P.J. FLECK – Page 64 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U QB Status Looms over Saturday

Posted on November 17, 2019November 17, 2019 by David Shama

A Sunday Golden Gophers football notes column:

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck was unsure this morning about the status of quarterback Tanner Morgan while speaking on WCCO Radio. Media reports had Morgan in concussion protocol after last night’s Iowa game. His availability for Saturday’s game at Northwestern appears unknown.

Fleck said he hadn’t seen his star quarterback yet this morning. Morgan was wobbly before he was removed from the game. “I hope he is okay. We just gotta make sure that we take all the proper protocol…as he continues to move forward,” Fleck said

Morgan was sacked six times in the 23-19 loss to Iowa. He took a pounding in a physical game and missed the last two snaps when the Gophers were trying to rally for a win and improve their record to 10-0.

When Morgan, who is among the Big Ten passing leaders, was unable to finish the game he was replaced by true freshman Cole Kramer from Eden Prairie. If Morgan can’t play Saturday against Northwestern it’s unclear whether he will be replaced by Kramer, or Texas native Jacob Clark, another true freshman.

Kramer and Clark have played minimal minutes this season. Kramer has played in three games, Clark in one. Freshmen can play in up to four games and still retain redshirt status.

“I think it’s a little too early to jump to conclusions,” Fleck said in regard to whether there will be any changes at quarterback for Northwestern.

Quarterback depth became precarious before the season started when Zack Annexstad, expected to compete for the starting job with Morgan, injured his foot and appeared lost for the season. Fleck said awhile ago Annexstad might return late this year, but he was indefinite on a timeline.

The coaches have protected Morgan by seldom asking him to run, and he avoided significant injury through almost 10 games. Iowa, though, had an intense pass rush led by future pro lineman A.J. Epenesa who often had his way with Minnesota offensive left tackle Sam Schleuter.

Minnesota is 6-1 and can win the Big Ten West Division outright with victories in its remaining games but the Gophers have questions to answer including field goal and extra point kicking. Redshirt freshman Brock Walker, playing in his second consecutive game against Iowa, missed an extra point and bounced a field goal inside the upright yesterday. Freshman Michael Lantz has been injured after making five of eight field goals earlier this season.

The Gophers missed a major promotional opportunity in losing a fifth consecutive game to Iowa and not reclaiming Floyd of Rosedale. Minnesota already has the Governor’s Bell from its November 9 win over Penn State and hopes to hold on to Paul Bunyan’s Axe when the Gophers close the season against Wisconsin. “Three Wins, Three Trophies” could have headlined an offseason marketing campaign.

The Gophers were penalized in the Iowa game when Fleck sprinted on the field to check on wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who appeared injured. Speaking on KFAN Radio after the game the coach defended himself, stressing the welfare of his players is always a top priority. He accepted responsibility for the penalty even though he would do it again. “I am sorry. I am 38 years old and I can run,” he said.

When the College Football Playoff Rankings come out Tuesday night the Gophers, ranked No. 8 last week, could land in the No. 14 to 18 range.

The Minnesota-Wisconsin game in Minneapolis November 30 was nearly sold out as of late last week.

Fleck’s 39th birthday will be the day prior to the game.

The Gophers have yet to do it this season, but if they switched their bench and sideline from the south side of their home field to the north they more likely will be situated in sunshine and feel warmer November 30. The change requires notifying the Big Ten office in advance.

Yesterday morning there was TV hype about the 9-0 Gophers. On ESPN GameDay David Pollack referred to Minnesota as the biggest story of the college football season. BTN’s morning show ranked Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr. the best defensive back in the Big Ten.

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Fleck Updates LB Kamal Martin Status

Posted on November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column including news from Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck about senior linebacker Kamal Martin, one of the team’s best players who was held out of last Saturday’s Penn State game because of an undisclosed injury.

Fleck said on KFAN Radio this afternoon that Martin came to him after warm-ups prior to the game and announced he was playing. Martin badly wanted to be on the field but Fleck told him there is a lot of football remaining this fall and it was best that the future pro sit out the game.

“Had a great day at practice today,” Fleck said of Martin. “Looked really good.”

Fanduel.com has Iowa (6-3 and 3-3) as a surprise three point favorite over Minnesota (9-0 and 6-0) for Saturday’s game in Iowa City.

In Minnesota’s six Big Ten Conference games the Gophers have been behind only about 11 minutes (10:35).

