Mid-week musings
Posted on October 29th, 2008 – 6:29 PMBy Kent Youngblood
Greetings.
Just got back from talking to various players and coaches after practice. I have to tell you, there is an interesting mood around the Gibson-Nagurski complex.
Pretty quiet over there. Dare i say relaxed? I don’t mean that in a bad way. But this is a team that is loose, confident. That’s my sense, anyway. I thought coach Tim Brewster was as relaxed as he’s been following a practice in weeks.
Quick update: Brewster reported no injuries and said defensive end Derrick Onwauchi — who didn’t play in Purdue with a shoulder injury — is full-go.
The Wildcats, as you know, are not. Running back Tyrell Sutton is out. As for quarterback, the Gophers are preparing for both C.J. Bacher and backup Mike Kafka.
These are very different guys. Bacher is not only a good passer, but he has a very quick release that makes him harder to get to. Kafka is more athletic, and the Gophers figure to see more option out of Northwestern’s spread this week.
Brewster’s main emphasis this week is the same as it’s been all season: Keeping his guys focused and not getting caught up in the hype.
”We’ve taken the name off the opponent,” Brewster said. ”We’ve identified ourselves as a hard-nosed physical team that will play hard for 60 minutes eveyr game. That has served us well.”
50 Responses to "Mid-week musings"
Kent: thanks for the updates. It’s making the blog this year far superior to last year’s. Much appreciated.
Hope to see more of Green this Saturday. I’m going to have to catch tidbits when I can because of prior commitments this weekend.
Go Gophers!
Yes, the blog has been informative and interesting this year.
I guess winning helps with that as well.
:o)
Hard nosed & physical is good. Add in making big plays and causing turnovers.
Now the D needs to build on that identity and the offense must step up, especially the running game. And no major screwups on special team play.
Causing turnovers has been a huge part of the 7 wins. Can this team win against a decent opponent that takes care of the ball?
No injuries means Whaley should play then!
Sorry gold04. Until the OL matures, it really won’t matter much which RB gets the ball.
G04–An ideal scenario would be for the Gophers to have a cushion Sat. and then start giving some of other guys some touches (Whaley,Pittman). Eskridge looks very comfortable in his execution, his understanding of the offense, and protecting the ball (I realize he fumbled last week). However, he seems to lack an explosive quality you see in great backs. Overall though, we have to remember this guy is one year out of high school and doing a great job for a freshman.
There’s nothing I have against Eskridge but we need a more explosive back. If Thomas and Whaley do not play this Saturday, then you know it’s Eskridge and Shady the rest of the way.
Whaley will not play this season.
Why would you play Whaley now?? since he has missed this much RED SHIRT HIM>
You guys are missing the mark on TDeLeon by claiming he is not an explosive back. We don’t know that because he has no big holes to run through.
About the only time he got free five yards past the line of scrimmage he ran away from a very fast Illinois secondary for a 46-yard touchdown.
Whether that makes him explosive or not I am not yet prepared to say. But I am certainly not prepared to say he is not because he just hasn’t seen enough daylight yet to make that judgment.
Have you noticed what has happened to Adrian Peterson the last few weeks while the Vikings offensive line has been dominated? How explosive does he look being swarmed at the line of scrimmage most plays?
Joe Tiller had it right two weeks ago when he said on TV that ” … if Kory Sheets thinks he’s so good maybe we should just give him the ball and have everyone else watch from the sidelines.”
The point was right … a running back is no better than his line that gives him the hole to get started. Tiller’s point was good; his method of delivering it was stupid.
why wouldn’t they be relazed? u r playing 1/2 a team on sat.
I agree with the first two, the constant updates are really improving the blog.
I forgot to add: I kind of expected the relaxed approach. They know what they can do now, and they want every win that can come there way. Well, we got 4 left. Each team from here on out will be looked upon as having some sort of quality that proves that the Gophers, if they win, are a good football team, even if they don’t have any great teams on their schedule. Because missing PSU and MSU isn’t their fault, that’s for sure!
