Gophers Basketball – Page 133 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Needs to Kick in Door at ‘Big House’

Posted on September 26, 2014September 26, 2014 by David Shama

Gophers fans have learned to treasure rare wins against Michigan, including in Ann Arbor where Minnesota plays the Wolverines tomorrow in a game TV viewers from Minneapolis-St. Paul will see on ABC. The opinion here is the Gophers’ chances are 50-50 to earn one of those once-in-a-generation moments tomorrow at Michigan Stadium—the famous 109,901 capacity “Big House.”

The Gophers won in Ann Arbor in 1962 and haven’t exactly been greedy there since, with victories also in 1986 and 2005. During the last 50 years—home and away—the schools have played against each other every season except two, and the Gophers have defeated Michigan only five times, claiming the famous Little Brown Jug trophy awarded to the winning team.

There have been years when the Wolverines were so vastly superior to the Gophers in coaching and personnel that Minnesota fans might have enjoyed a more pleasant afternoon cleaning their showers. But tomorrow the Gophers will take the field in Michigan Stadium with a coaching staff and a roster of talent that compares more favorably to the Wolverines than in the recent past.

Michigan is 2-2 with wins over bad teams and embarrassing losses to Notre Dame, 31-0, and Utah, 26-10. In the two defeats the Wolverines didn’t produce an offensive touchdown and they enter tomorrow’s game with a quarterback dilemma after senior starter Devin Gardner was replaced by sophomore Shane Morris during the Utah loss.

College football’s winningest program appears shaky. After four games, critics are calling for head coach Brady Hoke’s job. His record the last 30 games is 17-13. That’s not up to Michigan standards and if the Gophers build a sizeable lead in the game the stadium boo-birds will be noticeable.

After last week’s loss to Utah, Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo expressed concern about the body language of Michigan players. He also observed a lack of full effort in some situations.

The best scenario for the Gophers will be a successful start in the game and double-digit lead by halftime. That could help demoralize the Michigan defense, the strength of the team. The Wolverines are No. 1 among Big Ten clubs in total defense allowing 261 yards per game.

The Gophers’ strength is also on defense so forcing the Michigan offense into costly turnovers might turn the game Minnesota’s way. So, too, could Minnesota special teams work where success might come from blocking a punt, field goal attempt, or having a long kick return.

The Gophers’ offense was muted against the one quality team Minnesota, 3-1, has played so far. TCU held the Gophers to 268 total yards, including only 99 yards rushing in a 30-7 win in Fort Worth.

For the season the Gophers’ passing offense ranks last in the Big Ten, producing 99.8 yards per game. Minnesota is fourth in rushing offense at 236.2 yards while Michigan’s defense is allowing only 80.2 yards.

Much has been written about Minnesota’s inability to pass with success. Freshman quarterback Chris Streveler completed just one throw in last week’s 24-7 win against San Jose State, but has kept a positive attitude—even joking about it and receiving some good-natured kidding. “Yeah, some of my buddies in class have been like, ‘Nice completion or whatever.’ It’s just funny,” Steveler said. “I like to joke around about it because we got the win so it doesn’t really matter, to be honest. …”

The Gophers have their own quarterback puzzle with Streveler and Mitch Leidner who is definitely the No. 1 starter but might not play tomorrow because of injuries. Whoever plays may give the Gophers improved passing but don’t expect to be dazzled because baby steps seem more likely and receivers, not just quarterbacks, need to step up.

The oddsmakers have the Wolverines as a double-digit favorite to win and that looks off target. A low scoring, close game seems more likely. The Gophers’ chances of winning may come down to better preparation, more will and focus than the Wolverines.

Those are attributes associated with Gophers head coach Jerry Kill who is admired by coaching peers. An ESPN.com poll of FBS coaches announced last week had Kill tied with Kansas State’s Bill Snyder for most underrated coach in the country.

When teams feel prepared, players have confidence. Maybe the Gophers are ready. “It would be good to go in there and steal one from Michigan,” said Gophers junior cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun. “We watched them on film. I said they’re good and we’re good too. But I think we have a really good shot to win this weekend.”

