Gopher Fans Will See More Freshman Against Ohio

[Iceland12]

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-fans-will-see-more-freshmen-saturday-vs-ohio/329361261/

Coach Jerry Kill said Thursday on his weekly KFAN (100.3-FM) appearance that true freshman running back Shannon Brooks will see an increased role this week.

The Gophers entered the year with senior Rodrick Williams atop the tailback depth chart. Kill said Williams will still play, but it sounds like redshirt freshman Rodney Smith and Brooks could carry more of the load. Kill said that’s a tough decision because “I love Rodrick to death.”

Williams has averaged 3.3 yards on his 21 carries. Smith is at 4.0 in 67 carries. Brooks has played on special teams and was in for one offensive play against Colorado State, a fumbled handoff from Mitch Leidner.

“[Brooks] is a true freshman, but he’s too good of a player to stand next to me,” Kill said.

The Gophers have also given reps to three freshmen on the offensive line this week: Bronson Dovich, Quinn Oseland and Tyler Moore. Kill said Nick Connelly would be added to that list, had he not suffered a concussion.

Jones update

Redshirt freshman receiver Jeff Jones has played only sparingly through three games, without touching the ball. Kill mentioned that Jones is still catching up after missing practice time with migraines.

“So he’s still learning what to do,” Kill said. “He’s getting better at it, but KJ Maye and those guys are older and doing some good things.”

 

[Iceland12]

Gopherholers To Go After Sonja?

Empathy for Leidner

Speaking tongue-in-cheek to KFAN about the scrutiny quarterback Mitch Leidner faces, Kill said: “You know, talking to him, I won’t recruit another quarterback from the state of Minnesota. It’s too hard on them. I mean, you guys ask me questions every day about it. But he gets — his parents get abused. I mean, he can’t go out.

“It’s like I told him, ‘Welcome to the real world.’ You’ve got to find a way to shut all that out, and just — you can’t start thinking you’re not good. You’ve got to hang in there mentally.”

Kill most certainly would recruit another Minnesota quarterback, but he was serious about how hard the criticism can be for a local player. Kill gets it, too, even from his own mother, Sonja. She turned 75 on Thursday and told her son the Gophers “didn’t play very well” against Kent State.

“So I told Mitch, ‘Hey, my mom yelled at me, so what the heck?’ ” Kill said

Gopherholers flood Sonja's e-mail with complaints! Most demanding if "she'd ever played the game!" Or "knew as much as her son did!'

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

appearance that true freshman running back Shannon Brooks will see an increased role this week.

The Gophers entered the year with senior Rodrick Williams atop the tailback depth chart. Kill said Williams will still play, but it sounds like redshirt freshman Rodney Smith and Brooks could carry more of the load. Kill said that’s a tough decision because “I love Rodrick to death.”


“[Brooks] is a true freshman, but he’s too good of a player to stand next to me,” Kill said.

The Gophers have also given reps to three freshmen on the offensive line this week: Bronson Dovich, Quinn Oseland and Tyler Moore. Kill said Nick Connelly would be added to that list, had he not suffered a concussion.

[/I]

Man it seemed like Smith showed a lot of promise but now Brooks too?

If they stack the box nobody is getting through no matter who runs. I can run and get pummeled for them, would be better than getting them hit.....


If we don't establish any kind of passing attack and get a push from the line it won't matter how many RBs we throw out there.

 

[RolGnav]

"I hate Jeff Jones"

-Jerry Kill

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

"I hate Jeff Jones"

-Jerry Kill

Well if you hate a guy ... making him a WR on this team would be a good way to exact some revenge at the moment ... not that I think that is the case but having a guy run around with little chance of getting in the game like that might be a thing to do I guess.

 

[DoubleB]

I dont know what to think about the Jeff Jones thing

where is Berkley Edwards? either one of these guys should be able to take the reps of Brooks. What has brooks done to warrant playing time? the dude was involved in a fumble. whether or not it was his fault or not. one play and the next thing the coaches are saying more reps?

Roderick fumbles and he gets demoted.

 

[Nax91]

I would like to see some new players out there. Through the first three games, I'm not really liking Maye. Too many dropped passes. Would like to see what Jeff Jones can do.

 

[Gopher028]

Jeff Jones probably missed a block in spring practice and Kill is sitting him for the season to fix his mistake..

 

[Gopher028]

And Berkeley Edwards, Kill coined "lightning in a bottle', we gotta get that kid the ball", hasn't seen the field. Hurt?...Or

 

[MNVCGUY]

And Berkeley Edwards, Kill coined "lightning in a bottle', we gotta get that kid the ball", hasn't seen the field. Hurt?...Or

Maybe he still pans out but my feeling on Edwards from day 1 was that if he was really a great player there is no way he would have gotten out of the state of Michigan, he would be a Wolverine.

People are fixating on the skill guys but I am far more concerned about hearing we may be giving playing time to 3 freshman on the o-line. It is really rare for freshman to have success on the offensive line, they almost always need time to mature before they are ready for the Big Ten. Guys like Setterstrom and Eslinger were the exception not the rule in terms of being ready to play from day one. Hope those guys can grow up quick.

 

[Spoofin]

And Berkeley Edwards, Kill coined "lightning in a bottle', we gotta get that kid the ball", hasn't seen the field. Hurt?...Or

Or he has been overrated since the day he got here and there is a reason MI didn't offer him. It is a possibility.

 

[Spoofin]

Jeff Jones probably missed a block in spring practice and Kill is sitting him for the season to fix his mistake..

