Derrick Wells leads the Gophers in pass breakups this year.

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Safety Derrick Wells leads the Gophers in total tackles (36), solo tackles (24), interceptions (2), pass breakups (7) and passes defended (9) this year.  We caught up with the sophomore and found out a little bit more about him.

GopherSports: How does somebody from Florida end up at the University of Minnesota?

Derrick Wells: My high school coaches had a good connection because they coached with the coaches here at Minnesota. That's what got them to start recruiting me.

GS: How are you adjusting to the difference in climate?

DW: I've been through it for a year so I think it's going to be good this year. It's kind of tough transitioning to the cold from the sun of Florida though.

GS: You weren't particularly heavily recruited out of high school. Do you get motivation from that as an underdog?

DW: Yeah, that's what we've got on the back of our shirts. I do take that as motivation that I wasn't heavily recruited out of high school. That's what pushes me every day to work hard and get better.

GS: You were named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after the first week of play this year. What did that mean to you?

DW: It's a big accomplishment for the team, all the players. I think it was a good look for the team knowing that they helped me to get it. We put in good work in the off-season so I think it was good for the team.

GS: How would you describe yourself?

DW: Laid back and just letting everything come to me. I'm not trying to force anything. I'm just trying to wait for the right opportunity to do what I have to do.

GS: What kind of music gets you pumped up before games?

DW: I like local rappers from Fort Myers. Guys like Plies and Frank Lini.

GS: You also ran track in high school. Can anyone on the team match you speed wise?

DW: when I ran track in high school it wasn't really a big thing but I do think that I have speed. There are a couple of people on the team that have speed. Marcus Jones, Troy Stoudermire, Steve Montgomery, Devin Crawford-Tufts and Keanon Cooper definitely have some speed.

GS: Who would win in a race between all of you?

DW: That would be a good one, but I think I would win.

GS: You are a pretty physical safety. Would you rather make an interception or lay a big hit and force a fumble?

DW: For me, I'm just trying to do what's best for the team so whatever comes to me I just try to make the play.

GS: Are there any players that you looked up to growing up?

DW: I have three older brothers who played football so I looked up to them when I needed stuff. They helped me out a lot growing up.

GS: What do you like to do in your free time?

DW: I watch television, surf the internet, go on Facebook or Twitter and play video games. That's about it.

Coach Kill previews Northwestern, updates MarQueis Gray's injury status (GopherSports)

No Place Like Home (YouTube)

What happened the last time Minnesota hosted NU on Homecoming on Oct. 13? (GopherSports)

Gray returns to practice, but his status is uncertain (1500 ESPN)

More MarQueis (Pioneer Press, FSN)

Two teams, four QBs (Star Tribune)

Gophers looking forward (AP)

Northwestern looking to improve the little things (The Daily Northwestern)

Brock Vereen: "We are 4-1. That is something to be happy about, but nothing to be content about." (AudioBoo)

Coach Kill met with the media today to preview this weekend's Homecoming game against Northwestern. You can read a few of the highlights from his press conference below. You can also read a transcript of his entire press conference here.

On Northwestern...
"From an offensive standpoint, they're going to spread out the defense and they're going to play two quarterbacks, and they're going to move one all around to make you have a bad mismatch. They're going to play fast. They had 21 points a year ago before we even blinked.  They're going to go.

"Probably the biggest thing is they find a way to get turnovers and make big plays. From the punt return game, I worry about their punt returner. He's taken it to the house two or three times this year already. They seem to when people go down in the red zone, they're always getting the tipped ball, they're always getting the interception, causing the fumble.
   
"You have to beat Northwestern. They're not going to beat themselves."

On MarQueis Gray...
"Well, he didn't practice any during the bye week. We tried to move him around a little bit, but Sunday we did move him around. I pushed him a little bit, and I thought he responded okay.  I think we'll know a little more today. He took some reps. We even did a little bit with team reps, but still has a little bit of a limp. If we were playing tomorrow, he wouldn't be ready to play, but we'll see how things progress. I would say that we're cautiously optimistic that he can be available in some situations possibly."

On other injuries and the bye week...
"We were beat up pretty good going into the game at Iowa. And, you know, hopefully Tommy Olson's going to have an opportunity to practice today. How he'll do, I don't know. But at least we've got him back to where he's practicing.
   
"Zach Mottla is now able to practice full speed, and he hasn't been able to do that. So we've got some people that have healed up a little bit, maybe not completely, but that was more important. The bye week gave us a chance to do that."

On getting back to the fundamentals during the bye week...

