BYRON BUXTON – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

100 Special Number as U Gets Jug Win over Michigan

Posted on October 4, 2026October 4, 2026 by David Shama

Minnesota scored a win for the history books yesterday with its 20-14 victory over Michigan in the 100^th game to determine possession of the Little Brown Jug. The victory also gave P.J. Fleck his 100^th career (Gophers and Western Michigan) coaching win.

Gopher football coach P.J. Fleck — P.J. Fleck

The Gophers defeated the Wolverines at home for the first time since 1977 and only third time this millennium. An emotional Fleck said other than marrying his wife and birth of his children, Saturday may have been “the best day” of his life.

Fleck crowd surfed on the set of Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” prior to the 11 a.m. game. After the game, as usual following a victory, the exuberant 45-year-old did his surfing routine in the locker room with his jubilant players.

Thousands from the delirious sellout crowd stormed the field in celebration following the nationally televised game. Stadium speakers blasted “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers. It was a troll on the visitors with the song being a favorite at Michigan Stadium.

The Gophers, 4-1 overall, have started the Big Ten season 2-0 for the first time since 2019. That team finished 11-2 including a bowl win over Auburn and excelled at one score wins.

The 2026 Gophers had a big three-point win at Washington last weekend and sustained success against the Michigan team ranked top 25 earlier in the year.

Minnesota’s program has a long history of losing games following quality upsets against prominent foes. That was the case in 1977 when Minnesota defeated No. 1 Michigan 16-0 at old Memorial Stadium. The next two Saturdays the Gophers lost Big Ten games.

But yesterday for Gopher fans was a time to savor a Jug triumph and remember the best of the past in the series. Minnesota not only has the win in the 100^th matchup but also won in the 50^th meeting when the Gophers upset No. 5 Michigan in Minneapolis in 1953.

The all-time record in battles for the Jug stands at 73-24-3 in Michigan’s favor. The rivalry wasn’t always so lopsided in the battle for possession of college football’s oldest travelling trophy that had its inception after the 1903 tie between the two schools. The Gophers beat Michigan nine consecutive times from 1934-1942. And took three straight from 1960-1962.

The old-timers reveled in the Michigan rivalry. Mike Wilkinson, now in his 80s and author of the biography on former Gophers’ coach Murray Warmath, posted this on the Sports Headliners website last week: “My old man used to say that if…(Minnesota) lost every game and its lone victory was against Michigan then the season was a success.”

Well, the Gophers will get more wins than the Little Brown Jug triumph this year but the victory will stand close or at the top of 2026 highlights. Wouldn’t it be something if for the first time since Warmath’s 1967 team the Gophers swept all three of their most historic and important rivalry trophies, adding Floyd of Rosedale and Paul Bunnyan’s Axe to the showcase?

Worth Noting

Sailgating on Lake Washington was a hit with Gophers fans who arrived at the Husky Stadium docks after partying and prior to kickoff for last weekend’s game with Washington. The stadium not so much. It is over 105 years old and needs upgrades such as lighting, signage and video boards.

In a cool tie to the past Sports Headliners reader Steve Hunegs reported via email he stayed at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. That’s the same place (then the Olympic Hotel) the 1941 Gopher team stayed when Minnesota’s defending national champions won 14-6 on their way to a second consecutive title.

The 2026 Gophers stayed in a Seattle suburb.

A total of 19 former men’s Gopher hockey players were on opening night NHL rosters when the season began last week. No NCAA program has more all-time NHL alums than the Gophers with over 130.

Minneapolis-based attorney, sports historian and Sports Headliners advertiser Marshall Tanick will be the keynote speaker next Sunday (October 11) for a program at the Brookview Recreation Center in Golden Valley. Tanick’s presentation is “Jews in Baseball” and will be a highlight of the annual meeting of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM).

Tanick’s presentation will include legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax’s famous absence in the 1965 World Series of his Dodgers against the Twins when he sat out a game because of Yom Kippur. Also, insights on Hank Greenberg’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s single season home run record, All-Star catcher and World War II spy Mike Berg, the Jew who wrote “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (before he ever attended a game) and the Jew who fixed the 1919 World Series. More information is available at https://www.jhsum.org/.

It will be stunning if Ryan Jeffers returns to the Twins next season. There’s no strong indication from the front office or ownership the Twins intend to give the free agent starting catcher a multi-year deal to lock him up.

The 29-year-old Jeffers is among MLB’s best at his position and at his age he may never again have the opportunity to land a career best contract. The Twins would be smart to at least offer him a one-year $23 million deal that guarantees the franchise a compensatory draft pick if Jeffers signs elsewhere.

The Twins will have a gaping hole in the lineup without the catching and hitting prowess of Jeffers. Owner Tom Pohlad is on record with intending to expand the team payroll, but it looks like the club prefers to spend the money elsewhere.

The view here is the team would be better off parting with the 32-year-old often injured Byron Buxton and use some of that money to sign Jeffers. He has a no-trade $100 million contract with the Twins that runs through 2028. The pros outnumber the cons for huddling during the offseason and figuring out a new home for the long-time fan favorite.

