Golden Gophers – Page 359 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Quarterbacks Youth Not Concerning Kill

Posted on July 29, 2013July 29, 2013 by David Shama

There are seven quarterbacks listed on the Gophers roster as the team prepares to open practice on Friday and all are freshmen or sophomores. Only one, Philip Nelson, has game experience playing for Minnesota.

Fans might fret about the inexperience and lack of depth but not coach Jerry Kill. “We talk a lot about the quarterback position. That doesn’t concern me right now,” Kill told Sports Headliners.

“I feel good about where we’re at. I feel good about Philip. I feel good about Mitch. They’re young. They’re smart kids. They represent us well and that’s what we need to be successful. Now we gotta build the rest of the team and that’s more of a concern than quarterback is right now.”

Nelson is the starter and Mitch Leidner, a redshirt freshman, is No. 2. Kill, who likes the talent of Nelson, Leidner and other quarterbacks, isn’t discounting the importance of the position in rebuilding a program with only four Big Ten wins in the last two seasons.

“I don’t think anybody can win without a quarterback, no matter what system it is,” Kill said. “You look at the NFL teams that are winning, they’ve got the best quarterbacks. You look at college football, the ones that win they’ve got the best quarterbacks. When Wisconsin (historically great running teams) was really good, they had the best quarterback. …

“They (quarterbacks) come in all shapes and sizes. We’re blessed right now. We got some good young players.”

If not for injuries to other players, Nelson would have redshirted last season. Nelson started the last seven games and while he was inconsistent he did lead the team in total offense with 1,057 yards including eight touchdown passes. Fans didn’t realize the athletic freshman, who rushed for 184 yards during the season, was faster than senior starting quarterback MarQueis Gray.

Kill doesn’t second-guess Nelson losing a season of eligibility because the former Mankato West quarterback couldn’t be redshirted. “I don’t have any regrets whatsoever. It puts him farther ahead. It puts our football team farther ahead, and it helped us in a situation (where) we were injured up in that position at the time. In a lot of ways we didn’t have a choice but I think it worked out very well.”

Kill has started young quarterbacks at other schools where he coached including Southern Illinois. “The only way you can learn is to go out and play. You’re going to make some mistakes and then you’ve got to move on to the next play. We’ve never hesitated (about youth). I started a redshirt freshman when I was as Southern Illinois. Started four straight years. If kids’ got abilities you don’t hold them back.”

Despite the inexperience on the quarterback roster, Kill doesn’t simplify the playbook for his young students who are expected to execute what is given to them. “It’s not that we need to put any more (plays) in and all that stuff. We gotta execute what we’re doing and doing it well.”

Worth Noting

Brad Salem, son of former Gophers head coach Joe Salem, is the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State. Brad’s recruiting interest includes the state of Wisconsin, and Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said, “We think we found a little bit of a niche.”

The Spartans’ roster includes former Wayzata High School receiver A.J. Troup, a sophomore who has yet to play a game for MSU. He caught a game winning 46-yard touchdown pass in the spring game but recently suffered a knee injury and is out for the season.

Brad’s brother Tim Salem, a former Gophers quarterback, is the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Illinois.

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema has said tight end Kyle Rudolph was “the steal” of the 2011 NFL draft. Rudolph impressed in his first two seasons with the Vikings including his Pro Bowl MVP performance last winter, and he can improve more.

“Kyle developed from year one to year two and we are looking for another jump both in the run game and the pass game from Kyle,” said offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. “From all indication he is poised to do that. He has had a terrific spring, he is a little heavier than he has been, but that is good weight. He is definitely stronger and you know we pride the tight ends to be a big part of the running game and he did that last year. He is ready to do it again.”

Musgrave answering a question about how much better the offensive line might be in 2013 after helping Adrian Peterson almost break the NFL single season rushing record last year: “It would be hard to ask them to be much better in the running game. They (also) did a nice job pass protecting last year. We do want to minimize our sacks and stay out of those long yardage situations.

