne couldn’t play due to a muscle strain. Wettstein made his first field goal of the year and successfully kicked the onside kick that allowed the Gophers their game-winning drive. “His feet probably haven’t even hit the ground. He did a great job kicking,” Kill said.
—The Hawkeyes missed two field goals in the first half. Their kicker, Mike Meyer, had previously converted all four of his field goals in Big Ten play.
—Freshman wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts from Edina caught two deep passes from Gray for 100 yards. This was his first 100-yard game.
—Kyle Henderson notched his first sack for a 12-yard loss and forced his first fumble, which the Gophers recovered. “That was a miracle play. It really changed momentum of the game,” Henderson said.
—Minnesota defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey’s uncle, Christian Kirksey, plays for the Hawkeyes’ defense. Brandon said he messaged his uncle earlier this week with a picture of the pig and said, “If you want it, you got to come get it.”
After the game, Kirksey had a bandage on his face where the Floyd of Rosedale trophy was dropped and hit him during the celebration. “I think it was the right ear,” Kirksey said.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/31/quick-hitters
Gophers look to upset Hawkeyes
Minnesota comes in as the underdog for the second-straight year.
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-27
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota will host the Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy.
Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said that he has seen progress in his football program and he also praised Iowa’s.
“Iowa is about as fundamental a football program as you’re going to see. Those guys have been coaching a long time [and] been together a long time,” Kill said.
Although Minnesota has been destroyed by its Big Ten opponents so far this year, it has some reason for optimism. The Gophers are not strangers to being the underdog versus Iowa.
Last year, the Hawkeyes ranked 24th in the nation when the Gophers beat them 27-24, after which hundreds of fans stormed the field.
This year, Iowa boasts a 5-2 overall record, but has yet to win a game on the road. Its statistics don’t show a large discrepancy from those of the Gophers.
Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray rushed for a touchdown last year in the win against Iowa. He started at wide receiver in that game and had three catches for 33 yards as well as eight rushes for 39 yards.
“I remember the last drive. I remember the bomb to Da’Jon [McKnight],” Gray said. “Overall, the best part was just seeing everyone run over to the sideline and grab the pig, the whole stadium coming down on the field. That was the best part of that day,” Gray said.
This year he will try to influence the game again, not just as a rusher, but as a passer as well.
The numbers indicate that there is an opportunity for Gray to take advantage of the Iowa defense with his arm. Iowa has given up more than 1,700 yards passing this year, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten.
Gray has not had much success in the vertical pass game this season but he said he remains optimistic.
“I feel like I’m getting more comfortable week-in, week-out. As many reps as I’m getting, I feel confident with my offense, back in the pocket; my ability to make plays. I feel more confident every week,” Gray said.
Minnesota was picked apart by Nebraska at its homecoming, but showed some improvements in its game.
The Gophers’ defense did not seem intimidated and displayed its strongest effort, but fell to penalties and mental mistakes.
That attitude will have to continue, sans the mistakes, for Minnesota to have a chance to beat the Hawkeyes.
“It gets frustrating, the part of the mistakes, but they are getting fewer and we’re getting better,” defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said.
Linebacker Keanon Cooper had a cast removed from his forearm and led the team with 12 tackles last week against Nebraska. Kill said Cooper played much better than in previous weeks.
Kill also praised senior safety Kim Royston at Tuesday’s press conference. Royston had another double-digit tackle effort against Nebraska and leads the Gophers in tackles this year.
Kill rattled off the names of numerous players that he has been impressed with as far as their growth. Freshman defensive end Ben Perry is one of those players.
“Even though the season may not be going the way we want, we’re going to make sure we’re intense, stay intense, and we’re going to keep fighting intense and hopefully things turn around,” Perry said.
He added about the upcoming Iowa game, “I have no plans of giving away that pig. I want to keep it.”
Minnesota’s defense will be tasked with stopping Iowa’s big bruising tailback, Marcus Coker. Coker, who is 6-foot-2-inches and 230 pounds, has eight touchdowns and more than 700 yards this season.
The Hawkeyes’ running offense, however, has been completely dependent on Coker since freshman Mika’il McCall went down with a foot injury. The rushing unit is ranked 10th in the Big Ten with only 143 yards per game. McCall was recently cleared medically to play.
“There’s a big difference being cleared medically and really being able to play,” Ferentz said.
The potentially more dangerous aspect of Saturday’s matchup is the Iowa passing game. Junior quarterback James Vandenberg leads the passing attack and has 16 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
Vandenberg is helped by two of the taller receivers in the Big Ten in Marvin McNutt (6’4”) and Keenan Davis (6’3”). Both rank in the top 10 in the conference in yards, yards per reception and touchdowns.
Minnesota improved its pass defense last week, allowing a completion rate of 60 percent.
There has been a steady improvement in that area for the last four weeks and this was the unit’s lowest completion rate allowed since its only win of the season against Miami (Ohio).
Minnesota running back David Cobb was back in full pads at practice this week and will attempt to return Saturday. He has missed time with an injured hamstring.
Sophomore offensive lineman Zach Mottla played center with the first team this week at practice and may potentially get his first start at center.
Minnesota has to fit all of these pieces together on both offense and defense in order to be competitive this week.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/27/gophers-look-upset-hawkeyes
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-27
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota will host the Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy.
Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said that he has seen progress in his football program and he also praised Iowa’s.
“Iowa is about as fundamental a football program as you’re going to see. Those guys have been coaching a long time [and] been together a long time,” Kill said.
Although Minnesota has been destroyed by its Big Ten opponents so far this year, it has some reason for optimism. The Gophers are not strangers to being the underdog versus Iowa.
Last year, the Hawkeyes ranked 24th in the nation when the Gophers beat them 27-24, after which hundreds of fans stormed the field.
This year, Iowa boasts a 5-2 overall record, but has yet to win a game on the road. Its statistics don’t show a large discrepancy from those of the Gophers.
Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray rushed for a touchdown last year in the win against Iowa. He started at wide receiver in that game and had three catches for 33 yards as well as eight rushes for 39 yards.
“I remember the last drive. I remember the bomb to Da’Jon [McKnight],” Gray said. “Overall, the best part was just seeing everyone run over to the sideline and grab the pig, the whole stadium coming down on the field. That was the best part of that day,” Gray said.
This year he will try to influence the game again, not just as a rusher, but as a passer as well.
The numbers indicate that there is an opportunity for Gray to take advantage of the Iowa defense with his arm. Iowa has given up more than 1,700 yards passing this year, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten.
Gray has not had much success in the vertical pass game this season but he said he remains optimistic.
“I feel like I’m getting more comfortable week-in, week-out. As many reps as I’m getting, I feel confident with my offense, back in the pocket; my ability to make plays. I feel more confident every week,” Gray said.
Minnesota was picked apart by Nebraska at its homecoming, but showed some improvements in its game.
The Gophers’ defense did not seem intimidated and displayed its strongest effort, but fell to penalties and mental mistakes.
That attitude will have to continue, sans the mistakes, for Minnesota to have a chance to beat the Hawkeyes.
“It gets frustrating, the part of the mistakes, but they are getting fewer and we’re getting better,” defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said.
Linebacker Keanon Cooper had a cast removed from his forearm and led the team with 12 tackles last week against Nebraska. Kill said Cooper played much better than in previous weeks.
Kill also praised senior safety Kim Royston at Tuesday’s press conference. Royston had another double-digit tackle effort against Nebraska and leads the Gophers in tackles this year.
Kill rattled off the names of numerous players that he has been impressed with as far as their growth. Freshman defensive end Ben Perry is one of those players.
“Even though the season may not be going the way we want, we’re going to make sure we’re intense, stay intense, and we’re going to keep fighting intense and hopefully things turn around,” Perry said.
He added about the upcoming Iowa game, “I have no plans of giving away that pig. I want to keep it.”
Minnesota’s defense will be tasked with stopping Iowa’s big bruising tailback, Marcus Coker. Coker, who is 6-foot-2-inches and 230 pounds, has eight touchdowns and more than 700 yards this season.
The Hawkeyes’ running offense, however, has been completely dependent on Coker since freshman Mika’il McCall went down with a foot injury. The rushing unit is ranked 10th in the Big Ten with only 143 yards per game. McCall was recently cleared medically to play.
“There’s a big difference being cleared medically and really being able to play,” Ferentz said.
The potentially more dangerous aspect of Saturday’s matchup is the Iowa passing game. Junior quarterback James Vandenberg leads the passing attack and has 16 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
Vandenberg is helped by two of the taller receivers in the Big Ten in Marvin McNutt (6’4”) and Keenan Davis (6’3”). Both rank in the top 10 in the conference in yards, yards per reception and touchdowns.
Minnesota improved its pass defense last week, allowing a completion rate of 60 percent.
There has been a steady improvement in that area for the last four weeks and this was the unit’s lowest completion rate allowed since its only win of the season against Miami (Ohio).
Minnesota running back David Cobb was back in full pads at practice this week and will attempt to return Saturday. He has missed time with an injured hamstring.
Sophomore offensive lineman Zach Mottla played center with the first team this week at practice and may potentially get his first start at center.
Minnesota has to fit all of these pieces together on both offense and defense in order to be competitive this week.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/27/gophers-look-upset-hawkeyes
The legend of Floyd of Rosedale
The story behind the Minnesota-Iowa rivalry game.
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-27
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
The history behind the Minnesota and Iowa rivalry game trophy is clouded by accused racism, a potential riot and a prize hog.
In 1934, Iowa had a star tailback in Ozzie Simmons. Simmons was an African-American who started for a major college football program, which was extremely rare at that time.
During the 1934 game, there were accusations of dirty play by the Gophers, including kneeing Simmons repeatedly in the ribs. Gophers head coach Bernie Bierman said that they treated Simmons like any other player. Simmons, many years later, stated that the Gophers did hit him late and try to pile on extra hits.
The Iowa fans’ perception was that the Gophers had played dirty and they let that be known through threatening letters to Bierman. Bierman had requested a police escort for the team, and Iowa Gov. Clyde Herring said that if Simmons was roughed up in the game, the crowd wouldn’t stand for it. Minnesota feared a riot and Bierman threatened to break athletic ties.
Then Minnesota Gov. Floyd B. Olson sent a telegram to Herring that said, “Dear Clyde, Minnesota folks are excited over your statement about the Iowa crowd lynching the Minnesota football team. If you seriously think Iowa has any chance to win, I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins today.”
The telegram lightened the mood, and after Minnesota won 13-7 Herring didn’t welch on his bet. He brought a prize-winning Iowa hog from Rosedale FarmS to Minnesota and it was named after the Minnesota governor.
The Floyd of Rosedale trophy has been awarded to the winner of the interstate rivalry game each year since. Minnesota leads the all-time series 40-34-2.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/27/legend-floyd-rosedale
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-27
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
The history behind the Minnesota and Iowa rivalry game trophy is clouded by accused racism, a potential riot and a prize hog.
In 1934, Iowa had a star tailback in Ozzie Simmons. Simmons was an African-American who started for a major college football program, which was extremely rare at that time.
During the 1934 game, there were accusations of dirty play by the Gophers, including kneeing Simmons repeatedly in the ribs. Gophers head coach Bernie Bierman said that they treated Simmons like any other player. Simmons, many years later, stated that the Gophers did hit him late and try to pile on extra hits.
The Iowa fans’ perception was that the Gophers had played dirty and they let that be known through threatening letters to Bierman. Bierman had requested a police escort for the team, and Iowa Gov. Clyde Herring said that if Simmons was roughed up in the game, the crowd wouldn’t stand for it. Minnesota feared a riot and Bierman threatened to break athletic ties.
