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RE: Gopher Football - 4/1/2011 8:31:31 AM

TJSweens

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Looks like Jimmy Gjere nailed down the RT position in spring practices.

It looks like the starting O line coming out of Spring is Ed Olson LT / Chris Bunders LG / Ryan Wynn C / Ryan Orton RG / Jimmy Gjere RT. I like it. Could be our best line in years.

http://www.twincities.com/gophersfootball/ci_17746667?nclick_check=1

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/1/2011 8:44:49 AM

SoMnFan

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Nice Sweens.
Thats where we have to get back to.
A dominating OLine that can keep the ball in our hands.

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Post #: 2477

RE: Gopher Football - 4/1/2011 11:48:44 AM

TJSweens

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Scott, I still maintain that if Kill is a good coach who is good at coaching players up to their abilities, the Gophers will be back in a middling bowl game this year. I have watched a ton of Gopher football since Glen Mason was first hired and the current team is easily the biggest, strongest and fastest during that whole time. There is also a greater depth of size and speed. There are a lot of good athletes here waiting for a good coach.

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Post #: 2478

RE: Gopher Football - 4/1/2011 12:04:00 PM

SoMnFan

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Great news. I likey.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/1/2011 12:16:47 PM

SoMnFan

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I guess that means in an odd way, we may have to thank Punky Brewster?
They did say he could recruit with the best of 'em. Just couldn't coach 'em

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/1/2011 11:48:58 PM

djskillz

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Nice.

I really wish coaches would be more happy with their roles that they're good at (though I understand the ego of wanting something more). Think how much better the overall game would be if the great coordinators stuck to just coordinating, best recruiters the same, etc. Would make for a lot better football IMO.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/6/2011 2:30:22 PM

TJSweens

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I hadn't heard about about this kid before. Brendan Beal sat out a transfer year last year after transferring from Florida after missing his freshman year with an ACL. Apparently Florida, Ohio State and others recruited him pretty heavily out of high school. It looks like he will be our starting MLB.

http://www.twincities.com/gophersfootball/ci_17779148?nclick_check=1

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/6/2011 2:36:36 PM

TJSweens

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Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/6/2011 3:13:40 PM

Jim Frenette

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

Kind of opposite of Nebraska's black jersey for those that sell themselves out

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/6/2011 4:04:16 PM

Karl H

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

I hadn't heard about about this kid before. Brendan Beal sat out a transfer year last year after transferring from Florida after missing his freshman year with an ACL. Apparently Florida, Ohio State and others recruited him pretty heavily out of high school. It looks like he will be our starting MLB.

http://www.twincities.com/gophersfootball/ci_17779148?nclick_check=1

Yep, Brew got him last year. He sounds like a good one if he can stay healthy. And apparently that's a big if. Last I heard Tinsley was practicing mostly with the second team at OLB.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/6/2011 4:07:56 PM

Karl H

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

I know Michael Carter was one of them. He has been in the previous coaches dog house as well. From the little bit I read, Carter took it pretty well. Hopefully it helps him in the long run. There's no doubt that Kill's practices are night & day different than Brewsters were.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/6/2011 9:55:07 PM

Mr. Ed

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2 bye weeks coming in the Big 12(10) in a couple years. Nonsense.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/7/2011 9:18:40 AM

TJSweens

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl H

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

I know Michael Carter was one of them. He has been in the previous coaches dog house as well. From the little bit I read, Carter took it pretty well. Hopefully it helps him in the long run. There's no doubt that Kill's practices are night & day different than Brewsters were.

Yes, Carter had to work out by himself the first few days of practice wearing a T-shirt that read "I LET MY TEAMMATES DOWN".

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/7/2011 10:01:34 AM

Jim Frenette

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Now the Big 10 (12) is taking away the last game rivalry from the Gophers. 1st they come up with these stupid names for divisions and now the natural closing day rivalrys

The more I hear of Kill the more I like him. Brewster said all the right things but kill is showing on the field that he knows how to build a winner. Maybe that is because unlike the Brewster hire, he actuall has experience as a HC with success

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/7/2011 10:19:01 AM

djskillz

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That Ohio State/Vandy game in a couple of years is going to be a BRUTAL beatdown.

Urban Meyer vs. James Franklin?

MIS....MATCH!

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/15/2011 12:32:45 AM

SoMnFan

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Liking these reports ...

Jerry Kill erupted at his team on Thursday, frustrated by what he sees as an unwillingness to fight through the fatigue of three weeks worth of spring football. Kill was constantly yelling reminders to keep working, to keep the pace up, until finally bringing the team together at the end and delivering a blistering critique that got him so worked up, he spiked his hat into the ground at one point.
"You're not fighting back!" he yelled, before forcing the players to do several sets of up-downs. "You're giving in!"
It's not unexpected, Kill said, but "this is when you find out who you are. We've got four practices left, so we've got to make sure we do a good job of delivering the message of what we want."
What they want is 100 percent effort, and no concessions to fatigue, no mental errors because of a loss of focus. When defensive lineman D.L. Wilhite missed a call during a scrimmage, Kill had him stand beside him doing up-downs for almost 10 minutes. "My bad," Wilhite said. "I've got to be better."
It was cold and windy as the Gophers held practice No. 11, and it's expected to be worse Friday night, for a 7:15 p.m. scrimmage in TCF Bank Stadium. The session was scheduled so recruits and other VIPs who can't normally make a daytime practice can attend, and was promoted to students on campus, too, as "Field Frenzy" night. But with the weather expected to be bad, the freebies for the first 500 students -- pizza, soda and blankets -- have been postponed for next Thursday's 3 p.m. practice.
(A youth clinic set for Friday has been pushed back by one week; it will begin at 6 p.m. on April 22. Registration is free for kids ages 7-13, and includes football drills and an autograph session.)
A few more notes from Thursday's practice:
-- MarQueis Gray continued to play confidently at quarterback, engineering a 70-yard drive during the scrimmage in five or six plays. The last was a 30-yard touchdown strike to Victor Keise in a corner of the end zone, a pass that looped over Troy Stoudermire's head.
It wasn't all perfect, though; the next time Gray tried to connect with Keise, the ball bounced off the receiver's hands and high into the air, and linebacker Keanon Cooper grabbed the interception. Still, Kill complimented Gray's ability to absorb information. "He's being pushed very hard -- we're throwing it all at him. He's seeing every blitz, every coverage, and he's done good," the coach said.
-- Senior receiver Da'Jon McKnight looked almost forlorn as he went through an upper-body workout while his teammates were practicing. McKnight injured his left knee on Tuesday, but Kill said the injury is not serious. Brandon Green, Lamonte Edwards and Jimmy Gjere were among those also sitting out.
-- Mike Rallis seemed to have a noticeably good day at linebacker, making tackles all over the field.
-- During a red zone drill, walk-on kicker Jordan Wettstein was lining up for a 40-yard field goal when the defensive reserves began chanting "Block that kick! Block that kick!" They didn't, but Wettstein's kick was wide left, and the defense celebrated like it won a game.
-- Kendall Gregory-McGee got to Gray for a no-contact sack at one point, too.
-- Without prompting, Kill described walk-on safety Chase Haviland from Thief River Falls as one of the pleasant surprises of the spring. "He's had a great spring. Probably you guys didn't know that name, but he's showed up now," Kill said. "He's caught my eye because he does everything he's supposed to. He'll hit you, he tackles pretty good, he's always in a good football position."
Haviland intercepted a Tom Parish pass on Thursday, one of several he has had this month.
-- Thursday's practice was the final one of the spring at the football complex; the Gophers will hold their final four practices, including the spring game next Saturday, in TCF Bank Stadium. The practice field, meanwhile, will be ripped up in the next couple of days so the worn-out artificial turf can be replaced.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/15/2011 12:44:18 AM

djskillz

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Good stuff, man. Good to see a MN coach with fire for once. Let's have more of that, please.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/15/2011 9:48:57 AM

Jim Frenette

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quote:

MarQueis Gray continued to play confidently at quarterback, engineering a 70-yard drive during the scrimmage in five or six plays. The last was a 30-yard touchdown strike to Victor Keise in a corner of the end zone, a pass that looped over Troy Stoudermire's head.

Anyone can move the ball against the Gopher defense

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/17/2011 9:13:04 PM

Dave E

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quote:

ORIGINAL: djskillz

Good stuff, man. Good to see a MN coach with fire for once. Let's have more of that, please.

Gardy is pretty clearly mentoring Kill.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/17/2011 9:13:50 PM

Dave E

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

Kind of opposite of Nebraska's black jersey for those that sell themselves out

I thought the Black Shirts were for when the defense was playing well at NE?

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/17/2011 10:27:48 PM

SoMnFan

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GASP!
Did we finally hire someone who "gets it"?
The punting game is so important. 8 times the Gophs didn't cross the 50 WITH THEIR PUNTS! And 8 times the opposition scored.
Field position is so vital in football, its refreshing to hear we now have someone who will demand accountability in all these "little" areas that add up.

