Tracy Claeys voiced his optimism this spring about the Gophers, predicting the team could win eight, nine or 10 games next fall. The new head coach will receive no argument from his former boss.
“I think the Gophers will have a great year,” Jerry Kill said. “I think coach Claeys feels good about it.”
Kill brought Claeys and other assistant coaches to Minnesota more than five years ago after having winning teams at Northern Illinois. Not long after arriving in Minneapolis, Kill delivered the news that it would take time to turn the program around.
And it did as the Gophers worked on recovering from the coach Tim Brewster era when he compiled an 18-39 record.
Kill’s records in 2011 and 2012 were 3-9 and 6-7. Then came 8-5 seasons in 2013 and 2014—before last year’s surprising 6-7 record. The Gophers were struck hard by injuries, a difficult schedule and the resignation of Kill.
This year the schedule is less imposing with the removal of national powers Michigan, TCU and Ohio State. The difference between the schedules of 2015 and 2016 was on Kill’s radar a long time ago. He knew years six (2016) and seven (2017) of the program could be his best in Dinkytown, with easier schedules and better players than in the past.
“I think they’ve got an opportunity to win nine or 10 games (this season),” Kill told Sports Headliners by telephone Monday.
The national media, though, is cautious about the Gophers who are a popular choice to finish fifth in the Big Ten’s seven team West Division behind Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Predictions are the Gophers can improve on last season’s 6-7 overall record and 2-6 Big Ten Conference total, but this is still a team that ranks in the lower half of the league and is assigned a spot like No. 60 in the nation.
Preseason predictions are interesting but they obviously come without guarantees. Kill believes the Gophers can move through their 12-game schedule with minimal on field defeats if the team avoids a serious outbreak of injuries.
“Nobody (predictors) knows who is going to do what because of the injury situation,” Kill said. “We thought we would have a very good team a year ago. After playing TCU (opening game) we had a beat up team, and then injury after injury after injury. Probably the most injuries I’ve ever seen in a football team in my coaching career.
“Nobody knows who is going to win what, because nobody knows who is going to be healthy at the end of the year. The most important thing abut winning is staying healthy.”
Kill rebuilt the Gophers program with a defense led by Claeys, his coordinator. The stats say Minnesota was better on defense than offense last season, and this fall the Gophers figure to make an impression again and perhaps have one of the best defensive units in the West Division.
The Gophers ranked seventh in the Big Ten in total defense last season. About half of the starters return on the defensive unit including some of the best players—defensive tackle Steven Richardson, linebackers Jack Lynn and Cody Poock, and safety Damarius Travis who is the team’s best defender.
Minnesota has to replace its cornerbacks from last season and Kill believes the transition to new starters will work but he does have a concern about defensive backs. “Probably the biggest question mark (about the defense) is depth in the secondary,” he said. “There’s some (redshirt) freshmen that are going to have to fill in some roles. They don’t have to be starters but they gotta be able to fill some roles.”
Claeys has a new offensive coordinator in Jay Johnson and new line coach in Bart Miller. The hope is the maturity of offensive players, the change in coaches and a revised offensive system will perk things up on the scoreboard. Generally, Kill’s teams over the years were better defensively than offensively. Last year the Gophers ranked No. 12 in total offense and No. 13 in scoring offense among Big Ten teams.
The fate of the Gophers on both sides of the ball will greatly be determined by line play. Kill said the defensive line “should be very strong.” He is optimistic about the offensive line, too.
“I think there’s more talent up front than there was a year ago,” he said. “Of course, they’re going to have stay healthy because there’s still not enough depth.”
Kill stressed the importance of offensive tackle Garrison Wright and guard Vincent Calhoun, both junior college transfers. “Those junior college kids gotta come thru and I think they will,” Kill said. “They got to come in at semester (January) and learn what to do, and I think that’s certainly going to help them.”
Senior tackle Jonah Pirsig, 6-9, 316 pounds, will need to be another key contributor. “Jonah is a big time player,” Kill said. “I think he’s got a chance to play in the National Football League if he continues to get better. He’s so big. … He’s gotten stronger in the weight room. His feet have gotten better. Technically he’s got to continue to improve but he has the ability and size for what they’re looking for (NFL scouts).”
Kill attended a few spring practices and among the players he noticed was tackle Chad Fahning, a redshirt junior walk-on from DeLaSalle High School. “He had a hell of a spring until he got hurt,” Kill said.