Then Minnesota Gov. Floyd B. Olson sent a telegram to Herring that said, “Dear Clyde, Minnesota folks are excited over your statement about the Iowa crowd lynching the Minnesota football team. If you seriously think Iowa has any chance to win, I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins today.”
The telegram lightened the mood, and after Minnesota won 13-7 Herring didn’t welch on his bet. He brought a prize-winning Iowa hog from Rosedale FarmS to Minnesota and it was named after the Minnesota governor.
The Floyd of Rosedale trophy has been awarded to the winner of the interstate rivalry game each year since. Minnesota leads the all-time series 40-34-2.
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/27/legend-floyd-rosedale
Nebraska spoils Gophers’ homecoming
Minnesota lost its 15th straight game to the Huskers.
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-24
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
The Huskers were sharks amid a sea of red at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Gophers were the seemingly helpless victims that sank 41-14.
Playing in front of a homecoming crowd that contained more red shirts than maroon and gold, Minnesota lost its 15th straight game to the Huskers.
Nebraska, led by head coach Bo Pellini, played a tough game in the first half and used the second half as practice. After running the ball down Minnesota’s throat for the first 30 minutes, it threw deep fade routes and toyed with the Gophers’ defense in the second half.
“I thought it was a pretty complete effort, especially in the first half. In the second half we played a little bit differently, a little bit by design,” Pellini said.
The Huskers dominated the Gophers in a business-like fashion as though they were playing a high school team, while chants of “Go Big Red” were shouted from the crowd. Nebraska exposed the Gophers’ lack of size, speed and playmaking ability all afternoon.
Nebraska’s running attack was led by Rex Burkhead, who ran for 117 yards and a touchdown..
Minnesota committed penalties, turnovers and played poorly overall.
“Our weakness today was the mental part of it,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “When you fumble, snap on the wrong count, jump offsides, we can’t overcome that.”
Quarterback MarQueis Gray threw for only nine yards in the first half. He completed nine passes for 122 yards overall with zero passing touchdowns and three fumbles. He gained 54 of those yards and completed five of those passes on the final drive against Nebraska’s second-team defense.
“Before he can step up, he’s got to learn how to play the quarterback position,” Kill said. “We need MarQueis to get some reps.”
Max Shortell, who has traded quarterbacking duties with Gray, did not play Saturday.
The highlight of the afternoon for the Gophers was a double reverse flea flicker for a 53-yard completion from Gray to Da’Jon McKnight. That set up Minnesota’s first score, when Gray stumbled into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown run after he recovered his own fumble.
Gray lifted his arms and shimmied after the score and relished one of his few opportunities to celebrate.
Minnesota’s defense played strong to begin the game. It held Nebraska to a field goal on the opening drive — the first time it has held an opponent from scoring a touchdown on the opening drive since playing North Dakota State on Sept. 24.
The Gophers’ defense then held Nebraska to a fourth-and-1 on the next drive, but a controversial play in which Nebraska fumbled the ball forward rewarded the Huskers with a first down.
“That was a critical play. Mentally, our kids didn’t come back from that,” Kill said.
Nebraska’s quarterback Taylor Martinez completed the drive with a touchdown pass.
Next the Huskers ran a reverse to redshirt freshman Kenny Bell to open their third drive with an 82-yard touchdown. Nebraska had a 17-0 lead and never looked back.
Minnesota showed some life in the second quarter when Kyle Henderson ran down Nebraska’s Brandon Kinnie from behind after a 61-yard gain and tackled him two yards shy of the end zone. The Gophers’ defense then kept Nebraska out of the end zone and forced it to kick a field goal.
The momentum garnered from the defensive stop was almost immediately lost when Gray fumbled inside his own 20-yard line and Nebraska’s Austin Cassidy returned it for a touchdown that made the score 27-0.
The one time the Gophers were able to pass midfield in the first half, they attempted a conversion on fourth-and-two, but a miscommunication caused a fumbled snap and Nebraska took over on downs.
Gray shrugged his shoulders and tossed the ball over his shoulder to the referee. Nebraska then drove down the field methodically for another touchdown that set the 34-0 halftime score.
Minnesota came out aggressively in the second half, scoring an early touchdown and recording its only defensive stops of the game, but Nebraska used a 17-play, 91-yard touchdown drive to quickly answer.
Then the Huskers brought in their second team and rested their starters for the remainder of the day.
Nebraska’s Burkhead extended his touchdown streak to seven games. He has now scored a touchdown in every game this season. Nebraska ran for 346 yards on the day overall.
The Gophers’ offense was able to score a late touchdown against Nebraska’s second-team defense.
For the game, Minnesota had five penalties for 55 yards, four fumbles and one fumble lost for a touchdown return.
Nebraska’s 15-game winning streak dates back to 1963 and it has outscored the Gophers 145-14 the last three games.
Minnesota has been outscored 144-31 in Big Ten play this year. The Gophers will host Iowa next week at TCF Bank Stadium.
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/24/nebraska-spoils-gophers’-homecoming
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-24
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
The Huskers were sharks amid a sea of red at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Gophers were the seemingly helpless victims that sank 41-14.
Playing in front of a homecoming crowd that contained more red shirts than maroon and gold, Minnesota lost its 15th straight game to the Huskers.
Nebraska, led by head coach Bo Pellini, played a tough game in the first half and used the second half as practice. After running the ball down Minnesota’s throat for the first 30 minutes, it threw deep fade routes and toyed with the Gophers’ defense in the second half.
“I thought it was a pretty complete effort, especially in the first half. In the second half we played a little bit differently, a little bit by design,” Pellini said.
The Huskers dominated the Gophers in a business-like fashion as though they were playing a high school team, while chants of “Go Big Red” were shouted from the crowd. Nebraska exposed the Gophers’ lack of size, speed and playmaking ability all afternoon.
