Athleticism Improves Gopher Defense
With 10 games remaining on the schedule
there’s no need to rush to judgment about the Gopher defense. Still,
Minnesota has won its first two games and in the process the defense has
indicated its predicted improvement from last season is reality.
In wins over Northern Illinois and Bowling
Green the Gophers have given up a total of 34 points. In the first two
games last year, a loss to Bowling Green and a win against Miami of
Ohio, the total was 67 points. (All are Mid-American Conference teams.)
In the first two games this season the
Gophers have held opponents to 100 yards per game rushing, 293.5 passing
and 393.5 total offense. For all of last season the totals
were 229.3 rushing, 289.3 passing and 518.7 total yards. In the first
two games last season opponents averaged 129.5 rushing, 415 passing and
544.5 total yards.
With several new starters, added
athleticism and a fresh approach with new defensive coordinator
Ted
Roof, the Gophers want to believe they’re revitalized defensively.
Senior linebacker Deon Hightower talked about the defense’s
success in the first two games and the resulting confidence.
“I think it helps our confidence
tremendously because making plays in practice is great, but also it comes
down to executing when it’s not going against your buddies,” he said.
“Going against somebody else that wants to score just as much as you
want to prevent them to score.”
Senior linebacker Steve Davis was
literally wearing a construction job hard hat in the Gopher football
offices this week, a reward for an aggressive hit he put on a Bowling
Green player in last week’s game. Coaches named him the weekly winner
of the team’s “Hard Hat” award.
Davis has played on some much criticized Gopher defenses in the past. “I am convinced this is a very
sound defense that we have right now,” he said last week.
Davis believes there’s more ability on this defense than in the past.
“Athletic wise, yes, I feel like this is the most talented so far,” he
said. “...We’ve still got a lot of young guys who have to
learn a lot of things as far as like technique wise and assignment wise.
…”
He and other seniors are playing for their
third defensive coordinator in four years. Roof is a former head coach
at Duke and was one of the great linebackers in Georgia Tech history.
“Coach Roof is the type of guy where he
can get on you when you’re doing wrong and correct you,” Davis said.
“Since he is a guy who was like a great, great football player himself,
so you kind of take…that to heart, especially as a linebacker. At the
same time he can be that guy that laugh with you, joke with you. Be your
friend. …We respect his words a lot. …”
The Gophers may improve their defensive
numbers tomorrow against Montana State, a team that lost 69-10 to Kansas
State last week. The Bobcats, though, pulled a surprise two years ago
defeating Colorado of the Big 12 Conference, 19-10.
