The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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5 minnesota • oct. 5 The Golden Gophers Want To Build Off Their Bowl Bid By Ryan Tice total defense (33rd, 358.6 yards given up per he Golden Gophers returned to the postouting) and scoring defense (45th, 24.7 points season last year for the first time since surrendered per game). However, fifth-year reaching seven bowl games from 2002-09, senior Aaron Hill is the only returning starting but lost to Texas Tech, 34-31, in linebacker. He tied for third on the Meineke Car Care Bowl of the team with 74 tackles last Texas. The final 6-7 ledger was year, to go along with two picks a big step in the right direction and three forced fumbles. during Jerry Kill's second year, Junior defensive back Derand the Gophers should conrick Wells is the headliner in the tinue to improve. secondary, where both starting In each of his previous two corners must be replaced. Wells stops, Kill's teams have made has flip-flopped from cornera significant jump in year three. back to safety during his career, He opened at Southern Illinois and he could return to his origiwith a 1-10 record, followed nal position this year, thanks to by a 4-8 showing before going safety depth. The move worked Redshirt junior Donnell Kirk10-2 in year three, the first of wood was the Gophers' lead- well last season, with the deseven straight Football Champi- ing rusher last year with 926 fense's points per game reduced onship Subdivision playoff ap- yards and six scores. by more than seven, the passphoto courtesy minnesota ing touchdowns allowed going pearances. At Northern Illinois, Kill's teams went 6-7, followed by 7-6 before from 23 to 15 and the number of interceptions breaking through with an 11-3 mark in 2010. more than tripled from four to 13. Although Minnesota returns nine starters on The rushing defense must improve from offense, its defense was the calling card last season and six starters are back. The Gophers Quick Facts ranked among the nation's top 45 in pass deAll-Time Series: U-M leads 72-24-3 fense (12th, 186.6 yards allowed per game), First Meeting: Minnesota 14, U-M 6 (Oct. 17, 1892, T Players To Watch OFFENSE: Philip Nelson, So., QB — The Minnesota native started the final seven games of his true freshman campaign, and passed for 873 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions … That marked the third-most touchdown throws in school history for a freshman signal-caller … Nelson led the team with 1,057 yards of total offense and was named Minnesota's Co-Outstanding Offensive Freshman of the Year. DEFENSE: Derrick Wells, Jr., DB — He battled a recurring injury throughout his sophomore campaign, but still started 11 games and finished second on the team in solo tackles (46) and passes broken up (10) … The versatile 6-0, 206-pound junior also snared two interceptions and ranked third on the squad with 74 stops. at Minneapolis) Last Meeting: U-M 35, Minnesota 13 (Nov. 3, 2012, at Minneapolis) Head Coach: Jerry Kill, 9-16 at Minnesota (3rd year) and 136-89 overall (20th year) Off./Def. Systems: Mutiple/4-3 2012 in Review: 6-7, 2-6 Big Ten (T-5th Legends) Final 2012 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 18 (10 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2012 (Meineke Car Care, vs. Texas Tech, L 34-31) Big Ten Conference Championships (last): 18 (1967) Returning Leaders Passing: Philip Nelson (873 years, 8 TD) Rushing: Donnell Kirkwood (926 yards, 6 TD) Receiving: Derrick Engel (375, 1 TD) Tackles: Aaron Hill and Derrick Wells (74) Sacks: Ra'Shede Hageman (6) Interceptions: Hill, Wells, Cedric Thompson and Brock Vereen (2) last year's 172 yards allowed per game, but there are high expectations on fifth-year senior tackle Ra'Shede Hageman after he was named honorable mention All-Big Ten. He leads a group of three returning starters up front. Minnesota struggled so much on offense last year that Kill took the redshirt off of true freshman Philip Nelson and handed him the keys to the offense. Nelson started the final seven games, passing for 873 yards and eight touchdowns, while adding 184 yards rushing. Nelson should continue to improve, and he will be aided by a solid running back duo in last year's top rusher, bowling ball redshirt junior Donnell Kirkwood, who ran for 926 yards and six scores, and fellow big back Rodrick Williams Jr., a sophomore who played in the final eight games as a true rookie and rushed for 261 yards and two scores. Both check in at more than 220 pounds, and Kirkwood has rushed 249 straight times without a turnover. The offensive line is deep and experienced after a ton of injuries last year — the entire two-deep along the front line from the bowl game is back, and eight of those players recorded at least four starts a year ago. Former four-star recruit Brian Bobek, a center transfer from Ohio State, is also eligible, so the Gophers should have no problem creating running lanes for the backs. However, no returning wideoout caught more than 20 passes a year ago, and the returning receivers have combined for just four touchdown catches. Expecting Kill's team to make a jump into double-digit wins during year three might be too much to ask, but the Gophers are going in the right direction. Notes Minnesota opened the campaign 4-0 against its non-conference slate before dropping three Big Ten games in a row, in which they couldn't score more than 13 points … The team averaged 24.17 points per game before inserting Nelson as the starter; he helped the unit average 20.29 points per game against a much-harder schedule the second-half of the year … Five of the six players who recorded interceptions last year return, including four who tallied two. ❏ the wolverine Staff Prediction Why Michigan Could Win: The battle for the Little Brown Jug has tilted in Michigan's favor the past two seasons, and it hasn't even been close, with scores of 58-0 and 35-13. Last year, especially, the Gophers thought they had a team that could surprise U-M, but the Wolverines showed just how wide of a divide existed between the two programs. Why Michigan Could Lose: The Minnesota team that lost 58-0 to Michigan two years ago played respectable football in 2012, finishing three points shy — the margin of defeat to Texas Tech in its bowl game — of a winning record. The defense, which finished 33rd nationally in total yards allowed and 43rd in points given up last season, continues to improve, and its offense features a legitimate Big Ten QB in Phillip Nelson. With a weak early slate, the Gophers could be 5-0 and riding a wave of confidence into the matchup with U-M. 180 ■ The Wolverine 2013 Football Preview Prediction: Give Jerry Kill, now in his third season, another two years and he might just have Minnesota back to where it was under Glen Mason, when winning eight games and playing in a decent bowl game was the norm. Until then, the Gophers are fodder for the best teams in the league. Michigan 34, Minnesota 13. Date Aug. 29 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 2013 Schedule Opponent UNLV at New Mexico State Western Illinois San Jose State Iowa at Michigan at Northwestern Nebraska at Indiana Penn State Wisconsin at Michigan State 2012 Result W, 30-27 (OT) — — — L, 31-13 L, 35-13 L, 21-13 L, 38-14 — — L, 38-13 L, 26-10