Nebraska’s running attack was led by Rex Burkhead, who ran for 117 yards and a touchdown..
Minnesota committed penalties, turnovers and played poorly overall.
“Our weakness today was the mental part of it,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “When you fumble, snap on the wrong count, jump offsides, we can’t overcome that.”
Quarterback MarQueis Gray threw for only nine yards in the first half. He completed nine passes for 122 yards overall with zero passing touchdowns and three fumbles. He gained 54 of those yards and completed five of those passes on the final drive against Nebraska’s second-team defense.
“Before he can step up, he’s got to learn how to play the quarterback position,” Kill said. “We need MarQueis to get some reps.”
Max Shortell, who has traded quarterbacking duties with Gray, did not play Saturday.
The highlight of the afternoon for the Gophers was a double reverse flea flicker for a 53-yard completion from Gray to Da’Jon McKnight. That set up Minnesota’s first score, when Gray stumbled into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown run after he recovered his own fumble.
Gray lifted his arms and shimmied after the score and relished one of his few opportunities to celebrate.
Minnesota’s defense played strong to begin the game. It held Nebraska to a field goal on the opening drive — the first time it has held an opponent from scoring a touchdown on the opening drive since playing North Dakota State on Sept. 24.
The Gophers’ defense then held Nebraska to a fourth-and-1 on the next drive, but a controversial play in which Nebraska fumbled the ball forward rewarded the Huskers with a first down.
“That was a critical play. Mentally, our kids didn’t come back from that,” Kill said.
Nebraska’s quarterback Taylor Martinez completed the drive with a touchdown pass.
Next the Huskers ran a reverse to redshirt freshman Kenny Bell to open their third drive with an 82-yard touchdown. Nebraska had a 17-0 lead and never looked back.
Minnesota showed some life in the second quarter when Kyle Henderson ran down Nebraska’s Brandon Kinnie from behind after a 61-yard gain and tackled him two yards shy of the end zone. The Gophers’ defense then kept Nebraska out of the end zone and forced it to kick a field goal.
The momentum garnered from the defensive stop was almost immediately lost when Gray fumbled inside his own 20-yard line and Nebraska’s Austin Cassidy returned it for a touchdown that made the score 27-0.
The one time the Gophers were able to pass midfield in the first half, they attempted a conversion on fourth-and-two, but a miscommunication caused a fumbled snap and Nebraska took over on downs.
Gray shrugged his shoulders and tossed the ball over his shoulder to the referee. Nebraska then drove down the field methodically for another touchdown that set the 34-0 halftime score.
Minnesota came out aggressively in the second half, scoring an early touchdown and recording its only defensive stops of the game, but Nebraska used a 17-play, 91-yard touchdown drive to quickly answer.
Then the Huskers brought in their second team and rested their starters for the remainder of the day.
Nebraska’s Burkhead extended his touchdown streak to seven games. He has now scored a touchdown in every game this season. Nebraska ran for 346 yards on the day overall.
The Gophers’ offense was able to score a late touchdown against Nebraska’s second-team defense.
For the game, Minnesota had five penalties for 55 yards, four fumbles and one fumble lost for a touchdown return.
Nebraska’s 15-game winning streak dates back to 1963 and it has outscored the Gophers 145-14 the last three games.
Minnesota has been outscored 144-31 in Big Ten play this year. The Gophers will host Iowa next week at TCF Bank Stadium.
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/24/nebraska-spoils-gophers’-homecoming
Nebraska quick hitters - This week in Football
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-20
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota leads the all-time series against Nebraska, but has lost 14 straight games dating back to 1963. Minnesota hasn’t defeated Nebraska since 1960.
-Nebraska’s All-American defensive lineman Jared Crick is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.
-The Huskers rank second in the Big Ten and 11th in the nation with 247 yards rushing per game. Minnesota has allowed an average of 6.1 yards per carry in Big Ten play.
-Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring offense with 37 points per game, while Minnesota is last in the Big Ten with 18 points per game.
-Quarterback MarQueis Gray is healthy and practicing at full speed this week. “I feel like if we do what we’re supposed to do — have less turnovers and have fun — anything is possible,” Gray said.
-Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez is third in the Big Ten in total offense with 266 yards per game, trailing only Russell Wilson of Wisconsin and Denard Robinson of Michigan.
-Minnesota will have just two tailbacks available for Saturday’s game. David Cobb and Devon Wright are both battling hamstring issues and did not compete in full practice this week.
-Gopher running back Donnell Kirkwood has been sidelined with hamstring injuries in both of his legs this season. Kirkwood has been wearing leg sleeves at practice to avoid injury, but said, “I feel perfect.” He will split time with Duane Bennett this week against Nebraska.
-Lamonte Edwards converted from running back to linebacker earlier this year, but with the lack of depth at tailback, head coach Jerry Kill said Edwards may get some action on both offense and defense of the ball Saturday.
-Nebraska tailback Rex Burkhead leads the team in rushing with 635 yards and has scored a touchdown in every game this season.
-Senior linebacker Lavonte David leads Nebraska in total tackles (58) and tackles for loss (5.5). He also is tied for the team lead in interceptions (1) and is second on the team in sacks (2).
-Nebraska ranks first in kickoff return average in the Big Ten, led by freshman Ameer Abdullah, who has a 31.9 yards per return average and a touchdown.
-Gopher cornerback Troy Stoudermire had an X-ray on his broken left wrist Tuesday. He remains inactive for Saturday’s game.
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/20/nebraska-quick-hitters
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Minnesota leads the all-time series against Nebraska, but has lost 14 straight games dating back to 1963. Minnesota hasn’t defeated Nebraska since 1960.
-Nebraska’s All-American defensive lineman Jared Crick is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.
-The Huskers rank second in the Big Ten and 11th in the nation with 247 yards rushing per game. Minnesota has allowed an average of 6.1 yards per carry in Big Ten play.
-Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring offense with 37 points per game, while Minnesota is last in the Big Ten with 18 points per game.
-Quarterback MarQueis Gray is healthy and practicing at full speed this week. “I feel like if we do what we’re supposed to do — have less turnovers and have fun — anything is possible,” Gray said.
-Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez is third in the Big Ten in total offense with 266 yards per game, trailing only Russell Wilson of Wisconsin and Denard Robinson of Michigan.
-Minnesota will have just two tailbacks available for Saturday’s game. David Cobb and Devon Wright are both battling hamstring issues and did not compete in full practice this week.
-Gopher running back Donnell Kirkwood has been sidelined with hamstring injuries in both of his legs this season. Kirkwood has been wearing leg sleeves at practice to avoid injury, but said, “I feel perfect.” He will split time with Duane Bennett this week against Nebraska.
-Lamonte Edwards converted from running back to linebacker earlier this year, but with the lack of depth at tailback, head coach Jerry Kill said Edwards may get some action on both offense and defense of the ball Saturday.
-Nebraska tailback Rex Burkhead leads the team in rushing with 635 yards and has scored a touchdown in every game this season.
-Senior linebacker Lavonte David leads Nebraska in total tackles (58) and tackles for loss (5.5). He also is tied for the team lead in interceptions (1) and is second on the team in sacks (2).
-Nebraska ranks first in kickoff return average in the Big Ten, led by freshman Ameer Abdullah, who has a 31.9 yards per return average and a touchdown.
-Gopher cornerback Troy Stoudermire had an X-ray on his broken left wrist Tuesday. He remains inactive for Saturday’s game.
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ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/20/nebraska-quick-hitters
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
A day in the life of senior O-lineman Chris Bunders
Senior offensive lineman Chris Bunders spends his day with football and his fiancee.
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-19
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
At the break of dawn, senior offensive lineman Chris Bunders wakes up at 6 a.m., not to get ready for practice, or class, but to drive for an hour and a half.
“I get the honor of taking my fiancee to work every morning.” Bunders said without any hint of sarcasm, but total adoration.
Bunders’ fiancee, Jennifer Polansky, works for a local hospital in the mental health clinic. She supports Bunders’ passion for football, attends all of his games and even makes trips to road games to watch her future husband take on opposing lineman, while she cheers from the stands.
“If she had to miss a game, I don’t know what she would do,” Bunders said.
“She is a wonderful support for me. I don’t know what I would do without her,” he added.
They met on the first day of 10th grade and began dating shortly after. Bunders was born and raised in Maple Grove, Minn., and attended Osseo High School, where he dominated competition.
He was the ranked in the top-50 in the nation at offensive guard and was a top-10 player overall in Minnesota.
His high school head coach, Derrin Lamker, is still running the show at Osseo and has led the Orioles to an early 5-1 record this year.
“Chris started as a freshman, and that’s not easy to do here. He was the consummate professional,” Lamker said, noting his respect for Bunders’ footwork, work ethic and maturity.
“The Gophers have had a couple tough years, but Chris always says what a great job his coaches and teammates are doing. He’s always got a positive, mature outlook.”
Bunders said his dream was always to play Big Ten football for the Gophers.
“When I got the chance, I jumped on it. I got some offers from other schools, but this is where I really wanted to play. When that offer letter came through, I was really happy. I couldn’t be happier,” Bunders said.
After he drops his fiancee off in the morning, he heads back to campus for treatment on his various injuries sustained from the week’s abuse on the field, before walking to classes the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.
Football isn’t the only thing Bunders is looking to accomplish at the University.
Bunders is a civil engineering major with a minor in construction management. He said he takes his education seriously, and he proved that by winning a scholar-athlete award in 2007. He also said he knows the value of his scholarship.
“My schooling is getting paid for and I’m lucky to have that. I’m going to go out and get my education,” Bunders said.
Civil engineering is a little-known legacy among Gophers offensive guards: Ben Hamilton and Mark Setterstrom previously majored in civil engineering and both went on to play in the NFL.
Bunders is hoping he can follow in their footsteps.
“I’d love to be able to play more football,” Bunders said. “Otherwise, I’m going to try to line up as many jobs as I can this spring, so I can start working and put some money toward our wedding and house.”
Once Bunders finishes class he heads over to start his work with the team at about 2 p.m. He tapes up his hands and arms to begin his weight training to build up his body to handle the tough job of being a Big Ten offensive lineman.
“What you think you can do isn’t even close to what your body is able to do,” Bunders said. “I’ve learned to be able to push my body and it has bounced back and stayed healthy for me.”
After weight lifting, he studies in team meetings and then moves down to the field to put those studies into play at practice.
Practice begins at 3:30 p.m. with stretch work and light jogs across the practice field. Players who don’t hustle to the practice field, skip class or are insubordinate have to wear “Minnesota Lopher” pink jerseys at practice.
Bunders is not found practicing in pink.
Head coach Jerry Kill yells and shouts, getting players motivated on special teams while Bunders and the rest of the offensive line jog over to a side field with offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover to work through their drills.
Bunders squats down under a 5-foot netted ceiling and moves forward. Emerging from the other side, he thrusts forward, elevating his defender with powerful arms as he uncoils the springs of his squatted legs.
Bunders, traditionally a left guard, prepares for all offensive line positions.
Jimmy Gjere had a concussion last week, according to Kill, so the team moved Bunders from guard to tackle against Purdue.
“We’d be lost without Chris right now,” Limegrover said “He’s been our MVP of the offensive line. He’s a tough guy, a blue-collar guy.”
After the first set of drills, Bunders moves to the opposite side of the field and has to take on two tacklers, maintaining proper leverage to drive through the first block while squaring up the second.
Bunders said practice is where good players are able to become actual college players. He was redshirted as a freshman in order to get the proper practice to play college-level football.
