The Gophers football team began spring practice this week, the start of coach Tim Brewster’s fourth season. The last two seasons the Gophers have been 7-6 and 6-7. Both years they played in the Insight Bowl where they lost to Kansas and Iowa State. Brewster’s first year record was 1-11.
He understands the “urgency” of doing better, improving the record. “We’ve gone to bowl games,” he said. “That’s been okay. We want to take that next step.”
Most conversations with Brewster lead to discussion about a “great defense.” He emphasizes that’s job No. 1 with his program and when the Gophers achieve that priority they might secure another Brewster goal, a Big Ten championship.
No one is saying 2010 will be a championship season but those close to the program are curious about whether Brewster’s defense will be the most athletic and perhaps best seen here during his four years. The team’s spring game on April 24 (free admission and open to the public) will be an opportunity to watch junior defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey (maybe among the Big Ten’s best), defensive end Ra’Shede Hageman (high potential redshirt freshman) and junior linebacker Gary Tinsley who impressed in limited minutes last year.
They and others on defense will draw attention at the spring game but not like the quarterback competition between three year starter Adam Weber, sophomore MarQueis Gray and redshirt freshman Moses Alipate. Whoever wins the job won’t have to be Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow.
“We’re not asking our quarterback to go win the game for us,” Brewster said. “We’re asking our quarterback to make good decisions, run our offense and be a good game manager.”
The Gophers’ offense scored 29 points in the last three games of 2009. Brewster said there won’t be any excuses made for the offense and he expects better results in 2010. “…I certainly believe we will be (better) because we’ve got some guys on offense coming back that gives us a chance,” he said.
Those returnees include Weber and sophomore 6-4 wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight who has speed and the ability to jump. Brewster said he’s challenged McKnight to become the offense’s “No. 1 receiver.”
If the offense is to improve, contributions will be needed from newcomers, too. Brewster said 6-7, 240 pound junior college transfer tight end Tiree Eure has been “spectacular” during the winter conditioning program.
The University of Pittsburgh offense got a surge in productivity last season when freshman running back Dion Lewis broke school records and made All-American. Brewster made reference to the Pitt star and wondered about his three incoming freshman running backs, Lamonte Edwards, Donnell Kirkwood and Devon Wright. “It will be interesting to see whether or not one of those guys can come in and do the same thing for us,” Brewster said.