Golden Gophers – Page 216 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Loyalists May Find Heart in Ames

Posted on October 30, 2017November 1, 2017 by David Shama

I ended a two-game road winning streak with the Gophers on Saturday night in Iowa City. Earlier this season I was in Corvallis watching Minnesota beat up on Oregon State, 48-14, and two years ago I visited West Lafayette where the Gophers embarrassed Purdue in a 41-13 win.

No such fun Saturday night. Minnesota played hard but hardly entertained in a blah 17-10 loss to the Hawkeyes. The Gophers lost the game in the first half, failing twice to score near the Iowa goal line. On one miscue quarterback Demry Croft needed to target King Kong instead of 6-10 tight end Nate Wozniak who was wide open in the end zone. Croft threw high, and was also off target later in the half when he forced a pass at the goal line that was intercepted.

Offensively the Hawkeyes weren’t much better than the Gophers, and at times worse. The Hawkeyes were sputtering like a cold engine early in the third quarter when a chorus of boos came down from the stands. The vocal “kick in the pants” seemed to help because three successful plays followed including a touchdown pass that increased Iowa’s 7-0 halftime lead to 14-0 early in the third quarter.

Despite a few boo-birds, it was a subdued Hawkeye gathering in historic Kinnick Stadium on Saturday night. I kept looking for black and gold dressed crazies, hoping to even spot an occasional flask that warmed the body and loosened the tongue on the chilly evening. Instead, I settled for eavesdropping on a few remarks from the Iowa faithful.

Behind our seats a young man asked companions to help identify P.J. Fleck so he could make fun of the energetic Gophers coach. After the game an Iowa fan bragged how the Hawkeyes had “sunk” the Minnesota boat. Hope she didn’t need a lot of time to come up with that.

The best exchange I heard between fans came when a Hawkeye booster asked a Gopher supporter what Ski-U-Mah means? “It means beat the (blank) out of Iowa,” the Minnesota fan answered.

A group of Hawkeye boosters were talking about having a better team next season. If any Minnesota fans were in listening range, they knew that’s preaching to the choir. The Hawkeyes have disappointed their fans with big game losses to Penn State and Michigan State, along with a clunker overtime defeat in Evanston against Northwestern.

The Iowa crowd was listless Saturday night as they watched the Hawkeyes improve their overall record to 5-3 and 2-3 in Big Ten games. Likely some of the fan base thinks the program has grown stale under long-time head coach Kirk Ferentz who has been leading the Hawkeyes since 1999. In the previous seven seasons, for example, Iowa has only twice won more than half of its league games. The Hawkeyes aren’t realistic contenders to win the Big Ten’s West Division or earn a trip to a New Year’s bowl game.

Part of the malaise on Saturday was probably the cold weather that contributed to fans leaving the game early, and some seats either going unsold or unused. Even retaining possession of Floyd of Rosedale didn’t seem to be a big deal at Kinnick. Maybe fans are bored with the rivalry after seeing their heroes win 12 of the last 16 games against Minnesota.

The most emotional part of the night was watching the crowd wave during the first half to patients at the Iowa children’s hospital adjacent to the stadium. In the dark of night fans used their lighted cell phones to salute the most important people in Iowa City Saturday evening. To Fleck’s credit, he instructed the Gophers to leave the bench area and go on the field to wave at the kids between the first and second quarters.

There were a surprising number of fans dressed in Gopher clothing at the game. But, holy Hawkeye, they were a quiet group. Decades of losing and disappointments will do that to a fan base.

For the more passionate and loyal Gophers fans, the years of watching teams that seldom can manage to win half of their conference games is beyond disappointment. “The Gophers will never win (championships),” a despair-filled Minnesota fan said Sunday.

Well, no promises from this keyboard, but you won’t read a death notice here. Gophers fans desperate for optimism might look south to a place about 3 hours from Minneapolis. Down in Ames, Iowa this is a strange but glorious fall for the Iowa State Cyclones—the hapless football program that hasn’t won a league championship for over 100 years.

Led by second-year head coach Matt Campbell and a walk-on quarterback, ISU has defeated two top five teams in the last three weeks. The latest bizarre development was beating previously undefeated TCU in Ames on Saturday. Back on October 7, the Cyclones may have even done more impossible work by surprising Oklahoma in Norman—the Sooners being the one team to defeat mighty Ohio State earlier this season.

