10 Reasons To Be Excited About Gopher Football
The college football season is just around the corner. The University of Minnesota football program opens fall camp on Friday. It will be the start of coach Jerry Kill's fifth season with the Gophers.
There will be a lot of excitement for football once students return to campus, and deservedly so. The Gophers have had consecutive 8-5 seasons, three straight bowl appearances and Kill was named the 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year. The Gophers were a victory over Wisconsin away from playing Ohio State for the Big Ten title, and they played in a Jan. 1 bowl game for the first time since 1962.
Minnesota will open its 2015 season with a night game on Thursday, Sept. 3, against TCU. The Horned Frogs enter the season ranked No. 2 in the country in most national polls.
Here are 10 reasons why Gophers fans should be excited about the upcoming season.
Secondary Among Best In Big Ten
The defense as a whole is improving every year under coach Kill, and his secondary this year will be his best yet. The Gophers return an experienced group that includes Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Antonio Johnson, Eric Murray, Damarius Travis and even Jalen Myrick. They'll have plenty of speed in the defensive backfield and they'll be expected to make big plays all season.
Leidner A More Experienced Quarterback
When Mitch Leidner was healthy, he was a consistent quarterback for the Gophers last year in an offense predicated in the run game. He finished the season with 1,798 passing yards and 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also ran for 10 touchdowns. In the Citrus Bowl, he passed for 258 yards and a touchdown. Leidner spent part of the summer at the prestigious Manning Passing Camp, and his biggest goal this year will be to improve on a 51 percent completion percentage. A healthy and consistent Leidner in the passing game makes the Gophers a much more dynamic offense.
Several Options To Replace David Cobb At Running Back
David Cobb set a single-season rushing record as a senior with 1,626 yards in 13 games. He also had 13 touchdowns. It will be a group effort to replace his numbers this year, but the early leader of the pack appears to be Rodrick Williams. He ran for a 20-yard touchdown in the Citrus Bowl. Other candidates in the run-heavy offense should include Berkley Edwards, Rodney Smith, Jonathan Femi-Cole and even Jeff Jones.
Local Talent Jeff Jones To Get First Game Action
Jones, a product out of Minneapolis Washburn, was the first highly-touted local recruit at a playmaker position to say home and play for the Gophers. He missed last season being academically ineligible, but Kill is looking for him to be a fixture in the offense this season. He'll run the ball, get out in formations as a wide receiver and could be a fixture in trick plays. The Gophers hope he has a chance to make a big play whenever he's on the field.
Wide Receiver Group Has Big Potential
The Gophers have a group of wide receivers who are athletic, but none that have truly emerged as a go-to player in the offense. The closest to that is K.J. Maye, who is then followed by Drew Wolitarsky. After those two, it's a bunch of players with potential who have yet to really see the field in live game action. That group includes Eric Carter, Melvin Holland Jr., Desmond Gant and Isaiah Gentry. It doesn't matter who it is this year, but someone will have to emerge as a primary receiver for the Gophers to have a potent offense this fall.
Defense Overall Vastly Improved
It's undeniable. Since Kill arrived, the Gophers defense has gotten faster, more athletic and has gotten better at tackling every year. They allowed about 24 points per game last year, but forced turnovers in bunches. They intercepted 15 passes and forced 22 fumbles, half of which they recovered. Minnesota fans used to cringe when the defense was on the field. Now, it's a legitimately fun group to watch fly to the football.
Jerry Kill Entering 5th Season, Staff Continuity
Coach Kill is expected to earn a raise before the start of the 2015 season after winning the 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year Award. But he wouldn't take it unless part of the raise was more money for his coaching staff. He's had the same assistants for more than two decades, and several have had chances to take other coaching jobs but have declined, wanting to coach with Kill. That kind of continuity goes a long way in moving a football program forward.
Season Opener Against No. 2 TCU On National TV
Arguably the Gophers biggest home game of the year is the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 3. Minnesota faces TCU, which is starting the season ranked No. 2 in the country. The Horned Frogs dominated last year in a 30-7 win in Texas, but Leidner was hurt and Minnesota played a much better second half facing a 24-0 halftime deficit. The Gophers will be double-digit underdogs against TCU, even on its home field, but it'll be as good a time as any to pull off a major upset. The game will be on national TV, and is should be a festive atmosphere.
Hosting Michigan On Halloween Night On National TV
A good indicator of a program's progress is its appearances in front of a national audience. This year, the Gophers will have at least four games on national TV, and have at least five games not in the 11 a.m. timeslot. That's usually reserved for teams that don't get a huge public interest. In addition to TCU, the Gophers will face Colorado State, Michigan and Iowa on national TV. Their games against TCU, Michigan and Iowa are night games. They also face Colorado State and Ohio University in 2:30 p.m. games. The more they win, the more likely they move out of the 11 a.m. time slot and get more national exposure.
Top Minnesota High School Recruits Staying Home
The more success the Gophers have, the more it's seen by local athletes and the more attractive it becomes to play for the state school. Out of Minnesota's top 10 recruited players that will be freshman this fall, only two stayed home. Those are Bronson Dovich and Nick Connelly, both linemen. Current high school seniors can't make their college choice official until National Signing Day in February, but Kill has made huge strides in one of the better classes in recent memory. Of the state's current top 15 players, seven have committed to play for coach Kill, including four of the top seven seniors in the state. And Kill isn't done as few more top local players haven't decided yet.
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There is a lot of excitement around the Gopher football program and for good reason. Coach Kill is healthy, seizure-free and the program is trending in the right direction. A step forward this year could be as big as playing for a Big Ten title.
