Author: David Shama

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.

That’s part of the greeting quarterback Brett Favre will receive on his return to Lambeau Field on Sunday when the Vikings play his former team, the Green Bay Packers.  The Green Bay Press-Gazette is publishing the slogan in tomorrow’s paper so readers can cut it out and bring it to the game.  https://greenbayhub.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091023/GPG05/91013103

The newspaper promoted voting on welcome home slogans and the message above was the winner, capturing 28.5 percent of the votes. “We have 12-reasons to 4-Get you” was runner-up at 21.4 percent and refers to Favre’s successor with the Packers, No. 12, Aaron Rodgers.

Various emotions will be experienced by those watching the game at Lambeau and on TV, ranging from hatred to love for Favre who played 16 seasons in Green Bay.  There are those, too, who are so conflicted they root for both Favre and the Packers.

The Vikings don’t need Favre’s first trip back to Green Bay as incentive.  There are more than enough motivating elements without that storyline.

The Vikings lead the NFC North with a 6-1 record, while the Packers are 4-2.  Green Bay lost the first game with the Vikings this season and certainly doesn’t want to make it two straight.  And the historic rivalry between the two franchises is almost always a motivation for the teams and a contributing reason why the series of wins and losses is so close. (The Packers lead 49-47-1).

“You take this storyline (about Favre) out of the game (and) it’s a huge game for them, a huge game for us just in the division, because the only way to assure a shot at the Super Bowl is to get in the playoffs, and the best way to do that is win the division,” said Ryan Longwell, the Vikings kicker and a former Packer. “It’s a big tough game beyond Brett going back.”

Longwell, a Vikings captain, is even more convinced that the Favre storyline doesn’t matter because of the loss last Sunday to Pittsburgh, the Vikings first defeat. “I think guys are really focused (and) understand what’s at stake,” he said.

While the Gophers offensive line has often been a source of frustration this season, the man who coaches the unit receives high praise from head coach Tim Brewster.  The Gophers rank last in the Big Ten Conference in both total offense and rushing, and eighth in passing.  False starts, off sides and other mistakes have characterized a line that frequently has been unable to open holes for runners and at times provided minimal protection for quarterback Adam Weber when passing.

Brewster, though, expressed confidence earlier this week about offensive line coach Tim Davis who joined his staff late last year.  The Davis resume includes coaching the Dolphins’ offensive line in the NFL and the same job at USC.  “He’s as good a line coach as I have been around, and I’ve been around some great ones,” Brewster told Sports Headliners.

Like Davis, Brewster has coached in both the pros and college.  The man Brewster regards as the absolute best in working with offensive lines is Hudson Houck, with the NFL Cowboys.  Davis, Brewster said, learned from Houck.

The experience of Davis allows him to teach the complexities of offensive line play, according to Brewster.  “It’s extremely technical work in teaching an offensive lineman, and he’s (Davis) had such a vast amount of experience in coaching at a very high level,” Brewster said.  “Coaching the best offensive linemen in college football when he was at USC.  Won a national championship.  Coached the best offensive linemen in the world at Miami with the Dolphins.  He’s got tremendous energy. There’s no substitute for passion and energy in coaching, and he’s got a bunch of it.”

Why the problems for the Gophers’ offensive line?  Brewster acknowledges that the talent, experience and depth could be better.  “I certainly believe that Tim has done the absolute best job he can in helping our offensive line grow,” Brewster said. “And I think our offensive line has improved in areas.  They’ve done some good things this season.

“Our group has had three centers.  That’s not a great thing for the offensive line to have the bell cow of the line be injured, and going to a second center, and now we’re on a third center. I think that obviously the continued development with Tim with our offensive line, we’re going to reap huge dividends as we move forward.”

The Gophers lost senior center Jeff Tow-Arnett for the season with a broken leg.  He was the starter earlier in the year.  Trey Davis, his replacement, hurt his ankle and was replaced by D.J. Burris.

Burris is a junior, Davis a sophomore.  Their experience will help them in spring practice next season and even if one or both were switched to a different line position they will be able to compete for starting jobs.  All starting positions will be open for competition in the spring, Brewster said.

Brewster is intrigued by the potential of two offensive linemen who are red shirting this fall as freshmen.  Ed Olson and Brooks Michel figure to be in the competition next spring.  The Gophers also have verbal commitments for their 2010 recruiting class from six offensive linemen (among 21 players), according to https://rivals100.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?Year=2010&School=46.