Author: David Shama

Among coach Tim Brewster’s repeated mantras has been “building a championship defense.”  Halfway through Brewster’s fourth season that hasn’t been heard for awhile and for good reason.

Taking “Gopher Nation” to the Rose Bowl following a Big Ten championship has been the Brewster goal since becoming coach in January of 2007.  That success was to be built on a championship defense but the 2010 Gophers are…um…struggling.

Minnesota is last in conference scoring defense at 32.3 points per game.  Also last among the league’s 11 teams in rushing defense yielding 196.3 yards a game.  In total yards Minnesota is giving up 417.8 yards per game, the second most in the conference.

Those stats are troublesome and so, too, is that the defense’s stated goal and No. 1 priority is stopping the run.  Through six games, neither the linemen, linebackers nor defensive backs have impressed as the Gophers, with a 1-5 record, have lost five consecutive games including a 41-38 loss to South Dakota.

During Brewster’s first season in 2007 the Gophers gave up 440 points, second most in school history. That was an average of 36.7 points per game in the 1-11 season.

By now more was expected of the coaching staff and players.  The defense and overall limited success is more similar to coach Jim Wacker’s program, than Glen Mason’s, the coach Brewster replaced.

Wacker, who coached the Gophers from 1992-96, had a 3-8 record in his fourth season and his team gave up 33.5 points per game.  Mason inherited a mess from Wacker but by his third season was 8-4, including 5-3 in the Big Ten and his team allowed 16.3 points a game.

Mason, who coached Minnesota from 1997-2006, took the Gophers to seven second level bowl games. His mantra from day one on the job was “stop the run first” and sometimes his teams did.  He was dismissed because his career Big Ten record was 16 games below .500.

Mason’s last team had a 6-7 record and gave up 26 points per game.  He left a “cupboard” with more resources than Wacker put in place for him.  But so far Brewster’s record is more Wacker-like than similar to Mason.  Brewster is 6-20 in conference games and 15-29 overall.  Wacker’s numbers through the same number of games: 7-19 and 12-32.

It will be the most surprising loss yet if the 1-3 Vikings don’t defeat 1-3 Dallas on Sunday at Mall of America Field in a game that’s been called the “Panic Bowl.”

Road losses to New Orleans and the Jets, two of the NFL’s better teams, weren’t surprising.  The Vikings’ third loss of the season, against Miami, was unexpected to many observers.

But the loss to Miami came in the second game of the season, or something like pre-season for quarterback Brett Favre who reported late to training camp and found injured star wide receiver Sidney Rice out indefinitely. The Vikings’ offense has lacked consistent productivity in four games, including the team’s win over Detroit, but more practice and game time by Favre, and the addition last week of wide receiver Randy Moss to the roster, should have this unit living up to potential and scoring points on Sunday.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was asked what’s on the line Sunday. “Just finally getting the ball rolling,” he said.  “Even though it was a tough loss on Monday night (Jets), just coming out that second half and being productive offensively really gave us something to look at and compare. This is what the Minnesota offense is all about. We are just focusing on that this week with our preparation and just coming out Sunday and get the job done for four quarters.”

The Vikings are a better team than Dallas and aren’t carrying the burden of heat on the coaching staff where the Cowboys’ Wade Phillips sits on a warm seat. The Vikings beat the Cowboys at Mall of America Field in the playoffs last January and that memory should help their confidence.  So, too, should the support of the Vikings’ crazies in the stands.

“We’re getting ready to face an NFC opponent at home,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “We really need our crowd to be energetic and loud, even louder, maybe, than the NFC playoff game. That would be outstanding.  Looking forward to it, should be a great game for our fans.”

Before the season the Vikings and Cowboys were supposed to be near the top of the NFC standings, not the bottom.  ESPN sportscaster Mike Tirico has labeled Sunday’s game the “Panic Bowl.”

The team that loses on Sunday may have to forget about playoff dreams and face this reality: a remaining schedule of “Losers Bowls.”

Interest in Deanna Favre’s 2007 book “Don’t Bet Against Me” has increased during the last several days.  Web sites report the book includes references to past struggles in her relationship with husband Brett, the Vikings quarterback.

The 41-year-old Favre, who has been dealing with pain in his right elbow, has thrown for more than 70,000 career yards.  He has 30 touchdown passes since his 40^th birthday.  In NFL history only Warren Moon, with 37 touchdown passes, has thrown more touchdown passes among players 40 or older.

Running back Adrian Peterson needs 36 more yards on Sunday against Dallas to total 5,000 for his career.  If he does, it will have taken only 51 games to reach 5,000.

Former Vikings quarterback Wade Wilson is the Dallas quarterbacks coach.  Ray Sherman, the ex-Vikings assistant coach, is the Dallas wide receivers coach.  Former Gopher Marion Barber now with the Cowboys has rushed for only 144 yards on 42 carries in four games.  During preseason he saw limited time, too, gaining 23 yards on 12 rushing attempts.

Former Cretin-Derham Hall prep All-American Seantrel Henderson has been starting for Miami as a freshman offensive tackle.

It appeared earlier in the week that a hip flexor injury might prevent Eric Ellestad from kicking extra points and field goals tomorrow when the Gophers play at Purdue.

Troy Stoudermire, a wide receiver earlier in the season, is likely to play as a defensive back tomorrow after a couple weeks of preparation.

Gophers linebacker Ryan Grant talks occasionally with his grandfather Bud Grant but the legendary coach doesn’t attend his games regularly.  Ryan’s dad, Eden Prairie coach Mike, is among a group of “eight to 10” family members who watch him play at TCF Bank Stadium.

Ryan said he often sees his grandfather at family gatherings.  “He has a lot of wisdom about him,” Ryan said.  “If you ever need advice he’s always got something good to say.  He understands things, looks at things a little different than most people do. ..”

The October 11 issue of Sporting News Magazine rates Minneapolis-St. Paul No. 13 among best sports cities.  Chicago is No. 1.

Anticipation is building for the Bethel at St. Thomas game a week from Saturday.  Bethel, 5-0, and St. Thomas, 6-0, are nationally ranked and favorites to win the MIAC.  St. Thomas is at Hamline tomorrow while Bethel plays at home against Gustavus.

Bethel senior linebacker Ross Petterson is the MIAC defensive player of the week after seven tackles and a 28-yard interception for a touchdown helped the Royals defeat Saint John’s last Saturday.  Garrett Engelhardt of St. Thomas is the special teams player of the week for his performance when the Tommies defeated Augsburg.  His blocked punt was a momentum changer on Saturday.  Freshman running back Jeffrey Dubose is the offensive player of the week after gaining 202 yards in Gustavus’ win over Hamline including an 85-yard touchdown run.

You won’t have to wait for future years to see Nebraska at TCF Bank Stadium. The University of Minnesota rugby club hosts Nebraska at the stadium tomorrow afternoon.  More at www.gopherrugby.com