Author: David Shama

A source familiar with the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Association told Sports Headliners this week that Carleton, Macalester and St. Olaf have decided to remain members of the MIAC.  There had been a self examination by the three schools earlier this year to determine whether another conference might be more suitable.  The source said increased travel time and expense were major factors in the decision to remain in the MIAC where all 13 members are Minnesota schools.

Saint John’s football coach John Gagliardi deservedly receives a lot of attention including for his longevity, 56 seasons coaching the Johnnies.  But basketball coach Jim Smith, now in his 45^th season with the Johnnies, has a long resume, too.  Saint John’s, 3-0, and St. Thomas, 4-0, are the only unbeaten teams so far in MIAC conference games.  Smith became the winningest coach in Minnesota collegiate basketball history seven years ago.

Here’s more than a hat trick of personal info on the Wild’s Mikko Koivu who leads the team in scoring with 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists.  Koivu’s favorite hobbies are soccer and badminton, but tennis great Roger Federer is his favorite athlete and the person he most wants to meet.  Downtown Minneapolis is Koivu’s favorite thing about Minnesota and 20.21 his preferred restaurant.  First job was scooping ice cream in an ice cream shop.

Koivu is ninth among forwards in voting for the Western Conference All-Star team with over 135,000 votes.  That spot would earn him a place on the roster for the January 25 All-Star game in Montreal.  Fans can vote by texting the last name of the player they wish to vote for to 81812, and also at www.fanballoting.nhl.com.

If the Twins fulfill speculation that the outfield rotation will consist of Denard Span (18 stolen bases last season), Carlos Gomez (33), Delmon Young (14) and Michael Cuddyer (five in 71 games), plus infielders Nick Punto (15) and Alexi Casilla (seven), the team may well increase its 2008 total of 102 stolen bases next season.  Speed and stolen bases received attention in major league baseball last season.  World Series champion Philadelphia stole 136 bases during the regular season, third best in the National League.  Tampa Bay, the World Series loser, led the American League with 142 stolen bases. The Twins were fourth in the A.L. and figure to improve their totals as young players Span, Gomez, Young and Casilla gain experience and more playing time.

The Twins announced yesterday that they have agreed to a two-year contract for Punto with a club option for 2011. “Nick has been an important part of the Twins success for the past five years,” said Bill Smith, senior vice president/general manager Bill Smith.  “He provides great defense up the middle and brings leadership and energy to our lineup.”

The Big Ten Conference will send two schools (co-champs Penn State and Ohio State) to BCS games for the eighth time in the 11-year history of the system and the sixth time in the last seven seasons.  Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, the Big Ten has qualified 19 teams for BCS bowls, more than any other conference. The SEC ranks second with 17 BCS bids followed by the Big 12 (16), Pac-10 (13), ACC (11) and Big East (11). In January Penn State will play against USC in the Rose Bowl, while Ohio State will be in the Fiesta Bowl against Texas.

As measured by yards per game, the Vikings will play three of the NFL’s top offenses in their final regular season games.  Arizona ranks fourth, Atlanta fifth and the New York Giants sixth.  If defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams are available for those games it dramatically increases the likelihood the Vikings, 8-5 after beating Detroit Sunday, can qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Saying he needed more time to review the case, a federal judge prevented the NFL last Friday from suspending Kevin and Pat Williams, and three other league players, for violating the NFL’s anti doping policy. While the two Vikings played against Detroit, their future availability isn’t so clear but it’s evident the Vikings will face much more competent offenses in the final weeks than some teams on the schedule earlier.  (New Orleans, No. 1 in the league at 405.9 yards per game, is the only top 10 team the Vikings have seen so far.)

“This whole situation is going to be interesting based on teams we have left to play,” Vikings linebacker Ben Leber told Sports Headliners last week.  Leber is part of a defense that ranks No. 2 against the run and No. 20 versus the pass in yards per game.

As pretty much known throughout the planet, those Williams guys are particularly extraordinary against the run.  Kevin Williams can put pressure on the passer, too.  Overall, a dominant Vikings’ defense stopped Chicago from scoring a touchdown on four downs inside the five yard line a week ago Sunday, a stand that seemed to be a catalyst in Minnesota’s 34-14 win and likely a turning point in 2008 as the franchise tries to win its first division championship since 2000.

Defense defines the Vikings and that unit, no matter who is on the field, will be on trial starting Sunday in Arizona against the Cardinals.  Arizona is second in the league in yards passing per game, with an offense that includes 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner (second in the NFL in touchdown passes and passing yards) and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, both among the NFL’s top eight in receiving yards.

Atlanta, here on December 21, is second in the NFL in rushing yards per game, while the Giants, who come to Minneapolis for a game on December 28, are first.  Michael Turner of the Falcons, with 1,269 yards, is second in the NFL in rushing. The Falcons also have a productive passing game with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Roddy White, first in the NFL in receiving yards per game.

The Giants have the NFL’s ninth leading rusher in powerful Brandon Jacobs (1,002 yards).  A second rusher, Derrick Ward, has 669 yards.  Then, too, the Giants have some guy named Eli Manning.  Oh, yeah, the quarterback of last season’s Super Bowl champs.

Arizona, Atlanta and New York?  No doubt that kind of competition gives the Williams lads something to keep their minds focused on instead of the court room.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners that selection of plays for the Insight Bowl against Kansas will be a “collaboration” between himself, newly arrived offensive line coach Tim Davis and offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar.

Davis replaced coach Phil Meyer after Minnesota’s season ending loss to Iowa.  In two of the last three games the Gopher offense didn’t produce a touchdown.  The arrival of Davis as offensive line coach and running game coordinator offers a new start for an offense that rushed for 189 yards in the last three games, including seven against Iowa, and finished last in Big Ten Conference rushing at 105.8 yards per game.

Brewster described Davis as a “spectacular hire.”  Davis has had coaching stops at USC, Wisconsin and most recently Alabama.  “I believe he’ll help our offensive line improve across the board,” Brewster said.

Vikings quarterback John David Booty, while playing at USC, roomed with linemen who had Davis as their position coach.  “He’s just real high energy…and really a lot of fun to be around,” Booty said.  “And I think that’s what a lot of these guys coming out of high school saw. …”

Davis, who Booty described as “big time” for his sincerity with players, is expected to impact not only the coaching but will also help upgrade the Gophers personnel.  “He’s a fantastic coach and recruiter,” Brewster said.

The Gophers begin practice this afternoon for the December 31 bowl game.  Brewster said Dunbar, the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons, will “verbalize” the calls during the game, but that he and Davis will have input, plus advance preparation of the game plan.

Brewster disagreed with the suggestion that the Gophers may run the ball more in the bowl game, asserting that the offense has been balanced between the pass and run in the past and likely will have a similar mix in Tempe, Arizona, site of the Insight Bowl.  What’s likely to be new, though, is that quarterback Adam Weber will be under center at times and the Gophers will do some power running.

The Gophers receive 15 practices from the NCAA to prepare for the bowl game.  Brewster said the Gophers are among the “two or three” youngest teams in the country and he’s excited about having the equivalent of “two spring practices” to work with the team.  “We’re really going to improve between now and the bowl game,” he said.

Brewster is justifiably proud about the progress of his team and program. The Gophers, 1-11 last season, were one of the surprise success stories of college football this fall.  The talent pool Brewster and his staff took over in 2006 was minimal by Big Ten standards and it takes to time build a program.

After starting 7-1, the Gophers lost their last four games.  Brewster said the team’s lack of depth was a contributing factor and the Gophers just “ran out of gas.”