Author: David Shama

Viking coach Brad Childress talking about whether he miscalculated the readiness of second year quarterback Tarvaris Jackson who threw four interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Detroit: “I don’t think so. I don’t feel that way, I feel like he is more than ready. It is just a matter of him taking care of the football. I see him make a lot of good plays out there, and I see him see a lot of things and get us into the right place, but that is part of that learning curve and you can’t do those things with the football and put your team in that situation, and he knows that.”

When the Vikings (1-1) play in Kansas City (0-2) Sunday, they will see a Chiefs team much in need of a win and statistically unimpressive.  The Chiefs, who have lost games on the road to Houston and Chicago, want to win Sunday before playing at San Diego the following week.  Here are key stats with the Viking numbers first, followed by the Chiefs: points per game, 20.5 vs. 6.5; total offense per game:  307.5 vs. 250; third down efficiency, 40.7% vs. 29.6%; opponents’ points per game: 11.5 vs. 20.

The Viking defense has seven takeaways in the first two games, including three that resulted in touchdowns. Tackle Kevin Williams, cornerback Antoine Winfield and end Ray Edwards have scored touchdowns. The Vikings have eight touchdowns produced by their defense during the team’s last 15 regular season games, the best total in the NFL.

Viking punter Chris Kluwe set a club single game record last Sunday against Detroit when he averaged 57.5 yards (gross average, before returns) on four kicks. 

Heath Farwell leads the Vikings in special team tackles with five, including four solo. He was one of the team’s captains for both the Atlanta and Detroit games.

Eden Prairie high school coach Mike Grant told Sports Headliners defensive end Willie Mobley is being pursued by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio State, UCLA and other schools.  “All those schools are very interested,” Grant said.

Recruiters, Grant said, believe he is one of the nation’s top interior defensive line prospects at nose guard or defensive tackle. “He’s got great explosiveness,” Grant said.  “…If you think of that NFL nose guard, that big guy, that’s got that quickness and athleticism, that’s what he comes to the table with right away.”

Considered the state’s best defensive line prospect, Grant projects that the 6-2, 260-pound Mobley will play 30 pounds or so heavier in college.  Grant also said he doesn’t know what college Mobley will choose.

Grant’s son, Ryan, the Eden Prairie quarterback and defensive back, has already committed to Minnesota.  “They recruited him as an athlete,” Grant said.  Ryan, Bud Grant’s grandson, has skills as a long snapper and at multiple positions including linebacker and safety.

Gopher athletic director Joel Maturi said he extended a multi-year contract to wrestling coach J Robinson awhile ago but the contract hasn’t been signed. Robinson has coached three NCAA champion teams at Minnesota.

Dr. John Williams and other Minnesotans were in Las Cruces, New Mexico last Saturday visiting with former Gopher athletic director McKinley Boston.  Williams said Boston is popular at New Mexico State where as athletic director he’s directed innovations in marketing and administration.  Williams and Boston were teammates on the 1967 Gopher Big Ten Conference championship football team.

The unexpectedness of Terry Ryan’s resignation as Twins general manager is one reason why his news conference will long be remembered but there’s another reason, too.  There was a feeling of respect, almost reverence that could be felt in that news conference late last week.

It’s the responsibility of the press to be skeptical, to probe and question.  Media types are often cynical, overly negative and can lose fairness and objectivity in their writing and reporting.  In this town, though, even those who occasionally found fault with Ryan also respected his many accomplishments during his 13 years as the Twins baseball boss.  The media appreciated his commitment, work ethic, knowledge, intelligence and, perhaps most of all, his honesty.  Ryan isn’t about spin doctor babble.

In separate moments during the news conference two media members offered testimonials and thank yous to Ryan.   It was surprising and rather remarkable to see the Star Tribune’s Sid Hartman and Gene Harrington of Associated Press radio offer tributes.

Nice words came from Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer, too.   He was at the news conference and immediately afterward was asked about Ryan.

“Mr. Ryan is the reason I am here (with the Twins),” Cuddyer said.  “He’s the one that drafted me.  He’s the one that signed me. …I just wanted to be here to express my gratitude to him for bringing me into the Minnesota Twins organization.”