Kill and the Gophers would like to start changing wins against the Wolverines to more than a once-in-a-generation thing.

Worth Noting

Gophers’ senior defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli is a team leader and was asked if Minnesota takes extra confidence going into tomorrow’s game because the Big Ten has been unimpressive in nonconference competition and Michigan has a 2-2 record.

“I feel like we always have confidence in our team no matter how well or how poor the rest of the conference is doing,” he said. “Just because they’re 2-2 doesn’t mean anything to us. Michigan is a good team and they’re going to be physical and fast so we need to prepare hard this week no mater what our opponents’ record is. …We’re ready for a fight.”

Streveler is the Big Ten’s Co-Freshmen of the Week for his 161 yards rushing performance against San Jose State—the third highest total ever by a Minnesota quarterback. Streveler’s success, and that of running back David Cobb, who rushed for 207 yards, was enhanced by the quarterback understanding whether the best decision was to hand the ball off to Cobb or run with it himself.

Gophers’ offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said Steveler, despite being inexperienced and making his first college start, made defensive “reads” as effective as any quarterback he has coached at Minnesota or before that at Northern Illinois. “He did a fantastic job,” Limegrover said. “Everything they threw at him—handled it like a vet—which was great to see.”

The Gophers have lacked consistency at the quarterback position for awhile but a program insider said Kill hasn’t pursued junior college quarterbacks, preferring to develop his own players over their four or five year careers. That formula worked with considerable success at Northern Illinois when Kill and his assistants found under-recruited talents Jordan Lynch and Chandler Harnish.

Rookie Teddy Bridgewater gets his first NFL start on Sunday when the Vikings play the Falcons at TCF Bank Stadium. He will be the second youngest Vikings quarterback ever to start a game for the team. Fran Tarkenton, 21 years, 226 days, was the youngest, while Bridgewater will be 21 years and 322 days on Sunday.

Suspended running back Adrian Peterson, who has the biggest contract on the team and a tarnished reputation, will miss his third consecutive game and likely will never play for the Vikings again. As the Vikings navigate the local political, business and social scene here, it seems highly improbable they will keep a 29-year-old running back who is expensive and controversial. Peterson, though, is all but certain to some day play with another NFL club.

Detroit Lakes native and wide receiver Adam Thielen, who was on the Vikings practice squad last year, had his first career start last Sunday against the Saints but didn’t catch a pass.

Vikings-Falcons connections include Mike Tice and Ra’Shede Hagemen. Tice, the former Vikings head coach, is the Falcons offensive line coach while Hagemen, the former Gopher, is a rookie reserve defensive tackle.

Saint John’s running back Sam Sura, averaging an MIAC-leading 180.7 rushing yards per game and five touchdowns, will test St. Thomas’ defense tomorrow when the Johnnies and Tommies renew their rivalry in St. Paul before an anticipated crowd of 10,000 fans. The Tommies have the league’s top-ranked defense, allowing 8.5 points and 263 yards per game. Saint John’s is 2-1 overall, 0-1 in the MIAC while St. Thomas, 2-0, plays its league opener tomorrow.

Congratulations to Marshall High School football coach Terry Bahlmann who won his 200th career game last week. Bahlmann has a career record of 200-91 over 31 years of coaching including at three high schools in Iowa.

The WCHA made the right hire earlier this year when Bill Robertson agreed to become commissioner. His business skills, including marketing expertise, will be a major asset for the WCHA which announced an exclusive partnership with FOX Sports North this week to telecast the 2015 WCHA Final Five. The network will provide live telecasts from the Xcel Energy Center for all three games of next year’s Final Five: Two semifinal games on Friday, March 20 and the Broadmoor Trophy championship game on Saturday, March 21. Tournament ticket packages go on sale starting at noon Monday with availability at the Xcel Energy Center and via Ticketmaster.

