P.J. FLECK – Page 70 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Stakes Jump for Bradford, Vikings

Posted on September 17, 2017September 17, 2017 by David Shama

Less than a week after an impressive opening game win over the Saints, the Vikings embarrassed themselves today in a penalty-infested 26-9 loss to the Steelers. The outlook for a big season also seems more in doubt then it was last Monday night.

Quarterback Sam Bradford, named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Saints, never saw the field. Bradford wasn’t allowed to play because of a sore left knee—with the Vikings hoping there won’t be a long-term problem. “He couldn’t play; there really was no (other) decision,” head coach Mike Zimmer said on the Vikings Radio Network after the game.

A concern is that Bradford has injured the knee in the past including 2014 when he had ACL surgery. The Vikings aren’t likely to make the playoffs without Bradford, who perhaps will play as soon as next Sunday against the Bucs, one of the NFC’s best teams. The 29-year-old could be in line for a big contract with the Vikings after this season but that won’t happen if he misses a lot of games and under performs.

The Vikings are among the NFC preseason favorites to make the playoffs. With the club not having won a playoff game since 2010—and an extraordinary opportunity waiting if the Vikings could play in the 2018 Minneapolis Super Bowl—there are high expectations for this team. That pressure extends to longtime general manager Rick Spielman and Zimmer who is in his fourth season.

Today in Pittsburgh, Minnesota players made too many mistakes that don’t characterize playoff teams. Case Keenum, filling in for Bradford, was sometimes slow in his progressions and inaccurate with throws. While not having Bradford’s skill as a passer, he was the victim of an offensive line that often didn’t protect him. In addition, multiple linemen had penalties during the game.

The Steelers scored a touchdown in the first quarter after an off-side penalty on defensive end Brian Robison, and a pass interference call on Xavier Rhodes kept a drive alive. In the second quarter a pass interference call on Trae Waynes gave Pittsburgh a first down near the goal line, setting up a second touchdown.

Early in the third quarter it looked like the Vikings, trailing 14-3, had avoided a Steeler field goal when Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell missed on a long attempt. A penalty on the Vikings, though, moved the ball close to the goalposts and Boswell made the score 17-3.

Other penalties also factored in the game’s outcome. For the day the Vikings were penalized 11 times for 131 yards.

Kicker Kai Forbath missed an extra point in the game, his second this season for the 1-1 Vikings. “It’s disheartening,” Zimmer said on the radio. “You go down and score, and then you miss an extra point and it kind of deflates you a little bit.”

Worth Noting

A Vikings spokesman said via email the NFL has not yet determined how many seats will be sold for Super Bowl LII in U.S. Bank Stadium, nor has the league determined the allotment for each NFL team. If the Vikings are one of the teams in the Super Bowl, the organization can offer a ticket lottery to season ticket holders. The two participating teams receive more tickets than the other 30 NFL franchises.

Gophers basketball sophomore forward Eric Curry will have surgery on his left knee this week. Late last month the key reserve was playing in a pickup game when the Gophers reported he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscus. Curry will miss the upcoming season.

Coach Richard Pitino and his team begin regular practices September 29.

P.J. Fleck might be the most media-prominent Gophers football coach ever. Fox 9 airs the P.J. Fleck show Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and the Gopher pregame program at 8:30 a.m. Saturdays. Fleck’s KFAN Radio show is at 11:30 a.m. Thursdays and he is also a regular on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program Sundays.

Casey O’Brien, son of former Gophers defensive backfield coach Dan O’Brien, is a freshman walk-on holder for Minnesota. When Gopher senior quarterback Conor Rhoda was playing at Cretin-Derham Hall, Casey was the football team’s ball boy. Casey, who has beaten cancer twice in his teen years, was a holder and golfer at Cretin-Derham Hall.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners attendance could exceed 37,000 for Saturday’s 1 p.m. first-ever football game at Target Field between host St. Thomas and traditional rival Saint John’s. The Twins won’t be back in town until September 29 and St. Peter is confident there will be no negative impact on the grass field. The game will set a national record for Division III attendance.

