Author: David Shama

The Gophers open practice today at 3:55 p.m. at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex.  That practice and many others are open to the public including workouts through Friday.  All five practices through Friday begin at 3:55 p.m. and are at Gibson-Nagurski.

Quarterback MarQueis Gray will be the team’s playmaker and he’s bulked up since a year ago, reportedly approaching 250 pounds.  Kill said he will wait to see if the additional size is “good or bad” for his quarterback.

“I’ve seen a lot of guys lift a lot of weights, (and) can’t play football,” Kill said.  “I’ve seen a lot of 10.4 track guys that can’t play football.  You gotta translate that (size, speed) to the football field.”

The 6-foot-4 junior is expected to be the Gophers starter for the first time in his career.  Kill praised Gray’s offseason efforts to become a team leader.

Joel Maturi said he didn’t know if the Big Ten had finalized plans to eliminate 11 a.m. football games this year but “we’re hoping we’re going to play at noon at the earliest.”

The conference did announce league teams will play nine conference games each starting in 2017.  Maturi said the increase from eight games to nine was long discussed and helping to ease the transition is that all schools will still be able to play seven home games (including nonconference opponents) each year.

“I do think the fans want more conference games,” Maturi said.  “That’s a huge part of the factor.”

The Gophers basketball nonconference schedule announced last week has Minnesota playing all of its games at either Williams Arena, or at a neutral site.  Coach Tubby Smith’s team will play 12 games at home including two exhibitions and go on the road to Orlando, Florida for the Old Spice Classic against a field that includes DePaul and Texas Tech.  The Gophers will play DePaul on Thanksgiving afternoon with the game televised on ESPN2.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien said Harvard has a lot of interest in recruiting Hopkins point guard Siyani Chambers.  Lien reported via email that Wally Ellenson from Rice Lake, Wisconsin has been offered a scholarship by the Gophers.

The White Sox used four home runs yesterday to defeat the Twins 7-0.  It was the third time this season the Twins have allowed that many home runs in one game.

Brian Duensing started the game for the Twins.  He is 0-2, with a 6.57 ERA in his last two starts.

The White Sox swept the Twins in a three-game series for the first time since April 21-23, 2006 and first time in Minneapolis since June 29-July 1, 2004.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on his 1500 ESPN show Sunday that Nick Blackburn, who hasn’t lasted until the sixth inning in his last three starts, will remain in the rotation.

Pat Ruff, writing in the Rochester Post Bulletin last month, reported that Ingrid Neel is considering girls tennis at Rochester Mayo High School.  As a seventh grader last spring Neel played for the boys team that won the Class 2A state championship.  Minnesota State High School League rules won’t allow her to play for both the boys and girls teams during the same school year.

Golf commentator and senior player Peter Jacobsen told Sports Headliners that Fred Couples is his favorite to win this weekend’s 3M Championship but also said home state hero Tom Lehman is likely to be among the leaders, too, going into Sunday’s final round.

Jacobsen, who will play in the 3M Championship this weekend at TPC Twin Cities, mentioned Couples, Lehman and Bernhard Langer when asked about players most likely to win the tournament that is part of the Champions Tour for seniors. “Fred Couples is still talented enough to play on the PGA Tour,” Jacobsen said.  “I think anytime Fred enters a tournament on the Champions Tour he’s THE favorite.

“Langer is back but he’s coming off an injury.  He played the senior British and the (U.S.) Senior Open.  I saw him yesterday (Tuesday) and he said he’s feeling pretty good.  He’s starting to get back into shape, golf shape.

“The other player who could win anytime he tees it up is Tom Lehman, another player who still competes on the PGA Tour.  Hits (the ball) a long ways, makes a lot of birdies.”

Jacobsen said Lehman is one of the top three long drivers on the Champions Tour.  Not only does the Alexandria, Minnesota native drive for distance but also accuracy.

“The other thing that makes Tom so formidable is the fact that he makes so many birdies,” Jacobsen said.  “He’s an excellent iron player and he’s a great putter.  Statistically he’s going to have more chances, probably, than anyone else because he’s so close to the hole so often.  I think those two guys, Couples and Lehman, will more than likely be there on Sunday.

“Now Fred has been dealing with a bad back.  So as I said earlier, the only thing that can derail Fred Couples is injury, or pain from a bad back.”