Golden Gophers – Page 117 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikes Jefferson Nears Moss Records

Posted on November 30, 2020November 30, 2020 by David Shama

Enjoy a Monday notes column:

With the Vikings having five games remaining in the regular season, it’s possible Justin Jefferson could break franchise rookie records set by Randy Moss in 1998 for most receiving yards and receptions.

Moss had 1,313 yards in his first season, while Jefferson has totaled 918 yards in 11 games after becoming Minnesota’s No. 1 overall draft choice earlier this year. If Jefferson continues to average about 84 yards per game, he could finish with 1,338 yards.

Moss also holds the club rookie record for season receptions with 69, and as of today Jefferson has 52. If Jefferson averages about five catches in the last five games, he totals 77 for the season and breaks another Moss record.

After catching two touchdown passes in yesterday’s win over Carolina, Jefferson has six TD catches for the year. Out of reach for the former LSU All-American is the Moss rookie total of 17 touchdown receptions, which is not only a Vikings record but the best in NFL history.

With his speed, moves and sure hands, the 6-1 Jefferson is able to gain separation from defenders and make big catches despite defenses scheming to shut him down. He had two pressure catches in the red zone yesterday while totaling 70 yards for the game. His 918 yards for the season is already fifth best in NFL history for a rookie receiver.

Jefferson has been a great fit for offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s system that requires precise route running. GM Rick Spielman was excited about Jefferson after drafting him last April. “We feel very fortunate that he was there at No. 22,” Spielman said then about the new fan favorite.

Jefferson told reporters this afternoon “it’s hard to believe” the kind of rookie season he is experiencing. Yesterday he filled in for Adam Thielen (COVID-19), the team’s premier receiver. The two have developed a friendship and Jefferson said Thielen contacted him about his performance after the game. “I am definitely excited to have my brother back (for the next game),” Jefferson said.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer saw Jefferson drop a ball in practice last week. The 21-year-old told the coach it wouldn’t happen again. “He is a confident kid, but he works real hard,” Zimmer said today. “There’s a lot of things he has to improve on and we let him know that as well. …I mean he’s good. Everybody knows he’s good. You know, it’s can he be great? That’s the big question.”

Zimmer said he is hopeful Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook (ankle injury yesterday) will be able to play in next Sunday’s home game against Jacksonville.

Jefferson and three other Vikings (WR Chad Beebe, WR Bisi Johnson and TE Kyle Rudolph) all had seven receptions yesterday and at least 60 receiving yards. The 2012 New Orleans Saints are the only other NFL team in history to have that distinction in one game.

The Vikings are showing talent and depth at wide receiver including Beebe who made the game winning catch against Carolina. “We can do a lot with that receiver corps,” Jefferson said.

After playing against Carolina, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins now has 16 career games with at least 300 passing yards, three touchdown passes and a rating of 115-or-higher, surpassing Drew Brees (15 games) and Aaron Rodgers (15) for the most such games by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history.

Rob Hunegs, owner of Twin Cities Sports Cards in Golden Valley, talking about Justin Jefferson collectibles: “His stuff goes out of here as fast as it comes in.”

The Denver Broncos didn’t have any quarterbacks to use in their game yesterday because of COVID-19. Zimmer said his understanding is the Broncos’ quarterbacks had close contact with each other, while his group has been diligent about protocols. Zimmer didn’t offer names, but in training camp and during the season there is preparation work with an emergency quarterback like someone who played the position in high school or college.

Zimmer liked the red zone performance of his team Sunday, noting his offense had three scores in four attempts while Carolina was 0-3.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith on the high level play of linebackers Eric Kendricks and Eric Wilson making plays: “It settles guys on the back end.”

Not much of a birthday week for Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck who turned 40 yesterday and is still the youngest head coach in the Big Ten. This morning the Gophers announced next Saturday’s game against Northwestern is cancelled because of so many Minnesota players and staffers testing positive for COVID-19.

Minneapolis native Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman, the Breck alum, is one of Northwestern’s most productive wide receivers as a senior. He had a career-best 95 yards in receptions against Wisconsin earlier this month.

Former Lakeville North all-stater Bryce Benhart has started every game at right tackle this season as a redshirt freshman for Nebraska. Benhart, though, had a costly holding penalty in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to Iowa when the Huskers were driving for a go-ahead touchdown.

Few remember but John Hankinson, the former Gophers quarterback who died earlier this month, worked as a sportswriter for the Minneapolis Daily American after leaving the University of Minnesota and before his career as a successful real estate developer.

Forward Dawson Garcia, who had Minnesota among his final college choices, has scored a team-leading 35 points as a true freshman in two wins for Marquette this month He was a McDonald’s All-American at Prior Lake.

