Author: David Shama

Viking coach Brad Childress talking about 37-year-old quarterback Brett Favre who has the Packers off to a 3-0 start: “He has no conscience in terms of firing the football in there.  He plays with great confidence, and you can see right now he’s playing with great enthusiasm.”

Sports Illustrated jinx?  Favre is on the magazine’s latest cover and the superstitious will say that means a Viking win on Sunday.

The Vikings will wear throwback uniforms for Sunday’s game as the franchise celebrates Chuck Foreman’s induction into the Ring of Honor as part of Alumni Weekend. The uniforms are representative of those worn by the Vikings during Foreman’s Viking career and differ from the current uniforms in several areas.

Marion Barber III ran with exceptional emotion and toughness for the Gophers.  Those characteristics are being noticed in Dallas, too, where Barber has gained 256 yards, 12^th in the NFL.  Among rushers, he’s tied in touchdowns (four) with Joseph Addai of Indianapolis. Barber has one touchdown reception and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (five) with receivers Randy Moss of New England and Plaxico Burress of the Giants.

Dick Tressel, former Hamline football coach and athletic director, has been on brother Jim’s staff at Ohio State since 2001.  Dick is the Ohio State running backs coach.

The Gophers have been picked to finish second in the WCHA for 2007-08, according to the Grand Forks Herald’s annual preseason coaches’ poll. The Gophers received three of the 10 first-place votes while WCHA favorite North Dakota received the other votes.  North Dakota’s Ryan Duncan was named the Preseason WCHA Player of the Year, and Kyle Turris of Wisconsin was selected as the league’s Preseason Rookie of the Year. Minnesota sophomore Kyle Okposo also received a vote for WCHA Preseason Player of the Year.

The Herb Brooks Foundation’s third benefit gala will be held on Friday, November 9 beginning at 6 p.m. at The Depot in Minneapolis. Hockey Hall of Famers Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull will be keynote speakers. Members of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team, as well as other former and current NHL players, will be attending the event. Live auction items include an ice skating party for 10 with Olympic star Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, Bret Hedican, a Minnesota native and Stanley Cup winner . A walk-on role opportunity in the upcoming Mayhem Pictures film, “Secretariat,” and a 1980 Olympic jersey signed by Brooks and the team will also be auctioned off. Tickets are $140 per person and can be purchased by calling Tracy Adams at 763-479-4499 or via email at tracyadams@frontiernet.net.

When Tubby Smith was coach at Kentucky he recruited Joel Przybilla, the Monticello High School center who went on to play two seasons with the Gophers before becoming a No. 1 NBA draft pick.  Smith and Przybilla, now starting his eighth NBA season, have been talking since Smith became the Gopher coach earlier this year and the two are building a friendship.

With three months remaining in the NFL schedule it’s too early to be handing out awards, but a solid bet right now for Rookie of the Year is Adrian Peterson.  The Viking running back has rushed for over 100 yards in two of his first three games and his 271 total yards ranks 10^th among all NFL rushers.

Peterson leads all rookies in rushing with Marshawn Lynch of Buffalo second at 228 yards.  Lynch might be Peterson’s main rival for the award, although it’s early in the season and players like wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, may further establish themselves.

Detroit’s Johnson ranks third in receptions among rookie receivers with 10 catches.  Packer rookies James Jones (14) and Brandon Jackson (11) rank first and second.  Peterson is fifth with eight receptions but he has more yards (160) than any rookies except Johnson (189) and Jones (183).

No rookie can match Peterson’s 20 yards per reception average.  His explosiveness was on display in game one when he caught a swing pass from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and ran 60 yards for a touchdown against Atlanta.

Last Sunday he ran 11 yards for a first quarter touchdown against Kansas City.  He faked out Chief cornerback Ty Law and showed his speed to the outside as he scored his first rushing touchdown as a Viking.

Those kinds of results remind an observer about what coach Brad Childress said last spring when the Vikings made the Oklahoma all-American tailback the team’s first choice and No. 7 overall pick in the draft. “We are obviously elated to have this guy,” Childress said. “He is an explosive football player that can take it to the house every time from any point on the football field. He has that type of speed and ability. …”

Peterson has scored two of the three touchdowns produced by the offense in the first three regular season games.  He’s easily the team’s best playmaker and the coaches are likely to rely on him more with each game.  At Kansas City he had a season high 25 carries, and gained 102 yards rushing and 48 receiving. He is the Vikings’ leading receiver with 160 yards in receptions, 63 more than runner-up Bobby Wade.  With a combined 431 yards rushing and receiving, Peterson has set a Viking record for the most yards from scrimmage in the first three games of a season.

With an unsettled quarterback situation and no big boppers among the wide receivers, the offense could become Peterson run left, Peterson run right, Peterson catch a swing pass.  Mostly run the football and rely on one of the NFL’s better defenses.

Peterson isn’t without faults but one day he will be a consensus choice as the franchise’s best runner ever.  In the Kansas City game Peterson was on the bench late in the game as the Vikings tried to rally from a 13-10 deficit, apparently because his pass protection skills are inferior to Mewelde Moore.  Peterson also had one fumble in the game, and almost fumbled a second time.  He probably needs to carry the ball higher and tighter on his body.

The Rookie of the Year award is more likely to be won by an offensive player, although there are some impressive starts by defensive linemen Amobi Okoye of Houston and linebacker Paul Posluszny of Buffalo.  Right now, though, Peterson leads the parade, offense or defense. (Note: there are multiple organizations who announce a Rookie of the Year including the Associated Press that makes an offensive and defensive selection.)

There’s another new running back in town that can bring fans out of their seats.  His name is Duane Bennett, a true freshman from the St. Louis area who is likely to receive his first career start Saturday night against Ohio State at the Metrodome.

Bennett and senior Amir Pinnix are both listed as possible starters but coach Tim Brewster said yesterday that Pinnix has been bothered by a turf toe injury.  Bennett has impressed as a reserve, gaining 122 yards on 13 carries for a 9.4 average.  In last Saturday’s loss to Purdue he had seven carries for 81 yards (including a 44-yard run) and scored his first college touchdown.

Bennett, 5-9, 195, is a darting type of runner who is a potential touchdown producer on many plays.  In high school as a senior he rushed for 1,362 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Bennett was asked about famous runners he’s followed. “I admire a lot of running backs for what they bring to the table but most notably the guy I always watched (was) Barry Sanders because he didn’t have anything wrong with his ability, but …people questioned his height and his size. … He was a smaller back among the big backs when he was coming out of high school so I really admire what he did.”

Bennett’s been impressing Gopher insiders since practice began in August, showing exceptional vision and cutback ability.  He said his best time in the 40-yard dash is 4.44.

A humble 18-year-old, Bennett wasn’t bothered by ESPN.com rating him the 135^th best prep running back in the nation.  He considered the ranking an “honor” and said some schools preferred that he play safety in college.  Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas were among those interested in him as a running back.

Bennett thinks his pass blocking now is “subpar or all right,” but he showed courage Saturday night against Purdue.  He flipped a Purdue rusher up in the air and in the process took a knee to the head.  He blacked out but later was okayed to return to the game.

Bennett said the Gopher coaches liked his effort on the play but the incident concerned family watching on TV. “I got a lot of phone calls,” he said.

Bennett knows ball security will be a requirement for playing time.  Earlier this week on WCCO radio Brewster said “guys who are not secure with the football will not play.”

Bennett is confident he can make big runs for the Gophers, perhaps similar to what Laurence Maroney did before becoming a No. 1 draft choice by New England in 2006.  Like Maroney, Bennett is from the St. Louis area and wears No. 22.  Bennett said he wanted the number because he had worn No. 22 prior to coming to Minnesota.