Tim Connelly, the basketball boss of the Timberwolves who open their season later this month, said last week he believes his team is championship caliber. BetMGM agreed last week listing the Wolves odds of +2500 (same as the Cav’s and Nuggets) as tied for sixth best among NBA contenders.

The top five are the Thunder and Spurs (tied at +260), Sixers (+850), Knicks (+900) and Celtics (+1400).

Connelly said Wolves Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, now a team ambassador, will not have a “day to day role” with the club, perhaps indicating he won’t be a prime decision maker on personnel.

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Vikings Teammate Would Pay to Watch WR Justin Jefferson

Posted on September 15, 2026September 15, 2026 by David Shama

In the Vikings’ season opening win Sunday, Justin Jefferson performed like…well…Justin Jefferson. The gifted 27-year-old wide receiver had two touchdown receptions and a catch for a two-point conversion in his team’s 39-22 comeback win over NFC North Division rival Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Teammates are accustomed to his heroics. “I don’t want to take anything for granted but that’s just kind of what I expect at this point,” offensive tackle Brian O’Neill told Sports Headliners.

Familiarity with Jefferson’s extraordinary standard of excellence, however, doesn’t mean teammates can’t gush over his skills that include route running, sure hands, speed, competitiveness, clutch play and work ethic.

“The things he does on the field, I am astounded (by). I am flabbergasted. He puts my jaw on the floor,” said Andrew DePaola, a team captain and the Vikings’ long snapper.

“I still can’t believe some of the stuff he’s able to pull off but I am just grateful I get to bear witness to that every Sunday…because he is a special, special player.”

Would DePaola pay admission to see his destined to be a Pro Football Hall of Fame teammate?

“Without a doubt, without a doubt. Yeah.”

Teammates refer to Jefferson as the “best in the world” at his position. They also see how much he loves to play.

“He’s just a ball player,” O’Neill said. “He’s just a kid playing football. You can tell he loves it. Loves everything about it. He just enjoys the heck out of playing the game.”

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson — Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson’s first pro season was in 2020. He has totaled 8,572 career receiving yards in 95 games and on Sunday became the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 8,500 yards. He trails only Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (90 games) and Julio Jones (90).

The Vikings lost starting quarterback Kyler Murray early in the first quarter when he was hit in the head by the shoulder of Packer Javon Bullard. The cornerback was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

O’Neill thinks it was “probably a cheap hit” by Bullard. “I gave him a shove. I probably should have gone after him a little bit more, but I knew we were going to have a first down. I didn’t want to have anything offset (that).”

The Packers also had unnecessary roughness called later in the game on safety Evan Williams, but Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson didn’t think Green Bay played a chippy game. “It was a divisional game. It was a tough football game. It is what it is.”

It was a brief debut for Murray, the much-anticipated offseason free agent acquisition. “It sucks but Carson came in and did a good job,” O’Neill said.

Wentz, 33, helped the Vikings rally from a 19-10 halftime deficit. He didn’t receive a lot of reps in training camp and preseason games, but his experience and poise allowed him to meet the moment. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards, with three touchdown throws and an impressive QB rating of 123.6.

Wentz has started 99 games (played in 104) in his NFL career that dates back to 2016. “He’s always on point,” O’Neill said.

Worth Noting

The Vikings outscored the Packers 29-3 in the second half. In Green Bay’s last six regular season or playoff games dating back to 2025 the Packers have been outscored 134 to 56 in the second half. All defeats.

Harrison Smith, the Vikings’ 37-year-old safety who played part-time Sunday after just re-joining the team earlier in the month, told Sports Headliners his offseason debate on whether to continue his career included coming back after the regular season started.

The division rival Bears, who beat Carolina 59-37 on Sunday, are about a touchdown favorite against the Vikings next Sunday in Chicago.

Deepest condolences to Gary Smith and family over the passing of his wife Linda. Gary, the well-known athletics trainer whose career stops included the University of Minnesota, pro sports and the 1980 Olympics, was married to his wife for 64 years.

Rudy Gobert, the Wolves 34-year-old 7-2 center, is playing for his native France in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers and averaging 8.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. Remarkably durable, Gobert has never played in fewer than 70 regular-season games since joining the Wolves in 2022.

Former Armstrong High School and Indiana University basketball standout Race Thompson is playing professionally in Germany for the Skyliners Frankfurt team whose season recently started.

A certain longtime and uber passionate Golden Gophers football fan who refuses to invest time and money attending away games against quality opposition because of likely losses—and also undesirable start times—was amused yesterday. Not only did Minnesota let the air out of the balloon for a big season in their one-sided loss last Saturday to unranked Mississippi State, but on Monday came the news the Gopher-Washington game on September 26 in Seattle will kick off about 10 p.m. Minneapolis time.

The Akron Zips, who lost their opener 38-16 to Wake Forest and defeated Robert Morris 45-10 last Saturday, are about a 24 to 28 point underdog to the Gophers (also 1-1) this Saturday in Minneapolis.

Byron Buxton, the Twins center fielder now out for the season because of hip surgery, finished 2026 having played in 93 games. In 12 years with the club, he has played in over 100 games only three times.

