Arizona (3-4) ranks 31st in the 32 team NFL in points scored. The Cardinals also rank 31st in scoring average by opponents, 28.3. The Cardinals haven’t won here since 1977.
Sunday’s game will be the first that Vikings safety Husain Abdullah has played against his brother, Arizona safety Hamza Abdullah. There are 18 pairs of brothers in the league including former Gophers Marion Barber III and Dom Barber.
The Vikings rank No. 8 in popularity among NFL teams, according to the most recent Harris poll. Dallas is No. 1 followed by Indianapolis, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New England and the New York Giants. Arizona is No. 11.
The Vikings schedule, based on the records of teams in 2009, is tied with Chicago for 14th most difficult in the NFL. The cumulative record of Vikings opponents last season: 129-127.
Here’s a pro scout’s view on Randy Moss as quoted in part from the October 25 issue of Sporting News Magazine: “…He still faces constant challenges at the line of scrimmage throughout a game, like jams and reroutes. Those types of things slow down his vertical acceleration. He’s not an inside banger, and he never was.”
Kent State has cancelled a nonconference football game with Purdue for next year, leaving the Boilermakers scrambling to fill an open date. Kent State had a $425,000 guarantee to play at Purdue but a $1.2 million offer from Alabama will have the Golden Flashes heading south. The lesson is for schools to set larger cancellation fees.
The Gophers football team is at Michigan State tomorrow and facing an almost certain loss. Then two more defeats are likely and the Gophers will finish with a 1-11 record for the second time in four years.
During the last 40 years the Gophers compiled five winning Big Ten records. In that period there have been three third place finishes, and no firsts or seconds.
On November 5, 1960 the Gophers were ranked No. 3 in the nation and played No. 1 rated Iowa in the most important Minnesota football game since World War II. The Gophers won 27-10 and went on to win the national title. There’s a wonderful story about that game in the Sports Illustrated vault. https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1071994/index.htm
Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers hockey team (5-3) is trying to win back some fans and can take a step in that direction tonight and tomorrow night against Wisconsin (5-2-1). Previous seasons have disappointed and the Gophers announced earlier in the week tickets were available for this weekend’s games. Minnesota has won its last three games and outscored opponents 15-6.
The Wild’s Cal Clutterbuck is helping to promote “Movember.” Clutterbuck’s moustache has its own Twitter account (@ClutterStache). “Movember” encourages men to grow moustaches during November to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer research.
The Wild had Sakura chefs visit Xcel Energy Center and make fresh sushi for lunch after practice on Monday.
The sixth Annual Diamond Awards Event will be January 27 at Target Field and benefit brain, nerve and muscle disorders research at the University of Minnesota. Diamond Awards will be recognized including Joe Mauer as the Twins MVP and Upper Midwest Player of the Year. The awards are based on voting by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. More information on the event at 612-33-TWINS or 800-33-TWINS.
St. Thomas senior setter Emily Foster has been chosen by league coaches as the MIAC Volleyball Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. She has also been named to the all-conference team for the fourth straight year and is the seventh player in league history to have 5,000 career assists.
Other award winners are Defensive Player of the Year Nicole Neumann from St. Catherine, Rookie of the Year Kathryn Gaydos of Saint Benedict and Coach of the Year Cindy Book from St. Olaf.