Offseason workouts are generating optimism about the 2014-2015 Gophers basketball team. Minnesota might finish among the top six teams in the Big Ten Conference and possibly make an NCAA Tournament run. Richard Pitino, the Gophers 32-year-old head coach, is a taskmaster and pushes his players hard.

State prep basketball authority Ken Lien was pleased to see Pitino receive a verbal commitment from DeLaSalle guard Jarvis Johnson for the Gophers’ 2015 recruiting class. “I am excited to watch Jarvis play at the U because he’s got tremendous quickness, not only north and south, but great lateral quickness,” Lien said. “He will be fun to watch defending people. …He’s going to have to improve his shooting—and the ball handling—to be able to run the fast break the way Pitino wants them to run.”

Former Gopher Oto Osenieks, who gave up his career last winter with a season of eligibility remaining because of a knee injury, is in graduate school taking sports management classes and helping with the basketball program.

The Timberwolves begin training camp in Mankato next week and team owner Glen Taylor will continue the team tradition of hosting players for dinner at his house on October 3. His wife Becky, with help from her daughters, will make enough lasagna to feed a group of players, coaches and other staff at the Taylor home in Mankato. “She’s a typical Minnesota housewife and loves to take care of her family,” Taylor said. “She’s got a big family, and it just gets extended when the players come down (to Mankato).”

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Bet the House: Vikings to Go 8-8 in 2014

Posted on August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 by David Shama

A summer tradition in this column is Bob Lurtsema’s annual prediction of the Vikings’ season record. This week the ex-Viking defensive lineman was prepared to talk about wins and losses including his off target forecast from last year—after nailing the Purple’s record in 2012.

Earlier this year Las Vegas odds-makers had the Vikings winning 5.5 games in 2014 and now the number has moved up slightly to 6, Lurtsema said. Even at 6 he believes the Vikings aren’t given proper respect.

“Take your mortgage, car and every nickel, and bet the over (to win more than 6 games),” Lurtsema said. “I really feel very comfortable they (the Vikings) will win 8 or 9 games.”

Lurtsema’s official forecast is for an 8-8 Vikings record in 2014.

About this time last year Lurtsema was feeling even better about the Vikings and predicted an 11-5 finish. That optimism at least partially came from the 2012 season when he forecast a 10-6 record including the playoffs. Sure enough that’s what his old team achieved two years ago while surprising most NFL authorities.

So what happened in 2013 as the Vikings stumbled to a 5-10-1 record? Well, the Purple lost five games in the closing minutes while making fans endure one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Those collapses prompted Lurtsema to offer a minimal explanation about his off target 11-5 prediction: “I was right…if the games had been 58 minutes (not 60),” he quipped.

Lurtsema is a close observer of the Vikings and it isn’t just the usual fan optimism of having a new coaching staff that has him smiling about Mike Zimmer and his assistants. Lurtsema has preached that a team’s success is “65 percent” determined by the staff. He believes Zimmer and his staff are exceptional and will lead a Purple revival.

The Vikings open their preseason schedule tonight and Lurtsema said there are several things to watch for including how defensive players pursue ball carriers. As defensive coordinator of the Bengals, Zimmer’s players ranked high among NFL teams in total assisted tackles. “That tells you players are pursuing,” Lurtsema said. “It’s a good habit to have.”

Lurtsema will watch tonight to see how the Vikings use linebacker Anthony Barr, their No. 9 first round draft choice in last spring’s NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings sometimes position the gifted athlete on the line of scrimmage as part of a five-man group. The normal set is four defensive linemen but Barr could sometimes make it five, lining up as an end and pass rushing specialist.

Lurtsema admires offensive coordinator Norv Turner. During the preseason Lurtsema expects an emphasis on long passes, with the offense using “vertical routes” to loosen defenses. “They’re really gonna make it exciting for the average fan,” Lurtsema said.

He has another message for fans regarding tonight and the preseason. Don’t get too upset when a favorite player—perhaps a star—is cut from the roster. Zimmer and staff, Lurtsema said, are creating work habits in training camp with a goal of playing up to expectations. “He wants athletes with heart and something between the ears,” Lurtsema said.

