P.J. FLECK – Page 2 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gophers Owe Their Fans Redemption After Inept Game

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota’s embarrassing performance yesterday in a 38-13 loss to Mississippi State was yet another major disappointment to the fan base.

An announced attendance of 48,048 was near capacity at 50,805 seat Huntington Bank Stadium. The game against the Bulldogs was supposed to be a tossup and a Minnesota win would have sent fans home happy while many thought of buying tickets to future matchups.

Instead, the Dawgs jumped to a 28-3 lead with more than four minutes remaining in the first half. The upper deck of the student section headed for the exits, while most of the adults waited until the second half to find something to do less painful than watching the hometown team.

The contest was supposed to be a “barometer” game for a promising Gopher team with several players who had drawn preseason hype. But where was the pass rush led by acclaimed Anthony Smith? Where was the running game that was supposed to be an offseason priority?

Dawgs quarterback Kamario Taylor terrorized the Gophers with his passing (three touchdowns) and threat to make a big play with his legs (86 net yards). As for those Gophers legs, the team had a net rushing total of 13 yards.

The Gophers played a sloppy game, ringing up 12 penalties with a mix of miscues on offense and defense. That is the most in the P.J. Fleck era now in its 10^th season.

Make no mistake, the Gophers were out talented, outplayed and out coached in their game against their SEC opponents. The Dawgs are supposed to be a middling SEC team and with their dominant win made legendary coach Nick Saban look like a prophet. He not only picked the Dawgs to win the game but said recently the SEC has superior depth to the Big Ten where Minnesota had been picked to finish around 10^th in the 18-team league that has won the last three national titles.

Except for the extraordinary 2019 season when the Gophers went 11-2, Fleck’s teams have frequently come up short against opponents that were supposed to be “barometer” games. Last season Minnesota lost to California in another nonconference matchup. The two prior seasons the Gophers couldn’t win against the ACC’s North Carolina.

The Gophers have an abysmal record of late against Iowa, a program that annually contends for the second half of the A.P. top 25 but should be at least an occasional “W” for Minnesota. Dating back to 2014, the Gophers have won twice against their Floyd of Rosedale rival.

And when it comes to the blue bloods, the Big Ten’s best teams, the Gophers haven’t usually shown up. Review last year’s 42-3 loss to No. 1 ranked Ohio State or 42-13 beat down from No. 7 Oregon.

With big games coming September 26 on the road against Washington and October 3 at home versus Michigan, the Gophers will have significant opportunities to prove themselves. They owe themselves and the fans redemption.

Worth Noting

Three Mississippi State assistant coaches are former Vikings players: Jon Cooper, Brandon Fusco and Phil Loadholt.

At today’s Vikings and Packers game at U.S. Bank Stadium the Gjallarhorn will be sounded by franchise legend and 1988 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Alan Page. Longtime national anthem singer for the Wild, John deCausmeaker, a Navy veteran and musician, will perform the anthem before the game.

Former WCCO radio personality Dave Mona — Dave Mona

Congratulations to Dave Mona who is now in his 53^rd season of providing Vikings public address information in the press box.

Minneapolis-based attorney, sports historian and Sports Headliners advertiser Marshall Tanick points out new Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray is the fourth former Heisman Trophy winner in the franchise’s history that dates back to the 1961 season. The others are running back Herschel Walker (1989-1991 with the Vikings), quarterback Gino Torretta (1993) and QB Sam Bradford (2016-2017).

Murray won college football’s most prestigious award playing for Oklahoma in 2018 and Sooner alum Bradford won in 2008. Georgia’s Walker won the Heisman in 1982 and Miami’s Torretta in 1992.

The Timberwolves, who open training camp September 22, will have 27 of their 82 regular season games on national TV, plus 15 free over-the-air games on a local channel yet to be announced.

Timely meeting: Wild GM Bill Guerin speaks to the Capital Club this Wednesday, the same day his team opens training camp. He will share his insights on a team that seemingly has entered a “window” as a Stanley Cup contender. The breakfast program will be held at 317 Washington, the franchise’s headquarters in St. Paul. For more information on the breakfast and program, contact Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketing.com

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Could Kyler Murray Have Pack Running in Circles Sunday?

Posted on September 8, 2026September 9, 2026 by David Shama

Kyler Murray makes his debut as Vikings quarterback next Sunday and there’s reason to wonder if he will have the Packers “on the run.” The diminutive but athletic Murray ranks fourth in the NFL among quarterbacks since 2019 with 3,193 rush yards.

The 29-year-old former Cardinals quarterback will face a Packer defense still learning under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon who is Murray’s former head coach in Arizona. There is always a learning curve with a new scheme and leader.

Green Bay will play without superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons whose absence could mean two things benefitting Murray and the Vikings.

First, less pass rushing pressure on Murray—who was much more effective when not harassed last season playing for the Cardinals. When pressured, Murray’s passer rating last season was 65.6, per an article last summer from http://www.si.com/nfl/packers/. From a clean pocket, it was 97.0—a 31.4-point difference (which is considered typical in the NFL).