Edina-based Joe Florenzano of Triple Crown Sports is hosting a December 10 private signing with Minnesota sports legend Bud Grant and is accepting items until December 9.

Jalen Suggs, the former Minnehaha Academy guard from West St. Paul, is the highest rated recruit ever at Gonzaga, the nation’s No. 1 team off to a 2-0 start. The Zags play No. 2 Baylor Saturday where the staff includes former Minneapolis-area prep coach Jared Nuness.

In the latest AP poll the Big Ten has four teams in the top 10: No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Illinois and No. 8 Michigan State.

Former Twins center fielder Torii Hunter is on the latest ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but despite his impressive career he doesn’t have the resume for induction. But why aren’t ex-Twins right fielder Tony Oliva and pitcher Jim Kaat (A+ MLB TV analyst) not enshrined?

If the Twins don’t do a new free agent deal with multi-positional Marwin González, maybe they will sign another versatile player in Kiké Hernández, who may leave the Dodgers.

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Clock Starts Now on Wolves Rosas

Posted on November 19, 2020November 19, 2020 by David Shama

The Timberwolves hired Gersson Rosas as president of basketball operations in May of 2019. Now he has been through one season and two NBA Drafts including last evening when he used the No. 1 overall pick to select shooting guard Anthony Edwards.

With draft choices and trades, including bringing back fan favorite Ricky Rubio to Minneapolis, Rosas has reshaped the roster. Assuming the NBA can have a 2020-2021 season despite the pandemic, the next 12 months will indicate whether Rosas can succeed with a franchise that avoids the playoffs like it was the virus.

With the Timberwolves up for sale, it’s a solid bet the next owner will come in with eyes wide open about Rosas. That new owner could already have “his own guy” in mind when he signs the paper work to acquire the franchise. But if Rosas has the Wolves rolling, his job security should be fine.

It’s hyper-competitive trying to build and maintain a winning NBA team. There are a lot of bright basketball operators in the league including Danny Ainge, R.C. Buford, Bob Myers, Daryl Morey, Donnie Nelson, Sam Presti and Pat Riley. Wolves faithful are hoping Rosas will some day have his name mentioned in the same group.

As for Edwards, the Wolves may have acquired the highest potential player in the draft. This week ESPN said analytics showed a 41 percent likelihood of Edwards becoming an NBA All-Star, a higher percentage than the two other consensus top draft prospects, James Wiseman and LaMello Ball.

Edwards is a potentially prolific scorer with his shooting range and ability to drive to the basket. The former Georgia freshman’s perimeter shooting and ability to run the floor is a welcome fit for the style Rosas wants his team to play. With only about a month until the season starts, and no preseason games, Edwards and other rookies will have a different kind of introduction to the NBA with a fast and difficult learning curve asked of them.

Hoopsrumors.com is reporting power forward Freddie Gillespie, the former East Ridge and Carleton player who walked on at Baylor, will sign as a free agent with the Mavericks. An NBA authority told Sports Headliners yesterday he thought Gillespie might be taken in the second round.

Four other Minnesotans were drafted including ex-Hopkins player and power forward Zeke Nnaji who was taken in the first round. “Energy. Always in the mix, playing hard,” said the source who requested anonymity.

The first pick in the second round was point guard Tyrell Terry, the former DeLaSalle and Stanford point guard. “He might be the best shooter in the draft,” said the source whose basketball background includes coaching and scouting.

After Terry was chosen at No. 31, the Gophers’ Daniel Oturu was taken at No. 33. There was speculation last spring Oturu, the former Cretin Derham-Hall center, might be a first round draft choice after making All-American his sophomore season at Minnesota.

Tre Jones, the ex-Apple Valley and Duke point guard, was drafted at No. 41. The NBA authority raves about him. “Just never, ever count him out. ..He’s a winner. His pedigree is really strong.”

As a first rounder, Nnaji receives a guaranteed contract. Second rounders don’t and often start out in the NBA’s development program, the G League, where for seven months players receive a base salary of $7,000 per month for five months.

Golden Gophers Turn into Underdogs

The way it looks now the Golden Gophers football team will be underdogs in their four remaining scheduled games. The most winnable for 1-3 Minnesota appears to be Friday night at home with 2-1 Purdue. The Boilermakers are about a three-point favorite and deserve a bigger spread based on how the Gophers are playing.

In Minnesota’s other three games, at 2-0 Wisconsin and 1-2 Nebraska, and home versus 4-0 Northwestern, the Gophers figure to be larger underdogs than they are tomorrow night. Try this as possible pre-game point spreads: Wisconsin by 28, Northwestern by 18 and Nebraska by 8.

In December all Big Ten teams will be assigned a ninth game against a divisional crossover opponent based on the strength of their 2020 record. That could be the next time Minnesota is favored in a game.

