Author: David Shama

Tim Brewster has been the head coach at Minnesota for three years and involved with coaching for 20 previous seasons but the Gophers preparation during practice last week for the Michigan State game was special, he told Sports Headliners yesterday.

Minnesota, playing without wide receiver Eric Decker, defeated the Spartans 42-34 at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday to end a two game Big Ten Conference losing streak.   “The story is our players and how they responded (having) for two years to lose our best player,” Brewster said.  “This was the most prepared I have seen a team in 23 years of coaching.  It’s a tremendous credit to the kids.”

Decker, the Gophers record setting receiver who will have surgery on his injured left foot later this week, will miss the last part of the season just as he did a year ago with an injured left ankle.  But the players and coaches took inspiration from losing Decker and were motivated to improve their prospects for a bowl game as they prepared last week for Michigan State, a team that had lost four games by a total of 15 points.

Among Brewster’s coaching mantras is that how a team plays on Saturdays is how it prepares during the week. “The coaching staff did a phenomenal job,” Brewster said regarding the Michigan State game.  “Jedd Fisch (offensive coordinator) did a great job.  I was thrilled with our defense.”

The Gophers improved to a 5-4 overall record and moved within one game of bowl eligibility.  The Gophers, who had been averaging 292.8 yards per game in total offense, had 505 against the Spartans.  The defense played physical, aggressive football and made timely deflections of Michigan State passes.  The defense held Michigan State to a fourth quarter field goal after the Spartans had first down on the Minnesota one yard line and an opportunity to take a 38-35 lead.

Gophers quarterback Adam Weber has been frequently criticized in recent weeks but he passed for 416 yards and five touchdowns.  “He was absolutely spectacular,” Brewster said.  “He played an extremely complete game.  He did what great players do (responding to criticism).”

The Gophers led for most of the game but when the Spartans (4-5) narrowed the margin or even went ahead as they did at the end of the third quarter (31-28), Minnesota responded.  The Gophers have come back three times in the second half to win games this season.

“This was a team that was going to find a way to win,” Brewster said.  “It’s a belief in each other.  We talk about it being a 60 minute fight.”

Joe Mauer prefers to stay with the Twins and will accept less money on his next contract to do so, but wants negotiations to begin this fall, according to a local source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mauer becomes a free agent after next season and the source said if the Twins don’t have a new contract done by January 1, 2010 it could mean losing the All-Star catcher and three time batting champion. “The Twins could be completely out (from future negotiations),” the source said.

Under baseball rules only the Twins are allowed to negotiate with Mauer until after next season.  Mauer wants to see what the Twins have to offer and may accept a seven year, $150 million deal (with potential extra compensation) to keep him with the home town team, according to the source who also said that another organization might offer 10 years, $270 million. The Twins offer could include financial incentives for winning a batting title or playing in so many games.

The figure of $270 million would make Mauer, 26, close to the highest paid player in baseball history.  Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees earns $27.5 million per year.  Mauer is finishing up a four year, $33 million contract, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

The source said Mauer and a family member returned to Minneapolis from Baltimore on Friday after meeting with agent Ron Shapiro.  That meeting is believed to have established off season negotiating strategy before Mauer heads to his winter home in Florida.

Mauer won the American League Outstanding Player Award recently in a vote by players and later this month could win the AL MVP award.  Mauer is not only near the top on any list of baseball’s best players, he’s also extraordinarily popular in Minnesota where his departure would be a mega public relations and box office problem for the Twins.

The source believes, however, that the right offer, not necessarily the highest among all teams, will keep Mauer here.  “I think it will because he really wants to stay with the Twins,” the source said.

My friend Bob Werness, 78, died from cancer on Friday.  A Bloomington resident, Bob loved athletics and started the Mr. Basketball program.  He also was a leader in establishing the Minnesota prep all-star basketball game.

Director of athletics Joel Maturi announced this morning that junior forward Trevor Mbakwe will not play for the Gophers basketball team until his pending legal matter has been resolved in what a University of Minnesota statement described as a “satisfactory manner.”  Maturi said that Mbakwe will continue to attend classes, be a part of the team, and practice with the Gophers.  He will not dress for home games nor travel to away competition, according to Maturi.  The Gophers have an exhibition game scheduled at home against the University of Minnesota Duluth on Thursday night.

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.

As usual, there are many numbers to look at after a football game but none more important than the Vikings’ 7-1 record following yesterday’s 38-26 win over the Packers in the Green Bay.  The Packers’ record is 4-3 and the message coming from the game is this: for now the Vikings have separated themselves from Green Bay and Chicago (also 4-3) in the NFC North Division title race.

A Vikings defeat would have left the Packers and Bears only one game behind Minnesota in the loss column and announced a typically tight mid-season division race.  Instead, the Vikings have a comfortable lead and take next Sunday off.  When they resume playing, three consecutive home games are coming up against Detroit, Seattle and Chicago.  The Vikings’ bye week after eight weeks of games is perfectly positioned for them in their 16 game schedule.

An injury to a vital player like Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen or Kevin Williams could change the outlook for the title march, but for now the Vikings have sent an in-your-face statement to their NFC brethren.

Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams owns a $400,000 Rolls Royce.

The Gophers received a verbal commitment for the 2010 recruiting class on Saturday from four-star running back Josh Huff of Aldine, Texas, according to https://minnesota.rivals.com/.

Former Gopher Arland Bruce III is a wide receiver for Hamilton in the Canadian Football League.  He is third in league receptions, fourth in receiving yards and second in reception touchdowns, according to: https://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Receiving/year/2009.

Nathan Jawai, the Wolves 23-year-old 6-10 center, is from Australia where he’s been referred to as “Aussie Shaq,” or “Baby Shaq” because of his facial resemblance to Shaquille O’Neal.  Jawai is way behind O’Neal in on court performance, though, averaging 0.9 points per game in seven NBA games since being drafted in 2008.  However, he’s competitive with O’Neal in employment with league teams. Jawai’s NBA rights have been held by four teams in his career.  O’Neal, at 37, has been with five teams.  Jawai actually resembles former NBA center Darryl Dawkins more than he does O’Neal.

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis likes Jawai’s athleticism. “We see him, like a lot of players on this team, as a project but he’s an exciting project,” Rambis said.

A media representative joking with Rambis after he described how his players can improve playing against better players: “You’ve come to the right place.”

The Timberwolves have only four players on their 14 man roster who were drafted by the organization.  The senior member of the group is Corey Brewer, drafted in 2007.  The others are Kevin Love, drafted in 2008, and Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington from this year’s draft.

Former Gopher Matt Koalska is now an assistant coach for the men’s hockey team at the University of St. Thomas.