Here's some quick notes from Jerry Kill's weekly radio show with Mike Grimm and Mark Rosen today on 100.3-FM:

* Defensive end Alex Keith will miss Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee State, but Kill said the team hopes to have Keith back for the Sept. 13 game against TCU. Kill didn't specify what the injury is, but Keith appeared to hurt his left knee after recovering two fumbles against Eastern Illinois. Kill added that the team will be careful with Keith, since the most important thing is having players healthy for the Big Ten slate.

* Defensive tackle Yoshoub Timms will be available to play Saturday, if needed. Timms appeared to injure an ankle in the season opener.

* Kill reiterated that wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky, offensive tackle Ben Lauer and defensive end Michael Amaefula all are ready to return Saturday.

* Kill said linebacker Cody Poock, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has already taken part in contact drills in practice. Kill was quick to say that doesn't mean Poock is close to returning soon. But with Scott Ekpe facing the same surgery, Kill was noting how quickly players can come back from the injury.

* Kill said playing Middle Tennessee State is very similar to playing Syracuse in last year's Texas Bowl. Syracuse was 6-6, and the Gophers were favored, but the Orange wound up winning 21-17. "We need to understand how good they are," Kill said. "And I think our football team does. Our schedule, you need to go to work every day, and our kids understand that."

* Asked about Eastern Illinois' onside kick when trailing 42-14 with 28 seconds remaining last week, Kill said, "I think there's a way to handle that and not, and I wasn't very happy. You could tell after the game, I wasn't very happy." Kill noted how dangerous onside kicks can be injury-wise, and that game had been decided. Eastern Illinois scored another touchdown on the game's final play to make it 42-20.