"We know what Northwestern is going to do. We know what Iowa's going to do and what Wisconsin's going to do. Sometimes we forget blocking and tackling and using your hands and playing with good technique and having leverage on the ball and those kind of things.
   
"So I think fundamentally, we're not where we need to be fundamentally as a program, because we're playing a lot of young players. The only way you can learn to be fundamentally good is to play games and go through practice."

On the season overall...
"We've been playing pretty good as a team for four games. For one half we didn't play real good as a team."

On only one receiver having caught more than 10 balls this year...
"I don't think you worry about it. You worry about it if you're dropping balls. We didn't catch two or three critical balls in the game, but we had caught them the first four weeks."

On the youth of the Gophers...
"We're playing young players. We've accepted that, and they're playing. They're playing hard.  They want to please. We come up after the game. We don't win the game, and we've got guys up here watching film after they took the flight, and the bus ride, they want to know.  We're not asking them. They want to see. They want to see what went wrong and what could be better. So to me that's a good sign.

"I can tell you, this group of kids, it's not the question that they don't want to do well. They want to do well, and they want to perform. They don't want to let anybody down, so they're working at it.

"They've done everything. It was tough being around me Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but they want to do well. So if you've got want to, you've got a chance.

"I think they understand where they're at. I think they understand where we're trying to get to.  They understand it's not going to be easy, and they know there are going to be setbacks and people that question and so forth." 

On playing at home...
"When you play at home, you've got to take care of home field. I've always said that. It's an important game because we're on our home field."

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Gophers host Northwestern: Five Things You Need To Know (GopherSports)

Minnesota-Northwestern tickets for just $20 (GopherSports)

Homecoming buttons from the 1930s, 1940s and 1990s (Facebook)

A look at the Gophers through five games (Star Tribune)

Hang out with Coach Kill, former Gophers on Oct. 11 at TCF Bank Stadium (GopherSports)

Check out these awesome fan tailgating videos (GopherSports)

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AUDIO: Miss Coach Kill's weekly radio show? If so, listen to it now (KFAN)

AUDIO: Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys talked to 1500 ESPN yesterday (1500 ESPN)

Register for the Oct. 11 Buttonhook Social, where you can listen to coach Kill and meet former players (GopherSports)

Former Gopher Marcus Sherels gives his all to the Vikings (ESPNW.com)

Gopher coaches on the recruiting trail (Star Tribune)

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Have lunch with coach Kill today (FaceBook)

Firm announced to develop a master plan for athletic department facilities (GopherSports)

We love listening to Coach Kill talk. Now you can listen to him in person (GopherSports)

Bye week lets coaches get out and recruit (Star Tribune)

Gophers to work on secondary, plus a Vereen and Shabazz injury update (Pioneer Press)

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Register for the Oct. 11 Buttonhook Social

The Goal Line Club, which is the official booster club of Minnesota Golden Gopher Football, will be hosting a Buttonhook Social from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, in the Indoor Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium.

The two-hour social event will be highlighted by a visit and speech from Coach Kill, who will preview the Northwestern game and share insight about the current state of the team. Former Gophers are also scheduled to attend the emceed event, which will also feature heavy appetizers and a cash bar.

Those wishing to attend can register here. The cost for attending is free for Goal Line Club Gold members and $20 for Maroon members. The fee for non members to attend is $25.

Attendees may enter TCF Bank Stadium through the Benton County doors. Parking is available next to TCF Bank Stadium in the Maroon Lot or in the Gopher Lot at regular rates.

Names of registered attendees will be placed on a guest list when you register online. Tickets will not be distributed for the event.

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Asad Abdul-Khaliq is doing good things in his native New Jersey (Minnesota Daily)

Bye week comes at a good time (FSN)

Safety play is a point of emphasis during the bye week (1500 ESPN)

Kill evaluates the three INTs last Saturday (Pioneer Press)

A look to the future (Daily Gopher)

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Tyrone Carter wants to go into coaching (Minnesota Daily)

Bye weeks comes at a good time (Minnesota Daily)

Kill thought about doing something on Uncommon last Saturday (Star Tribune)

Decker, Sherels shined on Sunday (GopherSports)

Why do U athletes have such good smiles? The School of Dentistry is a big reason (UNN.edu)

Former Gophers Marcus Sherels and Eric Decker each performed well yesterday as their respective NFL teams posted wins.

Sherels returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown as he helped the Minnesota Vikings win 20-13 at Detroit. Sherels and the Vikings are 3-1 this year.

Decker hauled in seven passes for 79 yards and one touchdown and Denver routed rival Oakland, 37-6. Decker has made 24 catches this year for 322 yards and one score for the 2-2 Broncos.

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