it'd be nice to hear what others saw at the march 28th TCF practice

wait!what?

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I haven't heard much from anyone here or on Gopherhole on what they saw at the March 28th practice.
 

No one is sharing. You have to go yourself. :)
 

I haven't heard much from anyone here or on Gopherhole on what they saw at the March 28th practice.

Wasn't much to tell. It was a scrimmage scenario so no individual work or one on ones. I got there late, just as Berkley Edwards ran a stretch play to the left, cut upfield and darted 65+ yards for a TD. After that, not much happened as the offense couldn't move the ball. Sight lines are tough from the sidelines as well. I was on the D side of the ball mostly so I couldn't watch the OL.

Jeff Jones lined up in the slot quite a bit, later moving back to RB. The staff wants to get him some touches, but it seems pretty clear to me that Nugget will be our go-to RB so they want to move Jones around like they did with Berkley Edwards last year to get him some touches and keep defenses off balance.

Nugget only ran one series and then watched. That's telling, imo. When the coaches are that comfortable with a guy that they feel he doesn't need the work, it's a good sign he's got the inside track on the job.

Rodney Smith didn't do much and he had a fumble.

The OL didn't give Mitch any time to operate so the passing game never got going.

On defense Gary Moore played an awful lot. He'll be in the mix this year and is a plyer we should be excited about moving forward.

Hank Ekpe was getting pressure on Mitch.

Poock looked like a veteran.

Charlie Rogers is as good as any of our Safety's already.

Both the Huff's like to hit.

Duke McGhee had a few big pops.

All in all, one of the most boring practices I've ever been to.
 

Wasn't much to tell. It was a scrimmage scenario so no individual work or one on ones. I got there late, just as Berkley Edwards ran a stretch play to the left, cut upfield and darted 65+ yards for a TD. After that, not much happened as the offense couldn't move the ball. Sight lines are tough from the sidelines as well. I was on the D side of the ball mostly so I couldn't watch the OL.

Jeff Jones lined up in the slot quite a bit, later moving back to RB. The staff wants to get him some touches, but it seems pretty clear to me that Nugget will be our go-to RB so they want to move Jones around like they did with Berkley Edwards last year to get him some touches and keep defenses off balance.

Nugget only ran one series and then watched. That's telling, imo. When the coaches are that comfortable with a guy that they feel he doesn't need the work, it's a good sign he's got the inside track on the job.

Rodney Smith didn't do much and he had a fumble.

The OL didn't give Mitch any time to operate so the passing game never got going.

On defense Gary Moore played an awful lot. He'll be in the mix this year and is a plyer we should be excited about moving forward.

Hank Ekpe was getting pressure on Mitch.

Poock looked like a veteran.

Charlie Rogers is as good as any of our Safety's already.

Both the Huff's like to hit.

Duke McGhee had a few big pops.

All in all, one of the most boring practices I've ever been to.

Thanks - If it was "One of the most boring practices I've ever been to," you were still able to make it interesting for me. But I really like to read report from practices. Even so, you are rapidly becoming the DL65 of practice reporting.
 

Thanks for the recap CRG! I find it comforting that the D is tough as nails, especially this early. Love to hear it. Did you get any impressions of the D-line (other than Moore)? As Husker says, you win in the trenches.
 


Wasn't much to tell. It was a scrimmage scenario so no individual work or one on ones. I got there late, just as Berkley Edwards ran a stretch play to the left, cut upfield and darted 65+ yards for a TD. After that, not much happened as the offense couldn't move the ball. Sight lines are tough from the sidelines as well. I was on the D side of the ball mostly so I couldn't watch the OL.

Jeff Jones lined up in the slot quite a bit, later moving back to RB. The staff wants to get him some touches, but it seems pretty clear to me that Nugget will be our go-to RB so they want to move Jones around like they did with Berkley Edwards last year to get him some touches and keep defenses off balance.