An authoritative Wild source texted yesterday that “all is quiet” on the Quinn Hughes contract extension.

Select Wild training camp practices at TRIA Rink will be open to the public. Fans need to register at www.wild.com/openpractices to attend.

The Wild is joining other organizations in sponsoring the annual Used Hockey Equipment Drive. AAA Movers will collect drop-off boxes with used equipment from select rinks on September 30. Goalie equipment sticks and helmets and other items will be distributed free to hockey associations and individuals at Grand Casino Arena on October 11.

Drop-off locations include Bloomington Ice Garden, Braemar Rink (Edina), Burnsville Ice Arena, CG Logistics Arena (Cottage Grove), Dakotah Sports and Fitness (Prior Lake), Eagan Civic Arena, Hastings Civic Center, M Health Fairview (Woodbury), Minnetonka Arena, Parade Ice Arena (Minneapolis), New Hope Ice Arena, Rogers Activity Center, St. Croix Valley Rec Center (Stillwater), St. Louis Park Rec Center, Tartan Ice Arena (St. Paul) and White Bear Lake Sports Center.

Comments Welcome

In Off-Season Byron Buxton & Twins Need to Part Ways

Posted on September 1, 2026September 1, 2026 by David Shama

Byron Buxton has a no-trade $100 million contract with the Twins that runs through 2028. The pros outnumber the cons for huddling during the offseason and figuring out a new home for the long-time fan favorite.

On Sunday Buxton went on the 10-day Injured List with right hip impingement (retroactive to August 27). It’s his third time on the list with a hip-related injury this season.

Over the years injuries have limited Buxton’s playing time like few or any other Twins players. In 12 seasons with the club, he has played in over 100 games only three times. The numbers: 140, 126 and 102.

This season the total stands at 93. Whether he tops 100 in the 162-games schedule is TBD, but what can’t be disputed is the Twins are paying a lot of money for a part-time player and have done so over the years. Buxton turns 33 years old in December and it’s unlikely his durability will change in future summers.

The metrics say he is no longer an elite center fielder, and his glove talent would be better utilized as a corner outfield spot. The Twins are already using elite rookie and recent call up Walker Jenkins in center field. At 21, Jenkins looks like the club’s fixture in center field for a decade or more.

Buxton, although a streaky hitter who only once in his career has topped 70 RBIs, still has considerable value at the plate. In 2026 he has a .254 average, with 18 doubles, one triple, 25 home runs, 46 RBI, 65 runs scored, a .511 slugging percentage and an .829 OPS.

He brings value on the base paths, too, and historically has been among the most efficient base stealers in MLB. Last season, he stole 24 bases in 24 attempts. He’s only been thrown out once in 2026 in eight attempts.

The Twins payroll is modest among peers, entering this season reportedly around $100 million. Buxton, at about $15 million in 2026, is second only to sidelined pitcher Pablo Lopez in compensation (nearing $22 million).

Ownership isn’t expected to go on an overly aggressive spending spree in the next couple of seasons. That means two valued players, catcher Ryan Jeffers and starting pitcher Joe Ryan, face uncertainty when their contracts expire after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Freeing up payroll from Buxton’s departure presumably could encourage ownership to retain those players.

While the Twins aren’t approaching World Series ambitions, teams like the Yankees, Phillies and Braves are positioned to compete for championships. Their budgets can afford a contributor like Buxton, who even in a limited playing role could mean the difference in a postseason game or two.

Buxton has been a Twin since being drafted in 2012, the second player selected that year. It’s understood he’s a positive in the clubhouse and on the field, but it sounds like a convincing proposal to suggest he plays his “golden years” chasing a career-first World Series.

A win-win situation could be in the offering, with the Twins not only lightening payroll but receiving quality from a trade partner either in MLB talent or top prospects, or both.

Gophers Notes

Furian Inferrera, a pocket passer, is the lowest ranked player among Minnesota’s 29 verbal commits in the class of 2027, per 247Sports. He also may turn out to be an impactful addition to the program.

That’s the opinion of Minnesota-based recruiting authority Ryan Burns from GopherGazette.com. Inferrera, from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California and listed by 247 at 6-3 and 210-pounds, was sidelined with a knee injury last season and was a backup quarterback as a sophomore.

“I saw him perform live at Minnesota camp and I watched him do his stuff, and I think he’s got a chance to be special if he can stay healthy. He just needs to play,” Burns told Sports Headliners.

Former Golden Gophers running back Barry Mayer emailed that his friend and former teammate, flanker Terry Addison, passed away last Sunday morning. Terry, a flanker, lettered in 1968 and 1969, and he later was an administrator at Augsburg College and more recently a dean at Brown University. Barry was the best man at Terry’s marriage to Loni. Deep condolences to Loni and others on their loss!

Jeremiah Salem, grandson of former Gophers’ head football coach Joe Salem, is a graduate student reserve quarterback on the Eastern Illinois football team that plays Minnesota on Thursday night in Huntington Bank Stadium. Joe, 88, will travel from his South Dakota residence to see the game and Jeremiah whose father is Brad Salem.

The FCS Panthers, who defeated Murray State 28-14 last week, are about a 42-point underdog.

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