Prepping for Penn State

Greetings.

Just checked out the long-range forecast for the Penn State game. Cloudy, good chance of rain, low 40s.

Sounds like the perfect conditions for the Gophers to continue to ramp up their running game.

Coach Tim Brewster said today that the thing he was most pleased with from Saturday's victory over Purdue was the play of the line and the effectiveness of the running game, a facet of the Gophers' attack that has done very well in two of their last three games.

That needs to continue. But it won't be easy.

The Lions rank first in the Big Ten in rushing defense and scoring defense at 81.8 yards per game. That's a big skewed, considering Penn State has played one MAC team with only one win (Akron) and one without a win (E. Illinois) as well as Syracuse and Temple. Consider just three conference games and the Lions are 5th in the Big Ten at 146.5 yards per game.

The Lions are very good at sacking the quarterback, so it should come as no surprise they're also very good at getting off the field on third down. Considering the Gophers have had their troubles protecting Adam Weber this season, it would be a very good idea to continue running the ball well to create more makable third-down situations.

other notes:

--Linebacker Nate Triplett (ankle/shoulder) was in full pads and practicing.

--I think it's rather surprising the number of folks who have stepped into the lineup due to injury or illness who have done a good job. Consider the list: Punter Blake Haudan has been very solid (I wrote about him for tomorrow); Anthony Jacobs did a very nice job against Purdue in his second start in place of the suspended Cedrick McKinley; linebacker Keanon Cooper had 10 tackles against Purdue, playing after Triplett left the game. I would also put Burris on that list. He played a very good game at guard against Northwestern when Carufel was under the weather.

--McKinley and Tim Dandridge returned to practice. McKinley was not running with the first team, but will play this weekend, Brewster said.

--Here are the award winners for this week:

Defensive player of the week: CB Traye Simmons.

Special teams player of the week: Ryan Collado, with honorable mention to Troy Stoudermire.

Hard hat hit of the game: To WR Da'Jon McKnight for his blocking in the running game.

Lunch pail player of the week: DE Derrick Onwuachi, who had two passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

Extra effort: Keanon Cooper for the tackle just short of the marker on a fourth-down play.

Scout offensive player: R.J. Buckner

Scout defensive player: Ra'Shede Hageman.

Brewster talked a bit about Hageman, and the decision to move him to defensive end. I think it speaks to a philosophy on the part of Brewster and his staff that is a good one. Here's what Brewster had to say:

"He's a tremendous athlete. As I've said from day one, for us to play great defense, we've got to recruit tremendous athletes and put them on the defensive side of the ball. We can't take our best athletes and put them on offense. We've got to recruit great athletes and put them on defense, and that's exactly what Ra'Shede is. He's a tremendous athlete who's upside is huge. Tim Cross is doing a great job coaching him and he's taken to it extremely well.

I just think that his future is extremely bright on the defensive of the ball. That's not to say we can't use him some on offensive as well. He may be a defensive end for us and be a red zone target, be a guy that blocks for us in short yardage goal line situations. He's a very gifted young player. "