De-commits from NDSU a while back and now has Missouri offer. Is he on the radar screen?

http://athlonsports.com/college-football/ranking-all-128-college-football-head-coaches-2016

According to this poll by Athlon sports we have the 101st ranked out of 128 head coach in the country. The only BIG coach rated lower is the Purdue coach.
If you want to play with the big dogs you have to pay what the big dogs pay. Or just settle for what we've been doing for the last 50+ years. And if this is alright with the leaders at the U, I don't see where we need to spend150+ on a new athletic village.
You get some non fan saying you can't pay a FB coach 5 million a year because the math professor doesn't get paid that, and he's just as important. Maybe. But does he have the availability to bring in another 10+ million by going on National TV and going to Bowl games? NO! So pay the coach.

After re-watching the Iowa game on Saturday I was able to come up with several positives shown by the Gophers, but there was no doubt a fair share of negatives as well. The loss of course drops Minnesota to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. This week's game against Maryland is most likely a must win game to stay somewhat relevant in the conference this season.

Positives:
-The defense really did play a nice game overall. The return of Kiante Hardin and Ray Buford really provided a ton of positives for this team. Hardin was one on one down the field with Iowa wideout Germanic Smith in the first half and was able to make a terrific play to tip the pass to himself for the interception and returned it 31 yards the other way. Big time play by the sophomore.
-Steven Richardson was his dominant self once again. He is so quick off the ball and his leverage allows him to explode into the backfield to cause havoc. On Iowa's first possession he shot off the ball on a 2nd down and long play and was able to hit LeShun Daniels in the backfield for a loss. He could definitely be on his way to All-Big Ten honors this fall if he keeps up his strong play.
-True freshman linebacker Kamal Martin showed his athleticism with a drive stopping interception in the 4th quarter when Iowa QB C.J. Beathard tried to hit his running back out of the backfield on a crucial third down. Martin turned his head to locate the ball and made a leaping grab to gain possession back for the maroon and gold.
-Jonathon Celestin had perhaps his best game as a Gopher Saturday. He had 13 total tackles and a pass breakup on the afternoon. He also ran down the Iowa running back in the first quarter and tripped him up at the nine yard line when there was nothing but green in front of him. This play saved a sure touchdown and Iowa settled for a field goal.
-Shannon Brooks ran extremely hard once again. Only 10 carries on the game for the stud sophomore back, which went for 55 yards and a touchdown. Completely puzzling why he didn't get more carries in this game as he was having significant success. He needs at least 20 carries against Maryland this weekend, especially without Leidner at quarterback.
-Backup Left Tackle and Junior College transfer Donnell Greene saw his first extensive action of the season after Jonah Pirsig went down with an injury, and I thought he played pretty well. He allowed one quarterback hurry but other than that he is a big dude who can certainly be a factor pass blocking.
-Pass defense overall was significantly improved with Hardin and Buford back and playing together in the nickel and Winfield and Travis at safety. Ayinde did not see the field this week as Jacob Huff took his minutes at Strong Safety. Also two interceptions on the day doubled the number they had for the first four games.
-Myrick, Travis, and Buford each made excellent plays and adjustments to break up passes against the Iowa receiving core. Buford certainly has a bright future as he is only a redshirt freshman.
-Winston DeLattiboudere earned his first collegiate sack in the third quarter. He had a nice speed rush along the edge on third down and he was able to bring down Beathard as he tried to spin away. His performance has earned him his first career start next weekend against Maryland, his hometown team.
-Thomas Barber got some nice playing time Saturday and has moved up the depth chart to 2nd string linebacker. This 2016 class continues to impress and show they have a bright future. Barber also stripped Jim Thorpe Award winner Desmond King on a 2nd half kick return but the ball took a couple weird hops and landed safely out of bounds. Had Minnesota recovered they would have had the ball at the Iowa 28.