With 40 new players on the roster since last season, including 10 draft choices, there will be lots of competition to make the final 53-man roster. Watch the special teams tonight to see which unknown players are impressing.

Worth Noting

Tonight’s game at TCF Bank Stadium will be the only one on the Vikings’ home schedule played on a weekday night. Traffic and parking comments could enliven social media late this afternoon and in the early evening. Last year traffic was awful for the Gophers-UNLV game played on a Thursday night in late August at TCF Bank Stadium. On Tuesday of this week, 80 minutes before the Twins game at Target Field, traffic was moving at 10 miles per hour on east-bound I-394 between highways 169 and 100.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be simulcast on KARE 11 and KFAN-FM. Commentators will be Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber.

The Raiders, 4-12 last season, have long been a controversial franchise, and stirring things up now are reports the team may move to San Antonio. In an Internet story yesterday from the San Antonio Express-News, former Vikings owner and San Antonio businessman Red McCombs said last month’s visit to the Texas city by Raiders owner Mark Davis was “sincere.” McCombs also said he is willing to become a local investor if the Raiders relocated.

There were 33 Minnesota high school football programs scheduled to start practice last Monday in preparation for opening games on August 22 or 23. The other prep football programs in the state begin practice next Monday.

Among the notable early games will be Minnetonka at Hudson High School (Wisconsin) on August 22. Another Wisconsin high school, Superior, plays the same night at Hopkins.

David Cobb told reporters after practice this week he expects the Gophers to emphasize short passes this season including screens and swing passes. Cobb, who led the Gophers in rushing last season with 1,202 yards, had only seven pass receptions. He is on the Doak Walker watch list for the nation’s best running back.

Former Gophers basketball players Al Nuness and Jim Brewer will be part of the Proviso East High School inaugural hall of fame class on August 30. The Maywood, Illinois school is known for its basketball alumni including Nuness who was all-Big Ten second team for the Gophers in 1969 and Brewer who was an All-American in 1973.

Next season expect the Gophers to hold a ceremony to retire the jersey of Randy Breuer. The former Lake City High School star is No. 3 in all-time scoring for the Gophers with 1,777 career points. Breuer, a 7-3 center, played four seasons with the Gophers starting in 1979-80 and averaged 16.6 points per game on the 1982 Big Ten championship team.

The Gophers athletic department and its multimedia rights holder, Learfield Sports’ Gopher Sports Properties, announced yesterday a three-year agreement with 1500 ESPN Twin Cities to broadcast Gopher men’s hockey and men’s and women’s basketball games. The agreement starts with the coming seasons and runs through 2016-17.

The Northwoods League became the first summer college baseball league to go over 1 million in attendance for one season after games played on Wednesday of this week. Madison (Wisconsin) leads the 18-team league with an average of 6,139 per game.

Dave Tentis, 52, is the only Minnesotan playing in this week’s PGA Championship in Louisville. The Woodbury resident shot an eight over 79 yesterday and tied for 144th in the field. He is the PGA head professional at Troy Burne Golf Club in Hudson, Wisconsin.

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Players and Agents Endorsed Zimmer

Posted on July 25, 2014July 25, 2014 by David Shama

Rick Spielman is excited to see new head coach Mike Zimmer open his first training camp this week in Mankato. Spielman went through an extensive information gathering process before hiring Zimmer last winter and when finished was convinced he found the right coach.

“I told our owners we were fortunate he was available,” the Vikings’ general manager told Sports Headliners.

Zimmer is 58 and had been a career assistant in the NFL before Spielman gave him his first head coaching opportunity. Spielman was in the Vikings’ front office as head of player personnel, not general manager, when Leslie Frazier was promoted from interim to head coach after the 2010 season. Nor did Spielman have the hiring responsibility when Brad Childress was made head coach about eight years ago, and so Zimmer is his first hire. What was Spielman looking for in a head coach?

A teacher and demanding leader, Spielman answered. Those are characteristics Spielman heard repeated when he talked to players and their agents as they described how Zimmer’s coaching made a difference in performance.