I love the ESPNU fan poll right now, it puts Minnesota at #8. lol!
I cann’t believe some of you guys have jobs. The Gophers will win this game and it does not matter by how much or who plays for either side. As much as it hurts to say this we need the Badgers to beat MSU this week. That will help in the overall bowl picture as I see it coming down to the end. It would not hurt if Iowa lost to Ill. I would expect this crowd to be the best crowd this season. From talking with my children on campus the students are starting to talk more about the team. This is good but they still have to get up and get to the game. I will be in the parking lot bright and early getting my game face on. About the offensive line. I am not sure the talent is there in all areas. Just because you have experience does not make you good enough to win games. More on that after the season. For now just win BABY.
Pulling for MSU and Illini to win won’t matter at all if we don’t beat NU. I always want Iowa and Becky to lose even when they play each other. (Well, you get my drift)
I learned very young in life to never trust a wounded animal.
As much as NU/Gopher games have been high scoring contests, I expect this game to be decided in the trenches. And I give the edge to NU.
Gophers: 17
NU:20
Woe is Joe
For the second game in a row, a Purdue quarterback injured his throwing shoulder. Two weeks ago, it was backup Joey Elliott.
Last week vs. Minnesota, it was starter Curtis Painter. As a result, third-stringer Justin Siller played the second half but failed to jump-start an already struggling offense.
Siller is/was a running back. [{He hadn’t played quarterback since high school.]}
In last week’s dreary 17-6 homecoming loss to Minnesota, the Boilermakers passed for just 109 yards, the lowest in Coach Joe Tiller’s 12 seasons at the school.
u guys got nothing…..
U of M v. Northwesten goals:
1) A win
2) positive Turnover ratio
3) a couple big, 20 plus yard plays. Not broken plays, but well executed ones.
4) No Personal Fouls after the play is called dead. Late hits in the heat of battle I can handle better than those chippy, talking varieties.
5) No major injuries
6) Another QB get some snaps
7) Reduction in penalties compared to Purdue game
8)O-line give up fewer sacks and Eskridge gain 100 yards
9)A good crowd—maybe not a sellout but larger than last home game
10) A game that overall shows continued improvement in all areas.
Should not be a problem–sans the big crowd of course, TX, considering:
“But, unlike the Gophers, Northwestern could be on the verge of unravelling after a series of devastating injuries and erratic play in recent weeks.”
“Series of devastating injuries” = gimme #8!
Bud: “About the offensive line. I am not sure the talent is there in all areas. Just because you have experience does not make you good enough to win games.”
What experience do they have? They are very, very inexperienced compared to most d-lines in the Big 10. Give them another year. Most people said Garrett Brown would never be an impact player either and now as a junior with big experience (and Mark Hill’s training program) he’s playing very well. This line will be fine, they just have to battle through this year as best they can.
I don’t remember which famous coach said this, but it has always stuck in my mind:
“The good news is that they have everyone back next year. The bad news is they have everyone back next year.”
We are getting to the point in the season where the young guys are not rookies anymore. By this point in their careers with us Eslinger and Settlestrom were good players.
Recruiting you ever going to answer that question about what you want out of the Gopher football program? Or are going to continue to waste our time with posts that lack a point?
Oh, for god’s sakes, Loon.
At this point in his career, Herschel Walker was better than Eskridge. OH MY GAWD, IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD.
“Your ’shut-down’ D is a Joke”
The joke is your logic. The QB hurt his shoulder due to the pressure being put on him. Not that he was doing much before he got hurt. Yes, the Gophers were a bit rusty and made many mistakes and mental errors (i.e. personal fouls), but they were very aggressive and swarming on D. If you need proof of that go back and watch Sherel’s INT. I look for Brewster and the team to correct the mistakes that were made and have a very successful homecoming!
Go Gophs!!
And who exactly has contended the Gophers have a “shutdown D”?
The Gophers have a much improved defense but it has a long way yet to improve.
What we are looking at and happy about is the incredible improvement in a short time.
