After Squeaking By Kent State, Minnesota Hosts Ohio
Minnesota coach Jerry Kill says he had to put his psychologist's hat earlier this week after his team's previous game against Kent State.
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Minnesota coach Jerry Kill says he had to put his psychologist's hat earlier this week after his team's previous game against Kent State.
The last Saturday in September will be the last chance for Big Ten teams to work out their kinks before conference play begins. Minnesota is desperate for more offense. Nebraska needs better play from its defense. Even defending national champion and top-ranked Ohio State has problems.
Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner says his confidence hasn't wavered even as fans clamor for a change. Leidner spoke Tuesday as the Golden Gophers prepare to host Ohio on Saturday.
The Gophers got their biggest local recruit in about a decade on Monday, as Hopkins star guard Amir Coffey announced he will accept a scholarship to Minnesota and play for the Gophers next year. Coffey is the top rated player in Minnesota's high school senior class and is a consensus top-50 player nationally.
Mitch Leidner and Minnesota survived another shaky showing by the offense, using a second quarter touchdown pass to K.J. Maye to eke out a 10-7 victory Saturday over Kent State. Freshman cornerback Demetrius Monday was the star of a feisty performance by the Kent State defense, with two interceptions in the first half and an 80-yard touchdown return in the third quarter of a fumble he forced himself.
Passing has been a work in progress for Minnesota for a while. The offense's imbalance has proven to be problematic at times, and junior quarterback Mitch Leidner has just a 52.4 percent completion rate for his career.
Minnesota left guard Jon Christenson could miss about a month after he had arthroscopic right knee surgery to fix an injury suffered last week at Colorado State.
Defensive tackle Scott Ekpe stripped running back Dalyn Dawkins on the first play of overtime and Ryan Santoso kicked an 18-yard field goal, giving Minnesota a 23-20 win over Colorado State on Saturday.
Minnesota offensive tackle Josh Campion has returned to practice, after missing the opener against TCU because of a concussion. Coach Jerry Kill said Tuesday that Campion will share time at right tackle with Foster Bush.
Mitch Leidner went down with a hard hit from his blind side on Minnesota's second possession, a sack-turnover combination that set up a touchdown for TCU two plays later.
University of Minnesota senior associate athletic director Mike Ellis is stepping aside after complaints were lodged against him. According to a spokesperson for the university, Mike Ellis, who was a hand-picked associate of athletic director Norwood Teague, had been recently named in five anonymous complaints.
He knows it's his turn. The truth is the Gophers will probably rotate the running back position starting Thursday night against TCU. But if there is going to be a featured back, it's Rodrick Williams.
The University of Minnesota has an unbelievable opportunity in front of a national audience Thursday night against the No. 2-ranked team in the country. The Gophers host TCU on national television at TCF Bank Stadium, and a sell-out crowd will be in attendance to see what should be considered Minnesota's biggest home game in school history.
The Minnesota football program has hardly been prone to some catchy nickname like Cornerback College or Safety School.
The Gophers are no different than the Vikings. Yes, they need everyone to play well. But it really helps if your quarterback is good. Mitch Leidner is now a seasoned veteran preparing for another shot at TCU, motivated by the memories of a year ago.