“I wanted to start right out of high school,” Bunders said. “My nightmares were soon realized. I realized that I had a lot of work to do. I got to mold my body into what an actual college player looks like. That year was beneficial. If I would’ve been thrown in, I would’ve been sinking more than swimming,” Bunders said.
Practice ends at 6 p.m. with a talk from Kill while the players attentively heed his words while taking a knee.
Bunders listens to the coach and then heads to the locker room to clean up and eat with the team. The team quickly occupies all the chairs throughout the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex, grabbing dinner to refuel their bodies after practice.
Bunders finishes his meal quickly so that he may return home. After 13 hours of class and football activities, he heads home to do his homework for the evening.
Once all his work is finished, he gets to spend the evening catching up with his fiancee before heading off to bed to start the enterprise all over again the next morning.
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/19/day-life-senior-o-lineman-chris-bunders
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-19
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
At the break of dawn, senior offensive lineman Chris Bunders wakes up at 6 a.m., not to get ready for practice, or class, but to drive for an hour and a half.
“I get the honor of taking my fiancee to work every morning.” Bunders said without any hint of sarcasm, but total adoration.
Bunders’ fiancee, Jennifer Polansky, works for a local hospital in the mental health clinic. She supports Bunders’ passion for football, attends all of his games and even makes trips to road games to watch her future husband take on opposing lineman, while she cheers from the stands.
“If she had to miss a game, I don’t know what she would do,” Bunders said.
“She is a wonderful support for me. I don’t know what I would do without her,” he added.
They met on the first day of 10th grade and began dating shortly after. Bunders was born and raised in Maple Grove, Minn., and attended Osseo High School, where he dominated competition.
He was the ranked in the top-50 in the nation at offensive guard and was a top-10 player overall in Minnesota.
His high school head coach, Derrin Lamker, is still running the show at Osseo and has led the Orioles to an early 5-1 record this year.
“Chris started as a freshman, and that’s not easy to do here. He was the consummate professional,” Lamker said, noting his respect for Bunders’ footwork, work ethic and maturity.
“The Gophers have had a couple tough years, but Chris always says what a great job his coaches and teammates are doing. He’s always got a positive, mature outlook.”
Bunders said his dream was always to play Big Ten football for the Gophers.
“When I got the chance, I jumped on it. I got some offers from other schools, but this is where I really wanted to play. When that offer letter came through, I was really happy. I couldn’t be happier,” Bunders said.
After he drops his fiancee off in the morning, he heads back to campus for treatment on his various injuries sustained from the week’s abuse on the field, before walking to classes the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.
Football isn’t the only thing Bunders is looking to accomplish at the University.
Bunders is a civil engineering major with a minor in construction management. He said he takes his education seriously, and he proved that by winning a scholar-athlete award in 2007. He also said he knows the value of his scholarship.
“My schooling is getting paid for and I’m lucky to have that. I’m going to go out and get my education,” Bunders said.
Civil engineering is a little-known legacy among Gophers offensive guards: Ben Hamilton and Mark Setterstrom previously majored in civil engineering and both went on to play in the NFL.
Bunders is hoping he can follow in their footsteps.
“I’d love to be able to play more football,” Bunders said. “Otherwise, I’m going to try to line up as many jobs as I can this spring, so I can start working and put some money toward our wedding and house.”
Once Bunders finishes class he heads over to start his work with the team at about 2 p.m. He tapes up his hands and arms to begin his weight training to build up his body to handle the tough job of being a Big Ten offensive lineman.
“What you think you can do isn’t even close to what your body is able to do,” Bunders said. “I’ve learned to be able to push my body and it has bounced back and stayed healthy for me.”
After weight lifting, he studies in team meetings and then moves down to the field to put those studies into play at practice.
Practice begins at 3:30 p.m. with stretch work and light jogs across the practice field. Players who don’t hustle to the practice field, skip class or are insubordinate have to wear “Minnesota Lopher” pink jerseys at practice.
Bunders is not found practicing in pink.
Head coach Jerry Kill yells and shouts, getting players motivated on special teams while Bunders and the rest of the offensive line jog over to a side field with offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover to work through their drills.
Bunders squats down under a 5-foot netted ceiling and moves forward. Emerging from the other side, he thrusts forward, elevating his defender with powerful arms as he uncoils the springs of his squatted legs.
Bunders, traditionally a left guard, prepares for all offensive line positions.
Jimmy Gjere had a concussion last week, according to Kill, so the team moved Bunders from guard to tackle against Purdue.
“We’d be lost without Chris right now,” Limegrover said “He’s been our MVP of the offensive line. He’s a tough guy, a blue-collar guy.”
After the first set of drills, Bunders moves to the opposite side of the field and has to take on two tacklers, maintaining proper leverage to drive through the first block while squaring up the second.
Bunders said practice is where good players are able to become actual college players. He was redshirted as a freshman in order to get the proper practice to play college-level football.
“I wanted to start right out of high school,” Bunders said. “My nightmares were soon realized. I realized that I had a lot of work to do. I got to mold my body into what an actual college player looks like. That year was beneficial. If I would’ve been thrown in, I would’ve been sinking more than swimming,” Bunders said.
Practice ends at 6 p.m. with a talk from Kill while the players attentively heed his words while taking a knee.
Bunders listens to the coach and then heads to the locker room to clean up and eat with the team. The team quickly occupies all the chairs throughout the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex, grabbing dinner to refuel their bodies after practice.
Bunders finishes his meal quickly so that he may return home. After 13 hours of class and football activities, he heads home to do his homework for the evening.
Once all his work is finished, he gets to spend the evening catching up with his fiancee before heading off to bed to start the enterprise all over again the next morning.
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/19/day-life-senior-o-lineman-chris-bunders
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A day in the life of freshman Marcus Jones
Freshman Marcus Jones is finding his way in Minnesota.
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-18
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Marcus Jones is a true freshman on the Gophers football team adjusting to a busy schedule, life on a college campus and getting ready for a cold winter.
Jones has had a good start to his college career. He is averaging more than 16 yards per reception and more than 27 yards per kickoff return, including a touchdown return of 92 yards, all while getting used to starting on a Division-I football team.
Off the field, Jones is another freshman, far away from his high school home, trying to pin down a major and adjust to college life.
Jones, a North Carolina native, was offered a scholarship by Northern Illinois while Jerry Kill was still head coach there. After Kill departed from Northern Illinois, Jones was unsure of his future.
He was offered scholarships from Vanderbilt and Ball State after his state championship game in North Carolina. Kill called him in December after accepting the Minnesota head coaching job and Jones toured the campus.
“It was so cold. The snow was taller than me. I talked to Coach Kill and some people in academics and some players. I felt like this was the best place for me,” Jones said.
Jones wakes up at 7:15 a.m. and checks in with the team. The Kill administration has emphasized discipline and requires that all athletes attend their classes regularly.
“We always have to check-in in the morning to make sure we’re up and ready for class,” Jones said.
Jones is a true freshman, experiencing college classes for the first time. He is experimenting with different classes, taking introductory courses and feeling out his interests.
Student-athletes don’t get the luxury of being able to change their majors, as they only have four years of athletic eligibility. Those are the only years in which scholarships pay for credits. They need to declare soon after they begin college and stay on that strict path.
“I was thinking about going into engineering. It’s a lot of work. I’d have to miss some practices. I can handle the math,” Jones said. “I don’t want to risk getting behind in football and then risk getting behind in school. I’m going to take my time and make the right decision on [my major].”
After his morning classes, Jones walks back home to have lunch by noon and gets back to class again by 12:20 p.m. Then he heads over to the football facility by 1:30 p.m. to get ready for the day’s football activities.
Team meetings begin at 2 p.m., where Jones studies game tape and diagnoses the plan for the upcoming game.
He is new to the system, but has always been quick to pick up football schemes, according to his high school coach, Reginald Lucas, for whom he played cornerback, running back and returner.
“Marcus is a very smart kid. He picked up both [offensive and defensive] schemes very quickly,” Lucas said.
“His work ethic is what impressed me the most. He was pound-for-pound the hardest working kid in our program.”
Practice begins at 3:30 p.m. and after Jones finishes warming up he runs routes with the wide receivers. This is a new development for Jones. He predominately played cornerback in high school and was recruited as such, but when Minnesota had a need for a slot receiver, he seized the opportunity to be able to play as a freshman.
“I wasn’t sold on the idea, but anybody tells you that you get a chance to play your freshman year, you try it,” Jones said. “I think I found a niche as a receiver and returner, but I’m not going to say I haven’t been thinking about getting on defense and hitting somebody.”
Jones runs his routes at practice with precision and speed. He is one of the smallest players on the team, but what he lacks in size he makes up in effort.
He displays enthusiasm running on and off the practice field, anxious to get in the next play or watch the second team take snaps. He explodes off the line of scrimmage, making strong cuts as though it was a game situation.
Kill addresses the team at the end of each practice at 6 p.m. before the team can leave to clean up and eat dinner.
Kill has not been shy about his admiration for both Jones’ current play and his future.
“It’ll be scary, with how good Marcus is playing right now, how good he’ll be three years from now,” Kill said.
After dinner, Jones has to head to a night class, and on the evenings when he doesn’t have class, he said he looks forward to being able to go home and rest.
Jones has to mix in a full load of classes, homework and five hours of football activities each day.
“You have time to do it all. The hardest part is sometimes you don’t have time to eat or rest and you have to come to practice hungry and tired,” Jones said. “That adds to my mental toughness.”
He said he wants to maintain a high GPA and continue to work hard on the football field.
“I met Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Spaeth [and] Eric Decker. You see those guys working hard in the summer,” Jones said. “I admire their work ethics. I admire anybody with a work ethic like that.”
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/18/day-life-freshman-marcus-jones
PUBLISHED: 2011-10-18
ADAM RICHARD arichard@mndaily.com
Marcus Jones is a true freshman on the Gophers football team adjusting to a busy schedule, life on a college campus and getting ready for a cold winter.
Jones has had a good start to his college career. He is averaging more than 16 yards per reception and more than 27 yards per kickoff return, including a touchdown return of 92 yards, all while getting used to starting on a Division-I football team.
Off the field, Jones is another freshman, far away from his high school home, trying to pin down a major and adjust to college life.
Jones, a North Carolina native, was offered a scholarship by Northern Illinois while Jerry Kill was still head coach there. After Kill departed from Northern Illinois, Jones was unsure of his future.
He was offered scholarships from Vanderbilt and Ball State after his state championship game in North Carolina. Kill called him in December after accepting the Minnesota head coaching job and Jones toured the campus.
“It was so cold. The snow was taller than me. I talked to Coach Kill and some people in academics and some players. I felt like this was the best place for me,” Jones said.
Jones wakes up at 7:15 a.m. and checks in with the team. The Kill administration has emphasized discipline and requires that all athletes attend their classes regularly.
“We always have to check-in in the morning to make sure we’re up and ready for class,” Jones said.
Jones is a true freshman, experiencing college classes for the first time. He is experimenting with different classes, taking introductory courses and feeling out his interests.
Student-athletes don’t get the luxury of being able to change their majors, as they only have four years of athletic eligibility. Those are the only years in which scholarships pay for credits. They need to declare soon after they begin college and stay on that strict path.
“I was thinking about going into engineering. It’s a lot of work. I’d have to miss some practices. I can handle the math,” Jones said. “I don’t want to risk getting behind in football and then risk getting behind in school. I’m going to take my time and make the right decision on [my major].”
After his morning classes, Jones walks back home to have lunch by noon and gets back to class again by 12:20 p.m. Then he heads over to the football facility by 1:30 p.m. to get ready for the day’s football activities.
