Cosgrove expects defense to "play fast"

A lot has been made of new offensive coordinator Jeff Horton's efforts to simplify the playbook this season, but Kevin Cosgrove is doing something similar to the defensive set-up, too. He's working in nine new starters, after all.

"The No. 1 thing we want them to do is play fast," said Cosgrove, who helped the defense show significant statistical improvement in his first season at Minnesota last fall. "To be effective, you need to be so confident in what you're doing, you don't have to think. You just act."

That takes time and experience, something Cosgrove's corps has only in limited amounts. So the co-defensive coordinator has stripped the defensive scheme down to the basics, at least for the first week or two. "You don't want to keep putting new things in just to be doing it," Cosgrove said. "We'll take some extra time, let everyone get real comfortable with the base defense first. Letting them gain total confidence will pay off as we ramp things up later."

It's too early to make many judgements about this year's defense, but Cosgrove said he believes the Gophers' leadership on the defensive line will make the transition a lot easier than it seems. Anthony Jacobs at defensive end, and Brandon Kirksey and Jewhan Edwards at the tackles, "we're counting on the leadership of those veterans to bring the young guys around," Cosgrove said. "They've got some experience, and we'll need that this year."

-- The Gophers hold their first practice in full pads on Tuesday. "It won't change a thing that we're doing," said senior guard Matt Carufel, "except we'll be wearing more pads. I guess it'll hurt a little less, that's all."

-- Coach Tim Brewster had praise for offensive lineman Ryan Wynn, who is returning after missing the 2009 season with a back injury. "Ryan is having a great camp," the coach said. He also hinted that redshirt freshman Ed Olson of Mahtomedi may be working his way into a larger role at left tackle than expected.

-- As I wrote for tomorrow's paper, Brewster and some of the players were disappointed at how the heat was taking a toll, contending that they should be mentally strong enough to work through it without letting their play suffer. "It takes a very tough-minded football player to go through a two-hour-and-15-minute football practice like we did this afternoon," Brewster said. "Leadership helps you push through, not worrying about the heat.. It has nothing to do with conditioning. It has to do with your mindset."