University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Don Shoulder Pads for Practice No. 3
4/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Minnesota football team held its first spring practice in shoulder pads Tuesday afternoon as the Golden Gophers drilled for nearly two and a half hours in shells at the indoor practice facility of the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.
It was the third workout of the spring and the final practice in shorts before Minnesota dons full pads on Thursday.
The Gophers got their first taste of light contact, working on tacking and blocking fundamentals before dedicating the later stages of the practice to team drills.
Head coach Tim Brewster said afterwards that he was pleased with the energy level of the team, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“Defensively we’ve had tremendous energy and I think right now it’s a challenge for the offensive line,” Brewster said. “(The offensive line) struggled to match the defensive front’s intensity today. We gave up some pressures. We gave up some sacks. It’s good that our defense is playing with that kind of effort and that kind of intensity. I like what I’m seeing from their direction. It’s a challenge to the offense to match what (the defense) is doing.”
Brewster said that he liked what he has seen thus far from veterans Eric Small, Willie VanDeSteeg and Steve Davis and again singled out the play of Tramaine Brock in the secondary.
Despite the struggles experienced by the offense line on Tuesday, Brewster said that competition and depth that has developed among the unit is one of the more intriguing storylines of the spring.
Dom Alford appears to be settling in at left tackle after playing on the right side during the 2007 season, while Otis Hudson seems to have found a home at right guard and is battling Ned Tavale for repetitions. Competition at right tackle is also heavy between Chris Bunders and Jason Meinke, while Jeff Tow-Arnett, Ryan Wynn and Trey Davis continue to vie for snaps at center.
Minnesota will returns to the practice field on Thursday at 4 p.m. and is expected to get its first heavy dose of contact this spring.