Nugget only ran one series and then watched. That's telling, imo. When the coaches are that comfortable with a guy that they feel he doesn't need the work, it's a good sign he's got the inside track on the job.

Rodney Smith didn't do much and he had a fumble.

The OL didn't give Mitch any time to operate so the passing game never got going.

On defense Gary Moore played an awful lot. He'll be in the mix this year and is a plyer we should be excited about moving forward.

Hank Ekpe was getting pressure on Mitch.

Poock looked like a veteran.

Charlie Rogers is as good as any of our Safety's already.

Both the Huff's like to hit.

Duke McGhee had a few big pops.

All in all, one of the most boring practices I've ever been to.

I hope this is much better by Fall scrimmage. They need to get in sync and get the right combination of guys in place. Otherwise, we may have a long season trying to improve the offense over last year.
 

This may be old news but Cody Poock cut his hair.

He arrived on campus for the Signing Day Social for 2014 showing long locks as is common in Iowa.

Agreed he looked very good as a FB player on Saturday. No comment on his new look otherwise.
 

Thanks for the recap CRG! I find it comforting that the D is tough as nails, especially this early. Love to hear it. Did you get any impressions of the D-line (other than Moore)? As Husker says, you win in the trenches.

It was hard to see. So many more fans on Saturday at TCF than a Tuesday at the complex. It makes it hard to see over all the people on the sideline. Then of course they keep moving up and down the field so even when you do get a good sight line it's gone in a couple plays. We moved up into the stands and I could see a lot better, but we were on the defensive end of the field so that means we couldn't see the OL. Then factor in they were subbing players in and out, I was all the way up in the stands, etc. It's a big fancy way of saying I didn't get to see too much of the DL.

What I can tell you from the practices I've been to and from what I've read Ryan Burns say about the ones I missed, is that Hank Ekpe is probably out best DE right now. Cochran looks the same, but Hank Ekpe is the one turning the most heads right now. Elmore and Keith are ok, but not amazing. Kafo is still raw, but looks like he's a B1G DE. It's just so awesome to have a stable of young DE's who're all legit sized DE's.

At DT Richardson is pretty much unstoppable. Even when Scott Ekpe comes back, Richardson is probably still our #1 DT. Ndondo-Lay, Stelter and Gary Moore are all getting lot's of work. Shoob Timms gets a few snaps and has stuck around this long, so he could still contribute.

The foundation for a really strong DL is being laid with The Ekpes, Richardson, Stelter, Moore, Elmore and Kafo.
 

It was hard to see. So many more fans on Saturday at TCF than a Tuesday at the complex. It makes it hard to see over all the people on the sideline. Then of course they keep moving up and down the field so even when you do get a good sight line it's gone in a couple plays. We moved up into the stands and I could see a lot better, but we were on the defensive end of the field so that means we couldn't see the OL. Then factor in they were subbing players in and out, I was all the way up in the stands, etc. It's a big fancy way of saying I didn't get to see too much of the DL.

What I can tell you from the practices I've been to and from what I've read Ryan Burns say about the ones I missed, is that Hank Ekpe is probably out best DE right now. Cochran looks the same, but Hank Ekpe is the one turning the most heads right now. Elmore and Keith are ok, but not amazing. Kafo is still raw, but looks like he's a B1G DE. It's just so awesome to have a stable of young DE's who're all legit sized DE's.

At DT Richardson is pretty much unstoppable. Even when Scott Ekpe comes back, Richardson is probably still our #1 DT. Ndondo-Lay, Stelter and Gary Moore are all getting lot's of work. Shoob Timms gets a few snaps and has stuck around this long, so he could still contribute.

The foundation for a really strong DL is being laid with The Ekpes, Richardson, Stelter, Moore, Elmore and Kafo.

Thank you.
 



Wasn't much to tell. It was a scrimmage scenario so no individual work or one on ones. I got there late, just as Berkley Edwards ran a stretch play to the left, cut upfield and darted 65+ yards for a TD. After that, not much happened as the offense couldn't move the ball. Sight lines are tough from the sidelines as well. I was on the D side of the ball mostly so I couldn't watch the OL.