“It’s a terrific group. It is fun to have (injured center) John Sullivan back; he is really the stabilizer. Matt Kalil (rookie tackle last season) has fewer unknowns than 12 months ago so we are excited about that crew.”

Zach Line is a rookie free agent running back from SMU who is on the Vikings roster trying to make the team, and watching his pursuit of a pro career is writer Jenny Vrentas, according to the July 29 issue of Sports Illustrated. She will stay with the Line story this year even if he is out of football and “working at a CVS,” Peter King reported in the magazine while previewing features for the new Monday Morning Quarterback website that will be “under the Sports Illustrated umbrella.”

King’s tour of NFL training camps will include an August 12 stop in Mankato to view the Vikings. Based on previous dining experience, he praises Jake’s Stadium Pizza in Mankato. “One of the best meals on the camp trip, by far,” he wrote.

The St. Thomas football team, with 15 of 22 starters returning from last year’s school record 14-1 team, is ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls by both D3football.com and the USA Today Magazine Division III preview. The Tommies, winners of 33 consecutive regular season games, are second in the polls to Mount Union. Bethel is No. 8 in the D3football.com poll and ranked No. 6 by USA Today.

The field for the 3M Championship, scheduled now through Sunday at the TPC Twin Cities, will include Champions Tour rookies Rocco Mediate, Colin Montgomerie and Steve Elkington, plus Tom Lehman, Fred Funk, Nick Price and other fan favorites, according to 3mchampionship.com.

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Jones Undecided on U Official Visit

Posted on July 26, 2013July 26, 2013 by David Shama

Tyus Jones isn’t sure about making an official recruiting visit to the University of Minnesota, according to his mother Debbie Jones.

The family has made unofficial visits to Minnesota in the past to become acquainted with the Gophers’ basketball program. “We have talked about it (the official visit) but not decided,” Debbie told Sports Headliners on Wednesday.

The Gophers are on the Apple Valley High School point guard’s current list of possible college destinations along with Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State. There had been seven schools but Debbie said, “Ohio State is no longer recruiting Tyus.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association allows a recruit to make five official visits to schools. An official visit is paid for by the school while an unofficial is at the family’s expense.

The first official visit by Tyus will be to Baylor in late August. Baylor director of player development Jared Nuness is a distant cousin of Tyus who is the Rivals.com No. 2 prospect in the country for the class of 2014.

Official visits by Tyus are planned for August, September and October with dates and schools beyond Baylor to be determined. High school seniors can sign National Letters of Intent with colleges in November, or they can wait until the following spring for a second period of signing dates. Asked by Sports Headliners on Sunday if Tyus will sign in November, his mom said: “I think so.”

Worth Noting

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the 2014 All-Star Game logo will be revealed next Tuesday at Target Field. Among those present for the unveiling will be officials from Major League Baseball.

The Twins will host the first ever All-Star Game at Target Field on July 15, 2014. The franchise hosted All-Star Games in 1965 at Met Stadium and 1985 in the Metrodome.

During the 2012 and 2013 baseball seasons Target Field has been the site of Kenny Chesney concerts drawing crowds of more than 42,000. No decision has been made on a concert for next year including type of music or date. “We’re likely to host one major show (in 2014),” St. Peter said. “It’s likely to be post-All-Star Game.”

St. Peter also said the Twins are “hopeful” about hosting the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2015 but that will be the final decision of the Wild and National Hockey League. Both the Wild and Twins have long been interested in bringing the Classic to Minnesota where the local NHL team would play against an opponent to be announced, perhaps the Blackhawks.

St. Peter is co-coach of an Eden Prairie travelling baseball team for 15 year olds that includes twin sons Ben and Eric. Asked about their prospects of playing college baseball, St. Peter said they inherited their dad’s slowness of foot.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he and his wife enjoyed a one-week vacation in Carmel, California. The Vikings reported to training camp at Minnesota State Mankato yesterday with the first practice today.

Frazier on whether it’s fair for observers to tie so much of the expectations about the Vikings to starting quarterback Christian Ponder: “It’s a team game and we need a lot of guys to step up. We definitely need Christian just to continue to improve, but we need the rest of our offense, our defense, our special teams, to improve as well.

“And if we all improve across the board we’ll be a better football team and we’ll have a chance of reaching our goals as a team. It’s not fair to say we’ll only go as far as Christian will take us. We have a lot of people that have to play well also.”

Frazier said the team will practice today and tomorrow, take Sunday off and then be in pads for the first time on Monday and for the duration of training camp in Mankato.

Chris Burke, writing last Tuesday for S.I.com, ranked new Viking Matt Cassel as the fifth best backup quarterback in the NFL. Burke said Cassel was “awful” last season for the Chiefs but played on a bad team. He noted Cassel was outstanding in 2010 for the Chiefs and 2008 for the Patriots. “A lot of time has passed since then but Cassel has more NFL on-field experience than just about anyone on this list,” Burke wrote.

Kyle Orton of the Cowboys is Burke’s No. 1 followed by Matt Moore (Dolphins), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Titans) and Matt Hasselbeck (Colts).

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill meets with the media next Tuesday with the opening practice for his team on Thursday. Four practices including the August 10 scrimmage (start time 4:40 p.m.) at TCF Bank Stadium are open to the public. More details at Gophersports.com. The Gophers open their season at home on August 29 against UNLV.

Will Rakeem Buckles transfer to the Gophers after finishing summer school at Florida International where new Minnesota basketball boss Richard Pitino coached last season? The 6-7 forward sat out last season after transferring from Louisville and could play this fall at Minnesota as a graduate student if the NCAA approves.

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Healthy Kill Ready for Gophers Season

Posted on July 24, 2013July 24, 2013 by David Shama

Coach Jerry Kill told Sports Headliners his health is good as he prepares for the start of practices on August 2 and his third season at Minnesota. “I am fine,” Kill said.

Kill looked trim and was energetic during a night-time interview that is part of a typical week for him where he is working long hours every day. Like other major college football coaches, the demands on Kill’s time aren’t fully understood by most outsiders. In addition to coaching, recruiting, managing his staff, public speaking, working with the media and running summer football camps, Kill knows he and his assistants are responsible for the behavior of more than 100 young men on his roster.

Since taking over at Minnesota Kill has led a remarkable turnaround in the academic performance of his players. Players are attending classes and excelling. After last season, for example, the Gophers had 31 Academic All-Big Ten players, second in the conference only to Northwestern (34), a private school long known for its academic success. Minnesota had 13 more Academic All-Big Ten players than the year prior.

Admiration for Kill among Gophers fans has increased not just based on the coach’s insistence on good citizenship and grades. He has reached out to fans, and also key groups like the state’s high school football coaches with whom he is popular for various reasons including Minnesota’s aggressive approach in encouraging prospects to try out for the team even though they haven’t been offered scholarships. He has travelled the state of Minnesota telling his story about how it took time to rebuild programs at other places he’s coached and that the Gophers will be no different.

But Kill’s commitment to the community goes even further. Probably no coach in Gophers history has been more open to helping others with problems. He tries to do so privately and without asking for attention. In the same evening he might shuttle between a cancer promoted event and a football gathering. Another day he will thoughtfully listen as a friend relates the story of a boy who has experienced 300 seizures per month.

No doubt Kill’s perspective on those who have health issues has been impacted by his own personal history. Despite seizures during his career at Minnesota, Kill has missed only minimal time coaching his team. “I am a cancer survivor,” Kill said. “I developed epilepsy through that. …I see a doctor like anybody else that has a situation and I move forward on it.”

