Author: David Shama

The Gophers experienced their most one sided defeat in three seasons under Brewster when they lost 55-0 to Iowa last year at the Metrodome.  In Iowa City on Saturday the Gophers bring a struggling offense to face one of the Big Ten’s best defenses (Iowa is No. 1 in the conference against the pass, No. 3 versus the run).

Is all of the above an intimidating mix for the offense? “I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating,” quarterback Adam Weber said.  “It’s a challenge.  If guys are intimidated, I think they’re playing the wrong sport.”

Weber said the mistakes made against South Dakota State will need to be corrected against Iowa or all the errors will be “exploited ten-fold.”   The Gophers, 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference, will be about a 10 point underdog against Iowa, 9-2 and 5-2.

Weber, though, is looking forward to the game with its challenges and the rivalry of Iowa-Minnesota.  The one-sided result of last year is on his mind, too.  He describes the defeat as the “most brutal” of his career.  “No matter what, we just couldn’t get anything going,” he said.

Is there resolve to make up for last year.  “Oh, definitely,” Weber said.  “For the past two seasons we haven’t beat Iowa.  It’s a big, big deal for us, especially coming off the way we played last season.

“Coach Brew even talked about it on Sunday.  It’s about respect.  When you play a brutal game like football it’s about your opponents respecting you, and having mutual respect.  We didn’t earn any respect last year against Iowa.  They were able to just kind of run all over us offensively and defensively.  You take that personally.  So this year it’s pretty important for us to go out there and earn some respect there.”

The Gophers have won two games by three points each.  The team has shown poise in close games and not flinched on defense in the fourth quarter.  Before Brewster’s arrival the Gophers preferred a Charmin-soft nonconference schedule but this year’s games were the most formidable in more than 15 years.

The Gophers will bus to Iowa, their only trip not by plane.  Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said most Big Ten Conference teams are busing to at least one game, a policy of fiscal restraint.

Brewster described the change in travel as “refreshing.”  The Gophers will ride for about two and one-half hours on Friday, then stop for a short break before continuing the trip.

The outing is favorable compared with California’s round trip bus ride to UCLA earlier this fall.  The ride from Berkeley to Los Angeles is about seven hours each way.

Brewster said center Jeff Tow-Arnett, who broke his leg in the Wisconsin game on October 3, was cleared to play against South Dakota State but didn’t.  He could play at Iowa and most certainly will in a bowl game.  As the team’s starting center, his absence has been one of the challenges faced by the offense.

The Gophers, like all opponents who have used the visiting locker rooms in Kinnick Stadium, will dress surrounded by pink walls.  The pink walls were painted at the direction of former Iowa coach Hayden Fry who thought the passive color might give his Hawkeyes an edge.  Brewster said when he was a player at Illinois his coach, Mike White, had the walls covered with “meat locker paper.”

The U2 concert on June 27 next year at TCF Bank Stadium will allow the University to earn about $200,000, according to Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi.  Capacity for the outdoor concert will be about 58,000.  No alcohol will be allowed at the event.

Coaches aren’t the only ones who work long weeks.  Maturi said he’s in the office every Sunday and expects to work “11 hours” this coming Sunday.

High hopes: senior basketball guard Lawrence Westbrook said on a recent WCCO Radio postgame show that the Gophers believe they can be a Final Four team.

Gophers assistant coach Saul Smith said forward Rodney Williams could rank with the best freshmen in the Big Ten.  He also said the players have been talking for some time about next week’s Thanksgiving night game against highly ranked Butler (No 11 or 10 depending on the poll).

Vikings coach Brad Childress said Tarvaris Jackson, not Sage Rosenfels, is the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Brett Favre.  He told Sports Headliners that unless Jackson is needed in a full game it won’t be possible to totally judge Jackson’s improvement.  “You don’t know until you know,” Childress said.

Seattle coach Jim Mora (whose Seahawks play here on Sunday) was asked if Favre’s performance this season has surprised him.  “You know what? I don’t know if that guy will ever surprise me. We’ve played him so many times. I have two favorite players since I have been in the NFL and that’s Ronnie Lott and Brett Favre. Those are the two guys that I respect the most. He will never surprise me.”

Larry Fitzgerald Sr. said his son Larry’s Arizona Cardinals, who made the Super Bowl last season, should be included with New Orleans and the Vikings when naming NFC favorites.  The Cardinals have won five of their last six games.  He said his son’s best friend on the team is quarterback Kurt Warner and among their common interests is a strong religious conviction.

