Official 2012 Gopher Fall Camp Thread: Updates, Analysis, Links, etc.

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per Shama:

Shortell Feels on Different ‘Level’
August 21, 2012 - (0) comments



When cramps forced quarterback MarQueis Gray to the sidelines in the Gophers opener last year against USC, true freshman Max Shortell had to enter the game in the fabled Los Angeles Coliseum. Shortell would later start two games for the Gophers.

Looking back at last year, Shortell said he realizes how inexperienced he was. If called upon to replace Gray this season he will be much more comfortable.

“Last year I was almost just trying to make it through,” he said last week. “This year I feel like I am on a whole different level.”

Shortell, who completed 26 of 54 passes while throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions, acknowledged that for a backup quarterback to watch from the sidelines in games not knowing when he will play presents a challenge.

“It’s hard the whole game to be focused (while) on the sidelines,” he said. “Coming into the game you know you’re not going to play but you have to be in every snap all week mentally. You have to be prepared to play.

“As far as staying loose on the sidelines, that’s really hard to do. Especially when it’s cold out. …It’s real tough just to be waiting.”

Gray is a senior and could be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Shortell’s playing time might be even less than last season when he participated in eight games.

“I hope I can play,” Shortell said. “I hope I can push MarQueis and step in when I need to.”

Shortell said the Gophers offense, now in its second season with a new coaching staff, is “light years” ahead of where it was in August of 2011. “We’re making plays that we just missed last year. In games we just missed plays and now out here on the practice field we’re making these plays.”

Gophers football notes and other items:

A priority for the Gophers in practice during August is special teams. Coach Jerry Kill and his staff came to Minnesota from Northern Illinois with a reputation for producing results with special teams. Minnesota won only three games last season but the recovery of a fourth quarter onside kickoff was a big play in a 22-21 win over Iowa and a fourth quarter blocked punt turned into a touchdown produced the final Gophers points in a 29-23 victory against Miami (Ohio).

Punting, kickoffs, coverages and returns receive Kill’s attention and it’s a good bet the Gophers will turn another game or two their way in 2012 with special teams. “I think you always win in the kicking game,” Kill said last week. “If you go look at NFL—at college football—the good teams gotta be good on special teams. Because you’re gonna win some games on special teams, or you gonna lose some games. And we’ve spent a heck of a lot of time on trying to win, and we’ve always been pretty good at it everywhere we’ve been. …”

Look for Kill to announce his starters for the UNLV game (August 30) in six days or so. Regardless, in certain position units like the defensive line Kill will play subs, not just starters, in game action.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 


1500: Michael Carter has 'no regrets' as he tries to overcome past mistakes

"His mindset had to be reframed. Coming from high school, being a Parade All-American you think you go to a college and everybody is going to think you're good," Tyrone Carter said. "But you still have to work and you still have to do it on and off the field to play on this level.

"He was getting into a lot of trouble off the field. The mental mindset started to go away, because he wasn't playing as much as he would like. But the reason he wasn't playing was because he wasn't taking care of his business off the field."

Kill had seen enough. He called Carter into his office and unloaded on the soon-to-be senior in brutally honest fashion, giving him the ultimatum that a transformation had to take place or his career would sputter to a close.

"Me and coach Kill had a long talk and he kept it real with me and I kept it real with him," Carter said. "He gave me another shot and I was like, 'What am I going to do with it?'"

Carter began by calling his cousin. Tyrone's refrain had not been altered much, but what he had been trying to get Carter to understand for the last three years started to make sense.

Like Kill, Tyrone didn't hold back during a conversation that lasted several hours.

"I sat down and talked with my cousin for a while and he was like, 'It is time to buy in and mature up. This a game you love and you only get one time to play it. So lock in and let's go,'" Carter said.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...s_as_he_tries_to_overcome_past_mistakes082112

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
FSN: Thompson took unique path to Minnesota

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/08/21...nding_gophers.html?blockID=778665&feedID=5930

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Wow! Coach Kill has often said football can save lives. He has made me a believer after reading the stories about Cedric Thompson, Andre McDonald, Covante Johnson, Jordan Hinojosa and many others. If my son wanted to play division 1 football I would want coach Kill and his staff to coach him and give him life lessons.
 



This is interesting:

PiPress Gophers Now ‏@GophersNow
Gophers OC Matt Limegrover said on @ESPN1500 just now that the two guards spots are still open. Ed Olson and Josh Campion will be 2 tackles.

https://twitter.com/GophersNow/status/238068324314013697

I've got to believe that Tommy Olson will be at one guard spot. Who's at the other guard? Zac Epping?
 

mkAz said:
This is interesting:

PiPress Gophers Now ‏@GophersNow
Gophers OC Matt Limegrover said on @ESPN1500 just now that the two guards spots are still open. Ed Olson and Josh Campion will be 2 tackles.

https://twitter.com/GophersNow/status/238068324314013697

I've got to believe that Tommy Olson will be at one guard spot. Who's at the other guard? Zac Epping?
Click to expand...