Negatives:
-268 total yards is just not going to get the job done. Iowa has really struggled against the run this year and yet Minnesota came out and threw 33 times (13 completions) and ran for a season low 102 yards. With backs like Smith and Brooks and a respectable offensive line, that just can not happen.
-Mitch Leidner played his worst game of the year. It's understandable to not have a good game once in awhile, but he just couldn't seem to get it right. Minnesota had every chance in the world to keep drives going and win the game, but the red-shirt senior couldn't get it done. Twice in the fourth quarter Leidner had Wolitarsky wide open on the same in and out route for a first down, and twice Leidner threw passes that Wolitarsky couldn't even get a hand on. Throws like these and keeping drives alive are the difference between winning and losing close games, and Mitch missed them on third downs and the offense was forced to punt.
-Penalties continued to be a back breaker for the Minnesota offense. They had eight penalties for 58 yards, including several illegal procedure penalties that sent them back and extra five yards and severely hampered play calling the rest of the drive. 2nd and 10 to 2nd and 15, 2nd and 12 to 2nd and 17. The Gophers are 13th in the Big Ten in penalty yardage per game at 72.2 yards. That comes down to discipline, and that is something that this team lacks at times.
-Dropped passes were an issue. Especially when Leidner is struggling, the receivers needed to help him out. Brian Smith drops a hitch on the first drive of the game, Rashad still drops a hitch on a crucial drive in the fourth quarter. That's the difference between 2nd and four or five and having the whole playbook open to 2nd and 10 (or 15 with a false start) and the offense being limited from there. It's when the little things are executed that makes the difference in winning and losing in close games like this one.
-Injuries to Mitch Leidner and Jonah Pirsig leave Minnesota without two of their best players in a critical road game at Maryland this weekend. Pirsig could be out several weeks after spraining an ankle. Ankle/Foot injuries and big guys like him can really be trouble. Hopefully he is back by November.
-It's hard to blame the defense for anything really on Saturday as they were just on the field so long (34:55), but on the big touchdown run in the fourth quarter by Akrum Wadley, linebacker Jack Lynn was unblocked and had a chance to bring him down after a three or four yard gain but fanned on him and the Iowa back was off to the races.

Overall/Going Forward:
-Minnesota could just as easily be 5-0, but instead they are 3-2 with two heartbreaking losses to opponents that were very beatable.
-The next four games for the Gophers are extremely winnable with road games at Maryland and Illinois and home games against Rutgers and Purdue. If the Gophers can go 4-0 they will have a chance going into the last three games against Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin to be playing for everything that they could hope for at the end of the season. The margin for error after these two losses to open Big Ten play becomes extremely thin now.
-Finding a way to build off of this defensive performance against Iowa will be a major key for Minnesota. They are mostly healthy on that side of the ball now, they just need to continue to find the right pieces and put together consistent efforts from here on out.
-Will the Gophers go back to their bread and butter (the run game)? Brooks and Smith were fantastic against Penn State. Brooks has the potential to be a 100 yard rusher every game, and I would be surprised if he doesn't get at least 15-17 carries a game for the rest of the season.
-Lingen is back next week and Still returned last week, so all the playmakers for the Gophers are healthy and ready to go. Lingen returning could be huge, especially on third downs and in the red zone.
-More discipline and finishing games, they both go hand and hand. With fewer pre-snap penalties and better execution late, Minnesota will have the opportunity to somewhat right the ship in these next few weeks in four winnable games before traveling to Nebraska in early November.
-Will the losing skid end next week? Redshirt-Junior Minnesota native Conor Rhoda will have to be the guy to lead the Gophers with Mitch Leidner going through concussion protocol.

Link: Rallis talks quarterbacks, reflect on Iowa loss, looks ahead to Maryland

Link: Wolitarsky talks Rhoda, Iowa, and Maryland

Trump crushed her! Was outstanding!

It looks like Limegrover didn't recruit well. We're starting 3 juco guys that weren't even with the team last year including 1 that came late into camp. Doesn't say much for Limey's O-line recruits.

Mitch and Jonah are out for Maryland. Time to see what Rhoda and Donnell Greene are made of.

He's been placed on Injured Reserve by the Jets with a torn rotator cuff. His season is done.

Tough break for the former Gopher.

Eric Decker is going in for surgery to repair torn rotator cuff.

Link: Claeys gives injury updates; talks Rhoda, OL, and Maryland

From Marcus Fuller...

Wisconsin senior forward Nigel Hayes was announced Tuesday as the Big Ten's preseason player of the year, which was voted on by the media.

Hayes joins Wisconsin teammates Ethan Happ and Bronson Koenig, Indiana's Thomas Bryant and James Blackmon Jr., Purdue's Caleb Swanigan, Maryland's Melo Trimble, Iowa's Peter Jok, Michigan's Derrick Walton and Illinois' Malcolm Hill on the media's preseason All-Big Ten team.

We can complain about our losses but Michigan State has now lost 3 in a row to Wisconsin(understandable), Indiana(better than expected), and BYU(who was in a shootout with Toledo the week before).........I thought Michigan State would be much better after beating Notre Dame but that win is not too impressive at this point, given the Irish struggles..... I think Michigan State has at least 2 more losses against Michigan and Ohio State as well as a couple of other possible 'trip ups'.......A 5 or 6 loss season in East Lansing is as surprising as any other team that is underachieving in the country, this season... In fairness, they lost some key guys last year to graduation..

Pitino posted a new blog this morning. Love it when he does these.

My thoughts:

• Echo what he says on Akeem. He was maybe the most vocal guy at the practice I was at.
• Haugh indeed has maybe the biggest biceps on the team and his teammates joke with him about it.
• Glad to hear he's seen so much on Amir Coffey.
• If you read my practice report, you know I echo what he said about Eric Curry. He looked very impressive.
• Very good to hear that BK's hands have improved. He fumbled some passes when I was at practice, but I was only at one practice.
• This is the third or fourth time he's said Dupree has made the biggest jump. I'm looking forward to seeing him this preseason.

---

Good morning Gopher fans,

I felt this morning was a good time to update everyone on how practice has been going. This time of year is exciting because we inch closer and closer to the first game. Hope to see everyone Saturday, October 22nd right after the football game for a first look at the Gophers. It's a totally different team with a lot of new faces!

We were delivered a tough blow last week with Davonte tearing his ACL again. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. You hate to see a great kid like Davonte go through that but we all know he will be back better than ever next season. We will have to adjust a little bit with some lineups with the absence of Davonte. I had been using him a lot with some bigger lineups. Ahmad Gilbert and Michael Hurt will have to step up!

Below is a brief update of how everyone looks.

Akeem Springs - Has the chance to be the heart and soul of our team. It's not too often a fifth year senior comes in and takes over a huge leadership role but Akeem has done that brilliantly. His shooting is improving. He plays extremely hard.

Darin Haugh - Has put on 20 pounds of muscle in an attempt to take our strength coach Shaun Brown's job next year when he graduates.

Amir Coffey - Playing at an extremely high level. Poses many problems for the defense because of his length. Needs to shoot more. Needs to be more vocal. That will come.

Eric Curry - Really excited about Eric's potential. Plays hard, runs great. Makes a lot of terrific moves but has struggled to finish them. That will improve. I anticipate him being a major contributor. He is too hard on himself when he makes a mistake.

Gaston Diedhiou - Improving but still making same mistakes as last year. Has to find a way to defend without fouling. Gas is playing hard and competing.

Ahmad Gilbert - Always plays with great enthusiasm and wants to win. We have to improve his lateral quickness. When he stays within himself he can be very effective.

Michael Hurt - Gym rat! Much like JR, Mike needs to improve his foot speed. His shooting continues to be a valuable asset for us. Tough to rival his work ethic.

Bakary Konaté - BK is trending in the right direction. The simpler he keeps it the better. His hands are getting better. Much like Eric, he's too tough on himself. Has become a better shot blocker.

Reggie Lynch - Out a few more weeks recovering from a recent surgery. Was playing extremely well before he had surgery.

Nate Mason - Playing at a high level right now. When he shoots it confidently he's tough to guard. Doing a good job leading.

Dupree McBrayer - Has probably made the biggest jump on the team. Been playing him at the 1 and the 2. He's playing great. I told him he was like a great stock that keeps trending upward. He compared himself to Facebook. I told him not to get ahead of himself!

Jordan Murphy - Murph, like Dupree, is evolving. He's going where his bread is buttered on offense, which would be the block. He's becoming a problem for the defense down there. Love the confidence he's playing with. Also showing terrific leadership.

Brady Rudrud - Has been playing hard and competing well. Needs to continue to improve his foot speed and ball skills.

Stephon Sharp - Doing good things in practice. Still would love to see him improve his perimeter shooting. He will get there.

Overall, after six practices I can truly say I love where this team is headed. Obviously the injuries to Davonte and Reggie have been challenging but it's an opportunity for someone else to step up. This time of year is always fun for the coaches and a bit of a challenge for the players. Games will be here soon enough! The guys have done a very good job on and off the court so far. They are extremely eager to show everyone what we are all about.

Nate, Murph, and myself will head down to Washington, D.C., for Big Ten Media Day on Thursday. That is always a fun time and a great experience for our players. See everyone next Saturday at the Barn!

Go Gophers,
Richard Pitino

How did Minnesota's 2017 commits and targets perform this week? Find out right here:

https://minnesota.rivals.com/news/fnl-big-games-from-bursch-hawes-and-creamer

The Gophers are three-point dogs in the opening line for the Maryland game.

Minnesota is the No. 38 team in the S&P+ advanced stat ranking, which is a sign that the sky is indeed not falling and that the team has performed better than we've realized. Almost every team has more than just one one or two rough edges early on in the season, and this ranking shows that. It ranks the Gophers as having the No. 52 offense, 29 defense, and 25 special teams.

