Daily Nugz for Tuesday, July 28, 2009

by JG2112 on Jul 28, 2009 4:00 AM CDT Comment 16 comments

Lots of Nugz to digest here. Start eating now:

(1) Scout released their Big Ten preseason positional rankings yesterday. You'll notice that our defense is perceived to be, well, trash. I disagree - the D-line is pretty big and quick, the linebackers were very fluid at the Spring Game, and the D-backs seemed sound. These rankings seemed to be done by someone looking at returning depth charts who had done little research into player development.

(2) Here's www.gophersports.com 's roundup of yesterday's goings on at Big Ten Media Day.

(3) Also, the Gopher mothership recently published a preview of the first-ever game at The Vault against Air Force on 9/12/09. Of course, if you want non-official (read: not sugar coated) research and insight into the game, read our preview here.

(4) Really? North Dakota?

(5) This is an interesting post about building a successful defense, starting in training camp.

Finally, Michael Vick has been conditionally reinstated to the NFL.

Imagine this backfield - Brett Favre in the shotgun, flanked on either side by Michael Vick and Adrian Peterson. Bernard Berrian out wide, Percy Harvin in the slot. Good luck to you.

How about a barely tangentially related to Minnesota poll:

Poll

How long before Michael Vick plays in the NFL in 2009?

First week of NFL season

3 votes

Week 4 of NFL season

11 votes

Week 8 of NFL season

16 votes

He won't play in the 2009 season

13 votes

43 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 16 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

defensive backfield

Depth could be a major issue with the defensive backfield. Royston, Simmons, and Sherels should be solid. Theret is servicable but lacks size and speed (K-State passed his way all Bowl game long to rack up yards). Carter has the skills but is just a freshman. Any injuries and the defense could become Swiss cheese.

Buck Bravo

by Buck Bravo on Jul 28, 2009 8:03 AM CDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Don't you mean Kansas?

I believe it was the Jayhawks we played in our bowl, not the Wildcats.

by MinnMarchDTF on Jul 28, 2009 8:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it was Kansas

You are correct. K State didn’t make a bowl game last year. I was even there…I must be slipping.

Buck Bravo

by Buck Bravo on Jul 28, 2009 8:21 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

re:Royston should be solid.

What is this based on?? Has he ever started a game?? How many minutes has he played in the Big 10?

by PantherHawk on Jul 28, 2009 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

note that he didn't say "will" be solid

a lot of people expect Royston to be able to come in and help our defense.

by GreasyLlama on Jul 28, 2009 10:24 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

(1) Scout released their Big Ten preseason positional rankings yesterday. You'll notice that our defense is perceived to be, well, trash. I disagree -

And this is why you are known as…“The Daily Homer.”

by PantherHawk on Jul 28, 2009 8:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

very productive comment

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Jul 28, 2009 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

specifics please

P-Hawk,

I’d be interested to hear the specifics regarding your critique of the defense as an Iowa fan. My own expectation is for a defense that will realistically be in the middle of the pack for the Big 10. For example, could you list specific positions that are exceptionally weak due to low talent ratings or lack of depth compared to lower ranked teams such as Indiana or Purdue?

Buck Bravo

by Buck Bravo on Jul 28, 2009 8:52 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

re:specifics please

Can’t believe I’m wasting the time to do this for you as a gopher fan should already know this:

1. You replaced a great DC with a below average DC who couldn’t even find a job last year.

2. You were in the bottom 3 in nearly every defensive statistical category in the conference last year except sacks:

http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/stats/2008-2009/confonly.html

What have you done to improve on this?? New players who have not played and experienced players who have peaked are going to push you to the top of the conference?? Your sacks graduated and Brock flunked out.