Interesting. I wonder if there is some motivational ploy at work, I figured the Olson brothers and Epping were set, and that center and RT would be the open spots. Nice to hear that Campion has impressed, it doesn't hurt that he's already 20 or 21.
 






PiPress: Gophers football: Offensive line set except for center

Entering this week, the University of Minnesota had settled only on its two starting tackles, Ed Olson and Josh Campion. But offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said Wednesday, Aug. 22, that Olson's younger brother, Tommy, and Zac Epping had won the guard positions.

The last spot on the line is between centers Zach Mottla and Jon Christenson.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_21377192/gophers-football-offensive-line-set-except-center

Go Gophers!!
 








Tweet from Marcus: "Biggest surprises in #Gophers camp this year might be frosh DB Eric Murray and junior WR AJ Barker, Coach Kill said today. Both could play."

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Great headline from ESPN: Gophers' Hageman not your average human

"I'm not really the normal human being," Hageman told ESPN.com. "I know what God gave me, and I want to use my talents to the best of my ability."

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/63991/gophers-hageman-not-your-average-human




Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Whoa!

So why does he receive so much attention? Well, just look at him.

He's 6-foot-6 and 301 pounds. He's lean, strong and quick. He has a 36-inch vertical leap and was recruited for basketball coming out of Minneapolis' Washburn High School.

Some athletes inspire hyperbole because of what they do between the lines. Hageman simply has to show up.

"I'm not really the normal human being," Hageman told ESPN.com. "I know what God gave me, and I want to use my talents to the best of my ability."

Hageman's challenge this season is maximizing his natural gifts. If successful, he'll give the Gophers' defensive line a much-needed spark. If successful, he'll no longer be a guy who simply looks good in a uniform.
 

PiPress: Gophers football: Jerry Kill lets kicking competition continue

"We put (Hawthorne and Wettstein) in two pressure situations the other day," Kill said. "They both succeeded, which is a good problem. They both have good strengths. If we have one that's a better kickoff guy and one's a better field goal (guy), you can do that also."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci...-jerry-kill-lets-kicking-competition-continue

Go Gophers!!
 




station19 said:
SI will come to regret that.
Click to expand...

And somehow Jerry Kill is listed as being close to the hotseat. Thats not even remotely the case and how does he get mentioned ahead of Wilson at Indiana. Didn't they lose to an I-AA last year?
 


Tim Riggins said:
And somehow Jerry Kill is listed as being close to the hotseat. Thats not even remotely the case and how does he get mentioned ahead of Wilson at Indiana. Didn't they lose to an I-AA last year?
Click to expand...
It's an incredibly lazy list. Anyone could look at the size of Kill's buyout and the length of his contract and realize he'll be back in 2013 under almost any scenario.
 


Gopherprof said:
Good. I like Donnell. Haven't seen enough of Gillium to form an opinion, but Donnell runs hard and is a load to bring down. Good fit for the system.
Click to expand...

I agree, as far as stictly running the ball, he was the most impressive last year.

I hope he can stay healthy.
 


per Shama:

Here’s Your U Football Predictions
August 24, 2012

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Sports Headliners evaluated the Gophers coaching, special teams, and offensive and defensive units. With 12 teams in the Big Ten Conference, a number of 1 through 12 was assigned to where those entities rank.

The Gophers (with a tweak of optimism) were given an overall No. 7 ranking (63 points divided by 9). That means Minnesota is projected as the seventh best team in the conference this fall.

Here’s how Sports Headliners arrived at that number:

Coaching: Former LSU and Indiana head coach Gerry DiNardo, now working as an analyst for the Big Ten Network, said earlier this month Gophers coach Jerry Kill and his staff will consistently win games against teams with similar talent. That’s coaching, folks.

But until this staff, now in its second year at Minnesota, accomplishes more than last season’s 3-9 record Sports Headliners can’t vault the group near the top of the Big Ten coaching ladder. Let’s say Minnesota’s coaches are better than Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue. Rank: 7.

Special teams: Kill is all-in about special teams and the results should be a team strength. Competition for assignments and team speed will help the Gophers in punting, kickoffs, field goals, coverages and returns.

The team’s punting was a nightmare last season but in practice this month four punters are trying to win the job. Also, placekickers Jordan Wettstein (six of six) and Chris Hawthorne (six of nine) combined for 12 field goals last season and have been competing in camp. Wettstein is a senior, Hawthorne a junior.

Troy Stoudermire holds the career Big Ten kickoff yardage return record with 3,102. He needs 315 yards to set the NCAA record.

Last season the Gophers blocked a punt and executed a key onside kick to help win games. With more experience, the Gophers figure to be even better in special teams—long known as an impressive part of the Kill resume. Rank: 6.

Quarterback: The Big Ten has lots of promising quarterbacks so it requires some faith in MarQueis Gray’s extraordinary athleticism to push him toward the top of the rankings. Even the casual fan knows Gray, who set school single game and season rushing records for a quarterback last year, must improve his passing in 2012.

Last season he threw eight touchdown passes and the same number of interceptions. Now a senior, Gray understands the Gophers system and how to read defenses better than last year, his first full season as a starting quarterback.

Kill has confidence in Gray and there’s no doubt he’s the team’s preseason choice for MVP. Sports Headliners wants a seat on the Gray bandwagon while noting if the Gophers lose him because of injury…well, their season looks grey. Rank: 5.

Running backs: When DiNardo was in Minneapolis to evaluate the Gophers for the Big Ten Network he spoke bluntly about the running backs. The pronouncement: no one in the group scares opponents.

It’s hard not to nod in agreement with that statement, and passionate Gophers fans will argue Minnesota hasn’t had a big time talent at running back since Gary Russell was finishing his brief career here. During the coming season Kill will provide playing time to at least a couple of running backs, perhaps several.

The by-committee approach is one Kill used at other schools where he’s coached. That could change some day if the Gophers find another Laurence Maroney or Marion Barber III, but for now the running back unit doesn’t look like a strength. Rank: 9.

Wide receivers & tight ends: The Gophers had 10 receptions for touchdowns last season. Returning players accounted for only three. Senior wide receiver Brandon Green caught one touchdown pass and senior tight end John Rabe had two.

Kill told Sports Headliners earlier this year the Gophers have to find receivers who can “go make a play.” That sometimes means a difficult catch or a long run after a reception. Rabe figures to start at tight end but who will get the most playing time at the other receiving positions is puzzling.

This much is for sure: most of those who will make big plays for the Gophers catching the ball will be freshmen and sophomores. There’s talent in the group but until proven differently skepticism is justified. Rank: 8.

Offensive line: If the Gophers are to eventually approach the success of Wisconsin or even Iowa, this unit needs to become a program strength. State of Minnesota high school programs should be able to mainstream promising offensive linemen to Dinkytown, guys at least good enough for Kill and staff to bulk up and coach up to a high level.

The line will be better than a year ago with young talent starting to mature. The unit’s star likely will be junior left tackle Ed Olson. Kill has told Sports Headliners Olson could experience a “breakout” season.

The Gophers have a half dozen or so freshmen, sophomore and junior candidates who could factor into contributing to an improved offensive line. The opinion here, though, is the line is at least one year away from being outstanding. Rank: No. 7.

Defensive line: Let’s count the seasons the Gophers have had poor defensive line play and the pass rush was…well, what pass rush? Never mind. I don’t have time to count that high.

The Gophers defense gave up 31.1 points per game last season. That ranked 11th in the Big Ten and the performance of the defensive line was part of the problem. This season’s unit will be more experienced and has a potential star (a rarity in recent program history) in defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman. The redshirt junior from Minneapolis could be difficult for opponents to block and may become one of Minnesota’s most dominant linemen in years.

Kill will play numerous linemen in games to keep them fresh. At least some look like they bring special skill sets like pass rusher Theiren Cockran and hard working former walk-on Cameron Botticelli. Kill has achieved success at other schools with a strong defense and this year’s version could be much improved. Rank: No. 7.

Linebackers: Kill talks about having only 10 seniors on the roster but this is a unit with experience. Senior linebackers Keanon Cooper, Aaron Hill, Mike Rallis and Spencer Reeves have 45 career starts.

But perhaps the star of the unit could be James Manuel, a junior and converted safety. Two years ago during August practices then head coach Tim Brewster was excited about Manuel. In Manuel’s first two seasons he started only three games but the player Brewster described as “a man” at 19 years old is talented.

Can the unit make a lot of big plays for the Gophers game-by-game? We’ll see. Rank: No. 8.

Defensive backs: The Gophers secondary produced only four interceptions last season, and like the other parts of the defense the tackling was inconsistent. But this could be one of the most improved units on the team in 2012.

Kill can start two senior cornerbacks in Stoudermire and Michael Carter. Junior Derrick Wells has been converted from cornerback to safety and before August practices started, Kill mentioned Wells among potential key contributors on the team.

There’s more good news, too, with the addition of three junior college transfers in the secondary. They provide needed depth, experience, athleticism and speed. Rank: 6.

Conclusion: If Gray plays in all 12 games and the Gophers don’t have an epidemic of injuries overall, Minnesota could win five to seven games. A 3-1 or 4-0 record in nonconference games looks probable. Then two or three wins in the Big Ten is realistic. Expect the Gophers not only to improve on last year’s 3-9 record, but to be more competitive and perform better throughout the fall than they did from game 1 through 12 in 2011.

Go Gophers!!
 

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