Ex-Viking Bob Lurtsema said Vikings players know they will be held accountable for mistakes and efforts by Zimmer and his staff. “Everything going in right now (in camp) is total competition,” Lurtsema said.

Lurtsema believes fans could be surprised about who makes the team and that players are excited about the competitive environment expected in Mankato. “They’re saying (the players) these coaches love to coach. That’s a contagious attitude. The players that deserve to be a member of the Minnesota Vikings will embrace it rather than fight it.”

Spielman has not only made a commitment to Zimmer by hiring him but the Vikings have also paid for a new weight room and meeting room. There are other changes too including an emphasis on healthier food with less fat and sugar.

Worth Noting

Zimmer at 58 is as old as Bud Grant when he retired as Vikings head coach after the 1985 season. Grant decided to give up football to focus on the outdoor life of hunting and fishing including internationally. Grant was the second head coach in franchise history. Zimmer is the ninth.

Although this will be Zimmer’s first year as an NFL head coach, it certainly won’t be the most painful emotionally. Zimmer’s wife Vikki died unexpectedly during the 2009 season.

The Vikings agreement with KARE-11 to televise preseason games runs through next year, positioning the NFL club to negotiate a new deal as the team moves into the opening season of its downtown Minneapolis stadium in 2016.

Based on past interest, about 400,000 viewers are expected to watch each preseason game this summer. If so, the KARE 11 telecasts will exceed any competing programming in local viewership including Twins games.

The Vikings’ final preseason game of 2014 will be on August 28 against the Titans in Nashville. That game begins at 7 p.m. while the Gophers have their nonconference season opener the same night at home starting at 6 p.m. against Eastern Illinois. The Minnesota game will be on the Big Ten Network and may also attract approximately 400,000 viewers with many Minnesotans switching back and forth between the Gophers and Vikings.

The Gophers start football practice a week from today. Prior to their opening game, the public will be allowed to watch practices on August 3, 4 and 5. All three practices will be at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex with a start time of 10:25 a.m. on August 3, and 5:15 p.m. for the other two practices.

According to numbers as of last week, the Gophers had sold 3,331 student season football tickets, compared with 1,921 last year. The nonstudent season ticket total was 28,106 compared with 27,951 a year ago.

Look for an announcement later this summer about how the public can donate to the Gophers $190 million campaign to improve athletic facilities. Athletic Department officials have focused on larger contributors since the campaign was announced last year but names of those making pledges haven’t been made public.

Tony Dungy is sometimes written about because of the opportunity the Gophers gave him as an African-American to play quarterback for the team. What’s not so well-known is that starting with Sandy Stephens in 1959 the Gophers had at least six African-American quarterbacks on their rosters prior to Dungy’s arrival in Minneapolis in 1973. Minnesota gave opportunities to African-Americans to play quarterback when other schools didn’t and Stephens was the first ever All-American black QB.

Giovan Jenkins begins his sixth season as Washburn High School’s head football coach when the Millers officially start practice on August 11 and he’s not used to losing City Conference games. Jenkins was an assistant coach at Washburn before he became head coach, and the Millers have won or shared the last 13 city titles. His 2014 team will be without almost all of last year’s starters but Jenkins expects to contend for a championship again and is likely to have about 65 players, including freshmen, out for the team—probably the biggest turnout for football among Minneapolis high schools.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino said Elliott Eliason’s conditioning has resulted in the senior center having less than 10 percent body fat. Returning senior point guard DeAndre Mathieu has added about “13 pounds of muscle,” and junior guard Carlos “Squirrel” Morris, a transfer, has put on 17 pounds, the coach said.

Dave and Linda Mona’s Camden’s Concert next Wednesday night at the Hopkins Center for the Arts will feature The Wright Brothers, a popular singing group that has prompted record ticket sales for the fifth annual event. The concert is named for the Mona’s grandson and benefits Cystic Fibrosis. An on-line auction with more than 125 items is also drawing attention. More at Camdensconcert.com.

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