Author: David Shama

The USC football program has won 11 national championships and 31 bowl games but the 2010 team has dazzled only the most Pollyanna of its supporters so far.

The 2-0 Trojans have wins over Hawaii (49-36) and Virginia (17-14).  Neither Hawaii nor Virginia is deserving of more than a mediocre label at best.

USC ranks 37^th in the country in rushing offense per game (185.6 yards) and 47^th in passing (240 yards).  The Trojans are 107^th in total defense giving up 464 yards per game and No. 73 in scoring defense at 25 points a game.

Tomorrow first year coach Lane Kiffin, a Bloomington Jefferson alum, brings USC to play coach Tim Brewster’s Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium.  Kiffin’s profile is pretty glitzy, a handsome 35-year-old with a platinum reputation as a recruiter and coaching stops already with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers and USC Trojans.  And, oh, yes, he might have the best looking coach’s wife in the country.

But the other day on ESPN Radio Colin Cowherd and Bob Davie said that Kiffin prefers to emphasize running the football, perhaps to the detriment of his own success so far with the Trojans.  Translation: Kiffin might be glitzy in some ways, but his football approach can be old school smash them and smash some more.

“They’re a team that needs to throw the football down the field,” said Davie, the former Notre Dame coach.  “I watched the game the other night against Virginia.  They’re lucky they hung on and won that game.”

The Gophers are about a two touchdown underdog tomorrow and if they play pass defense like they did against South Dakota the Trojans will score a lot of points.  USC sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley has thrown seven touchdown passes and is No. 12 in the nation with a passing efficiency of 171.82.  The Gophers rank 97^th in the country in pass defense, giving up almost 300 yards per game.

But tomorrow’s game won’t be determined by the stats of past weeks and if the Gophers play with fury this game could be close, or an upset.  It should be an angry group of Gophers who take the field tomorrow after last Saturday’s surprise loss to South Dakota.

The Gophers have played USC here in three previous games, winning 25-19 in 1955, and losing 29-20 in 1968 and 24-7 in 1980.  The 1955 and 1968 games were particularly memorable.  The Trojans were ranked No. 10 in the country in 1955 but the Californians couldn’t deal with an early season Minneapolis snowstorm, and lost.

In 1968 USC was a glamour team, ranked No. 2 in the country and featuring the now infamous O.J. Simpson.  Minnesota coach Murray Warmath instructed the groundskeeper at Memorial Stadium to let the grass grow long prior to the season opening game, hoping to slow down Simpson, the USC tailback who later that year would win the Heisman Trophy.  Didn’t work, though, as Simpson ran for 236 yards and four touchdowns against the No. 16 ranked Gophers.

The Wild open training camp tomorrow and the regular season begins with a pair of games on October 7 and 8 in Finland against Carolina.  Hope is that this season has a better beginning than last.

In 2009 the Wild lost six of its first eight games.  Forward Matt Cullen, the Minnesota native who signed on with the Wild in July, has played with several NHL clubs and knows that kind of start is troublesome, even with an 82 game schedule.

Cullen was with Carolina when the team went to the conference finals in the spring of 2009.  Then last season Carolina started poorly and didn’t make the playoffs.

Cullen wants to see a fast start by the Wild.  “It’s nearly impossible to make up that ground,” he told Sports Headliners. “This league is too tight.  You have to come out of the gate strong.  So that for us is going to be a primary focus from day one of camp.”

If the Twins finish with the best record in the American League it seems certain Ron Gardenhire will be voted Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America.  Gardenhire has managed five division winners since becoming the Twins field boss but never been honored as American League Manager of the Year.

Former Twins great Tony Oliva told Sports Headliners pitcher Francisco Liriano, who is having his best season since 2006, might have even greater arm strength next season and a better year.

Local author Dave Wright has a book signing tomorrow starting at 2 p.m. at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater.  Wright’s book, 162-0: The Greatest Wins, is about memorable Twins games.

If quarterback Brett Favre can throw two touchdown passes in Sunday’s home game against Miami, he will become the first player in NFL history to have 500 touchdown passes.

Favre needs 500 yards to become the first NFL quarterback to throw for 70,000 yards.

Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams talking about Miami’s simple offensive approach: “They ain’t doing nothing pretty.”

Former Gopher and Green Bay Packer Darrell Thompson started watching Miami quarterback Chad Henne when Henne was at Michigan.  Thompson said Henne, who was a 2008 second round draft choice by the Dolphins, has improved as a pro and includes him in the NFL’s top 30 percent of quarterbacks.

Thompson helps local youth while heading up the Bolder Options organization as executive director.  Bolder Options has fundraising long distance runs at Lake Nokomis tomorrow.  www.bolderoptions.org

The just released History of the Minnesota Vikings DVD is almost four hours long and details the franchise’s success as it celebrates 50 seasons. The DVD is available for purchase at Vikings Locker Room stores, www.vikingslockerroom.com and other DVD retail outlets.

Athletic sophomore MarQueis Gray had a career high nine receptions for the Gophers against South Dakota.  He’s learning the wide receiver position while he remains quarterback Adam Weber’s backup.  “MarQueis will become a more precise route runner,” Gophers coach Tim Brewster said.

The September 13 issue of Sporting News magazine includes seven Big Ten basketball teams in its top 50.  Michigan State is No. 1, Purdue No. 3, Ohio State No. 5, Illinois No. 15, Wisconsin No 18, Minnesota No. 34 and Northwestern No. 41.

On the list of 30 finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award are two former MIAC athletes who have completed their eligibility.  Former Gustavus Adolphus hockey player Melissa Mackley and ex-St. Thomas softball player Alison Wright are among the 10 Division III finalists for the honor. There are 10 finalists each from Division I, Division II and Division III.