Author: David Shama

In an interview earlier this week Adam Weber didn’t try to avoid questions about his feelings during a season that has at times seen criticism directed his way but also praise and recognition.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said his quarterback was “lights out” in his superb performance against Michigan State, a 42-34 Minnesota win.  Weber, who has been inconsistent in his passing this season, is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after becoming the first Minnesota quarterback to surpass 400 passing yards in more than a decade, throwing for a career-best 416 yards and matching a career high with five touchdown passes.

“He played as well as a quarterback can play,” Brewster said.

Does Weber feel better about himself now than a week ago?  “Yeah, definitely,” he answered.  “You try not to get too down.  You try to be a leader on the team and you don’t let your personal performances, or expectations, bring down…other people.”

Weber is a mature 22-year-old who has 34 career starts for the Gophers.  The redshirt junior is the Gophers best offensive player, making plays with his arm, feet and head.  He ranks sixth among Big Ten quarterbacks in passing yards per game at 205.9.

Weber is recognized by teammates and coaches as a leader and player vital to the team’s success but that, of course, doesn’t stop the less informed from criticizing him.  Frequently this season the plays that didn’t turn out successfully were because team execution failed.

Weber was asked if he’s heard and feels the criticism.  “Yeah, sure, definitely,” Weber said. “But I think what Bryan Cupito has taught me and a lot of people have taught me is you take things with a grain of salt.”

Cupito is the former Gopher quarterback who was Minnesota’s career passing leader for yardage.  Weber broke his record last Saturday and now has 7,509 yards.  Cupito proceeded Weber as the team’s starting quarterback.

Weber said he’s more concerned about his family’s reaction to criticism than he is for himself.  “I feel more worried about my family and my mom,” he said.  “I tell my mom all the time you can’t be reading any of that stuff, or you can’t be hearing any of that stuff.”

The win over Michigan State left the Gophers with a 5-4 record.  On Saturday the Gophers play Illinois at home.  “Illinois is another step for us to overcome to get to the best bowl game we can,” Weber said.

Often in the past the Gophers have stumbled the following week after a win against a quality team like Michigan State.  The Gophers had an extraordinary week of practice last week and played well in the Michigan State game.   Weber said that standard is much more important than past history.

The announcement earlier this week that junior forward Trevor Mbakwe will not play for the Gophers basketball team until his pending legal matter has been resolved means Minnesota is less capable of contending for the Big Ten championship.  According to earlier news reports, a woman alleges Mbakwe attacked her earlier this year in Florida.  A trial is anticipated regarding a felony aggravated battery charge to further address the allegation.

Mbakwe is a junior college transfer who will be allowed to continue practicing with the team but not play in games, according to an announcement made by athletics director Joel Maturi.  That means Mbakwe won’t be able to fill the role of rebounder, inside defender and scorer needed to make the Gophers a better team.

The road to the Big Ten title goes through Michigan State, the defending conference champion and a preseason top five team nationally. The Spartans rough house teams on the boards and the Gophers, not a strong rebounding team last year, will miss Mbakwe.  He was one of the best rebounding junior college players in the country last year playing for Miami Dade College.

The need for rebounding and inside defense and scoring is potentially a larger problem now with news of Royce White’s indefinite suspension for violation of team rules.  White’s maturity and judgment dating back to high school has previously been questioned, making for speculation about his career contributions to the Gophers.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith didn’t say on Tuesday how long White will be suspended, possibly two to six games.  It’s apparently up to Smith to decide, just as it is with another suspension, that of senior guard Devron Bostick.

The Gophers, who start the season tonight with a home exhibition game against the University of Minnesota Duluth, will try filling the power forward position with players other than Mbakwe and White.  The problem, though, is no one else on the roster matches the power and mold of those two at about 6-8, 250 pounds each.  Both could be among the most physical and strongest post players in the Big Ten.

The Gophers, who were 22-11 last season, can improve by avoiding “scoring droughts” and not “giving up easy baskets,” according to senior guard Lawrence Westbrook who was the only Minnesota player to average in double figures during 2008-09.

Gophers sophomore Devoe Joseph said he will have playing time at both point and shooting guard.

The 2010 WNBA Draft Lottery will be held in New York via conference call today starting at 1 p.m. The Lynx have two of the three positions in the lottery and the best chance of landing the number one overall selection. At 14-20, the Lynx finished with the third-worst record in the WNBA last season, behind Sacramento and New York. Because of a 2008 trade, the Lynx own New York’s first round pick in the draft next April.

The Gophers had a school record 17 penalties in last week’s win over Michigan State.  Offensive right tackle Jeff Wills had five of those penalties, including a personal foul.  Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said players and coaches scrutinize the penalties and also use officials in practice to improve game results. “We go through every single penalty that’s called against us with our team, as a team,” he said.

Gophers senior tight end Nick Tow-Arnett caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Adam Weber against Michigan State and helped replace the lost production from wide receiver Eric Decker who is out for the season because of his injured left foot.  “Nobody can replace Deck,” Tow-Arnett said.  “Just working with Web over the summer I think we kind of got comfortable where when you’re out there I know what he’s going to do.  Just having that timing and everything helps a lot.”

Tow-Arnett acknowledged that the Gophers have had problems in the past winning consecutive games against quality opponents.  “That’s one of those things if we want to take this program to the next step we gotta start putting those wins back to back,” he said. “Getting a big win and then just continuing.  We can’t have a big win and then have a let down the next week.”

Linebacker Sam Maresh, the 2008 graduate from Champlin Park High School who couldn’t compete for the Gophers last fall because of open heart surgery, is redshirting this season and contributing in practices as a scout team player.  “He’s going to be a heck of a player for us,” said Brewster.

A plus for fans who want to see Joe Mauer remain with the Twins is that his agent Ron Shapiro has a positive reputation, and years ago negotiated a deal that kept Kirby Puckett with Minnesota.

Sports memorabilia collectors take note: the Twins are having a moving sale on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Items in the sale include bobbleheads, publications, artwork, Metrodome signage, jerseys, clothing, memorabilia, collectables and much more.  Visit www.twinsbaseball.com.

Wild left wing Andrew Brunette was tied as of yesterday for the NHL lead with five power-play goals this season.

Former North Star Mike Modano came off the Dallas injury list earlier this week and is expected to face the Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

Alexandria native Matt Hemingway was recently named the United States Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Week.  The 18-year-old has a 1.92 goals against average and .943 save percentage for Cedar Rapids.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers hockey team plays in Madison tomorrow night and Saturday evening against Wisconsin.  During the past three seasons 12 of the 13 games have been decided by two goals or less. There have been four ties, five one-goal games and three two-goal margins. Gophers goalie Alex Kangas played both games when Minnesota swept Alaska Anchorage last weekend.  He stopped 53 of 55 shots for the weekend while allowing one goal in each game.

Eight MIAC men’s soccer players and six MIAC women’s soccer players earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District recognition.  On the men’s soccer first team are Sean Kennedy, St. Thomas midfielder; Alex Hildebrandt, Augsburg defender; Ross Hamilton, Carleton defender; Elliot Amundson, St. Thomas forward.  Second team: Mads Schmidt, Concordia goalkeeper; Marco Riboli, Concordia midfielder; Robert Carlton, Carleton defender; Tim Willis, Carleton forward.  On the women’s first team are Alison Dittmer, Gustavus defender; Erika Swenson, Concordia defender; Whitney Holman, Augsburg defender; Samantha Johnson, Concordia forward. Third team: Tess Hanson, St. Thomas defender; Kelsey Speer, Macalester defender.