Gopher football coach Tim Brewster said University basketball coach Tubby Smith could have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2008. “Right now I think he’s at No. 5 or No. 6,” Brewster said.
Brewster’s depth chart yesterday had three true freshmen in starting positions in the defensive backfield, cornerbacks Ryan Collado and Kyle Theret, and free safety Curtis Thomas. Theret, 5-11, 185, “has a heart as big as his body,” Brewster said.
Jeff Sagarin’s college football rankings have North Dakota State ranked No. 50, Wisconsin 55 and Minnesota 100.
Sporting News ranked the NFL’s coaches in a recent issue and placed the Vikings’ Brad Childress at No. 28. Not surprisingly, the No. 1 and 2 coaches were New England’s Bill Belichick and Indianapolis’ Tony Dungy. A sidebar about coaches on the spot placed former Viking assistant Scott Linehan, now head coach of St. Louis, first and Childress second.
The Vikings had to call a timeout before a field goal attempt in Sunday’s Dallas game when lineman Ryan Cook forgot to go on the field. Childress said Cook can’t make that error and “must have lost his head.” The field goal was blocked and returned by the Cowboys for a touchdown.
Childress said he and his former boss in Philadelphia, Andy Reid, talk on a regular basis but probably won’t this week as the Vikings prepare for the Eagles to play at the Metrodome on Sunday.
The Timberwovles’ new marketing and advertising campaign is called “See What They Can Do.” Part of the campaign features four TV ads focusing on the team’s new mentor and spiritual leader Archibald “Sweetwater” Jones, a 3-foot-11 inch ABA and NBA journeyman from the 1970s, who has been described as part Julius Erving, part Barry White and part Yoda. Jones provides his existential wisdom with the young Timberwolves in the commercials including sharing his insights and giving a pep talk on the importance of team to several of the more youthful Wolves, and helping point guard Randy Foye better “focus his mind” for the fourth quarter.
The Wild are at Calgary tonight in the first game between the two teams this season. The Wild won three times in eight games last season, with two of Minnesota’s victories in shootouts. The first place Wild have a five point lead over the second place Flames and Colorado in the Northwest Division.
The Wild has recalled right wing Cal Clutterbuck from the Houston Aeros of the AHL. Clutterbuck, 19, had three points including a power play goal, a plus-one rating and 11 shots on goal in five games with Houston this season.
Augsburg junior wide receiver Royce Winford set a new Augsburg and MIAC single-game record for receptions, catching 20 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns as his team defeated Carleton 38-16 on Saturday. Winford was named MIAC Offensive Player of the Week. The 20-reception total is the most for any NCAA football player this season, regardless of division. The total is tied for the third-most in NCAA Division III history. Bethel University senior safety Brandon Carr was named Defensive Player of the Week for his two interceptions and a key pass break-up that helped his team defeat St. Olaf, 35-14. St. Olaf senior punter/kicker Paul Fortman punted four times for a 53-yard average, including a pair of 60-yarders. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week for the ninth time in his career.
Linebacker Duy Huynh of Concordia-St. Paul is the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week. He had a last minute interception to help Concordia hold off Upper Iowa 20-17 last Saturday. He had eight tackles and had 3.5 of Concordia’s 14 tackles for loss in the game. The defense held T.C. Hicks, the fifth-leading rusher in NCAA Division II, to 52 yards on 25 carries.