Target Field will also be the site of the August 31, 2019 game between host North Dakota State and Butler. St. Peter said there have been preliminary discussions about other football games at Target Field. He promised, though, games will never be played on a conflicting date with the Gophers, or involve FBS teams.

“That was a commitment I made to (former athletic director) Norwood Teague and now to (present AD) Mark Coyle and P.J. Fleck,” St. Peter said. (The Gophers have a bye on their schedule this Saturday and don’t play on August 31, 2019).

The Twins hit four home runs today, with Eddie Rosario hitting two, and Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer also homering, including his first grand slam since 2012 in a 13-7 win over the Blue Jays. Mauer is hitting .400 since August 10, the second best average in Major League Baseball.

The Twins’ Brian Dozier, with 46 home runs, has homered more times than any player in Major League Baseball since the 2016 All-Star Break.

Popular Shakopee-based emcee and speaker Dick Jonckowski is booking events for fall and winter (952-261-3013). As usual, Jonckowski emceed last Thursday’s CORES program in Bloomington where speaker Matt Birk told stories about his football career and drew an audience of 175.

Jonckowski is a fan of the Lynx, and asked what Lindsay Whalen and former Timberwolf Ricky Rubio have in common? Both are point guards with pro career highs in points of 33 each.

Birk, the former Viking center and Cretin-Derham Hall alum, is living in the Twin Cities area and works as a youth football consultant for the NFL. He has eight children including five sons he encourages to play football if they are interested.

Birk and others including former Minnesota prep coach Jim Dotseth believe fear about concussions from playing football is overhyped. They cite statistics showing other sports, starting with soccer, cause more concussions. “I don’t think I ever had a kid with a concussion,” Dotseth said about his 30 years as a head coach.

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Rhoda Leadership Key to U Success

Posted on September 15, 2017September 15, 2017 by David Shama

For a young man who could have been in the early months of a medical sales career this fall, Connor Rhoda is sure important to the Gophers.

Rhoda had earned his undergraduate degree in business and marketing education last winter, and planned to give up his last season of eligibility, figuring he didn’t fit into the plans of head coach Tracy Claeys and his assistants. The former walk-on was a “week away” from looking for a job and targeting a career in medical sales and management when P.J. Fleck was hired as head coach and let it be known he wanted to meet with him.

Rhoda’s playing time had been minimal through last season, including just one career start. But Fleck wanted him to compete for the starting job and Rhoda has made good on the opportunity, winning the assignment from redshirt sophomore Demry Croft while helping the Gophers to a 2-0 start.

Fleck demands his quarterbacks be leaders. Rhoda said the leadership role extends to the whole team, not just the offense. He has tried to “immerse” himself with everyone, even support staff in the office, and show the confidence of a leader.

Fleck said Rhoda is an “incredible story” and his leadership has separated him from the other quarterbacks that include Croft who won’t play tomorrow. Croft is facing an off-field issue. “I’ve said this before—year zero—the culture is the first thing in everything we do and if you can’t abide by the culture, then you’re not going to play,” Fleck said.

Croft competed for the starting job last spring and into the season but isn’t the leader and game manager that Rhoda is. Anticipation about Croft has been a focus for Gophers fans since coach Jerry Kill signed him to a Letter of Intent in 2015 and referred to him as a recruiting “steal.”

Kill said he was blessed to sign Croft and Gophers fans hoped he would unseat Mitch Leidner as quarterback in the fall of 2015. Croft, though, was ineffective in three games that season and redshirted last year.

Redshirt freshman Seth Green will play tomorrow if Rhoda is injured in the game. Green might emerge some day as the Minnesota starter but a source close to the program said he wouldn’t be surprised if the athletic 6-4, 229-pound Minnesota native eventually becomes a college tight end.

The quarterback of the future could be true freshman Tanner Morgan who Fleck is planning to redshirt. Another candidate might be left-handed dual-threat quarterback Brennan Armstrong from Shelby, Ohio. The high school senior has verbally committed to the Gophers and could be labeled a four-star recruit by next February when he can sign his Letter of Intent.

Of interest to Fleck tomorrow is Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill. He is considered one of the better passing quarterbacks in the country but Fleck was quick to mention something else about him.