Conversely, the other most used advanced stat metric, F/+, which I think factors in the S&P+ ranking, has the Gophers at No. 58. That's still not bad, but it's not top 40. Both factor in garbage time drives, strength of schedule, etc. -- everything you would expect from a good computer ranking. I don't think it's very common for the two rankings to be so different, but that's maybe because it's still pretty early in the season.

Many of you are probably familiar with the Sagarin ratings. I don't follow them but I think they're a little less scientific. Minnesota is No. 61 in that ranking. I'm also not that familiar with ESPN's Football Power Index, but it has the Gophers at No. 62.

Frederick is holding an offer from Minnesota and he says that Minnesota is one of the teams that he is hearing from the most, by name, out of all of the schools recruiting him. Great looking prospect. Check out the hit highlight in the story.

https://n.rivals.com/news/frederick-already-up-to-11-offers#

The Vikings are undefeated, which is surprising in light of all the injuries the team has sustained.. 3 starting o-linemen out is a recipe for failure, in most cases.. Your starting QB and future HOF RB are both out for possibly the year or even longer.. Then, the best receiver is out with a groin injury so for a kid like Thielen to step up and have a career game was vital. A starting DT is out, as well. It is amazing how guys have stepped up in the absence of the starters.

Dare I say it but I think they Vikings are a much better offense with Bradford at the helm. Gotta keep him healthy. In my opinion, he is the one player that if injured, makes the season go immediately south for the Vikes. Really, I think the Vikings were so determined to get AP touches, even with 9-10 men in the box, so without him, the team seems more free and diverse on offense. With the injuries, I dont know if they can sustain this success for the whole season but it is great to see backups step up and do the job.. Thielen paid his dues on the practice squad, then special teams, and now as a starter.. it is a great story of his path to starter.

Time to move on! You can't let one loss turn into two.

They appear from scores to have improved. Anyone watch them? What do we need to do?

Who's going to the game?

..........good week

It will be interesting to see how the offense performs without him.

Drew Wolitarsky

• Rhoda's excited. Had a big smile on his face today.
• Leidner will help coach Rhoda and still be involved.
• Rhoda likes to really gun it. "We'll have to tape our fingers."
• Mitch always has a good spirit. He respects that about him.
• Timing will be different, they'll have to work on that.
• Felt confident and poised against Iowa and sometimes that's taken for flatness.
• Didn't think Iowa would be running the 2 under coverage that they did. Took away everything underneath.

Nick Rallis

• There's a lot of leaders on this team. "One injury is nothing to worry about; that's what we have a team for."
• "Rhoda can sling the ball, trust me...He can play football."
• Don't think the lack of pressure is anything schematically. Actually brought more A gap pressure against Iowa. Just need to execute and keep working on it in practice.
• All of us from the 2013 season know to just take the season one game at a time.
• #23 Maryland has some wiggle to him and can take it to the house, same with #6. The quarterbacks can run too.

Tracy Claeys

• Leidner is on concussion protocol. Claeys found out yesterday afternoon. Nobody suspected a concussion during the game. There's an independent spotter in white hats that can pull players and referees have the authority to stop the game for that, as well. Doctors control everything with the protocol; the coaches have no control of it. Doesn't know the details and says that's best. "I don't want him to play until he's healthy."
• Trying to keep the redshirt on Croft but that will be reevaluated this week.
• Backup QBs don't get many reps during the week at all. Got to get Rhoda reps this week.
• Pirsig is out with a high ankle sprain. He'll be out 2-3 weeks. Still confident in the offensive line without Pirsig.
• Lingen is cleared to play.
• Maryland runs a spread offense that uses the quarterbacks to run a lot. Everything is by committee, with running backs, quarterbacks, etc. They're extremely athletic and we may need to bring in an extra guy into the box.
• Winfield is set to practice.

I'm sure some on here have struggled the last two weeks and could really use some good news. Many MIGHT feel: 1. Republicans are losing, not being treated fairly and not running their team well. 2. Trump is losing, not being treated fairly, and not running his themes well. 3. Our Football Team is losing, not being treated fairly, and not running like the finely tuned machine we hoped for. (I'm not proclaiming any of these to be accurate).

I'm sure many of us could use some great news Saturday starting at 11am!!! Beat Maryland PLEASE. And don't just beat them but own them from the first series. A convincing win is needed both for us and for OUR Gopher team. It would be healthy.

Just wondering what your thoughts are and how he answered the questions ?