No Huddle, QB Help and 'Most Talented Squad in West'
Not a whole lot of news out of Minnesota Gopher Football these days. Today, however, I learned that BTN pundit Gerry Dinardo stated that Minnesota has the most talented team in the West this season. That is a huge thing for Dinardo to say as the BTN crew has visited Minnesota spring ball for a long time and usually come away predicting a so-so season.
The Gophers picked up Adam Weber, the record-setting former MN QB, who went on to serve as a backup in the NFL for Peyton Manning in Denver and Josh Freeman in Tampa Bay. Weber will be a graduate assistant and quarterback coach, helping starter Mitch Leidner to read plays more effectively and calm down during the game.
A new wrinkle I wrote about earlier after the bowl loss has also been installed -- the no-huddle offense. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the Gophers will still be smash mouth and use two-tight end sets and a fullback, but they will press the tempo up in certain situations next fall. I believe that can help exponentially as the Gophers can get teams on their heals and have to exploit the situation quickly before teams can defense them.
The Athlon Sports picks are out and the Gophers are picked to finish third in the West behind Wisconsin and Nebraska. This actually is a move up from a premier college football magazine that has habitually picked Minnesota in the lower tier of its division.
The Spring game is slated for April 11th. Minnesota does not draw well for this contest as the media doesn't play it up and the Gophers don't put on much of a show. I tend to believe if the school hosted some sort of concert at The Bank just after the game, you might draw 20,000. Instead, expect 5,000-plus to take in the game. It will be exciting to see the running backs perform. Jeff Jones is touted as a real play maker so it will be interesting to see him. Also, a bevy of underclass wideouts will take the feel and show some speed and size. Minnesota MUST get its passing game out of the BIG cellar this season and be able to keep defenses honest with a credible aerial game.
The Gophers picked up Adam Weber, the record-setting former MN QB, who went on to serve as a backup in the NFL for Peyton Manning in Denver and Josh Freeman in Tampa Bay. Weber will be a graduate assistant and quarterback coach, helping starter Mitch Leidner to read plays more effectively and calm down during the game.
A new wrinkle I wrote about earlier after the bowl loss has also been installed -- the no-huddle offense. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the Gophers will still be smash mouth and use two-tight end sets and a fullback, but they will press the tempo up in certain situations next fall. I believe that can help exponentially as the Gophers can get teams on their heals and have to exploit the situation quickly before teams can defense them.
The Athlon Sports picks are out and the Gophers are picked to finish third in the West behind Wisconsin and Nebraska. This actually is a move up from a premier college football magazine that has habitually picked Minnesota in the lower tier of its division.
The Spring game is slated for April 11th. Minnesota does not draw well for this contest as the media doesn't play it up and the Gophers don't put on much of a show. I tend to believe if the school hosted some sort of concert at The Bank just after the game, you might draw 20,000. Instead, expect 5,000-plus to take in the game. It will be exciting to see the running backs perform. Jeff Jones is touted as a real play maker so it will be interesting to see him. Also, a bevy of underclass wideouts will take the feel and show some speed and size. Minnesota MUST get its passing game out of the BIG cellar this season and be able to keep defenses honest with a credible aerial game.
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