It wouldn’t be surprising if 38-year-old catcher Mike Redmond, who has spent five      seasons with the Twins, ends his career soon and joins the organization as a manager or coach.   The Twins have three promising catching prospects in Wilson Ramos, 22, and Joe Morales and Sal Butera, both 26.  Butera is the most advanced defensively, Morales the best offensively.

Five-year-old Josh Sacco will lead the crowd in “Let’s Play Hockey” prior to Friday night’s home Wild game against the Islanders.  Sacco’s rendition of Herb Brooks’ famous speech from the movie Miracle has been viewed nearly 1.9 million times at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CdJTfGiRCI. Sacco, a native of the Nashville area, recited the speech, performed in the movie by actor Kurt Russell, after watching Miracle with his father more than 100 times. The video was originally uploaded to YouTube so extended family could watch it.

Saint Paul native Kyle Okposo had the H1N1 virus but is expected to join his Islanders teammates in tomorrow night’s game.  He ranks third on the club with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 20 games.

Grand Rapids native Alex Goligoski, who has been leading the Penguins defensemen in scoring, will be out two to three weeks with a lower-body injury.

Senior forward David Martinson had seven points to help Gustavus earn a tie and win in an MIAC series against St. Olaf last weekend.  Martinson had two assists in Friday’s 3-3 tie at Northfield, and then scored four goals in the Gusties 5-4 win in St. Peter on Saturday. Martinson, a 2008-09 All-American, has scored five goals and registered seven assists for 12 points in six games this season.  He is the MIAC men’s Hockey Athlete of the Week.

Darrell Thompson grew up in Rochester, was a school record-setting running back for the Gophers and played for the Green Bay Packers where his teammates included Brett Favre.  Thompson is a sharp football analyst so his opinion was sought about Favre, his teammate from 1992-94.

Favre and the Vikings defeated Detroit yesterday at the dome, 27-10, and Minnesota’s record is now 8-1.  Since Favre came here in August the Vikings have all but clinched the NFC North championship and moved into fast company among the NFL’s elite teams

At age 40, Favre has led the Vikings offense with remarkable intelligence and efficiency.  He and offensive Darrell Bevell are almost kindred spirits and the two are in agreement about the team’s offensive plan and execution.  Favre has thrown 17 touchdown passes and only three interceptions.   Last year after nine games with the Jets he had 16 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.

With Favre on the filed it’s like having a combination player and coach.  It’s another version of the 12^th man, only this time it’s a legend in uniform, not spectators in the seats.

Thompson said it’s not unlike years ago when hall of fame quarterback Joe Montana was still playing in his late 30’s.  “Probably similar to any time you have a quarterback that plays that long, they get to be a little bit of a coach on the field,” Thompson said.  “Probably every 10 or 15 years someone comes along like that, but it’s not common.”

Thompson disagrees with those who think Favre is no longer a “gunslinger,” a long time Favre label because of his strong arm and willingness to thread passes into spaces where they aren’t supposed to fit.  At times that style resulted in a rainfall of interceptions as well as touchdowns.  During three of the previous four seasons Favre has either had as many or more interceptions than touchdown passes.

In the last second comeback over the 49ers Favre threw a miraculous touchdown pass to Greg Lewis in the end zone for a 27-24 Vikings win.  The pass and the drive leading up to the score was archive video of a younger Favre.

Mostly with the Vikings, according to Thompson, Favre finds himself in an “environment” that allows him to put his “gun” on the bench.  Favre manages a system he’s comfortable with, surrounded by talented defensive and offensive teammates including the world’s best running back in Adrian Peterson.

“You know what?  I don’t think the ‘gunslinger’ mentality is gone, but I don’t think it’s needed,” Thompson said. “I know from the time we were together he’s a real common sense person.  He’s going to listen to you but then when it comes down to game time he knows that players play and coaches coach.

“And when it comes to game time, I (Favre) am going to do the best I can to try to win.  If I feel like I gotta fit the ball in tight spots, I am gonna fit it.  If I don’t have to, and I got a big fabulous tailback behind me, and I got some receivers and I got a good defense, then I can survive.  Then I will get the ball again and I’ll get to make more decisions.”

Last week both Favre and Vikings coach Brad Childress were asked about the quarterback’s minimal interceptions.  Favre credited Bevell, his teammates, and being in manageable down and distance situations that don’t demand extreme responses.  “I don’t feel like my approach has really been any different than it has in the past,” Favre said.

Childress pointed out that two of Favre’s three interceptions were tipped balls.  He also said that Favre isn’t trying to “stick a round peg in a square hole.”

Usually Favre doesn’t try impossible physics exercises but we know he might complete such an assignment.