The Gophers don’t have possession right now of Floyd of Rosedale, the famous bronze hog awarded annually in the Minnesota-Iowa series, but if Iowa State can do big things in college football then indeed “pigs can fly.” Despite what previous dismal decades teach us, the Gophers program may yet get airborne.

Campbell is 37 and he came to Ames from Toledo where he won nine games during three of four-plus seasons. Among his Mid-American Conference rivals was Western Michigan, where the 36-year-old Fleck coached until last January when he took over the Minnesota program. If Campbell can flip the switch in Ames, then someone—maybe Fleck—can wake up the echoes of what once was a nationally revered football program at Minnesota.

Campbell stresses culture, attitude and effort, and he is operating at a place that hardly is rich in tradition and resources including players. Within the state of Iowa he must compete for talent against Iowa and Northern Iowa—and the Hawkeyes have long been the state’s favored football son.

The population of Iowa is about 2.5 million fewer than Minnesota. That should be an edge for the Gophers in sourcing talent and so, too, should Minnesota being the only Division I program in the state. The program has historically been more successful than Iowa State, with Minnesota’s resume including two Rose Bowls and a national championship in the 1960s.

The have-nots of college football have juiced up the scene this fall. Sad programs in the past like Iowa State, Syracuse and Boston College have made headlines. Syracuse stunned defending national champion Clemson earlier this month. Lowly Boston College upset the once mighty Florida State Seminoles last Friday night.

Big wins—even a couple of them in one season are nice,—but programs that turn a corner win year after year. That will be Campbell’s challenge in Ames—if he stays at Iowa State for the long run, turning down programs and places with more resources.

At Minnesota, though, the Gophers and their fan base would be happy to have a startling win or two. With a strong defense, but struggling offense, it’s a leap of faith to expect to see Minnesota shocking Gopher Nation with a Little Brown Jug win in Ann Arbor next Saturday, or a season ending—gasp!—win against the Badgers while burying a 13 game losing streak to Wisconsin.

A victory in either of those games would be baby steps for Fleck’s program. The wins wouldn’t mean the program has arrived but Gopher loyalists know it could be the beginning of better times.

Inspiration today can be found in one of the most unlikely places on the college football map—Ames, Iowa.

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Time to See Keenum as 2017 Quarterback

Posted on October 26, 2017October 26, 2017 by David Shama

It might be time to start seeing Case Keenum as the Vikings starting quarterback for the remainder of this season. The Vikings, 5-2, will have played six games with the former backup as their starter after Sunday’s game in London, but fans view Keenum as an emergency and temporary part.

Keenum, 29, had never started more than nine games in his four-year NFL career when he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Vikings last offseason. Yet he has been a godsend to the Vikings who have had to play the entire first half of the season without 2015 starter Teddy Bridgewater, and have had 2016 regular Sam Bradford for just a game and a half.

“We brought him here to win games,” said Kyle Rudolph, Vikings tight end. “In this league there aren’t many teams that go all 16 games and their starting quarterback goes out there every week.”

Keenum is 3-2 as the team’s starter and has been mostly good—and at least serviceable—leading an offense that includes a new line and is without potential star rookie running back Dalvin Cook, who is injured and out for the season. Keenum has thrown for 1,322 yards and five touchdowns as the Vikings near the half-way point of their 16 game regular season. He also has a career high 89 passer rating.

Case Keenum (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Projected over a full season, Keenum’s 2017 numbers would compare favorably with Bridgewater’s totals in his first two seasons in the NFL. Keenum also throws a better deep ball than what the Vikings saw in the past from Bridgewater. Keenum’s passing is part of the reason wide receiver Adam Thielen is having a career season and ranks among NFL leaders in receptions and yards.

Bridgewater, after missing last season with a devastating knee injury, is practicing again and is a fan favorite. There’s a perception he should soon replace Keenum as the starter. Bridgewater, though, only began formal practices with the team last week and hasn’t played in a game since August of 2016. Even if he can move well enough to protect himself, there should be concerns about his timing and rhythm throwing the ball.

Bradford hasn’t played since that nightmare first half against the Bears on October 9. He was then trying to play for the first time in almost a month but his painful knee wouldn’t allow him to effectively pass, or avoid pass rushers. Bradford and the Vikings are quiet about details regarding his knee injury, and it’s anyone’s guess whether he plays again this season.

Both Bradford and Bridgewater will be rusty when—or if—they return to the field. The Vikings, led by perhaps the NFL’s best defense, are the favorite to win the NFC North with the players who are available. Those players include a quarterback who unexpectedly could be leading the offense in the playoffs while Bridgewater and Bradford watch from the sidelines.

Rudolph believes Keenum is “going a great job” as the QB. “He’s our quarterback,” Rudolph said. “We just approach each and every week as if he’s going to be the guy. It’s up to other people to decide (coaches as to who starts), and that’s the way I think he approaches it, which is why he has had success.”

Worth Noting

While the Vikings return to London this week for the first time since 2013, Keenum was there last year quarterbacking the Rams. He threw four of his 11 interceptions for the season in a loss to the Giants, but doesn’t blame the long travel to London for the bad day. “No, it was just poor decisions,” he said yesterday.

Keenum is reportedly on a one-year contract with the Vikings worth $2 million.

Sunday’s game will be the fourth NFL game this season in London. The closest victory has been by 20 points, and the Browns, 0-7 this season, could lose by more than three touchdowns to the Vikings.

Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks after being asked what he planed to do on the eight hour airplane ride to London: “Sleep.”

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers career rushing leader and now color analyst on the football team’s radio network, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, November 9 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Thompson is president of Minneapolis headquartered Bolder Options, the nonprofit youth mentoring organization. Reservations for the Thompson lunch and program need to be made by Monday, November 6. Contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

Former Gophers receiver Chester Cooper received an award and recognition yesterday from Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman for his contributions and accomplishments as the county’s community corrections director. Cooper caught the last Gophers touchdown pass ever at Memorial Stadium in a season closing game in 1981 against Wisconsin. The Gophers moved into the Metrodome for the 1982 season.

Jackson Erdmann, the former Penn State walk-on quarterback from Rosemount High School now playing for Saint John’s, is second among all NCAA Division III passers with an efficiency rating of 191.5 this season. After last Saturday’s 320 yards passing and five touchdowns, the sophomore was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Green Bay basketball team that plays the Gophers November 5 in an exhibition game at Maturi Pavilion to benefit the American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico is predicted by Athlon’s college basketball magazine to finish sixth in the 10 team Horizon League. The Phoenix roster includes guard and Wisconsin native Sandy Cohen who the Gophers once targeted as a prep recruit. The Marquette transfer is eligible to play in his first game December 21. The Phoenix has a home exhibition game Monday against Ripon before travelling to Minneapolis.

Seating for the November 5 game is general admission and tickets are priced at $10 each. Gopher Score members and University of Minnesota student season ticket holders were able to access a special pre-sale this morning. General public tickets, based on availability, go on sale next Tuesday at 9 a.m.

The Minnesota Wild practice at Bloomington Ice Garden on Sunday starts at 11 a.m. and the inventory of complimentary tickets for fans is gone. Festivities will include presentation of a $75,000 check from Kraft for improvements to the facility.

Bravo to the Dodgers and Astros for playing their opening World Series game Tuesday night in two hours and 28 minutes, reportedly the fastest series game since 1992. Baseball’s yawning pace has been creeping on for decades. When the Twins and Dodgers played in their 1965 seven-game World Series, the briefest game was two hours and six minutes, while the longest was 2:34.

Last night’s World Series game clocked in at 4:19.

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U After USA Player of Year Candidate

Posted on October 24, 2017October 24, 2017 by David Shama

Gopher football fans may want to cross their collective fingers hoping head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff can hang on to Georgia prep football wide receiver Rashod Bateman who is a national player of the year candidate.

Bateman is one of 10 candidates for the American Family All-USA Offensive Player of the Year award reported on this fall in USA Today. The 6-foot-1 Tifton, Georgia star has so far this season caught 55 passes in nine games for 1,198 yards and 15 touchdowns, according to stats from Maxpreps.com. Bateman is averaging 21 yards per reception and verbally committed in June to Minnesota’s 2018 recruiting class.

Early this year most major college football programs considered Bateman a basketball-first guy and weren’t in pursuit of him. Ryan Burns, the recruiting authority and publisher of GopherIllustrated.com, said Bateman had basketball offers from Virginia Tech and Penn State, but Fleck and his staff recognized Bateman’s football talent before others did.

