Comments From Coach Mason And Players On Gophers' First Scrimmage

fComments From Coach Mason On The Gophers' First Scrimmage:

I was very pleased with what we got acomplished today. You know, we came into camp a week ago Wednesday and this was our first scrimmage. And to think of what we did with the first, second and third units-and the live kicking that we did-I was pleased. I know the kids are a little tired - they need a little break from the action. I didn't know what to expect, but I'm happy.

I started out with the ones on twos. I did that for a purpose - we've been doing so much ones-on-ones, that you get a good feeling for those guys. We had some guys in the second units we thought were performing pretty well so we wanted to give them a better test. I really thought the intensity wasn't very good in that session. When we went ones-on-ones they picked it up. I've been saying for a while that I think our defense has improved, and I still think that. In previous years- spring practice and this scrimmage-we would always say the offense would go up and down the field on the defense, but that is not the case this year.

I think Cupito really did a good job. If we can, and this is a big if, run the ball the way we did last year, people are going to defend us differently, If he (Cupito) can pass the ball the way he did today, you can't play back on pass coverage and stop the run. The other thing is, we've got some backs. Everyone knows about Barber and Maroney, but I really think Amir Pinnix has greatly improved. We have another Maroney-type freshman in Gary Russell and he looked good.

In that first series, when he (Maroney) took that run in, one of the officials said to me, 'boy he's fast.' I said 'you're very observant.

I'm most please with where we are at this point. When I go back and evaluate and think of what we have to do, I think the list is going to be minimal rather than a lot of things to do.

I was upset about the quarterback-center exchange problems that we had. They weren't with the first team, let's face it. But still, I'm one of those guys, I think one quarterback-center exchange problem is one too many. We haven't corrected it and we have to correct it.

(On the starting cornerback job)

There's nothing like competition. Harris has had a good camp and so has Trumaine Banks, but I thought Banks played well today.

Starting Quarterback Bryan Cupito:

Today was good, really smooth - it went well. It started good with Laurence getting that run right away and then we got right into it. We had a couple minor misconnections like if I step up in the pocket, people going across the field stop, but that's just stuff we work out in practice. Today was good overall.

I feel every play that I should know what's going on. I feel like there's no excuse for me not to know. And I feel comfortable, I like scrimmaging because it's different, so the more we do of that the better to get ready for the game.

The defense is a lot better. It's the same guys as last year really, so they're just building off last year and they've gotten a lot better. When they face an offense like us, they can only get better.

Defense Coordinator Greg Hudson

You know, to come out of a scrimmage like this, against an offense like ours, you know you're going to be challenged. And when you hold your own and kids are hustling, playing hard and hitting hard, you feel like you're in the position you want to be in two weeks before the season.

(On Fraley and Pawielski playing together in the secondary)

Those two play well together. They probably play better together than they do individually. They understand where the other person is supposed to be. They were together last year, backing up together so a lot of times when you're not on the field, you're talking to that guy and getting a good feel for whats going on.

(On Fraley)

You know what, we feel like we've got a linebacker back there in the secondary because he's played linebacker. So he understands, when he comes down in the box - he knows what's going on. He's not feeling his way around, he's coming to find somebody.

(Is you're defense ahead of where you thought it would be?)

No, we're not ahead, we're right where I thought we would be. We're just trying to find what we do well and get better at that. So what we're doing is getting a lot more reps at the stuff we do well.

You can see their attention and the carry over from the spring, that's the thing you like the most. There are a couple things we're not good at yet but in another two weeks we'll be good.

(On Jamal Harris and the starting cornerback position)

He's a firece competitor and he's a good young corner for us. That's a carry over from the spring and what he's done (in the offseason) but Trumaine Banks is right there.

(On Trumaine Banks)

I like the way Tru has come to camp. He's got a lot of bangs and bruises, but you can't get him off the field, you have to tell him not to practice. That's the type of mentality our players are developing.

Starting Strong Safety Justin Fraley

I wat to make all the plays I can make and get off the field so our offense can come on and do something for us. I think we're ahead of where we should be. When you go against this offense everyday, one of the best in the country - and today we only gave them 70 yards on four possessions - when you play a top offense everyday, that can only make you a better defense.

J.P. (Pawielski) and I - we've been here - he came in after me - we were both twos, when we got moved back there, it just seemed like we had chemistry right off. We can do things together without even telling each other, I don't know what it is, it's something, I think we're just meant to be together back there.

Yeah, all four of us in the secondary have to be a team back there and with the chemistry we have, all we do is relay things to the corners and we're all set.

We're not new in the sense of players that have never seen the playing field before, but we're new like we've never played on a consistent basis. We play a lot of ball together in a lot of practices and we've developed a chemistry there.

I think the fact that I've been around on the defense gives me a sense of everything going on within the field. I know where the linebackers are supposed to be because I used to play linebacker.

Defensive End Darrell Reid:

I've been saying our defense has vastly improved. We had some offsides penalties - I had two offsides early in the scrimmage, but other than that we look pretty good. Our number one offense couldn't get anything on our number one defense. When they (No. 1 offense) broke those two runs - that was against our number two defense. So we looked pretty good and that's what we expected and that's what we've been saying all along.

(Is speed the main difference between this and last year's defense?)

That's one of the differences, plus we're a lot bigger. Remember us playing Toledo three years ago - we were out there and everyone was saying 'wow, Minnesota's got such a small defensive line." You won't hear anybody say that this year. We're big now, we're strong now, we're faster now. So it's a number of things that make a difference. We're more experienced everywhere, all around the field.

(Does the defense step it up when Barber or Maroney is in the backfield?)

We're used to going against those guys day in and day out. Today was just like another practice for us, except for the fans giving us a little more adrenaline flowing early in the game. But besides that we're used to going against those guys, we know they're probably the best two backs in the nation. Besides that, our offensive line should get all the credit - anybody could rush for 1,000 yards with this offense and those guys up front.

(On Fraley and Pawielski)

The word I like to use is 'omnipresence.' I don't know where I found that word, but it means all over the field. They're everywhere, omnipresent. Those guys are all over the field. Did you see that sideline catch Jakari Wallace almost made? Fraley was there making that hit on Jakari, making sure he didn't catch that ball. On any run, they're right there making stops, you never know where they're going to be, It's not like we lost two big starters last year, I think those guys played well for us last year and we expect big things from them this year.

Running back Laurence Maroney:

Last year we could run up and down the field on them and make big plays. This year they really have stepped it up, they're bigger, faster, stronger, they're more competitive and they just limited our big plays.

(On his 65-yard touchdown run early in the scrimmage)

I didn't even run for real. J.P. (Pawielski) wasn't running for real so I didn't feel I had to run for real.