Provide 1 reason why the 2013 Gopher football season will be better than 2012.

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I keep turning 2012 over in my mind and see over/under throws. opponents converting 3rd -12s. dumb penalties. IA game.

I am blue and only see the UNLV game with the Gophs being down 10 in the 2nd Q.
 


A more consistent run threat due to: stronger/deeper/better OL, potentially more of a power/speed attack, and a better (read: more accurate) passing attack which should keep the D's guessing at least a little bit more.
 

Rushing 'O' will be better in 2013. This will make everything else look better.
 




Stability at the QB position and along the O-line.
 

This must be a trick question or you are really hung over. There is no way I can narrow it down to one answer. Therefore take two aspirins and go back to bed.;)
 

Generic: Depth
Specific: Philip Nelson. He has actually been playing QB for the last 5+ years. In 2011, Gray really hadn't played QB since his Junior year of HS due to an injury his senior year, having to sit out a year (due to the NCAA not believing his test scores).....and Brewster.
 



More consistent running game from bowl performance with healthy Oline.
More experienced QB that can throw and run.
More experienced D in Claeys' scheme that proved effective last year.
Spice of unproven but supposedly talented players(Maxx Williams, Harbison, Lynn, Edwards, Jones, Streveler, Campbell, Murray)
It's not all roses, but there's just more consistency programwide to slide back into a 3-5 win season. Injuries are a concern, but that can't be predicted either way.
If Alabama has a rash of key injuries they'll struggle in perspective too.
6-9 wins is the window. More likely 6-7, but who knows.
 

Team speed. You can coach fundamentals and technique, but not speed, so the combination of both.
 

Stack-I (aka Maryland-I, Minnesota-I and Golden-I).
 

Another off-season under the same coordinators and systems.
 



Defensively, I think we're still solid, I would have to think our run defense HAS to be better, and my hope is that the secondary play remains relatively level, maybe a small tick down but still solid.

Offensively, we can't get much worse really. I'm hoping that bowl game really solidified things for that unit as far as running the ball physically, and just trying to make enough plays in the passing game to produce more points.

A last thought is hopefully a year older and stronger for the line will mean a healthier group, cause if that unit struggles with injuries again, it could cause some problems.
 

The whole team is more mature, more experienced overall, more knowledgeable of Coaching Staff's Plan, and have bought in.
 


Just compare the offense to last year's end of the season:

- Our OL is healthier, has more experience and depth
- RB certainly isn't worse and has added a speed guy
- QB will keep getting better with experience
- WR can't be worse than they were after Barker left
- TE has more experience and depth

When you don't lose a ton of talent (Gray had talent but wasn't being used a ton late in the season), you'd certainly think the group would be better.
 

1. The exact same staff for 3 years in a row
2. Only 1 starter lost out of 9 on the Offensive and Defensive Lines (Wilhite).
3. Good depth which includes back-ups that have played (except QB and LB).
4. Only 1 key senior lost on offense (Gray).
5. Hageman becomes a run stuffer.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Just compare the offense to last year's end of the season:

- Our OL is healthier, has more experience and depth
- RB certainly isn't worse and has added a speed guy
- QB will keep getting better with experience
- WR can't be worse than they were after Barker left
- TE has more experience and depth

When you don't lose a ton of talent (Gray had talent but wasn't being used a ton late in the season), you'd certainly think the group would be better.
Click to expand...

+1

Minnesota Per Game Averages from 2011-12
-------------PTS--YDS--PYDS--RYDS--3rdD%--4thD%--TOP
2011 Offense 18.4--310.3--157.9--160.0--38.1--54.5--8:26
2012 Offense 22.1--321.4--169.5--151.9--34.4--46.7--11:52

Trend: Up. Experience, strength, and depth at OL. Experience, power and depth at RB. Soph year for QB. Better WR/TE depth than 2011, but many are inexperienced. Added depth of speed to RB & WR.

--------------PTS--YDS--SACKS--YDSL--PD--INT--YDS--LONG--TD
2011 Defense 31.7--403.1--19--116--25--4--19--19--0
2012 Defense 23.9--352.8--26--176--54--13--125--43--2

Trend: Up. Experience, strength, and depth at DL. Dependable Secondary. Experience and added depth at LB, but first year for many in the system. If the LB are serviceable, this defense will be decent. If the LB are good, this defense will steal some games we're not supposed to win.

-------------FGM--FGA--PCT--LNG--XPM--XPA
2011 Kicking 12--14--85.7--51--23--23
2012 Kicking 14--22--63.6--48--33--34

Trend: Crapshoot. We'll see how the new kickers pan out. Too many points left on the field. There's young talent there, but get ready to roll the dice.

----------PUNTS--LNG--AVG--NET--R-AVG
2011 Punt 59--68--36.6--34.2--7.7
2012 Punt 69--63--37.9--34.4--7.4

Trend: Up. 37.9 is still very much at the bottom, so there is easily room for improvement. I'd like the AVG to be 40+
 


John Galt said:
2. Only 1 starter lost out of 9 on the Offensive and Defensive Lines (Wilhite).
Click to expand...

Only one lost to graduation. We lost an offensive line starter ('cause everyone started at least one game last year) due to retirement caused by injury.
 


This one is easy:

Better linebacker play......our Achilles heel last year. Hopefully we stop the run much better.
 

Experience (both in simply more guys having seen time on the field and familiarity with staff's expectations and schemes).

Sorry, I guess that's two.
 

[The fact we have so many reasons is encouraging. To me, that Northwestern game was PAINFUL the way they ran up the middle. Seems our MLB took the wrong angle all the time, or was slow in reacting. You experts can explain it better. Anyway, if our new guys are able to plug the middle, we should be amazingly better.

The power offense will help the defense also.

Jerry Kill's favorite reminder is: THREE CENTERS AND 3 QBS!!!!!
 



I agree with most of the points that have been made as to why there should be major improvement. But here's another way to look at it:

What went wrong in 2012? What went wrong on the way to STILL winning enough games to be bowl eligible and play a very competitive bowl game?

> Three different QB's (nuff said, it's been beaten to death)
> Gray just not having the breakout year many anticipated
> Revolving door on the O-Line (ONE player starting every game at the same position all year??)
> The SR LB's not exactly stepping up and having big years
> An absolute dumpster fire in the Punting game
> Barker walking off the team
> In general, the SECOND most games lost to injury in the Big Ten
> Wettstein wasn't "bad", but 63.6% on FG is less than stellar

What went right?

> Barker emerging and having a really, really good partial season.

That's about it. Period. When teams have "breakout" seasons, 9 times out of 10, they have a lot of things go right; it goes beyond just playing well, they usually get some breaks along the way. This team got zero breaks.

In short, while the play on the field should be improved across the board (can't think of a position that shouldn't be improved over last year), they are also due for a few things to go their way.

One last note that shouldn't be ignored; The media has made significant references to how "Kill's teams always emerge in his 3rd year". While I think the year for them to really make an impact is still next year, don't think that is lost on the players. The more the players hear that this is the year Kill's teams typically make a big jump, the more they'll believe it to be true for them.
 

John Galt said:
1. The exact same staff for 3 years in a row
2. Only 1 starter lost out of 9 on the Offensive and Defensive Lines (Wilhite).
3. Good depth which includes back-ups that have played (except QB and LB).
4. Only 1 key senior lost on offense (Gray).
5. Hageman becomes a run stuffer.
Click to expand...

+1
 


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