Kill sat Cobb basically for 2 years in large part because didn't do the "other things" needed to be a team player. Builder of men.

 

[Section2]

Or he has been overrated since the day he got here and there is a reason MI didn't offer him. It is a possibility.

he hurt his ankle in camp, so yes he is hurt. Best attribute for an RB is making the first guy miss consistently. Rodney does that, Cobb did that, Shannon Brooks did that in the scrimmage. Roderick doesn't often do that. Berkley hasn't done that. Roderick in particular almost always goes down on first contact. yes, he might push the pile a yard.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I dont know what to think about the Jeff Jones thing

where is Berkley Edwards? either one of these guys should be able to take the reps of Brooks. What has brooks done to warrant playing time? the dude was involved in a fumble. whether or not it was his fault or not. one play and the next thing the coaches are saying more reps?

Roderick fumbles and he gets demoted.

Simply put. Edwards isn't good enough and Jones is behind our top WR on the Depth Chart. KJ Maye is our best WR at the same position Jones is playing.

 

[jaymil]

I dont know what to think about the Jeff Jones thing

where is Berkley Edwards? either one of these guys should be able to take the reps of Brooks. What has brooks done to warrant playing time? the dude was involved in a fumble. whether or not it was his fault or not. one play and the next thing the coaches are saying more reps?

Roderick fumbles and he gets demoted.

Might have something to do with Rodrick's 3.3 yards per carry as well.

 

[Spoofin]

Croft, Perra, JJ, Berkely. These are likely the 4 players asked for most on this board. What do they all have in common? They don't get any (real) playing time. Are the coaches always this wrong? Notice the trend. If you are one of the many always asking for 2, 3, or even all 4 of these guys that should tell you something.

 

[John Galt]

Croft, Perra, JJ, Berkely. These are likely the 4 players asked for most on this board. What do they all have in common? They don't get any (real) playing time. Are the coaches always this wrong? Notice the trend. If you are one of the many always asking for 2, 3, or even all 4 of these guys that should tell you something.

I don't really understand your point.

 

[Spoofin]

I don't really understand your point.

Just that nobody says "get KJ the ball more", "throw to Drew more", "Run Rodney more." It seems folks are always looking for some savior and assume he is sitting on the bench and the coaches are too dumb to realize it.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Croft, Perra, JJ, Berkely. These are likely the 4 players asked for most on this board. What do they all have in common? They don't get any (real) playing time. Are the coaches always this wrong? Notice the trend. If you are one of the many always asking for 2, 3, or even all 4 of these guys that should tell you something.

Berkely got a handful of carries last year. He's got promise but had a couple times where he was injured and really seems like a guy you have to get in open space rather than bounce off guys or plow through the line.

And really as for RB, I don't know what changing that up will do with everyone in the box....

 

[Spoofin]

Berkely got a handful of carries last year. He's got promise but had a couple times where he was injured and really seems like a guy you have to get in open space rather than bounce off guys or plow through the line.

And really as for RB, I don't know what changing that up will do with everyone in the box....

Berkely also struggled with breaking tackles, blocking, and catching. I love his speed, but seemed awfully limited IMO. He has now been passed by a RSFr and a TFr.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Berkely also struggled with breaking tackles, blocking, and catching. I love his speed, but seemed awfully limited IMO. He has now been passed by a RSFr and a TFr.

Totally. He's not an every play RB, power isn't his thing.... I'd like to see them put him in and then have him run out underneath and get a little pass to him over the middle so he can turn on the jets with a little space.

I thought Smith looked good this year when he had a chance, and Jerry is talking about another dude. That's a big line of guys in front of him.

 

[Iceland12]

Just that nobody says "get KJ the ball more", "throw to Drew more", "Run Rodney more." It seems folks are always looking for some savior and assume he is sitting on the bench and the coaches are too dumb to realize it.

To be fair there were a lot of "run Rodney more" posts after the TCU game. They also should target Wolitarsky more, in less it's a case of him not getting open. More than one of his catches this year looked like it was "thrown into cover", but he did catch the ball.

The other problem with talking about throwing to Drew more is it would be a double-barreled offender. People who think Mitch can't throw would bitch about it and so would the "they should only RUN the ball" crowd too.

 

[imthewalrus]

This is today and what was said today. Tomorrow will be another day and it is entirely possible that something else might be said, thought or done tomorrow. Watch what the Coach does, not only what he says. One of the least productive things a head coach ever does is "...meet the press..." from week to week during the football season. "...games happen...it's not what you heard might happen...it is what you see actually happening on the field during the games that is the gospel truth..."

Beat the stinking Bobcat, Gopher!

 

[John Galt]

Just that nobody says "get KJ the ball more", "throw to Drew more", "Run Rodney more." It seems folks are always looking for some savior and assume he is sitting on the bench and the coaches are too dumb to realize it.

Agree. It's always more fun for fans to think the next Heisman winner is sitting on the bench and just not being used properly.

 

[Kuato Lives!]

To be fair there were a lot of "run Rodney more" posts after the TCU game. .

He was also technically the backup, so...

 

[corcoran1]

Maybe with Jeff J having migraines the coaches thought he might take less of a bruising at WR, or maybe they wanted him to actually learn a position and not get moved around all the time.
Or maybe they really enjoy not playing their best players so they can beat KSU by 3, and PO all of the fans..

 

[Iceland12]

He was also technically the backup, so...

But no one asked for him until after he had gotten off the bench and played so....