It was nice to see Brandon Green have a good game and I think he will only get better. I would like to see the Gophs use Stoudemire some more on offense. You can tell he has some explosive talent. Weber now has a few more targets and both he and Decker should be able to take advantage of that.
Go Gophs!!
david_allen_coe:
Good point, “swarming and aggressive” but not quite shutdown. You have to look at where they were last year and where they are now and be impressed. I think with the recruiting they are doing and if Roof stays they will continue to improve. My hope is that Roof stays for at least 2 more years to continue what he has started and maybe groom his replacement. You know he will be getting “offers”.
Bisker …. No doubt Roof will get some offers but will they really be better jobs than this?
He has authored an excellent turnaround but the job here is far from over. I think most powerhouse schools would want to watch for about three years and see the real defensive product at Minnesota under Roof.
Do Texas, Oklahoma, USC, LSU, Ohio State, and Penn St lose their defensive coordinators each season? Why not? They have great defenses every year.
A very good point, d_a(sp)_c. I think the notion that as soon as we have any success the coach will leave is part of the fatalistic attitude of many Minnesota sports fans. The defenses here have been lousy for many years because of lousy recruiting and lousy coaching. And having the proverbial reolving door for defensive coordinators hasn’t helped, either.
I’m thinking Roof likes this job, likes Brewster, and would like to be here a few years to see the fruits of his labor evolve. Just a feeling on my part.
GO GOPHERS!!!
Do Texas, Oklahoma, USC, LSU, Ohio State, and Penn St lose their defensive coordinators each season?
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMG………
Jimbo—I feel the same way about Brewster as your take on Roof. Brew is a Big Ten guy. I think if the U will pay him a competitive salary he is not going anywhere in the near future.
It’s interesting to hear the different levels of optimism among the online fan-base…
I was curious what Roof’s future with Minnesota was going to be and I’m glad Kent addressed it, well at least tried to. If Roof sticks around another year, I’m afraid it will be his last. But, why would he? His stock is going to be significantly up, no matter what the Gophers ‘D’ is able to do the rest of the season. The turnaround has been dramatic and I hope Roof sticks around for at least one more year.
Northwestern is a good example that Big Ten teams have depth in their rosters and that this is still a weakness for the Gophers.
The backup running back who will play Saturday started five games in 2007 and played well against us last year. The backup quarterback started four games in 2006.
When the Gophers lost their running back, who had started about six games as a true freshman, they had to replace him with an 18-year-old who had a handful of carries.
If Weber goes down, we would probably replace him with a guy who has had one snap in his college career or a guy who started one game three years ago.
One more good recruiting class and one more year of player development like the last and we will have decent depth.
Roof is not a kid who needs to jump for the first chance to get a 10% raise. He is an experienced football coach and he has already had a run at head coach with Duke.
He is in it here for the big picture of building a defense and helping build a program. Next February will be the first Minnesota recruiting class that includes Ted Roof defensive recruits. He will need a couple of those to really show us what the Roof defense looks like.
I look for Roof to be here for a few years and I believe he will enjoy, succeed, and prosper with the Gophers.
Pink Panty Hose … Can you offer an intelligent answer to the question? No? OK.
Pink Panty Hose … Will your Hogeye sows wear their pink tights or their yellow tights this week? Or just standard jailhouse stripes?
Jumbo … If you were Roof would you want to go out and get some recruits to add to the defense? I would.
If you look at the list of commitments Brewster has so far for February they are almost all on the offensive side. That makes some sense because we went heavy on D last year.
But I am guessing that list will fill out with a bunch of defensive studs that are now watching the improvement of the Gopher defense and thinking about playing for Coach Roof.
In my mind, a DE to replace WVDS is recruiting priority #1. It is easier for a defensive lineman freshman to contribute quickly than just about any other position (maybe kicker). I have a feeling they will bring in that stud by waving the “the position is open” flag.
Tex … It doesn’t hurt to have a bunch of them but I think we may already have Willie’s replacement right now … Kirksey.
DAC–sounds good. If M Gray doesn’t get in, that a QB would seem to be a priority with this class.