Team meetings begin at 2 p.m., where Jones studies game tape and diagnoses the plan for the upcoming game.
He is new to the system, but has always been quick to pick up football schemes, according to his high school coach, Reginald Lucas, for whom he played cornerback, running back and returner.
“Marcus is a very smart kid. He picked up both [offensive and defensive] schemes very quickly,” Lucas said.
“His work ethic is what impressed me the most. He was pound-for-pound the hardest working kid in our program.”
Practice begins at 3:30 p.m. and after Jones finishes warming up he runs routes with the wide receivers. This is a new development for Jones. He predominately played cornerback in high school and was recruited as such, but when Minnesota had a need for a slot receiver, he seized the opportunity to be able to play as a freshman.
“I wasn’t sold on the idea, but anybody tells you that you get a chance to play your freshman year, you try it,” Jones said. “I think I found a niche as a receiver and returner, but I’m not going to say I haven’t been thinking about getting on defense and hitting somebody.”
Jones runs his routes at practice with precision and speed. He is one of the smallest players on the team, but what he lacks in size he makes up in effort.
He displays enthusiasm running on and off the practice field, anxious to get in the next play or watch the second team take snaps. He explodes off the line of scrimmage, making strong cuts as though it was a game situation.
Kill addresses the team at the end of each practice at 6 p.m. before the team can leave to clean up and eat dinner.
Kill has not been shy about his admiration for both Jones’ current play and his future.
“It’ll be scary, with how good Marcus is playing right now, how good he’ll be three years from now,” Kill said.
After dinner, Jones has to head to a night class, and on the evenings when he doesn’t have class, he said he looks forward to being able to go home and rest.
Jones has to mix in a full load of classes, homework and five hours of football activities each day.
“You have time to do it all. The hardest part is sometimes you don’t have time to eat or rest and you have to come to practice hungry and tired,” Jones said. “That adds to my mental toughness.”
He said he wants to maintain a high GPA and continue to work hard on the football field.
“I met Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Spaeth [and] Eric Decker. You see those guys working hard in the summer,” Jones said. “I admire their work ethics. I admire anybody with a work ethic like that.”
ALL CONTENT © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/18/day-life-freshman-marcus-jones
Monday, October 10, 2011
Quick Hitters - This week in Football
Published: 2011-10-10
Adam Richard
arichard@mndaily.com
-Marqueis Gray was 8-for-20 Saturday, with 100 passing yards, 20 rushing yards and a touchdown.
-Purdue quarterbacks Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve were a combined 18-for-27 with 155 yards and two touchdowns.
-The Gophers’ defense has allowed an average completion rate of 67.5 percent for 1,486 yards this year, the worst rate and total in the Big Ten.
-Minnesota’s defense has allowed 133 receptions to its opponents for a total of 1,495 yards and 13 touchdowns. All three are worst in the conference.
-Donnell Kirkwood returned this week after taking himself out of the Michigan game with a hamstring injury. Kirkwood fumbled twice in the first half against Purdue. He finished the day with 12 rushes for 27 yards.
-Minnesota’s rush defense continued to struggle, as it allowed 217 yards and three touchdowns. Opponents are averaging 166 rushing yards per game against the Gophers.
-Minnesota’s pass rush had success early against Purdue. The Gophers doubled their sack total on the year from two to four and had numerous tackles for losses.
-Purdue place kicker Carson Wiggs nailed a 53-yard field goal with ease. Wiggs has made five field goals of more than 50 yards in his career, including a 59-yarder in 2009.
-Freshman Marcus Jones’ 92-yard kickoff return touchdown was unofficially the second in as many weeks he ran back for a score, although last week’s was negated because of a penalty.
-The Gophers committed 74 yards in penalties for the second straight week. They have averaged seven penalties for more than 60 yards per game in their five losses.
-Former running back LaMonte Edwards received his first start at linebacker this week, while Tommy Olson got his first start at left guard next to his older brother, left tackle Ed Olson.
-The Gophers have been outscored 103-17 in their two Big Ten games.
All content © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/10/quick-hitters
Adam Richard
arichard@mndaily.com
-Marqueis Gray was 8-for-20 Saturday, with 100 passing yards, 20 rushing yards and a touchdown.
-Purdue quarterbacks Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve were a combined 18-for-27 with 155 yards and two touchdowns.
-The Gophers’ defense has allowed an average completion rate of 67.5 percent for 1,486 yards this year, the worst rate and total in the Big Ten.
-Minnesota’s defense has allowed 133 receptions to its opponents for a total of 1,495 yards and 13 touchdowns. All three are worst in the conference.
-Donnell Kirkwood returned this week after taking himself out of the Michigan game with a hamstring injury. Kirkwood fumbled twice in the first half against Purdue. He finished the day with 12 rushes for 27 yards.
-Minnesota’s rush defense continued to struggle, as it allowed 217 yards and three touchdowns. Opponents are averaging 166 rushing yards per game against the Gophers.
-Minnesota’s pass rush had success early against Purdue. The Gophers doubled their sack total on the year from two to four and had numerous tackles for losses.
-Purdue place kicker Carson Wiggs nailed a 53-yard field goal with ease. Wiggs has made five field goals of more than 50 yards in his career, including a 59-yarder in 2009.
-Freshman Marcus Jones’ 92-yard kickoff return touchdown was unofficially the second in as many weeks he ran back for a score, although last week’s was negated because of a penalty.
-The Gophers committed 74 yards in penalties for the second straight week. They have averaged seven penalties for more than 60 yards per game in their five losses.
-Former running back LaMonte Edwards received his first start at linebacker this week, while Tommy Olson got his first start at left guard next to his older brother, left tackle Ed Olson.
-The Gophers have been outscored 103-17 in their two Big Ten games.
All content © 1900 - 2011
ARTICLE URL: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/10/10/quick-hitters
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