Pioneer Press: Gophers defense focused on safer tackling, and fewer flags

BleedGopher

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Daletavious McGhee received his “Duke” nickname from his grandmother after they watched “Dukes of Hazard” more than a decade ago in Georgia.

The moniker stuck from peewee to high school football, and he brought it with him to Minnesota in 2013. The Gophers safety has now built a name for himself on the field, too.

McGhee, a senior projected to start this season, worked his way from redshirt to backup in 2014-15 and up to part-time starter last season, when he and the Gophers defense became linked to a spike in targeting penalties against them.

Minnesota had a Big Ten-leading eight targeting calls, with McGhee flagged three times. After calls that forced Illinois and Northwestern wide receivers to exit those games, he was ejected for targeting in the second half of the 17-12 Holiday Bowl victory over Washington State. By rule, he must sit out the first half of the Gophers’ season opener Thursday against Buffalo at TCF Bank Stadium.

“Duke” doesn’t believe there is anything wrong with his intent.

“If you ever meet me off the field, you know that I’m a really nice guy,” McGhee said. “I am a physical player. As far as targeting, I think it’s a great rule to incorporate in college football, especially when you look at the well-being of players. I support the rule 100 percent.”

Since targeting was introduced in 2008 and ejections were added in 2013, the number of calls last season increased to the most ever across Football Bowl Subdivision. The overall number of calls went from 55 in 2013 to 195 last season. Targeting addresses player safety for hits from the helmet, shoulder and arms to bring forcible contact at the head or neck area of an opponent.

“(Minnesota) had eight in the season and all of them were correct,” Bill Carollo, the Big Ten’s coordinator of football officials, said at the conference’s media days in July.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/08/28/gophers-defense-focused-on-safer-tackling-and-fewer-flags/

Go Gophers!!
 


“(Minnesota) had eight in the season and all of them were correct,” Bill Carollo, the Big Ten’s coordinator of football officials, said at the conference’s media days in July.

LOL!
 


No kidding. Immediately thought of the OSU reversal on ML.

http://www.startribune.com/college-...sal-after-big-hit-on-mitch-leidner/347323842/

On this hit, “If you look from behind, it looks like targeting,” Carollo said. “And if you saw the officials on the field, they conferred. One threw the flag, and the other didn’t think it was [targeting].”
The replay official needed indisputable evidence to overturn the targeting call. Carollo said ABC had 11 “very usable” camera angles. The replay official based his decision on a high angle, coming from Leidner’s right side, and the left side of the defense.
 



I do want him to level ( legally ) that little smart piss ant Jizz Peavey from Wisconsin.
 

The only one I had an issue with last year was the one on Rallis in the Purdue game.

I like the rule, but it HAS to be called more consistently. There were at least 3 or 4 in Clemson-Alabama title game last year that should have been called. But hey.....don't let the refs decide a championship, right?
 





When the intent was clearly not to target, e.g. Celestin, there has to be an exception.

Compare Celestin's hit to either of the OSU hit on Leidner, or the Iowa DB drilling him in the side of the head as he runs out of bounds, totally unnecessarily, and there is a problem.
 

When the intent was clearly not to target, e.g. Celestin, there has to be an exception.

Compare Celestin's hit to either of the OSU hit on Leidner, or the Iowa DB drilling him in the side of the head as he runs out of bounds, totally unnecessarily, and there is a problem.

Was that the hit that caused Mitch's concussion and TC was totally gonna get fired for continuing to play Mitch?
 

Yes. Not sure about the second part.

Technically, Mitch was a runner and fair game but the hit was unnecessary. Compare to the love tap Waters gave the PSU punter ( not to head) and earned an ejection. Unnecessary roughness on Mitch but no call. Shoving the headhunting punter: ejection.

I don't get it.
 

That was definently a cheap shot on the punter, no need for it.
 



Yes. Not sure about the second part.

Technically, Mitch was a runner and fair game but the hit was unnecessary. Compare to the love tap Waters gave the PSU punter ( not to head) and earned an ejection. Unnecessary roughness on Mitch but no call. Shoving the headhunting punter: ejection.

I don't get it.

Even with the ejection, I still smile whenever the punter hit is brought up. Still don't get why a lot of media called it a cheap shot. He saw Waters coming plus they had tussled earlier. He did a serious flop as well.
 

Let's face it - for 98% of football fans, if a call benefits your team, it's a good call. If it benefits the other team, it's a bad call. maybe 2% of fans are truly objective - on a good day.

there is always going to be a grey area on certain calls. the game is played by humans and officiated by humans. officials don't see the plays in super slo-mo high-def. they can only make the calls they see. hopefully, the replay system works to overturn any obvious errors.
 

That was definently a cheap shot on the punter, no need for it.

It was unnecessary roughness (although some will say deserved). The point is there is an emphasis on avoiding concussions/ unnecessary head shots but that hasn't extended to the play I alluded to, while physically unavoidable hits are drawing ejections.
 

Yes. Not sure about the second part.

Technically, Mitch was a runner and fair game but the hit was unnecessary. Compare to the love tap Waters gave the PSU punter ( not to head) and earned an ejection. Unnecessary roughness on Mitch but no call. Shoving the headhunting punter: ejection.

I don't get it.
Not the punter, that was the kicker. I'm pretty sure that guy quit football.


http://fox43.com/2017/07/25/penn-state-kicker-joey-julius-removed-from-teams-roster/
Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 

That was definently a cheap shot on the punter, no need for it.

Maybe an unnecessary hit but I loved it. The guy wanted to act like he was a real football player. Real football players take shots like that. After that, he decided to go back to being a kicker and let the others do the dirty work.
 


Maybe an unnecessary hit but I loved it. The guy wanted to act like he was a real football player. Real football players take shots like that. After that, he decided to go back to being a kicker and let the others do the dirty work.

When Rhys Lloyd won the game for us against Wisconsin (or Oregon for that matter) or even Carpenter having to make that field goal last year against Rutgers, etc. etc. was the kicker a real football player?
 


Julius had his share of blocks and tackles on kickoffs. If the kicker wants to get involved he should expect to get blocked as well. That was a great hit that shouldn't have been targeting (roughing penalty no doubt).

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

When Rhys Lloyd won the game for us against Wisconsin (or Oregon for that matter) or even Carpenter having to make that field goal last year against Rutgers, etc. etc. was the kicker a real football player?
Are kickers ever real football players? Are goalies ever real hockey players? Is golf really a sport?

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk
 



Ok, I'll go with yes, yes, and no. No offense (if it can be done while drinking and smoking, it's not a sport).

Well I mean yeah for average rubes playing each weekend, they can do that. It's not like the pros or college guys are doing that while they play. If drinking and/or smoking is your threshold, I played in beer league flag football and softball leagues before the wife and kid(s) where there was drinking while the game was being played. Are they not sports? I guess to me it depends on what level of play you're talking about.

I get it, you don't think it's a sport and you don't have to, that's fine. I love it and I consider it a sport. Let's just say we agree to disagree and move on because this is way OT

Ultimately getting back to my main point being that kickers are absolutely football players, especially at the D1 level. Some of them are on scholarships and can win or lose a game for you.
 

Good kickers and punters are worth their weight in gold. They are extremely valuable members of the football team and are by definition football players.

I think his point was most kickers aren't actively running downfield looking to blow up returners like Julius was, instead of hanging back and maybe guiding a breakthrough returner like a sheepdog or maybe diving at their legs. When Julius did get blocked he flopped like a soccer player. How many football players flop?
 




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