Jeff Jones lined up in the slot quite a bit, later moving back to RB. The staff wants to get him some touches, but it seems pretty clear to me that Nugget will be our go-to RB so they want to move Jones around like they did with Berkley Edwards last year to get him some touches and keep defenses off balance.

Nugget only ran one series and then watched. That's telling, imo. When the coaches are that comfortable with a guy that they feel he doesn't need the work, it's a good sign he's got the inside track on the job.

Rodney Smith didn't do much and he had a fumble.

The OL didn't give Mitch any time to operate so the passing game never got going.

On defense Gary Moore played an awful lot. He'll be in the mix this year and is a plyer we should be excited about moving forward.

Hank Ekpe was getting pressure on Mitch.

Poock looked like a veteran.

Charlie Rogers is as good as any of our Safety's already.

Both the Huff's like to hit.

Duke McGhee had a few big pops.

All in all, one of the most boring practices I've ever been to.

I agree with everything you said. Great report. You are very astute. I, too, had trouble seeing from the sideline but at least I got some sun. My grandson loved being close to the players. I did note Jeff Jones high fiving his offensive line. Good to see. Also, JK blew up at a long snapper. I liked Campion at rt guard.
 

Great write Costa! here is what isaw on Sat the 28th. - B. Edwards looks much heavier and is just as quick. Pirsig got hurt..probably groin but went back to sidelines. Jeff Jones - looks smaller than i thought and his long stride allows him move away easily from defenders but if he caught he is lifted and dropped. Streveler throws a better ball. It was nice to watch some college ball again. 15 rohda and 18 perra got reps. Leidner was Leidner...bad spirals and anything beyond 20 yds was bad. almost like he has an arm injury. Talked to KJ Maye and he is a real team leader. I attended with a speed coach and he commented on how JJ breaks well.
 

I arrived just after Berkley's long TD run. It was a pretty uneventful practice, I was there for probably an hour and I'm not sure if the offense had a play longer than 15 yards. A few more observations to add on to what's been covered:

1. The D-line looks really good. Hank Ekpe looks like a different player. He's chiseled and was able to get into the backfield whenever he wanted to. I also saw a few good pass rushes by Kafo. Elmore, Stelter, Ndondo-Lay, and Moore all got a lot of reps. The starting D-line will be H. Ekpe, Cockran, Richardson, and a tbd DT.
2. They ran a lot of plays with Rodney Smith as the RB, Jeff Jones as the slot WR, and Gentry and Holland on the outside. On one play, Jones caught a pass on a WR screen, juked a defender at the line of scrimmage, and probably gained about 10 yards.
3. Brian Smith played a lot and had a couple of nice 10-12 yard receptions in traffic. I think he will get some playing time this year.
4. Duke McGhee likes to come up and hit. He had some big time pops.
5. Leidner was unimpressive. He missed some really easy throws of less than 5 yards. I liked Perra's arm strength and accuracy from the few throws I saw. Streveler is fast and also looks like he's improved as a passer.
 

The starting D-line will be H. Ekpe, Cockran, Richardson, and a tbd DT.
TBD aka Moore? But the key is rotation without losing effectiveness. The B team DL is key. It comes down to total snaps, keeping players fresh. This is where Elmore, Timms, Stettler, and Ndondlay will be critical.
 