Second, the absence of Parsons in not being available to chase down the elusive Murray on scrambles or designed runs is significant for a Packer defense that was just okay against rushing last season. And that defense must keep track, too, of pass receiving threats like wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, two of the better duos in the NFL.

Daniel House

Local football authority Daniel House, known for his football film breakdown and data driven research, is curious about Murray’s impact on Sunday, too. “By moving the pocket off of play-action, there will be natural scrambling opportunities,” he said in a text. “He is also a threat to scramble when coverage gets locked up downfield.

“I really want to see if there are some designed quarterback runs and run-pass options (RPO) dashed into the Vikings’ game plan. Those elements fit Murray’s game well. Even if Murray only pulls the ball on designed runs a couple of times per game, the defense still has to respect and prepare for it.”

The Vikings have prioritized the run game in the offseason, hiring Frank Smith as assistant head coach to improve what has been a struggling aspect of the offense. That, too, could cause issues for the Packers on Sunday, and contribute to having Murray on the loose as a ball carrier.

“Frank Smith’s impact on the run game is what I’m most fascinated to see this year,” House wrote. “I’m expecting big changes, so it may be challenging for the Packers to know what the Vikings are going to do schematically in Week 1.”

You can follow House on X: https://x.com/DanielHouseMN

Worth Noting

CBS has made Sunday’s game its featured telecast and the on-air headliner crew of Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt and Tracy Wolfson will be at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings are 1.5 point favorites, per the BetMGM sportsbook.

There were 72 NFL games with a game-winning score in the final five minutes of the fourth quarters or overtimes in 2025. That is second-most in a season all-time. Approximately 70 percent of games were within one score (eight points) at some point of the fourth quarters.

A former front office executive with NFL teams, who text messages with Sports Headliners, is bullish on the Vikings, predicting they will win the NFC North with a 12-5 record. He has the Lions finishing second in the division and making the playoffs as a wildcard, while the third-place Bears and fourth-place Packers miss out on the postseason.

CBS will also bring its lead college football team to town Saturday for the Minnesota-Mississippi State game: Brad Nessler, Charles Davis and Jenny Dell. Nessler is a native of St. Charles, Minnesota.

Gopher head coach P.J. Fleck, starting his 10^th season, said on Monday that State’s Kamario Taylor, who ran for a touchdown and passed for 354 yards in the Bulldogs opening win against ULM, is “one of the best” quarterbacks he’s seen here.

Gracious Matt Limegrover, who was with Jerry Kill’s Gopher staff as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 2011-2015, has been an assistant offensive line coach with Fleck since January and has coached at 11 different colleges and universities. Fleck praised how Limegrover and offensive line coach Brian Callahan work together.

When the Gophers need muscle trying to score inside the five-yard line they may miss 6-foot, 215-pound Fame Ijeboi. They certainly miss him for quality depth on the running back roster with freshman Ryan Estrada injured in the opening game last Thursday and out for the season. Ijeboi is now at Purdue and the power runner and Gopher transfer averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored one touchdown last Friday in his team’s season opening win over Indiana State. He ran 11 times for 87 yards.

That was former Gopher and Nebraska wide receiver Malachi Coleman who caught a touchdown pass for Wisconsin in his team’s opening loss to Notre Dame.

The Badgers have Wisconsin-based Culver’s as their jersey patch sponsor. The Gophers have yet to announce a deal on the new innovation that adds revenues to college athletic departments.

Former Gopher quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who played his last two seasons of college football at Rutgers, is a rookie on the Commanders 53-man roster where his teammates include ex-Viking WR Stefon Diggs.

A couple of takes after the first weekend of Big Ten football: Rutgers is the worst team after a feeble loss to UMass, defending conference and national champ Indiana could again be the best in the league and UCLA coach Bob Chesney might be the second coming of Curt Cignetti.

Northing announced yet, but it seems like a logical move for the Timberwolves to pick up 38-year-old and 18-year NBA veteran power forward Kevin Love. He could be a terrific addition on the court and off.

Love is among the elite outlet passers in league history and can stretch the defense with his three-point shooting range. His passing would add a valued element to the built-to-run Wolves offense.

In the locker room the Wolves no longer have the veteran presence of three players from last season. Gone are Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Kyle Anderson.

As of yesterday morning, the Twins’ remaining opponents had a combined winning percentage of .463, the second-lowest strength of schedule in baseball. The Twins, 68-76, have 18 games remaining on the schedule.

Comments Welcome

Plenty of Room on U Football Bandwagon Right Now

Posted on August 25, 2026August 25, 2026 by David Shama

In regard to wins and losses in 2026, the Golden Gophers football team isn’t generating much buzz from the media. A middle of the pack finish in the 18-team Big Ten and middling bowl game is a common prognostication.

Athlon Sports magazine projects an 11^th place finish. Lindy’s Sports publications and Cleveland.com project 10^th in the standings.

Those are authoritative sources and so too is RJ Young from Foxsports.com who detailed all 138 FBS football teams last week and ranked Minnesota, 8-5 last season, at No. 59 in the nation. Mississippi State, who the Gophers play at home in their second game of the year, was 5-8 in 2025 but is ranked No. 52. Wisconsin, who Minnesota meets in the season finale, is No. 49 after finishing 4-8 last season.

Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, writing for ESPN.com recently, projected the college football playoff and bowl teams. Schlabach forecasts Minnesota playing Arizona State in the First Responder Bowl in Dallas. Bonagura didn’t include the Gophers among teams destined for postseason play.

Most authorities researched by this writer aren’t so pessimistic as Mr. Bonagura and project a bowl game for Minnesota. There are college football media that have the Gophers among the top 50 teams in the nation, and The Athletic’s Chris Vannini ranks Minnesota No. 39.

But it’s a ho-hum outlook across the board from media gurus. Why?

Well, the Gophers play in the Big Ten Conference that arguably is the best in college football. Minnesota figures to be an underdog in its games against Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State and Washington. Toss ups in the 12-game regular season schedule look like Mississippi State, Northwestern, UCLA and Wisconsin. The most certain wins appear to be FCS Eastern Illinois and Akron in nonconference games, and Purdue in the Big Ten. And remember the Gophers play five of their conference games on the road.

Then, too, there is history. Coach P.J. Fleck, entering his 10^th season in Minneapolis, has a track record of winning about half his Big Ten games. The overall records for the last five seasons are: 9-4 twice, 8-5 twice and 6-7 once—or an average of 8 wins per year.

The sports books set Minnesota’s win total for 2026 at 6.5. Fleck said neither he nor his team pay attention to the sports books. …”Our kids are focused on being 1-0 every single day. Finding a way to get better. Today (Monday) was a great practice. This team’s been really fun to coach because whatever you put in front of them, they knock down. …”

When pressed for a Gopher season prediction last week by friends, this writer forecasted 7-6. Give me an asterisk on that. The view here is the Gophers could finish anywhere from 5-7 to 9-4 including a bowl win.

Injuries will be significant in determining the final record. If the Gophers are fortunate enough to have their starters (particularly a half dozen or so of the key players) stay out of the medical tent this team could roll to success. Then, too, key injuries to opponents could give the Gophers an edge against quality teams not foreseen right now.

Here’s something that doesn’t get valued enough and was sourced by ESPN. The Gophers retain about 68% of their overall returning production from the 2025 season, or the 7th-highest percentage in the FBS. Fleck brings back about 71% of his production on offense and 65% on defense.

A valued college football source told Sports Headliners this is Fleck’s most talented team, partially because of returning quarterback Drake Lindsey. He could take a big step in year two as the starter, ranking with the better passers in college football.

Gopher running back Darius Taylor — Darius Taylor photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Darius Taylor, injury plagued in the past, is a big play threat running from scrimmage and catching a pass in space. The running back room looks intriguing with newcomers including Ryan Estrada who Fleck praised yesterday in front of reporters.

New receivers coach Isaac Fruechte is likely to get more production out of that group than in the past to help Lindsey. Targets of watch include Jalen Smith, who was the offensive MVP of the Rate Bowl last December, and Cincinnati transfer Noah Jennings who wears jersey No. 13 like 2019 All-American WR Rashod Bateman. Fleck has compared the two.

The Gophers probably have two future NFL players in left tackle Nathan Roy and left guard Greg Johnson. Veteran center Ashton Beers is a tough player and will be productive, too. Right guard and tackle are concerns but there’s probably more talent and depth than last year.

It will be a surprise if Anthony Smith, who led the Big Ten in sacks last season, isn’t an All-American. Fellow edge defenders Karter Menz, TJ Bush Jr. and Jaxon Howard figure to make things difficult for opposing quarterbacks when they try to pass.

Some combos of those players may at times play in the middle of the line. A big physical presence is needed in the middle to stop runners. Theorin Randle, Riley Sunram and Naquan Crowder are names to watch develop as regulars on the interior. Don’t be surprised if Forest Lake freshman Howie Johnson gets in the rotation.

More star power is at linebacker with Maverick Baranowski. Matt Kingsbury is the likely starter at the other linebacker spot, with Joey Gerlach and Emmanuel Karmo adding depth and talent to the LB roster.

Cornerback John Nestor is among the more highly regarded cornerbacks in the Big Ten. He makes timely plays and his six interceptions last season tied for best in the conference. The Gophers have another star in the secondary in strong safety Kerry Brown who probably contributed more at times last season than crowd favorite Koi Perich.

Aydan West, a hyped transfer from Michigan State, should give the Gophers a pair of exceptional cornerbacks. Mekhai Smith or Zack Harden show promise at the free safety position.

Special teams look pretty much like a blank slate. Other than returnee Tom Weston, a quality punter, the identity of kickoff and punt returnees, and field goals and extra points specialists is in limbo. The upside is new special team coach Daniel Da Prato has a glowing resume from other stops and could be the best of the Fleck era. Fleck said his new coach has “done a tremendous job.”

And then there is this for those who like to finish on a high note. Before the 2019 season sports books had Minnesota at 6.5 or 7 wins for the team that went 11-2 and finished No. 10 in the final Associated Press poll.

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