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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2015

Matt Limegrover

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Q. Matt, in regard to trick plays, do you kind of have a package of those that you kind of put in place in the spring, in August, or is a lot of that kind of game to game somewhat?
MATT LIMEGROVER: You always build a bank, and you have video of what you've seen maybe other teams do or something that's come up when you've been breaking down an opponent, and you see something. So we always have that play bank. And then you try and look at it and see what fits with what you're going to try and do versus a specific opponent, if there's something formationally or personnel-wise. We've got a -- I'd say we probably have 30 to 35 plays in this play bank, and you go back and revisit it from time to time. The summer is a good time to do that just because you have a little bit more time and it's a little bit more relaxed. We went back through that I think it was in the end of June and got some things we think could at this time with our personnel and what we want to try and do this year.

Q. Have you seen anything from TCU that's kind of interesting? Tracy was saying they're pretty good tricksters and that's part of their package.
MATT LIMEGROVER: Oh, yeah. As you well know, you try and steal wherever you can whenever you can in this profession. We've seen a couple things that they've done and like them, and they're part of that play bank for sure.

Q. How does Rodrick Williams look to you? Does he look like he can be a 20-carry-a-game kind of guy?
MATT LIMEGROVER: I think he could be. One of the biggest things is -- I think one of the great things about our profession is watching kids develop and mature. We talked so much the last couple years, particularly last year about David Cobb and how he matured over time. I'm not saying Rodrick is going to be exactly like David on the football field. They're different styles, different people, but the maturation of Rodrick over the last four years has been pretty remarkable, as well. He's been one of the guys that's become a team leader. He's become very responsible in everything that he's done. With that in mind you feel better about having him out there in all different kinds of situations, 3rd downs and carrying the football in key situations.

As far as the number of carries, that's hard to say, but I would say it's not out of the question that he ends up in maybe the high teens, low 20s over the course of a game.

Q. Do you kind of like that idea (inaudible)?
MATT LIMEGROVER: You know, for most of our time together we've had it almost by committee. David was almost more of an outlier, having that one guy that you kept turning around and handing it to over and over again. I think we're going to get back to more of the committee. Rodney Smith has done a phenomenal job. You'd hardly think the things he's doing that he's a redshirt freshman, and Shannon Brooks is doing a nice job, Berkley Edwards is getting back healthy.

You know, it's one of those things where I don't think Coach Poore is going to feel bad at all if he's putting one in, taking one out. That's good because I think that keeps you fresh as a position throughout a ballgame.

Q. You've obviously had to be very flexible on the offensive line moving guys around, and you have the depth now to do so. Are you feeling going into game week now, are you where you're at on the offensive line that you want to be?
MATT LIMEGROVER: I don't know if you're ever 100 percent. You know, that's such a fluid situation, but I feel like we've been paring that down, and we're about as close as you can be five days out from a ballgame, so I'm pretty excited about that.

Q. Going back to the first two seasons when you were here and you had all those injuries --
MATT LIMEGROVER: Do I have to?

Q. It seemed like it was always a different combination every week. Do you think those two seasons have made this unit stronger just because you're able to be more flexible now?
MATT LIMEGROVER: I don't think there's any doubt. I met with the offensive line right before they started with their summer conditioning, and I put up about six or seven different combinations that could be the starting group in my mind, that could start out at TCU. The great thing about it is those guys run a lot of different spots, and I felt comfortable with that, and at the same time that's constant motivation for those guys.

We had one guy who I won't mention him by name, but I thought Coach Kill gave him the ultimate compliment. We were watching film from Thursday's practice, and he said, you know what, that young man, he's practicing the way he wants to play, and that meant he's giving it, and you feel good about everything he's doing. He's bringing it play after play, and he's a guy that wasn't considered a lock for being a starter.

I think that's a testament to him and to the kind of depth we've built. And we'll be tested, you know; we'll have guys go down -- that's the nature of the style of the way we play. It's hard to hold up game after game and be five strong, the same five throughout the year. I think those guys realize it and they've approached it that way throughout fall camp.