With a sellout crowd of 51,883 announced for last Saturday’s dramatic Penn State game, and with over 40,000 expected for the season’s final home game against Wisconsin November 30, the Gophers are certain to average more in attendance per game than last year’s 37,915. That’s the lowest season average in TCF Bank Stadium history (opened in 2009).

This afternoon at the stadium Fleck will present a ceremonial game ball from the Penn State game to Governor Tim Walz who will accept it on behalf of the state of Minnesota.

Fleck is the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week for Minnesota’s upset 31-26 win over nationally ranked Penn State.

The Nittany Lions came into the game ranked No. 5 in the country, with Minnesota No. 13 in the Associated Press poll. Coach James Franklin is now 1-7 against nationally ranked teams on the road at PSU, per the Big Ten Network.

The Gophers learn tonight on ESPN how far they have moved up from No. 17 in the latest College Football Playoffs rankings. It should be a big jump because Penn State was No. 4 last week.

The Capital Club will hear from new University of Minnesota president Joan Gabel Wednesday, November 20 at Town & Country Club. More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrickklinger@klingercompany.com.

Familiar Arizona Coyotes names at Xcel Energy Center Thursday night will include former Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper, ex-Gopher forward Phil Kessel, and assistant coach Phil Housley, a native of South Saint Paul.

The Wild is 14-4-3 in its last 21 games against the Coyotes, including a win in Arizona last Saturday. Minnesota is 5-1-2 in the last eight games with Arizona played at Xcel Energy Center.

Because the Timberwolves revamped their offensive and defensive schemes for this season, they are drawing more early season attention from NBA scouts than in the past under coach Tom Thibodeau. An NBA insider praised new coach Ryan Saunders.

“Ryan has done a phenomenal job of getting guys in the right frame of mind,” the source said. “Things were so negative in the past.”

Scouts caution the teams they work for to be alert against the fast tempo Wolves, with defenders needing to get back down the floor in a hurry, guard the three-point line, and defend any open shooter standing behind the arc. “Their offense is predicated on the three-point shot, and (also) the shot close to the basket,” the source said.

Rookie Jarrett Culver, 20, has potential to be one of the team’s best three-point shooters. “He is talented. I am kind of excited to see his development,” said the insider who has watched the Wolves early season games.

The Timberwolves’ record so far is 6-4 including wins over struggling teams. The opinion here is Minnesota doesn’t have enough talent to win beyond 35 or 40 games during the 82-game schedule.

It was 30 years ago last week the expansion Timberwolves played their first ever regular season game in the Metrodome, losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls before an announced crowd of 35,427. The Wolves went on to set a single season NBA attendance record of 1,072,572.

A prominent but now retired former Minnesota high school football coach predicts these schools will emerge as 2019 state champions: 6A Wayzata; 5A Chaska; 4A Hutchinson; 3A Pierz; 2A Caledonia; 1A BOLD; 9-Man, Hancock.

As usual, the most attractive U men’s basketball nonconference opponents won’t be coming to Williams Arena. The Gophers played Oklahoma last Saturday night in Sioux Falls, with games this week at Butler (tonight) and Utah (Friday). In late December coach Richard Pitino’s team is at Oklahoma State, while the best of the nonconference opponents, DePaul and Clemson, come to Minneapolis November 29 and December 2.

Tickets for DePaul and Clemson are priced at $15 to $50, while Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin prices are $45 to $90, per Gophersports.com.

Zach Edey, the over 7-foot Canadian prep center the Gophers were pursuing, has verbally committed to Purdue. The early period for Division I basketball signings is November 13-20.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported a few days ago that Prior Lake power forward Dawson Garcia, who the Gophers want, recently visited Marquette for a second time.

Nate Reuvers, the 6-11 Wisconsin junior forward from Lakeville North, averaged 18 points, 10 points and 6.5 blocks in a pair of games for the Badgers last week and yesterday was announced as the Big Ten Player of the Week.

The Twins will hear from starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi this week whether he is accepting their one-year qualifying offer of $17.8 million.

With four-fifths of the starting rotation to be determined between now and next season, there will be plenty of offseason Twins news. There are other questions, too, including who will be the starting outfielders on opening day. Will Byron Buxton’s September wrist surgery allow him to be in the lineup? Will Eddie Rosario be traded for starting pitching?

Max Kepler (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins).

Likely roster locks for opening day include starter Jose Berrios, reliever Taylor Rogers, DH Nelson Cruz, catcher Mitch Garver, second baseman Luis Arraez, shortstop Jorge Polanco, third baseman Miguel Sano and outfielder Max Kepler who will be in his native Germany this month promoting baseball.

