Can Minnesota Golden Gophers Go in for the Kill in 2014?

Defense

The strength of the team last year took a much bigger hit in losses than the other side of the ball. The defense was 25th in the country in points allowed at 22.2 and 43rd in yards allowed per game with 373.2. With team sacks and turnovers gained both worse than the Top 80, it took a lot of bend but don’t break, ball-control, and a legitimately good defense to be in the Top 25 in points allowed. However, with five starters gone, that’ll be hard to repeat.

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The rush defense was the weaker part of the defense, and both tackles up front are gone. That may come across as bad news, but the biggest game-changer of this unit was defensive end Theiren Cockran, who had 10 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles as a sophomore last year. Look for him to turn into a superstar this year. On the other side, Alex Keith had 5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks, so he was pretty productive too. And stepping in at tackle will be  senior Cameron Botticelli, who managed 5.5 tackles for a loss and 1 sack as a back-up last year, so he could be as productive as lead departing tackle Ra’Shede Hageman was last year. Scott Ekpe will fill the other void at tackle, and he did manage 13.5 tackles last year in limited action, so there’s no reason to bet against him either. Senior end Michael Amaefula and sophomore end Hank Ekpe both will provide depth after experiencing action in all 13 games last year, as will senior lineman Ben Perry and sophomore end Yoshoub Timms. There are seven other guys, some upperclassmen and other highly recruited freshmen, in this unit who could make an immediate impact, so don’t sleep on any of them. Overall, after a few games, it should be just as good as it was last year.

Linebackers also took a hit, with Aaron Hill and James Manuel gone. Together, they combined for 106 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 5 passes broken up, and 3 forced fumbles. However, leading tackler Damien Wilson is back for his senior season after recording 62.5 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, and a sack in 2013. Junior De’Vondre Campbell should have no trouble filling one of the other spots after recording 34 tackles and 3 tackles for a loss last year. However, after that, there are a few players who saw action last year, but it was limited. Look for junior college transfer Cody Poock to possibly take the other starting spot. If not, junior Jephte Matilus saw limited action in all 13 games last year and could be thrust into a starting role, and although he lacks experience, he should be able to handle the position. Nick Rallis, Jack Lynn, and Dominic Schultz all have experience as well. Poock’s addition, though, is a huge deal because it does help increase the experience level and number of players with immediate readiness at this position. For depth, there are also three redshirt freshmen who could have an impact. The linebacker corp. as a whole will likely be a little bit worse than last year, but the drop-off should not be too bad.

With a pass defense that was the catalyst for this Top 25 scoring defense last year, it’s very welcoming news that three of the four

Oct 26, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Cedric Thompson (2) and Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Brock Vereen (21) celebrate after making a tackle in the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at TCF Bank Stadium. The Gophers won 34-23. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

starting defensive backs return. Senior safety Cedric Thompson and junior safety Antonio Johnson were all over the field last year, combining for 122.5 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and an interception and a forced fumble each. Johnson also broke up 3 passes. Cornerback Brock Vereen is gone after recording 1 interception and 6 passes broken up, but Eric Murray is back on the other side as a junior after recording 10 passes broken up last year. Senior cornerback Derrick Wells should be able to step in at corner and fill Vereen’s shoes after recording an interception and 3 passes broken up last year. Senior Grayson Levine, Marcus Jones, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun could all contribute, and junior safety Damarius Travis has the most experience of the back-ups. Together, they should all provide depth along with sophomore Jalen Myrick and junior Steven Montgomery. As a unit, the secondary was very strong last year and will be more experienced overall this year, so it should be slightly better.

The defense lost a good bit, but there is plenty of experience returning, so as a result, it should be just as effective as it was last year, maybe even better. If you subscribe to the notion that you only get better or worse, then bet on this defense to be better. There is actually more experience on the unit this year.