“This kid, by far…he’s just one of the toughest quarterbacks I’ve ever played against, I’ve ever coached against,” Fleck said. “I got a chance (at Western Michigan) to coach against him two years ago in the Bahamas Bowl and when you watch that film, that team is extremely tough. Every one of them.

“Why? Because their quarterback is the toughest guy on the field. He’s one of the best passers we’ll face all year, one of the most accurate guys we’ll face all year… and the whole team responds to him.”

The 1-1 Blue Raiders, from Conference USA, are playing their third consecutive Power Five team to begin the season. They lost their opening game at home to Vanderbilt, 28-6, but on the road last Saturday defeated Syracuse 30-23.

Worth Noting

Rhoda stays in communication with Leidner. ”He’s happy for me,” Rhoda said. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of experiences together and…I respect the hell out of him.”

Former Gopher football player Richard Humleker will receive the Minnetonka Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award tomorrow morning during a program at Minnetonka High School. Humleker is a long-time employee and leader for The Center of Discovery that assists people with disabilities.

The Vikings will deal with future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh on Sunday. What makes the 35-year-old Roethlisberger difficult for a defense? “His ability to extend plays,” said Vikings linebacker Ben Gedeon. “He gets outside of the pocket, he can break tackles and make a potential sack play into a long gain play. So we’re going to have to be cognizant of that, and (be) on our ‘A’ game, no doubt.”

Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford can’t run like Roethlisberger but his throwing accuracy was superb last Monday night in the team’s opening win against the Saints. He completed 27 of 32 passes and threw three touchdown passes, and set a career passer rating record, 143.0.

“The guy the world saw on Monday is the guy we get to see everyday in practice,” said Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph. “He’s as accurate as anyone I’ve ever been around. …”

Vikings rookie running back Dalvin Cook impressed a lot of observers in his regular season debut, rushing for 127 yards against the Saints. “…Made a lot of guys miss some tackles, and then he had the ability to show his speed,” said veteran Vikings running back Latavius Murray. “He’s very special. Really, I think everybody just got a taste of what he’s capable of doing.”

Nate Davis of USA Today ranks the Steelers No. 5 and the Vikings No. 15 in his NFL power rankings. The Star Tribune’s Mark Craig ranks the Vikings No. 7 and Steelers No. 15. Both writers rank the Chiefs No. 1.

To avoid slow commutes on 494 look for Vikings players to relocate closer to Eagan next year when the organization moves its headquarters from Eden Prairie. Players, including former quarterback Brett Favre, have long rented or owned living space in Eden Prairie and other southwest and southern suburbs because of proximity to Winter Park, but that changes in 2018 when the organization moves into a state-of-the-art complex in Eagan.

The Twins, who defeated the Blue Jays last night in 10 innings, have 34 come-from-behind wins this season. Byron Buxton, who won the game with his 15th home run of the year, has 10 home runs in his last 31 games.

The Indians’ win streak of 22 games enhances Derek Falvey’s reputation as a talent evaluator. The Twins chief baseball officer was assistant general manager for the Indians before joining Minnesota last fall.

Mike Max has no plans to bring back “The Sports Show,” the popular local Sunday night program that went off the air in 2016.

Coach Hugh McCutcheon said having his Gophers volleyball team ranked No. 1 in the country is “good for our marketing department” and validates the program’s success. The Gophers play in the Boise State Tournament today.

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U, Fleck Raise Bar at Oregon State

Posted on September 11, 2017September 11, 2017 by David Shama

Impressions and memories of the Gophers and the state of Oregon after a trip west last week that included watching Minnesota’s dominant win Saturday night over Oregon State.

Great coaches make a difference, even in the early games of first seasons at their new schools. Let’s not rush to tag Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck with greatness, but after two games he and his staff deserve continued review with a hopeful perspective.

The Gophers had a great coach in Lou Holtz, who led the program in 1984 and 1985. He inherited inferior Big Ten talent from the previous coaching staff when he arrived in Minneapolis. In 1983 Minnesota’s record was 1-10 including an embarrassment for the ages against Nebraska. That 84-13 defeat was part of a humiliating season when opponents outscored the Gophers 518 to 181.