Quarterback Mitch Leidner had some of his best career moments toward the end of last season. Leidner, a redshirt senior, is being mentioned as a quarterback who interests the NFL. “I think he’ll have a great year,” Kill said.
Kill also likes Gophers running backs Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith, two players who made a major impact as freshmen in 2015. Then when Kill talks about receivers, it’s obvious Brandon Lingen is a favorite.
“Tight end wise, Brandon Lingen is as good as there is,” Kill said. “I think (he is) a guy that is an all-conference player.”
Kill always emphasized special teams at Minnesota and other places he coached. That high standard is likely to continue under Claeys, who retained nearly all of Kill’s staff. A special teams area in the spotlight starting in August is Claeys’ decision to make Ryan Santos, the field goal specialist last year, the punter in 2016. Emmit Carpenter, who impressed during the spring, could be the team’s new field goal specialist.
The Gophers are replacing punter Peter Mortell who used up his eligibility. Kill believes the 6-6, 250-pound Santos has the leg to be an effective punter but might have assigned Santos the new job while allowing him to keep the old one too. “If I was there, I probably would have him do both,” Kill said.
Worth Noting
WCHA men’s hockey coaches may have a new policy for overtime games next season. The present procedure is five minute overtimes with each team rewarded a point if neither team wins. Ideas being considered include four-on-four play for five minutes in the initial overtime, and if there is no winner then three-on-three for five minutes more. If no winner is determined a shootout follows. A new overtime policy—providing more action for fans to watch —could be decided by the coaches in early August.
Xavier Rhodes is a talented cornerback and NFL season No. 4 might be a breakthrough year for him. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has noticed that unlike previous springs Rhodes has a much better understanding of his job, including the “intricacies.”
“I think he can be a really good cornerback,” Zimmer said. “He’s obviously got great length, he can run, he can turn his hips good, he’s physical. Sometimes Xav is his own worst enemy and he will get down on himself a little bit. But I think he feels confident about what he’s done this spring. …”
It’s expected that teammates will offer praise for one another when talking to the media, but Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater raved about tight end Kyle Rudolph earlier this week at minicamp. “I love Kyle. He’s a great player, and he’s an even better person,” Bridgewater said. “He’s reliable on and off the football field. He’s a guy you can call and be like, ‘Hey Kyle, do you mind coming out to one of my events?’ And he won’t hesitate to say yes.”
Bridgewater welcomes Rudolph’s input on the sidelines. “I consider him another quarterback because of how smart he is,” Bridgewater said. “He understands the game. He understands what the coaching staff wants us to do, and he wants to know where the ball is going. So he’s studying the plays as if he was a quarterback and that’s the type of guy you want on your team.”
Minicamp was over for the Vikings as of yesterday and next up will be the start of training camp in Mankato in late July. What will Bridgewater do in between minicamp and Mankato?
“I’ll probably get together with the guys again, have another ‘Teddy Two Gloves Passing Academy,’ something like that,” Bridgewater said. “That’s what the guys call it, but we’ll probably get together again, (and) workout. (Also) spend some time with my family—and that’s about it.
“Over these next couple weeks, there’s not time to take a step back. Training camp is right around the corner so I’m going to continue to just prepare myself physically and mentally so that when July 28th comes I’m ready to go.”
David,
These overtime ideas in hockey are becoming more and more absurd. I do not understand this aversion to ties.
So the WCHA is interested in going to 4 on 4 overtime, followed by a possible 3 on 3 overtime, followed by a possible shootout. Would it come as a surprise to anyone that coaches would want to give their top two lines out on the ice as much as possible during overtime sessions? Reducing the number of skaters during an overtime session requires a fewer number of players to cover a greater amount of rink surface individually. After 60 minutes of regular time, then adding an additional 10 minutes in overtime, those players would understandably be running low on energy by the time a shootout would occur. Imagine how they would be if such things were to occur on back to back nights.
A possible way to combat a top line is to put a checking line up against it, which wouldn’t necessarily create exciting play on the ice. Teams could try to wait out sudden death overtime in the hope that they would have a better chance of success in a shootout, but shootouts are gimmickry. I find it unfortunate that outcomes are dependent on something that is unrelated to what coaches and players spend the majority of their time doing, which is developing playing skills and planning game strategies.
Whenever shootouts occur, I say that it’s time to bring out the clowns and jugglers, and start playing the calliope music. It’s no longer hockey on the ice, it’s a circus.