Among those who know Kill best, he is already a winner but the general public in Minnesota will judge him on wins and losses. The Gophers qualified for a bowl game last season after increasing their win total from three in 2011 to six in 2012. The team played better fundamentally last year than in Kill’s first season, a sure sign of good coaching.

Fans wonder if year three at Minnesota can approach the third season success Kill had rebuilding programs at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois. Coming off mediocre second seasons, Kill’s teams at those schools earned 12-2 and 10-3 records.

There’s a difference, though, between past year threes and the one coming up. Because of a late start in recruiting after taking over as Gophers coach, Kill and staff had only minimal impact on the 2011 recruiting class. That means Kill has only two recruiting classes of his own in place so far.

“It makes a difference,” Kill said. “Somebody was telling me in 2009 here, when it was supposed to be a really good recruiting class, I think there was 20 kids
signed… I think there’s only four that have played. There’s a lot of emptiness in our program that we’ve had to fill in. I am not blaming Tim (Brewster, former coach). I am not blaming the administration. That’s the way it was. …”

“We’re a young team. There may be only four or five seniors (who) start.”

Those young players are expected to include promising sophomore wide receiver Andre McDonald who didn’t participate in spring practice. Despite at least one media report that McDonald wasn’t on the team, Kill said that isn’t correct. “He’s been working hard,” Kill said.

What about players who won’t or maybe will not be ready for the start of practice next month? “Zach Mottla (center) is a young man that won’t play for us this year because of the broken leg situation. Pete Westerhaus (linebacker) has a situation he’s been fighting and I don’t look to him to be in camp. We just want Pete to get well. (Center) Brian Bobek has got a viral infection that we’re waiting on him to get cleared.”

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Jerry Kill will be one of 12 Big Ten coaches doing news conferences and previewing their teams today from Chicago. Kill will speak at 1 p.m. with the Big Ten Network providing coverage.

The Big Ten announced its third annual Players to Watch List this morning but no one from the Gophers including much publicized defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman was among the 10 footballers.

The Gophers’ first practice on August 2 starts at 5:15 p.m. and is open to the public. Practices on August 3 and 4 begin at 10:25 a.m. and also are open to fans. All three practices will be at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex.

The Howard Pulley team that includes Tyus Jones and Reid Travis plays BABC Boston in an AAU Super Showcase game from Disney World that will be televised by ESPNU tonight beginning at 6 p.m.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien e-mailed that Austin High point guard Zach Wessels has a scholarship offer from Minnesota State Moorhead.

Chris Herrmann, the substitute Twins catcher who hit a grand slam home run last night against the Angels to help Minnesota win for the sixth time in seven games, was a sixth round draft choice in 2009 who until this season had never played at a higher level than Double-A. He is hitting .409 in 22 at bats for the Twins.

The Twins announced this morning Joe Mauer is on paternity leave and the club has recalled catcher Drew Butera from Triple-A Rochester.

Steve Nestor will speak to the Gophers football team about the program’s history on a date to be determined. Nestor, a Gophers football historian and former student trainer in the 1960s, will also talk about his relationship with the late John Williams, a 1967 All-American tackle at Minnesota.

Over a year ago Nestor, who owns a radio station in Glenwood, Minnesota, donated a kidney to Williams. Within weeks Williams passed away while out for a walk. “When Barb (John’s wife) called, it just floored me. Up to that point all had been so right,” Nestor said.

Nestor, a white man who grew up in Minnesota, and Williams, an African-American originally from Ohio, had become close friends. Gophers coach Jerry Kill had wanted the two to address the team last year. Now that opportunity to talk about friendships, organ donation and more will be for Nestor alone.

Look for CORES to announce that Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague will speak to the group on Thursday, September 12 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Anyone interested in attending the lunch and program can contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Canterbury Park’s Extreme Race Day, featuring exhibition racing with camels, ostriches and zebras, drew 20,291 fans last Saturday, the largest crowd at the Shakopee racetrack since 1988. It was the seventh annual Extreme Race Day but the first that included zebras.

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