HUSKIES IN THE BIG WOODS.

At the end of last year's football season, Minnesota (motto: ten thousand ways to surrender the Axe) recruited football coach Jerry Kill and most of his assistants away from Northern Illinois.  Mr Kill has received a long-term contract extension, despite the culture shock.

Kill said recently that he and his staff are monitoring 63 players on the roster to make sure they're attending class. He has also said it will be more than a one-, two- or even three-year process. The Gophers only have 41 upperclassmen on the roster and are carrying 78 true freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores on their 119-man roster (including walk-ons). The painful experience of this year may make those younger players better down the line.

Kill may be exactly what Minnesota needs -- a guy who will approach the rebuilding project in a no-nonsense manner, and one who is not necessarily looking to parlay this into a better job as quickly as possible. The Gophers are banking on Kill being the right guy for the long term.

It's an admirable show of faith. They'd better be right.

The athletic program at Northern Illinois insists that its charges attend class, and suggests that players introduce themselves introduce themselves on the first day of class to their professors, and give those professors a signed letter with the known travel days listed thereupon.  Apparently that's something new at Minnesota.

On the field, his team managed to bring home the bacon against Iowa.

Kill recently received a text from Joe Novak, the man he replaced at Northern Illinois before the 2008 season.

"He said: 'When you turn a program around, first you lose big. Second, you get close. And then third, you win one you shouldn't. And fourth, you start winning big,' " Kill said.

"I don't know where we are in that phase. . . but we are getting better and that is a good thing."

That's Iowa. The Axe remains in Madison.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel photograph by Tom Lynn.

On the winning side, the running backs, who have a front line bigger than that of the Packers clearing the way, have as their coach a man with more than a little experience with successful running games.

[Thomas] Hammock was the Gophers' running backs coach from 2007-'09 and last season was promoted to co-offensive coordinator. He took over the play-calling duties for the final five games after head coach Tim Brewster was fired and was the only member of the staff retained by new coach Jerry Kill.

Kill announced last December that Hammock had been retained. About 2½ months later, Hammock left Minnesota for [Wisconsin].

According to Hammock, [Wisconsin coach Bret] Bielema called Kill and told him Hammock would be a worthy hire but added that one day he might try to hire him away. When John Settle left UW after last season to become the running backs coach for the Carolina Panthers, Bielema targeted Hammock.

The successful running game isn't Minnesota's.

Hammock rushed for 1,083 yards as a sophomore at Northern Illinois in 2000. He followed that performance by rushing for 1,095 yards as a junior in '01.

His playing days ended when doctors discovered a potentially life-threatening heart ailment. Playing was out and Hammock was a spectator in 2002 when Northern Illinois played at UW. Coaching was an option, however.

Commencing with a graduate assistant gig in Madison.