A 3-9 record inspires an avalanche of denunciation. So it doesn't particularly surprise Gophers punter Dan Orseske to learn that some guy is going on TV and radio all over the Twin Cities to point out the embarrassing truth that Minnesota had the least effective punting unit in the nation last season.
"I've just got to ignore all the negative stuff that people say," Orseske said. "I [use it to] keep myself motivated."
Good advice. But isn't it a little bit harder when the complainer is your own coach?
Yes, Jerry Kill doesn't hold back when he discusses the punting unit he inherited, because he believes in football's first commandment: Thou shalt win the battle for field position. "The biggest offensive play is the punt," Kill said, and the Gophers' new coach is living that catechism this spring by tutoring the punting team personally.
Kill mentioned improving the punting team on the day he was introduced as the new coach last December, and he wasn't five minutes into his first spring football news conference before he volunteered the ugly stats: that the 30.9 yards the Gophers picked up on an average punt last year were the fewest among the 120 top-level teams in college football.
"Eight times the ball didn't go across the 50. Know how many times [the opponent] scored? Eight times," Kill said. "We better get that straightened out, or we're not going to win any games."
Wow. Wouldn't want to be that punter, right?
Actually, it's not so bad, Orseske said. "I know what he means," said the Chicago native who, to be fair, was only a redshirt freshman when handed the job last fall. "The punt team, last year we all struggled a little bit. But I think we're a lot better this year."
Everything is different, from the way the kickers warm up, to the long-snapper's technique, to the footwork that Orseske and backup David Schwerman use.
"Coach Kill showed us some new steps -- he's been working with us one-on-one on that," Orseske said. "We're getting better."
He is understandably wary of declaring the problem solved, considering that even when Orseske was going through the worst of his slump last year he still was regularly booming 60-yard punts and longer in practice. He's doing it again, and Kill -- who has made it clear that responsibility for punting failures lie with the entire unit, not just Orseske -- said his sophomore punter is giving him confidence that fourth downs won't be such problem for the Gophers this year.
"We've punted the ball pretty well. We're getting it off under 2.0 [seconds] right now, and that's important.," the coach said. "They're two-stepping it, getting it out below 2.0, with pretty good snaps. If you can punt that ball in 2.0 and down, you're going to be in pretty good shape most of the time."
The Gophers have scrapped, for the moment anyway, the rugby-style punts that Orseske was instructed to try midway through last season, in hopes of buying him more time. He would take two or three steps to his left, then kick the ball on the run, an unfamiliar style that the punter said made him uncomfortable at first.
"I've never been taught the rugby style. I'm more just, catch the ball and kick it," Orseske said. Still, he plans to continue working on rugby kicks on his own this summer, just to improve his technique and give the Gophers the option of trying it when appropriate.
And mostly, he's going to keep working on blocking out negativity and improving his success rate. "I'm more mentally tough than last year," Orseske said. "I'm a lot more hungry to improve from last year."
At least that won't be too hard, considering the Gophers ranked 120th out of 120. (Keep in mind, however: Kill's Northern Illinois Huskies ranked 105th. So it takes more than only coaching.)
"If we improve that halfway down the line," Kill said last month, "we'll probably win two [more] games."

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/18/2011 9:53:45 AM

Jim Frenette

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dave E

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

Kind of opposite of Nebraska's black jersey for those that sell themselves out

I thought the Black Shirts were for when the defense was playing well at NE?

Selling out is playing well. that's giving over 100%

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Fargo

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/21/2011 9:32:23 AM

Dave E

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dave E

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

Kind of opposite of Nebraska's black jersey for those that sell themselves out

I thought the Black Shirts were for when the defense was playing well at NE?

Selling out is playing well. that's giving over 100%

Got it; read it the opposite way. Although I dispute that any athlete has ever given over 100% in the history of sports.

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/21/2011 10:09:43 AM

Jim Frenette

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dave E

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dave E

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jim Frenette

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

Again, I like Kill. Four players had to participate in practice wearing brown Minnesota Lophers jerseys.

Kind of opposite of Nebraska's black jersey for those that sell themselves out

I thought the Black Shirts were for when the defense was playing well at NE?

Selling out is playing well. that's giving over 100%

Got it; read it the opposite way. Although I dispute that any athlete has ever given over 100% in the history of sports.

Not even Mauer?

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RE: Gopher Football - 4/21/2011 11:36:51 AM

TJSweens

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Jonah Persig is the top rated Minnesota prep next year. Rated slightly behind where Seantrel Henderson was at this stage. He can't wait to see Kill in action. When was the last time a top prep in or out of state recruit couldn't wait to come and visit Minnesota?

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_17886621?nclick_check=1

Some insight into Alipate. It looks like he blew his chance by coming into spring practice overweight and out of shape.

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_17894442

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