Tex … Yes, good teams have several quarterbacks on the roster. At least one should be recruited every year.
But don’t forget Moses Alipate, a 4-star on Scout, who has already committed.
He is 6-5, about 230 and has a rocket for an arm. He is more the pro-style drop back QB but I assume with his size and athleticism he will adapt OK to the spread. It doesn’t hurt that his Dad played in the NFL.
david_allen_coe:
I don’t believe Roof will leave right away. I do believe he will get inquiries if not outright offers. However, I believe he has a plan and a good relationship with Coach Brew. If he stays for a few years, recruits, and builds this “D”, he will definitely want to take a Head Caoching job and should have plenty of choices. I can’t think of a better person to groom his own replacement. He definitely has the pedigree.
DAC & Jimbo,
Let’s not forget, Roof will have Royston and hopefully Maresh next year which won’t count against their recruiting.
Go Gophs!!
Good reminder, Bisker. What a story it would be next year if Maresh can step in and play?
But if you look at our short list of seniors who are contributing and will be gone next year, linebacker will leave the biggest holes. Hightower, Davis, and Mannion will depart so we really need Sam to be Sam.
And you are right about Royston. He will help too.
Loon, those are great examples. Got anymore examples of Gopher lineman who were “seniors” halfway through their freshman seasons? Oh wait, probably can’t compare more linemen to first team all-americans. They might be the exception to the rule.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t be improving. Simply said they really don’t have all that much experience.
And since you’ve been on the injury rampage lately, it will be nice this week if we can finally start the same five guys two weeks in a row and not worry about them leaving in the 1st qtr. because of injury.
david_allen_coe says:
October 30th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Tex … Yes, good teams have several quarterbacks on the roster. At least one should be recruited every year.
But don’t forget Moses Alipate, a 4-star on Scout, who has already committed.
He is 6-5, about 230 and has a rocket for an arm. He is more the pro-style drop back QB but I assume with his size and athleticism he will adapt OK to the spread. It doesn’t hurt that his Dad played in the NFL.
==========================
DumbAssC,
Alipate is going to play LB in college. Please stop trying to act like you know something about anything. Your hero Jake Christianson’s dad played in the NFL…how did that work for your hawgeyes?
And exactly how would a little momma’s boy wearing pink panty hose know what position somebody is going to play in college? ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are possibilities out there that DC Roof might receive some offers he can not refuse. It will be exceedingly interesting to watch the axe falling on the necks of numerous coaches starting immediately after the regular season condludes.
Coaches have agents out there networking. Coaches also know other coaches who might get new head coaching jobs and may offer their good friends and long-time pals a chance to share the wealth at a new prime gig as a high-profile DC at a school with lots of resources.
It happens every season. The coordinators with the hot hand during the concluded season are the ones who are the hot commodities during the fire/hire cycle that will result from the end of the season.
Will Roof be one of the hot commodities? Certainly, Roof knows a LOT of the members of the coaching fraternity. Roof is a coach…and…he loves to coach. Does the term “spring board” ring a bell to any around here.
The ad’s and administrations are so cruel to coaches. They chew them up and spit them out.
Every win will project TR through the roof! We ALL want ALL the wins we can get in 2008. Years like this…with the schedule setting up for wins…all kinds of wins…even Big Ten wins…will help bring more and more attention to TR as a hot commodity. Each win brings him one step closer to receiving an offer he can not refuse. Go Gophers! We LOVE wins…any kind of wins…we NEED wins…any kind of wins…years for wins do not come around often. It would be well worth losing a currently highly successful DC to a great new job IF the Gophers get enough wins for a GREAT bowl game. Some years just can’t be duplicated very often in the Big Ten by teams that are NOT Michigan, OSU or sometimes PSU. It’s well worth raising the Roof and even losing the Roof IF the Gophers could go 10-2 or 11-1!
For the sake of the Gophers, PSU and the Big Ten: kick the long horn’s butts TECH! Rip that long horn defense a new one TECH!
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