The Vikings, 2-4, play six of their last 10 games at home, starting with Sunday’s noon game with Philadelphia. Three of the next four games are here, with the only road date in Green Bay on November 11.
Vikings’ coach Brad Childress spent seven seasons with the Eagles, including four as offensive coordinator. Vikings’ defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was the defensive backfield coach for the Eagles from 1999-2002. Former Gophers’ fullback Thomas Tapeh, now with the Eagles, has rushed 12 times for 42 yards this season.
Speculation is that Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb could end up in the NFC North next year, either with Chicago or the Vikings.
Adrian Peterson not only leads the NFL in rushing yards with 670, but his 6.2 yards per attempt is best in the league.
The Vikings’ defense is tied for first in takeaways (16) with Detroit, Seattle and Tennessee.
Gophers’ basketball coach Tubby Smith wants a practice facility other than Williams Arena. Athletic director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners the project must wait until fundraising is completed for the new TCF Bank Stadium. The facility’s cost is unknown since details of the building plan haven’t started.
Hockey coach Don Lucia is interested in facility enhancements, too, including a players’ lounge at Mariucci Arena. Maturi said an alumni lounge is another possibility and that expanding the team’s training table to beyond once per week is desirable. Maturi also said both the basketball and hockey enhancements must be paid for through fundraising rather than the athletic department budget.
There’s been talk about expanding the Big Ten Conference football schedule from eight to nine games but Maturi said he doesn’t think it will happen. There are “too many” issues with an unbalanced schedule.
Nothing has changed so far amidst speculation that the Twins won’t have the budget to sign both Johan Santana and Torii Hunter to new contracts.
It was 30 years ago this fall that the Gophers beat then No. 1 ranked Michigan 16-0 at Memorial Stadium. Tomorrow the Gophers are at Michigan and they have defeated the Wolverines only twice (1986 and 2005) since their dramatic win in 1977.
The defending national champion Gopher wrestling team begins its season on Saturday, November 10 at the Bison Open in Fargo. Seven times Big Ten Coach of the Year J Robinson has outstanding returnees including two-time national champion and potential Olympian Cole Konrad.
St. Thomas tries for its first win in Collegeville since 1986 when the Tommies play at Saint John’s on Saturday. An overflow Clemens Stadium crowd of more than 10,000 (capacity 7,500) is expected to watch one of small college football’s better rivalries. The Tommies (2-5 overall, 2-3 in the MIAC) haven’t defeated the Johnnies (8-0 and 6-0) and legendary coach John Gagliardi since 1997 in the Metrodome. Two Rocori High School grads start at quarterback, SJU senior Alex Kofoed and Tommie junior David Sauer.