Using plenty of hold-over personnel, Holtz and his assistants changed schemes but mostly willed and demanded Minnesota to a 4-7 overall record in 1984. The Gophers became fundamentally sound and stopped crucifying themselves with mistakes. The players did as they were told, and Minnesota went from the dark side to a promising future during a season when they won three Big Ten games after being winless in the conference the prior year.

In Corvallis Saturday night the Gophers won 48-14 but their personnel isn’t 34 points better than Oregon State’s—especially on the Beavers home field. Minnesota made a few errors but other than quarterback Demry Croft’s fumble inside the Gopher 20 yard line, mistakes weren’t alarming against Oregon State, a Pac-12 team Minnesota struggled with in Minneapolis last season, winning 30-23.

The now 2-0 Gophers were fundamentally solid on offense, defense and special teams. Just as important, Minnesota played with energy. The Gophers followed the lead of their emotionally-charged 36-year-old coach who sprints on and off the field. The athletic Fleck even made a nice catch of an errant Beaver pass.

Despite a roster of young players that ranks among the more inexperienced in the nation, the Gophers played with poise Saturday evening as Fleck became the first Minnesota coach to win his first road game since Murray Warmath in 1954. Fleck is also the first since Warmath to win his initial two games at Minnesota.

The Beavers narrowed the score to 20-14 at halftime after Minnesota jumped to a 17-0 lead. The Gophers didn’t let an enthusiastic crowd, Beaver comeback, or even the sound of a chainsaw on steroids deter them from their work in the second half.

Minnesota got its anticipated rushing game going after a disappointing first game with Buffalo in Minneapolis. Minnesota stayed with the run in the second half and the Gophers pounded their way to 28 second half points. Junior rushers Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks totaled 92 and 91 yards respectively for the game.

The defense hit with force, causing fumbles leading to points Saturday night. At times, the Gophers cornerbacks struggled, but the pass defense improved as the game wore on. Minnesota held Oregon State to only 80 yards rushing and 140 passing for the game.

The Gophers had a game plan, stayed with their fundamentals, and willed themselves to a surprising performance against a struggling Oregon State team that is 1-2, and giving up an average of 46 points per game.

Nobody is saying Fleck’s staff and players are going to be the Big 10 surprise team of the year, but this group deserves scrutiny as the weeks progress. More often than not, great coaches impress in the first year at a new program—even if the signs are subtle and the results modest. Those who saw Holtz’s magic show know that.

Unlike Holtz, Fleck inherited a solid program that had a 9-4 team last year. His job is much easier than Holtz signed on for, but despite improvement in recent years the Gophers have struggled to play above .500 in Big Ten games and have yet to win a conference title since 1967. Let’s see where Fleck and his “boat” are headed in the next 10 weeks including Saturday at home in their final nonconference game against Middle Tennessee State.

Streets in Oregon included a few folks wearing maroon and gold last week. The landscape, though, was more a “sea of red,” with an estimated 5,000 Cornhuskers fans in the state for Saturday’s Nebraska-Oregon game in Eugene, the town south of Portland and Corvallis.

Two Cornhuskers fans encountered on a shuttle to the airport were Nebraska-nice Sunday morning. They praised the hospitality of Oregonians while contrasting them to not so warm welcomes at other stadiums where they said Cornhusker fans have been on the receiving end of snow balls at Michigan, oranges at Miami, and beer cans at Missouri.

On the flight last week to Portland from Minneapolis was former Gophers linebacker Gary Reierson who played for the legendary Warmath. He chuckled at the remembrance of how stubborn the Gophers national championship coach could be.

Reierson also recalled how the man known for his defensive coaching fame arrived at a college football all-star game as an assistant but ended up taking charge of the North team’s offense.

Here is a final but appreciative close: Thank you to my wife’s brother Phil and sister-in-law Carole for hosting us for four nights and five days in Portland. Give Phil a game ball from last Saturday for going to Corvallis, despite recent foot surgeries and being confined to a wheelchair. Maybe that’s where the Gophers found part of their inspiration.

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