I arrived just after Berkley's long TD run. It was a pretty uneventful practice, I was there for probably an hour and I'm not sure if the offense had a play longer than 15 yards. A few more observations to add on to what's been covered:

1. The D-line looks really good. Hank Ekpe looks like a different player. He's chiseled and was able to get into the backfield whenever he wanted to. I also saw a few good pass rushes by Kafo. Elmore, Stelter, Ndondo-Lay, and Moore all got a lot of reps. The starting D-line will be H. Ekpe, Cockran, Richardson, and a tbd DT.
2. They ran a lot of plays with Rodney Smith as the RB, Jeff Jones as the slot WR, and Gentry and Holland on the outside. On one play, Jones caught a pass on a WR screen, juked a defender at the line of scrimmage, and probably gained about 10 yards.
3. Brian Smith played a lot and had a couple of nice 10-12 yard receptions in traffic. I think he will get some playing time this year.
4. Duke McGhee likes to come up and hit. He had some big time pops.
5. Leidner was unimpressive. He missed some really easy throws of less than 5 yards. I liked Perra's arm strength and accuracy from the few throws I saw. Streveler is fast and also looks like he's improved as a passer.

Glad to hear Brian Smith the young man from the 414 is stepping up. He comes from a very athletic family. His uncle played for the Harlem Globetrotters(back in the day) one of his 1st cousins started 3 yrs at Louisville(bball) and another played at Marquette and with the LA Lakers.
 

TBD aka Moore? But the key is rotation without losing effectiveness. The B team DL is key. It comes down to total snaps, keeping players fresh. This is where Elmore, Timms, Stettler, and Ndondlay will be critical.

TBD likely = Scott Ekpe. What you said is important though. It's not so much who #1 and #2 are, as how strong #3-5 are. We rotate 4 DT's consistently and do it more than any other position. Also the physicality of the position dictates a good chance someone will get injured over the course of a season so going 5 deep is important and 6 deep is a luxury.
 

Glad to hear Brian Smith the young man from the 414 is stepping up. He comes from a very athletic family. His uncle played for the Harlem Globetrotters(back in the day) one of his 1st cousins started 3 yrs at Louisville(bball) and another played at Marquette and with the LA Lakers.

I had a mention of him from the 1st practice. He, along with a few other walk-on WR's all have great size and athleticism. It's really puts our talent level in perspective when you see a guy with Smith's size, build and realize he's a walk-on. These are guys who will really be able to help the team at some point, imo.
 

TBD aka Moore? But the key is rotation without losing effectiveness. The B team DL is key. It comes down to total snaps, keeping players fresh. This is where Elmore, Timms, Stettler, and Ndondlay will be critical.

I would imagine Scott Ekpe has the inside track if he can come back to fall camp healthy. But he's missed a lot of time. If Ekpe isn't ready, my money would be on Stelter starting with heavy doses of Ndondo-Lay and Moore.
 

Only on The Gopherhole will you find the discussion of the defensive line and speculation as to who will start and who will relieve.
 


Only on The Gopherhole will you find the discussion of the defensive line and speculation as to who will start and who will relieve.

I would imagine quite a few GHers are on here looking for information on the football team. That might include who is playing with the 1s in spring practice and who is rotating in. My apologies for posting such controversial information.
 

I would imagine quite a few GHers are on here looking for information on the football team. That might include who is playing with the 1s in spring practice and who is rotating in. My apologies for posting such controversial information.

i think the poster was complimenting you.
 

I'll be attending my first practice this Thursday and second saturday. I'm VERY excited to hear how deep this team is becoming. Something we did not have Kills first few years.
 


Glad to hear Brian Smith the young man from the 414 is stepping up. He comes from a very athletic family. His uncle played for the Harlem Globetrotters(back in the day) one of his 1st cousins started 3 yrs at Louisville(bball) and another played at Marquette and with the LA Lakers.

Two nights ago I was actually watching his HS highlights and looking back on his gopherhole Q&A and his commitment thread as I didn't follow recruiting as closely as I do now and I wasn't very familiar with him before. When you watch it, he looks like just as much of a redone threat as any of our scholarship receivers and very similar to Hunter Register. He doesn't have the speed or explosiveness of Register though but I can see him contributing in the future even with the talented freshman.
 

To make my compliment clear, where else is there that you get reports, comments and in depth discussion. I would doubt any of the media study the team as well as it is covered here.
 




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