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University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Gophers Hit Spring Halfway Point
4/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Thursday’s practice session was the eighth of 15 the Minnesota football squad is allowed by the NCAA during the spring. At about 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, the Gophers officially reached the half-way point of spring ball for 2009.
According to head coach Tim Brewster, he is pleased with where his squad is mid-way through their spring workouts.
“I think we’re right where we want to be,” Brewster said. “I really like our team. I love the chemistry of our team and the coaching staff. Our work ethic is outstanding. When you have a group of young guys who work like our guys work, good things are going to happen.
“Obviously, as you look at our football team, you can see we’ve got some athletes on the field,” Brewster added. “The speed and athleticism is there. I just really like the direction and particularly the demeanor of our team.”
Thursday’s practice saw the Gophers hit the indoor and outdoor practice fields at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. The Minnesota offensive and defensive linemen practiced outdoors in the sunshine and 50-degree weather for a few periods. It was the first time a Gopher football player stepped foot on an outdoor practice field since preparation for the 2008 Insight Bowl back in December in Tempe, Ariz.
The team worked out in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts Thursday. According to Brewster, he wanted to do a little more instruction and make the practice a little less physical.
“Today was a teaching day,” Brewster said. “We’ve had a lot of physical practices to this point and today we took down the tempo a little bit and tried to get a lot of good teaching done. I thought we did. Offensively, we really made some strides today from an execution standpoint. So, I thought it was a good day’s work.”
Although they dialed the tempo back just a bit, Brewster said it didn’t affect the Gophers’ passion for the game.
“We’re always an enthusiastic team,” he said. “That’s who we are. We have fun playing the game. Our kids love football and our coaches love football. Each and every day, we’re going to have enthusiasm.”
The Gophers are slated to practice again Friday afternoon at the Gibson-Nagurski complex, before getting the Easter weekend off.
-Andy Seeley