Minnesota’s 2020 performance is one of the most disappointing in college football. Coming off an 11-2 season last January, it seemed success would be sustained even if not at that level. The Gophers entered their October 24 season opener against Michigan nationally ranked. The program was showcased that Saturday with ABC televising the game across the country. Earlier in the day ESPN’s College GameDay produced its show inside TCF Bank Stadium.

Seldom in modern Gopher football history has a defense started the season so ineptly as this fall. Linemen are often pushed way off the line of scrimmage, the linebackers frequently don’t fill holes, and the secondary (sometimes out of position) is the last line of defense. The safeties lead the team in tackles. Minnesota is giving up a Big Ten leading 7.8 yards per play. The Gophers also are yielding a conference worst 20 touchdowns and 35.8 points per game.

Gone from last year’s defense are the best players, who used up their eligibility. It was understood before the season the defense would be suspect, but no one thought this bad. The pandemic and the cancellation of spring practice were setbacks for a defense trying to regroup. Inexperience and injuries have added to the challenge, but expectations were rightfully higher.

Head coach P.J. Fleck insists the talent is present for a better defense in the future but experience is needed first. However, with the program in its fourth year under Fleck, there should have been more capable and experienced defensive players in place to take over from last season’s seniors.

Futility was so evident in last week’s embarrassing 35-7 loss to Iowa. For Gopher fans the game was an unwelcome reminder of recent history in the Minnesota-Iowa series. The Hawkeyes have won six straight games for the first time in the 114-year-old rivalry. In the battle for Floyd of Rosedale, the series is tied at 42-42-2. Iowa has not trailed in games against Minnesota since the fourth quarter in 2016.

In this year’s game even the Minnesota offense, fifth best in the Big Ten averaging 29 points per game, was ineffective. Iowa controlled Minnesota’s usually productive running game, and the Gophers have been struggling to develop their passing attack other than with All-American wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Under new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford the Gophers, despite having most of their key players back, seem more conservative than last season. Creative play-calling is absent in the read-option offense that almost never has quarterback Tanner Morgan running with the football. Program woes also include special teams, with disappointments evident with field goals, extra points, kickoff returns and punt returns.

The Gophers need to find themselves starting tomorrow night, hoping for a result similar to two years ago. On November 10, 2018 Minnesota played Purdue at home and entered the game having lost five of its previous six games. The Gophers won 41-10 and took two of the next three games with an upset victory over Wisconsin in Madison and bowl game win versus Georgia Tech.

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Zimmer “Tired” of Special Teams Woes

Posted on November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 by David Shama

Mike Zimmer expressed frustration with the Vikings’ special teams after last night’s 19-13 win over the Bears in Chicago. Cordarrelle Patterson ran a kickoff back for a 104-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 13-7 third quarter lead. In Minnesota’s previous game against the Lions, Zimmer saw his team have two punts blocked.

“We weren’t very good tonight (on special teams),” Zimmer said on KFAN. “We weren’t supposed to kick the ball to Patterson and we did, and that was bad. We’re going to have to really look at our personnel on that. See if we can change some things up. This is not good. It’s been bad the last two weeks, and quite honestly I am tired of it.”

Patterson, the ex-Viking who goes by the nickname “Flash,” might be the best kickoff returner in NFL history. He just whizzed by defenders on his long run, with the last potential tackler Viking kicker Dan Bailey—a total mismatch. As Zimmer watched on the sidelines he was livid.

Without the kickoff touchdown, the game wouldn’t have been close. The Bears produced two field goals with their inept offense that relies on replacement players because of injuries. A first down was worthy of high-fives from Chicago fans.

Zimmer took advantage of the incompetent Bears with blitzes. He wasn’t hesitant to ask his inexperienced secondary to cover one-on-one. He said after the game on the radio those players and the entire improving defense is gaining confidence as the Vikings earned their third consecutive win.

Nobody on the Vikings looked more excited toward the game’s end than quarterback Kirk Cousins who for the first time in his career was on the winning team for television’s Monday Night Football. He was pumping a fist and showing thumbs up as the Vikings kept playoff ambitions alive while his MNF record improved to 1-9. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns (both to Adam Thielen).

The 4-5 Vikings play their next three games in Minneapolis against the Cowboys (2-7), Panthers (3-7) and Jaguars (1-8). After last night Minnesota clearly has momentum and a favorable path to a 7-5 record by early December.

“We’ve got three in a row. Keep it stacking, and get back to it,” Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks said on KFAN last night.

St. Paul Saints Deal Pricey

After talking with sources, it looks like the Minnesota Twins might have to write at least one large check to make the St. Paul Saints their Triple-A affiliate starting in 2021. Sports Headliners speculates a deal could be finished by January 1, with the Saints ownership holding most of the leverage in negotiations that may see ownership transferred to the Twins.

