Jerry Kill was out of state this week celebrating a daughter’s graduation from college, and also his 30th wedding anniversary, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about the Gophers.
Kill and his staff finished their third spring practice at Minnesota last month. The coaches inherited a dismal program on and off the field. In 2011, Kill’s first season, the record was 3-9, last year it was 6-7. Both seasons the Big Ten record was 2-6.
In the personnel department, the Gophers have lacked difference makers and depth at most positions. That won’t change a lot until Kill and his staff have gone through several recruiting classes. The 2011 class didn’t carry the Kill signature because of the short amount of time he had been at Minnesota. The 2012 and 2013 classes are his responsibility but the impact of those players is in the developmental stages because of inexperience and the need for players to mature physically.
“We have a long way to go in our program — period,” Kill told Sports Headliners. “We have to develop players at Minnesota. We have to recruit. Get…players who are going to play their tails off. Have three or four difference makers on offense and defense.”
Kill expects to have difference makers next fall in defensive tackle Ra’Sheede Hageman, safety Brock Vereen and cornerback Derrick Wells. “Hageman should be a first round (NFL) draft choice,” Kill said.
Offense receives most of the headlines in modern day football but Kill knows his program won’t continue improving without an impactful defense and solid kicking game that can help dictate field position and score points. The Gophers particularly need better punting and in two seasons also haven’t shown the reputation to block kicks that earned Kill’s special teams so much praise when he coached at Northern Illinois.
“Again, we can’t correct everything in one year (one recruiting class),” Kill said. “We haven’t been able to change a lot of things.”
Kill is looking for playmakers among his runners and receivers. Players who can break open a game — and that subject prompts him to mention incoming freshman running back Berkley Edwards, talking about how the prep track star from Michigan can “giddy-up and go.”
The Gophers also need speed and playmaking at wide receiver. Kill is optimistic about the potential of a group he followed in the spring including Devin Crawford-Tufts, Derrick Engel, Isaac Fruechte, Jamel Harbison and KJ Maye. Kill saw more playmaking among receivers in the spring than in the past.
Don’t be surprised if the Gophers’ passing game emphasizes the tight ends, too, a group that Kill is pleased with. “Maxx Williams had a great, great, great spring,” Kill said.
The last spring practice was April 27. Kill has had time to think about the 15 sessions in the spring that will help his team get ready for August practices and the first game against UNLV August 29. “I feel good where we’re at,” he said.
Each practice was graded like a game. “I think we accomplished everything we thought we needed to,” Kill said. “We built some depth (and) got some young players to play.”
Dating back to the start of last season the Gophers have been impacted by injuries including more than a dozen surgeries. Kill is hoping all of the injured will be ready by August 1 including key players like offensive tackle Ed Olson and defensive tackle Roland Johnson.
“We were playing kids not ready to play yet (which) is why so many injuries,” Kill said. “We’ll be bigger and stronger. When you win, you stay healthy.”
Despite having to play three quarterbacks and three centers last year, the Gophers made it to a bowl game for the first time since 2009. That’s an unusual accomplishment in college football.
Fill in the blank if you know what Kill is thinking when he ponders a healthier, stronger, faster, experienced and talented team in the years ahead: _____. Hint: the word begins with “W.”
Worth Noting
The Gophers have Ohio State on their football schedule in 2014 for the first time since 2010. The Big Ten Conference announced 2014 schedules yesterday as part of its news about the West and East football divisions. The Buckeyes will play in Minneapolis along with Iowa, Northwestern and Purdue. Road games are Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Divisional play begins in 2014 with teams playing against the other six teams in their divisions, plus two games each versus schools from the other division.
Former California and NFL running back star Chuck Muncie died this week. He was the younger brother of Bill Munsey, the ex-Gopher who was an outstanding running back and defensive back on the Rose Bowl teams of the 1960s. Both brothers were from Uniontown, Pennsylvania but spelled their last names differently.
Despite a .205 batting average, Twins slugger Josh Willingham has reached base safely in 31 of 33 games. Willingham is hitting .135 in his last 10 games.
Joe Mauer has a 14 game hitting streak, the third longest of his career. It’s his longest since May 5-21 in 2009 (also 14 games). Twins teammate Justin Morneau has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 games and is hitting .368 during that period.
Pedro Florimon is four-for-four in stolen base attempts this season. The Twins have 13 steals in 16 attempts since April 15.
Local author Jim Bruton said his new Bud Grant book, I Did It My Way, will be on sale in September.
Former Vikings running back Dave Osborn said the best NFL runner he ever saw was Bears’ legend Gale Sayers.
No doubt eyes rolled at the Seahawks offices when the NFL Network’s top 100 players program announced Percy Harvin at No. 90. The versatile former Viking is among the league’s most dangerous playmakers and could certainly be ranked higher. The rankings are determined by a vote of NFL players.
Former Minneapolis City Council member Denny Schulstad was an advocate for the Metrodome and he correctly remembers the building helped save the Twins and Vikings for this area while not costing the taxpayers “one penny” because the rent from the teams paid off the bonds sold to build the facility. He wrote in an e-mail to Sports Headliners that while the Metrodome is labeled unattractive it has served the city and area well. His comments included: “It is the only facility in the world to have hosted a World Series (2), a Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four (2), and so many other world class events, from the Special Olympics to Scandinavia Today.”
A total of 29 All-State players are expected to participate in the 40th annual Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game on June 29 at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud, according to an announcement made earlier this year.
The Saint John’s football team is scheduled to have two scrimmages on Saturday in Saskatchewan against the Regina Thunder, a member of the Canadian Junior Football League.
Did you know that among 1,000 NCAA schools only Division III St. Thomas and Division I Florida State have sent baseball and softball teams to the NCAA regional playoffs the last 10 years?
Canterbury Park opens its live horse racing season tonight, with the first of 69 dates this year — the most since 2006. Purses are on the rise at the Shakopee racetrack. In June last year Canterbury Park and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community entered into a cooperative marketing and purse enhancement agreement that will add $75 million to the horsemen purse structure over the 10-year life of the agreement.
The 2013 Canterbury Park promotional calendar will include a Memorial Day performance by “Human Cannonball” David “The Bullet” Smith Jr. He will be shot out of a 34 foot cannon and land in a net. “The Bullet” holds Guinness World Records for both the longest and highest distances a human has been shot out of a cannon — 193 feet, 8.8 inches and 77 ½ feet.
Lea Blackwell Favor, the former Edina High School all-state basketball player, takes over in June as the new executive director for the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in the Twin Cities.
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