Bateman is listed as a three-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings on GopherIllustrated, but Burns said Bateman’s senior tape will be evaluated after the season and the new ranking will be four-star. The Gophers did their homework on Bateman, a dominant receiver who gets separation on defenders and runs by them.

“Rashod Bateman is an immediate impact player once he steps on (the field) at Minnesota,” Burns said.

Bateman’s profile is rising rapidly and the question now is whether the Gophers can keep him away from other schools and actually sign him to a Letter of Intent in either the early signing period in December, or later in February. Ole Miss has now offered Bateman and Burns expects other SEC offers are coming for Bateman.

“I am not really concerned about most of them right now because he is very firm to Minnesota,” Burns said. “He has even taken an unofficial visit up here during the season.”

The potential scholarship offer of most concern could be Bateman’s home state Georgia Bulldogs, another SEC team and ranked No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll this week. Burns concedes the Bulldogs could be too much competition for the Gophers, but also counters with “every kid is different,” and Fleck’s relationship with Bateman might be strong enough to bring the explosive Georgian to Minneapolis.

Matt Simon, Minnesota’s outstanding wide receivers coach, is a big plus for the Gophers, too. Simon, 31, played a major role at Western Michigan in developing wide receiver Corey Davis into a top five NFL draft choice. Simon has already turned heads at Minnesota including for the work he has done with leading receiver Tyler Johnson, who came to the Gophers as a quarterback and is a potential All-Big Ten talent. Johnson has 27 receptions for 499 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games.

If Bateman chooses Minnesota his teammates could include a quarterback with a lot of national hype, too. For the class of 2019 the Gophers are pursuing two top 10 nationally ranked quarterbacks, according to 247Sports rankings. Both are interested in Minnesota and Burns believes the Gophers might receive a verbal commitment from one or the other in the coming months.

Hank Bachmeier from Murrieta, California is the No. 4 overall quarterback. If the Gophers land him he will be the highest ranked quarterback ever at Minnesota since recruiting rankings began in 1998. Alabama, California, LSU, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas and UCLA are among schools that have offered scholarships, according to 247Sports.

Burns said Bachmeier has a relative living in Minnesota and Bachmeier’s parents are favorable toward the Gophers. Burns also said Bachmeier visited Boise State last weekend and is likely to make a college choice before Christmas time.

Max Duggan, from Council Bluffs, Iowa is the No. 10 ranked quarterback nationally in the class of 2019. He has offers from Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin and others, according to 247Sports. Burns said in-state schools Iowa and Iowa State (both have offered scholarships) are “trying their hardest” to interest Duggan who Burns thinks may announce his college choice after January 1 of next year.

The Gophers aren’t likely to receive commitments from both Duggan and Bachmeier. Both of them will want “to be the guy” at Minnesota or whever they go. Burns said the two coveted quarterbacks are interested in the Gophers because they see the potential to play early in their careers, and like other high school recruits they are drawn to Fleck’s energy and vision for the program.

Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Demry Croft is trying to claim the job as Minnesota’s starting quarterback now. He made his first career start last Saturday against Illinois and was nervous. He completed of 5 of 15 passes, throwing one touchdown pass and two interceptions in the win over the Illini. On Minnesota’s last scoring drive the Gopher coaches didn’t call one pass play.

It will be interesting to see who Fleck starts at quarterback on Saturday at Iowa. Redshirt senior Conor Rhoda, who started the first six games of the season, has thrown for 839 yards and five touchdowns. Croft is a superior scrambler and running threat on option plays. Rhoda has 11 yards net rushing yards this season while Croft has 159 yards despite starting only one game.

Minnesota, 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten, will be at least a seven point underdog in the Iowa game that starts at the unusual time of 5:30 p.m. Iowa, also 4-3 and 1-3, has defeated the Gophers seven consecutive times in Iowa City, with the last Minnesota win coming in 1999. The Hawkeyes also retained Floyd of Rosedale in Minneapolis last season with a 14-7 win.

The Gophers have lost two straight to Iowa but that’s a lot better than the record against Minnesota’s other border rival, Wisconsin. The Badgers have won 13 consecutive games against the Gophers.

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