Although a deal is not for sure, it’s a perfect move for the Twins to have their highest minor league affiliate located within a bike ride from Target Field. Saints Triple-A call-ups could arrive at the big league ball park within 25 minutes from downtown St. Paul. The Saints are presently members of the American Association, a league that has long operated without MLB affiliation.

Any new Saints owner would project continued sellouts at CHS Field where offerings include low price tickets, quirky promotions, sun-splashed beer-drinking and baseball players (cheap payroll) not wanted by big league clubs. A wise move by the Twins, if they become new owners, will be keeping prices for tickets and concessions at 2020 levels.

Throw in creative promotions and a big upgrade in baseball talent where Twins fans can see the organization’s future stars, and it seems the Saints could continue to be profitable. And that doesn’t begin to factor in the business synergy of having two franchises with the same ownership in the same market where there can be crossover ties in ticket sales, radio-TV rights, corporate sponsorships, promotions and advertising.

But what’s in this for the Saints ownership whose public face is Mike Veeck? He is 69 now and “Mr. Fun Is Good” has worked hard building the Saints into a model minor league franchise. Veeck has been at this since 1993 and hit a “home run” convincing St. Paul and other public officials to build CHS Field, allowing them to abandon archaic Midway Stadium.

It’s logical to believe Veeck and partners will walk away from their ownership stake if the Twins or someone else will meet their price. A sports industry source told Sports Headliners the Saints ownership paid about $1 million for a franchise startup fee in the independent Northern League back in 1993. Today he thinks the franchise, despite losing a lot of money because of the pandemic this summer, could command $20 million as a sales price.

That’s a big number but check writing doesn’t stop there if the Saints are to transition from their status of a baseball independent in the American Association to a MLB affiliated Triple-A operation. There is a cost that MiLB (Minor League Baseball) and MLB are working out for franchises to switch from independent status to affiliation with a big league club. An estimate right now is $10 to $20 million. It seems preposterous to think the Saints present ownership would be interested in paying $10 million or more for that status and continuing to operate the St. Paul franchise.

MLB teams do own minor league franchises so a Twins operation in St. Paul wouldn’t be unprecedented. But the move to St. Paul (the Twins have severed ties with their Triple-A Rochester, New York team) could be predicated on a spending spree by the Twins Pohlad ownership group that might total $30 million or more.

Maybe there’s a buyer other than the Twins for the Saints. In that scenario it would be prudent for the Twins to cover much of the franchise fee needed for the transition of the Saints to Triple A.

Worth Noting

Last fall after the Vikings lost 16-6 to the Bears in Chicago, star wide receiver Stefon Diggs made news expressing public frustration with the offense. Now, following an offseason trade to the Bills, Diggs is playing with a hot quarterback in Josh Allen and could finish the season leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards.

In Wednesday night’s NBA draft the Timberwolves, with the first overall choice, will take Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards and then with their 17^th pick in the first round will acquire Memphis forward-center Precious Achiuwa, per yesterday’s SI.com mock draft. With their second round choice at No. 33, the Wolves are projected to choose former Hopkins standout Zeke Nnaji, the forward-center who was a freshman last season at Arizona.

The Nets, with the No. 19 pick in the first round, will take former DeLaSalle star Tyrell Terry, a freshman guard at Stanford last season. Former Apple Valley and Duke point guard Tre Jones is projected at No. 35 in the second round, going to the Sacramento Kings. Daniel Oturu, the ex-Cretin Derham-Hall and Gopher center, will be drafted at No. 42 in the second round by the New Orleans Pelicans, per SI.com.

The cell phone mailbox of David Holmgren is full and not accepting messages these days. His son, Chet Holmgren, is the nation’s No. 1 or 2 senior prep basketball prospect while playing for Minnehaha Academy. Chet is waiting until next year to announce a college choice, with minimal likelihood (my opinion) he plays at dad’s alma mater, the University of Minnesota.

Because of COVID-19 don’t expect Monster Jam and AMA Super Cross, two popular events scheduled at U.S. Bank Stadium in February, to take place.

Also because of the pandemic no season media passes are being issued for Gophers men’s hockey; only single game requests on a restricted basis are being granted.

Today (Tuesday) is the deadline for WCHA men’s hockey members to announce opting out for the coming season because of the pandemic. Alaska Anchorage isn’t competing in any winter sports including hockey, leaving the WCHA as of now a nine-member league for 2020-2021. Could the University of Alaska also opt out?

Don’t expect regular coverage of this “sport” here, but a Belgian racing pigeon was auctioned off for $1.9 million Sunday, per the Associated Press.

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