The 22-year-old Arraez led the club with a 334 batting average in 2019, his rookie season, and he drew comparisons to former Twins second baseman Rod Carew. Hall of Famer Carew hit .292 his rookie season of 1967 when he was 21 years old. Similarities between the two left-handed hitters include peek-a-boo batting stances and hitting the ball to all fields.

Rosters expand from 25 to 26 through August 31 of next year with a cap of 28 through the last month of the season.

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Potential “Gold” with U Win Over PSU

Posted on November 10, 2019November 10, 2019 by David Shama

Coach P.J. Fleck’s University of Minnesota team made a dramatic statement to the college football world Saturday when the No. 13 ranked Golden Gophers upset No. 5 Penn State in Minneapolis. Minnesota’s 31-26 win over the Nittany Lions came in a game the Gophers controlled, and the outcome moved the program to heavyweight status among Power Five Conferences.

The 9-0 Gophers are deserving of a top 10 national ranking by the major polls including the Associated Press. With three games remaining on the regular season schedule, the school that has won nine consecutive games for the first time since 1904 now deserves that kind of attention.

For years the program that often didn’t seem to know how to spell R-e-s-p-e-c-t, now has earned it. Can we all spell C-r-e-d-i-b-i-l-i-t-y?

It will be interesting to see how far Minnesota advances in the College Football Playoff Rankings this week. The Gophers are one of only five undefeated Power Five teams remaining in college football. Last week Minnesota was ranked No. 17 in the CFP listings.

Fleck, the third-year coach who was doubted and mocked by the local citizenry and media, has a team that is not only surprisingly undefeated but improving every week. Already among the favorites to win national coach of the year awards, Fleck could be the honoree if Minnesota can sweep its last three games. In yesterday’s game at least two Gophers added to their profiles for earning national honors after the season. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman was unstoppable, coming up with 203 yards in receptions, while Gopher safety Antoine Winfield Jr. had two timely interceptions.

The potential is there for Minnesota to win its first ever Big Ten West Division championship. The 6-0 (league games) Gophers are being chased by 4-2 Wisconsin and 3-3 Iowa, and maybe 4-3 upstart Illinois. Minnesota’s remaining regular season schedule is at Iowa next Saturday, at Northwestern (0-7) November 23 and then home on November 30 versus Wisconsin.

Minnesota hasn’t defeated Iowa and Wisconsin in the same season since 1990. The Gophers haven’t won a game in Iowa City since 1999. Minnesota has won 11 consecutive games dating back to 2018 when the Fleckers defeated Wisconsin in the last regular season game and Georgia Tech in a bowl game, and now on November 30 the Gophers could beat Bucky in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-1994.

The list of implications that came out of yesterday’s mega win is long and includes the prospect of Minnesota advancing to the Big Ten title game next month and playing competitively against Ohio State, viewed as the best team in the country by those who put out the College Football Playoff Rankings. A 12-0 record going into Indianapolis to play the Buckeyes could put Minnesota into the driver’s seat for the program’s first Rose Bowl invite since 1962. That kind of success would be an eye-opener for impressionable high quality recruits around the country who are likely to think about grabbing an “oar” and heading to Minneapolis.

The most optimistic of fans—and some are probably still partying after yesterday’s program turning win—are chortling that the Gophers are contenders to earn their way to the four-team playoffs. In an improbable season, those in the Optimists Hall of Fame are thinking bigger than I am.

Make no mistake, though, the Gophers are likely to sustain success this season. They might lose a couple of games in a closing stretch against the top-25 Hawkeyes and Badgers. A string of unfortunate injuries to Minnesota’s best playmakers could spoil the fun in the games ahead, but so many good things are already in place with more coming.

The Gophers are headed to a credible, if not prestigious, bowl game—see you later Motown. Ticket sales will increase next year, and should be jumping for the home finale to keep possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Fleck’s getting love from fans and learned yesterday he can have a happy football marriage in this on and off the bandwagon town. Athletic director Mark Coyle has already won his presentation to the U Board of Regents next month when he asks for formal approval of the coach’s new seven-year extension.

Donation checks should be on the upswing to the Athletic Department and the University. A Rose Bowl win will goose donations like it did years ago when bottom feeders Big Ten Wisconsin and Northwestern rose up and said, “Pasadena here we come.”

Are you listening T. Denny Sanford?

Hey, Lee Corso, you listen up too. Before Saturday’s game the confident Corso said this about Penn State on ESPN College GameDay: “They’re gonna sink that Minnesota boat.”

Nope. Yesterday the Gophers bagged a Nittany Lion.

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