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University of Minnesota Athletics
Camp Blog: Optimism Abounds for Gophers
8/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
The University of Minnesota football prepares to break for training camp with a fresh perspective that includes optimism based off experience gained.
The Golden Gopher players are excited to come in and show how their hard work over the summer is now ready to pay off as they look to the season ahead.
"We've had a great summer," Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster said. "Our guys have worked extremely hard with Mark Hill and Will Peoples, our strength and conditioning coaches. They've paid the price this summer to improve this fall."
One early difference in training camp this season will be that the incoming freshman class will be spending the first few days practicing separate from the rest of the team.
"The transition from high school to college can be a big one for some guys," Minnesota senior captain Jon Hoese said. "The freshmen are in a new offense and it helps them out to get their reps and the mental part of it."
Minnesota is also feeling optimistic towards the level of the depth it will be able to field in 2010. Across almost all positions the combination of experience from returning players and the athleticism of incoming youth with provide for a deeper roster and higher levels of competition in training camp.
"We got a lot of depth," Minnesota junior captain Brandon Kirksey said. "Guys are coming here and they're hungry. This is the most depth I've seen here."
The Golden Gophers head into camp with their sights already set on winning the season opener on Sept. 2 at Middle Tennessee State. However, the Blue Raiders are coming off a 10-3 campaign in 2009 in which they won their final seven games of the season, including a 42-32 win over Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl.
"Middle Tennessee State is a good team, they're not going to be a pushover," Hoese said. "It all starts there in the first game and we have to come out and show what we can do right away."
-Athletic Communications Assistant Keith Beise
