Notebook: Gophers' goal is to give up 17 points or less per game
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Gophers football team gave up 17 points in Saturday's win against Northwestern. In the eyes of the defense, one point more would have been too many.
Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said Minnesota's defense set a goal before the year started to give up 17 or fewer points per game. In their last three games -- all wins -- the Gophers have done just that. Minnesota beat San Jose State 24-7 before holding Michigan to two touchdowns in a 30-14 victory.
Despite facing 50 passes from Northwestern, Minnesota's defense didn't break, and it held the Wildcats to 17 points in a 24-17 win. For the season, the Gophers are averaging 18.7 points per game. Claeys would like to see that number even lower.
"The good thing about it is, at one time here, you give up 17 points, I probably could have run for mayor," Claeys said Tuesday. "We tell our kids all the time, the goals that we have, if you hold a team to 17 points, you're going to be close to a top-10 defense in the country -- at least in the top 15. If you hold them to 24 points, you're going to be somewhere around 25 to 30, which isn't bad.
"I still believe in the whole idea that it's better to over-demand than under-demand. I think you get better results."
Minnesota's 18.7 points allowed per game currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten and is tied with Kentucky for 15th nationally. Claeys' estimate was correct when he guessed where a 17 point-per-game average would put the Gophers. Currently, only seven teams in Division I are allowing fewer than 17 points, and one of those (Penn State) is in the Big Ten.
The Gophers' defense has continued to improve since Claeys and head coach Jerry Kill took over in 2011. Now the players on the defensive side of the ball are buying into the belief that they shouldn't surrender more than 17 points per game.
"That's a goal that we've identified," said Gophers defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli. "If we can have an average of 17 points or less, compared to other programs in the country, that'll put us at a good spot."
A big reason for the improvement of Minnesota's defense has been its secondary, which is arguably one of the best units in the Big Ten. The Gophers' defense backs weren't necessarily highly touted out of high school, and some of them came to Minnesota via the junior college route.
But it's been thanks in large part to the speedy defensive backs that the Gophers' defense has taken the next step -- and a reason why Minnesota believes it can continue that 17-point-per-game quest.
"We said we were going to build our team on defense, and the first priority was to go get defensive players," Kill said. "There's a lot of ways to win a game, but we felt like coming in, we needed to improve the defense. We felt like you have a chance to win championships if you play good defense. So when we recruited, that was our first focus: We're going to get good on defense."
Myrick enjoying notoriety after big return: Gophers sophomore cornerback Jalen Myrick turned in the play of the game Saturday against Northwestern when he ran back a fourth-quarter kickoff 100 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
After the game, Myrick's kick return made all the highlight shows on television, and his name was trending on Twitter. He was asked Tuesday what the biggest change has been for him since that big play Saturday.
"A lot of media followed me on Twitter," Myrick said. "That's what happened. That's how it changed a little bit. . . . Definitely a lot of tweets, a lot of emails and Instagram followers."
Myrick said he's watched film of his 100-yard return about five times since the game, but added that he still remembers it vividly in his head so he hasn't needed to see it much. Minnesota's players wear a GPS tracker during practices and games to help track their progress, and it can also measure their speed.
When asked how fast he ran, Myrick -- a former state sprinter in high school -- said he was tracked at 21.5 mph.
"He had great speed," Kill said. "When we recruited him, he could play tailback, inside receiver. But we're going to put some of those guys that can do special things in the secondary. His speed, he's a physical kid. . . . He loves playing the game of football."
Another early kickoff: Saturday's game against Northwestern kicked off at 11 a.m., the first early start of the year for Minnesota. This weekend's game against Purdue will be another 11 a.m. kickoff, as will the Gophers' game at Illinois the following week.
Kill said he's received some emails from fans who aren't particularly thrilled that Minnesota has another early game, but the coach added that it's out of his hands. The Gophers -- and all teams, for that matter -- are at the mercy of television schedules in regard to their start times.
"For a coach and kids, wake up, get going," Kill said of the 11 a.m. games. "You play, and you're done in the afternoon and then you can be with your recruits. As a coach, you've got more chance to get going for the next one. So you can look at it a lot of different ways."
Kill also understands the fans' side of things. It's not always as enjoyable to wake up early, especially for students or for those who enjoy tailgating beforehand, something made a bit more difficult with 11 a.m. start times.
"A lot of people like night games because then they have all afternoon to get cranked up all morning. They like night games," Kill said. "And then night games, you're on TV, a lot of people watching. . . . I'm all in it for the fans, whatever's best for the fans. But you've also got to understand TV and the money involved and the money our university gets. You just go and play."
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