It didn’t surprise a local baseball source that Cuddyer took time on his day off to attend the news conference.  “He understands there’s more to the game than just playing,” the source said.

The 53-year-old Ryan, whose decisions were the most important in assembling teams that won four Central Division championships, has accepted a role with the franchise as senior advisor to new general manager Bill Smith.  After 13 years the demands of an incredibly demanding work schedule, including negotiating with agents, convinced him that for his health and family he needed to resign.  With most other men a skeptical media and public would be asking in large numbers what the real story is.  With Ryan you accept at face value that the job was becoming uncomfortable. In his new advisor role he can reduce his hours and focus on his love of evaluating players for the Twins.  Ryan has earned the public’s trust.

During the last 20 years Minnesota has lost to several “Joe Blows” of the college football world, but Saturday’s 42-39 loss to Florida Atlantic has an element the others can’t match.  The losing legacy of Minnesota football during the last couple of decades includes losses to Pacific, San Jose State, Hawaii, Ohio and Toledo but last Saturday’s defeat came from a school that has been fielding a football team for only seven years and was a touchdown underdog playing in its home area.

The Gopher loss in Miami to Sun Coast Conference member Florida Atlantic ranks with the most disappointing defeats in memory but while the result can be described as surprising it wasn’t shocking.  The Gophers had seven turnovers, including four interceptions, and were their usual feeble selves defensively.  “We played very poorly,” coach Tim Brewster told WCCO radio listeners after the game.  “I coached very poorly.”

Minnesota followed a similar pattern as in its first two games against “Joe Blows” Bowling Green and Miami of Ohio.  The Gophers were often ineffective in the first half, better in the second.  The most troubling constant in splitting the first two games, then losing in Miami, is that the Gopher defense is unable to stop the opponent.  The Gophers gave up 67 points in their first two games.  Last Saturday Florida Atlantic scored 42 points and came up with 580 total yards.  The Owls came into the game averaging 380 yards and lost the previous Saturday, 42-6 to Oklahoma State. The WCCO radio game day crew was at a loss to pick a defensive Player of the Game and only chose an Offensive Player of the Game, Eric Decker.

Reality is that the Gophers aren’t the only ones losing to “Joe Blows.”  Not that it makes things less disappointing but last year Colorado lost to Montana State in Boulder.  New Hampshire beat Northwestern in Evanston.  Then this year Appalachian State shook the planet defeating No. 5 ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor.  Also this season Northern Iowa has a win over Iowa State, East Carolina beat North Carolina and last Friday night Troy State (remember when people used to say, “Troy who?”) defeated Oklahoma State on its home field.

Parity in college football is a buzz word. There are lots of good players and some play for the “Joe Blows.”  That brings us to the Gophers talent gap, particularly on defense.  The unit’s problems wouldn’t disappear but imagine how much better the Gophers could be with a couple of high impact players like former Minnesota prep stars James Laurinatis, Ohio State’s all-American linebacker, and Trevor Laws, Notre Dame’s best defensive lineman.

Brewster’s legacy will be determined by whether he can recruit those kinds of players from this state and elsewhere.  He gets a yes vote here but in the meantime the Gophers can be thankful they play Purdue at home Saturday rather than on the road.  Trying to stop the 3-0 Boilermakers will be challenging enough without having to face an intimidating Big Ten Conference crowd.

Purdue has the league’s best quarterback in Curtis Painter and several receivers he likes to throw to including explosive wide receiver Dorien Bryant.  The Boilermakers had about 402 yards of total offense after just the first half Saturday on their way to 586 yards and a 45-22 win over Central Michigan.

Defensively, Purdue isn’t as impressive and at times was off balance against Central Michigan’s passing game in the second half Saturday. That sets up the possibility of a fourth consecutive high scoring game for both the Gophers and Purdue.  The Boilermakers are no “Joe Blows” and will be a big favorite, easily the best team the Gophers have seen so far. Still, no predictions here on the winner or the score because there are too many surprises in college football these days.