Q. Mitch had the knee thing going into TCU last year and he wasn't going to use it as an excuse, but how much do you look forward to seeing what a healthy Leidner can do with this offense against TCU?
MATT LIMEGROVER: Any time you're a starting quarterback, you can get him as close to being 100 percent healthy as what Mitch is right now going against any opponent, you feel good about that. I think that, as has been noted in the past, Mitch is such a competitive kid that it eats at him when things like that happen, and I know that's been something that he's wanted to rectify, the way he played, regardless of whether he was injured up or not. He didn't feel very good about his performance and the way things went. That's been a real good positive motivation for him.

He is feeling good. I know Coach said that he's been looking sharp, and we're excited for him. At the end of the day, it's not just about the bigger picture but about the individuals that are involved in it. I think that Mitch is in a great place right now, and I'm excited for him.

Q. How would you compare his game last year and his kind of taken over? How much has he progressed confidence-wise and in taking ownership of the team?
MATT LIMEGROVER: Well, I've mentioned it before but I think it bears mentioning it again. Two years ago he started some games, but he wasn't the starter. Philip Nelson was the starter and he was kind of coming in in a relief role and starting some games, and then he became the starter, and I still think there was a ton of learning that had to be done being that starter coming and meeting with you guys every week, meeting people after practice, doing the extracurricular things that comes with being the starter and being a face of the program, and I think that all -- that all went into kind of the highs and lows of what he experienced. Now he's been through that whole new cycle for a year, so to speak, so now I think he's truly that guy that understands, okay, here are going to be the other areas that are going to be ups and downs. Here's where I need to level that off. I think you see that and how he's so much more comfortable in everything that he's doing. That's a real positive for our entire offense because I think that everybody knows, as he goes, we'll go as an offense. If he can keep that steady level and have it at a level that we feel like is going to win us football games and can stay at that level week in and week out, then I think offensively we're going to follow that lead.

Q. Do you see a difference in his throws just in the last couple weeks?
MATT LIMEGROVER: Yeah, I do. I don't even know if it's as much him as it is the people that are around him as far as receiver-wise. You know, we've thrown and caught more deep balls in this camp than we probably did the previous two years combined in spring and fall camp. As a coach, a coordinator, that's very exciting to me because we've got kids that are willing to go get it. He's been willing to find those guys and get them the ball where they can go make plays. That's been very exciting, so I don't know if it's as much this transformation of him alone as much as it is having guys -- I think there's a comfort level that he hasn't had before with a group of guys.

Q. In terms of his comfort level and the personnel you have, classic pocket, on-the-run, play-action? What is the best for him?
MATT LIMEGROVER: You know what, I think that's a great question. I think that he's a guy that can do a little bit of it all, and that's what we love about him. I think he's at his best when it's the intermediate drop-back passing game and then the deep play action. If we're running the ball well, then the deep play action becomes a real factor for us, and we've worked really hard, made some fundamental changes in our short and intermediate drop-back passing game to try and relieve a little bit off his shoulders, go and do what he does better, and the combination of that and then having a good group of young receivers who are hungry and want to get out there and perform, it's been exciting. Like I said, going through that process and watching that development.

Q. I know you don't want to go into the game plan, but regardless of how much you use no-huddle, how do you feel about the progression it's made from spring practice and then whatever you might have worked on this fall?
MATT LIMEGROVER: You know, it's really not -- we use it to help the defense because when we sat down, Coach Claeys and Coach Kill and I and kind of looked at -- Coach Kill does a great job, okay, let's look at the bigger picture, let's see how we can help each other over the course of a year, and you look at TCU and Northwestern and those teams that are Purdue, that are no-huddle teams, that's hard to simulate with your true freshmen work team. So he said, hey, put together something that if we need to, we can use it, but to be honest with you, that's been strictly something to help our defense prepare for a very good TCU offense. I mean, the things we're doing probably wouldn't work because they see it every day. You have to be unique in that regard, and we've been too busy making sure that the things we're breaking the huddle and trying to run that we're giving our kids a great chance to have success. We're a huddle team. We have a little fun with it, showed it off a little bit in the spring, but the biggest thing for us is making sure our kids feel comfortable running our offense and doing what we do.

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