3. You still won’t have a running game so your D will be on the field a lot…again. Sorry, Wills and Carufel are not McDaniel and Ogden. Even a 100% improvement in your ground game puts you in 7th place:

RUSHING OFFENSE G Att Yds Avg TD Yds/G
-——————————————————————————-
1. Ohio State………. 8 342 1645 4.8 16 205.6
2. Wisconsin……….. 8 355 1644 4.6 17 205.5
3. Iowa……………. 8 311 1510 4.9 18 188.8
4. Penn State………. 8 313 1442 4.6 18 180.2
5. Illinois………… 8 298 1245 4.2 11 155.6
6. Michigan………… 8 312 1228 3.9 13 153.5
7. Northwestern…….. 8 311 1130 3.6 8 141.2
8. Purdue………….. 8 275 995 3.6 11 124.4
9. Indiana…………. 8 260 924 3.6 6 115.5
10.Michigan State…… 8 293 880 3.0 11 110.0
11.Minnesota……….. 8 243 622 2.6 6 77.8

2.6 yards per carry in B10 play in 2008? Wow!

Thats 3 of about 30, do I need to continue?????

by PantherHawk on Jul 28, 2009 9:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why can't we expect improvement in our running game?

We are changing systems to help the running game and while I agree with you that Carufel and Wills are not McDaniel and Ogden, our O-Line on paper is still MUCH improved. I am not saying that we will be #1 in the conference in rushing, but if we improve 100% and finish 7th that would be fine with me. If you look at the stats, 7th place is 300 yards off of Iowa’s 3rd place which isn’t a huge gap. Our rushing attack was brutal last year and made our offense 1-dimensional… If we can get some balance, our offense could be pretty potent.

Regarding the Defense – I am not the highest on Cosgrove, but while people rip him for the NE stint, he clearly has had some success in his past as well. Maybe coming to Minny will get him back on course, I hope so anyway! Like I said in my post below, I expect the defense to improve this year. I don’t expect them to be #1, but I do expect them to be middle of the pack. Losing Willie & Brock hurts, but we had a very young defense last year and that experience should help.

by GreasyLlama on Jul 28, 2009 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

good points

P-Hawk,
I can’t disagree with most of your points. There has been significant turnover on the field and the staff. Losing Brock hurts. I do think that if 2008 guys like Cooper, Kirksey, Tinsley, Dandridge, Maresh, Edwards, and Wilhite, who all had the raw measurables, actually began to develop that the defense could suprise some people. We’ll find out soon.

Buck Bravo

by Buck Bravo on Jul 28, 2009 10:06 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Then why is Michigan so highly ranked?

They were bottom two in nearly every defensive stat (Pts allowed, yds allowed) and they lose 6 defensive starters? The Gophers were bottom 4 in most categories, but they return 8 starters. Nobody is claiming this is the best D in years or as good as name your team, but this reeks of doing no research/analysis on the Gophers.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Jul 28, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The point has nothing to with the Gopher defense being great or not. It is just a disagreement that they should be considered 10th or 11th at every ranking in that link.

They ranked the defensive line as 11th. Yet we return 7 of the top 8 players from last year’s two-deep. This unit was 1st in sacks and 8th in rushing defense. It shouldn’t be a top 3 unit, but 11th is just as wrong.

The defensive backs are 10th. They return 3 of 4 starters, Simmons was second team All-Big Ten last year, they were 9th in pass yards allowed. Once again, not a great unit but I’m not a homer for arguing they are better than the 10th best unit in the league.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Jul 28, 2009 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Those rankings are bad from a Gopher perspective...

WR – 5th??? homer or not, having arguably the best receiver the conference warrants higher than 5th. Brandon Green played well down the stretch and Hayo has a bunch of hype (they gave credit to other schools for transfers), 5th is pretty low.

DB – 10th? Not a top 5 unit but Simmons and Sherels were both very good cover corners. Theret, despite his lack of speed stops the run very well. The loss of Brock hurts and there is no depth but this is again too low.

what you say here can, and will, be used against you

by GopherNation on Jul 28, 2009 8:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I thought the general consensus is that we are in the top two at the WR position (with Illinois). With the addition of Hayo (depending on how he adapts), we could have the best WR unit in the B10.

As for the defense, I am not expecting them to be unreal, but I am expecting them to be right in the middle of the pack (Like Buck predicts). We return a lot of guys, and I think we can expect some improvement.

by GreasyLlama on Jul 28, 2009 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs