Here's an SI write-up on Minny's spring game. Gary Russell was a 2004 recruit from Walnut Ridge H.S. Looks like our defense will need to watch out for Maroney, Russell, and Goldy Gopher.
No surprise: Gophers' offense dominates spring game
Posted: Saturday April 16, 2005 2:57PM; Updated: Saturday April 16, 2005 3:06PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Gophers didn't keep score during their annual spring game on Saturday, but it was no secret who came out on top.
Amir Pinnix had 10 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns and Gary Russell rushed 10 times for 106 yards and two more scores as the offense dominated the defense.
"The offensive play was better than the defense," coach Glen Mason said. "I was a little disappointed in the defense because they've been playing better this spring, but they didn't make many plays out there. I still believe we've got a good football team and we'll be OK."
The Gophers have made their mark as a running team for most of Mason's tenure, especially the last two years when Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney became the first teammates in NCAA history to each rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
Even with Barber leaving school early for the NFL and Maroney limited to one trick play because of a sore knee, the Gophers showed their depth at the position on Saturday.
"There's been a lot of attention given to the running backs because Maroney's been injured -- not seriously injured -- and Barber decided to leave early," Mason said. "I thought both Gary Russell and Amir Pinnix had pretty good springs, but they played better today. They finished off strong and looked pretty good."
Instead of playing a conventional game pitting one team of Gophers against another, Mason elected to go primarily with matching the No. 1 defense against the No. 1 offense and the backups against the backups. No score was kept.
Both No. 2 units started the game, and Russell broke a 57-yard touchdown run on the third play from scrimmage. That set the tone for the afternoon, as Russell and Pinnix used superior blocking from the offensive line to run through, around and past what appeared to be an overwhelmed defense.
Pinnix scored on a 44-yard run and a 1-yarder and Russell's other score came when he took the ball off tackle and cruised untouched for 19 yards.
"The offensive line did a great job," Pinnix said. "They opened up some holes I have never seen. They deserve all the credit."
Heading into spring practice, Mason made defense the priority.
The Gophers ranked 75th in the nation in total defense last season, routinely missing tackles and giving up big chunks of yards on third-and-long situations.
Mason downplayed the defense's struggles on Saturday, saying he was satisfied with their performance through all of spring practice.
"I still think we're very much improved at the linebacking corps," Mason said. "So I feel pretty good about the defense."
New defensive coordinator David Lockwood said he has been pleasantly surprised by the play this spring, especially that of linebacker Jon Shevlin.
"The main thing is we got out of it healthy," Lockwood said. "We have to be more disciplined. We got some guys trying to do a little too much right now. If you can take away the big plays, then we're probably sitting pretty good."
"We had a few communication errors between the linebackers and the secondary, and you have to hand it to the offense -- they did play well," Shevlin said.
Another question mark entering spring was the kicking game after the team lost Rhys Lloyd to graduation.
But Joel Monroe and Jason Giannini both looked good on Saturday. Monroe made field goals of 48 and 43 yards and Giannini drilled all of his extra points.
"It was a big, big question because Rhys Lloyd was gone," Mason said. "We've got more than one placekicker, and they looked good today."
Starting quarterback Bryan Cupito was 6-for-8 for 74 yards in limited duty, and Maroney's lone play was a goof -- a 75-yard touchdown run in which he faked a reverse the mascot, Goldy Gopher.