Golden Gophers – Page 249 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Dungy to Notre Dame? When Pigs Fly

Posted on October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by David Shama

Brian Kelly is having a disastrous season as Notre Dame’s head football coach. Despite winning 10 games last season and reviving the Fighting Irish program since taking over in late 2009, Kelly has become the most criticized college coach in the country.

In today’s “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” society, many Notre Dame fans wanted Kelly unemployed even before last Saturday night’s home loss to Stanford that sent the Irish to a 2-5 record. Kelly has generated criticism not only because of his record, but also with his hothead personality—clashing with coaches and finding fault with players.

A football legend with an opposite style is former University of Minnesota quarterback Tony Dungy, the ex-assistant coach with the Gophers and Vikings who became one of the nation’s most revered pro head coaches with the Colts. Now retired from coaching and working as an in-studio NFL TV analyst, Dungy is seeing his name mentioned as a successor to Kelly.

Tony Dungy (photo courtesy of Indianapolis Colts)

Dungy, 61, took a calm approach to coaching and conducted himself as a patient teacher. He won a Super Bowl coaching the Colts and retired after the 2009 playoffs. In the years since he has focused on not only his TV work, but writing inspirational books and following a spiritual path sharing his faith in God across the country.

Gossip and speculation move fast in the new millennium but don’t count on Dungy moving to South Bend and taking over the Irish. Kelly, whose team entering this season was considered a possibility for the college football playoffs, hasn’t been dismissed yet. He has a contract through 2021 and Notre Dame administrators aren’t likely to be as trigger-happy as fans and media.

Dungy’s name was rumored with the Notre Dame job several years ago and there’s been more than a little talk about him again this fall. Speculation, though, is one thing. Reality is another.

Notre Dame doesn’t have a job opening and sources Sports Headliners talked with don’t see Dungy having an interest even if the opportunity came about. A former Gopher teammate, who asked that his name not be used, said his friend wouldn’t be caught up in the hype of being the Notre Dame coach and leading a storied program whose glory has been compared to baseball’s revered Yankees organization.

The source said Dungy’s values are too grounded to make an ego-driven decision to take on the Fighting Irish job. The expected Dungy reaction to the job, if asked by school officials, would be a respectful no—appreciative of being considered but quickly ready to move on.

“I think it would be really, really shocking if he were to come back and be a college coach again,” said Darrell Thompson, another Minnesota friend. “I think the phase of life that he is in—he is in a phase of giving back. …He gets to do what he wants. Saves lives and do that type of thing.”

Thompson, who played at Minnesota nine years after Dungy, is the Gophers all-time leading rusher and one of many admirers Dungy has in Minnesota. Those who think highly of the Jackson, Michigan native include Joel Maturi who twice approached Dungy about becoming the Gophers head football coach. As Minnesota’s athletic director, Maturi talked to Dungy before hiring Tim Brewster in 2007 and then Jerry Kill in 2010.

Maturi saw Dungy as a transformational coach for the U, a leader who could show the program the next step that “the Gophers have been waiting for, for 50 years.” Dungy said no to Maturi on both occasions but was willing to help with the search.

Willingness to assist didn’t surprise Maturi because he believes Dungy has a “heart for Minnesota.” Dungy was a three-year letter winner as Gophers quarterback from 1974-1976. After a brief playing career in the NFL, he was a part-time assistant coach for head coach Joe Salem and the Gophers in 1980.

That is the extent of Dungy’s college coaching experience. It’s not surprising that when Maturi talked to Dungy, he thought the former Gopher was more interested in NFL coaching. “I think if he were to have gone back into coaching at the college level, I would think Minnesota would be high on his list because he has a great passion for the University and what it did to set him on his career,” Maturi said.

Thompson agrees. “I think he has a tremendous fondness for the school—just from people he still watches and checks, sees what’s going on. But I don’t think it makes sense for him to come back and coach.”

Maturi and Thompson said if Dungy wanted to be a college coach he would be able to recruit successfully, even at a not so easy place to attract top high school players like Minnesota. Dungy not only has the football pedigree, but is well-known for his devotion as a husband, father, and leader of community and church causes as an evangelical Christian.

“He’s got that reputation of being as classy a guy as there is,” Maturi said. “If you read his books, they’re just about being the best that you can be. Good character, good values. I don’t know how any parent wouldn’t want their kid to play for a coach like that, and I don’t know any kid that wouldn’t enjoy that opportunity.

“Let’s face it, he can open doors…and certainly meet with people that some other coaches might not be able to. I think he’d have been a great recruiter. I think he would have been a great (college) coach.”

In the 1980s Thompson was a highly recruited player out of Rochester, Minnesota. He knows what it’s like to be wooed and he could see the impact of Dungy in the living rooms of recruits. The verdict of a father, Thompson said, would often be the following after a Dungy home visit: “I want my son to hang out with Tony Dungy and the people he’s surrounding himself with. Period.”

But Thompson doesn’t see that happening for Notre Dame, Minnesota or any other college football program. “I just think for where he is at (in his life) and the time commitment that it takes, I don’t see he and his family making that sacrifice.” Thompson said.

Notre Dame’s remaining five opponents this season are Miami, Army, Navy, Virginia Tech and USC. The Irish could lose most or all of those games. A winning season looks almost impossible, earning a bowl game invitation seems dicey and Kelly’s return as coach is worthy of speculation. But Tony Dungy in South Bend?

Maybe on a book tour but not in the coach’s box at Notre Dame Stadium.

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Look for U to Upset Terps Saturday

Posted on October 14, 2016October 14, 2016 by David Shama

It hasn’t been a great beginning to Tracy Claeys’ first full season as Gophers football coach. His team has been unimpressive in every game.

The Gophers scored wins over three ho-hum nonconference teams, showing an improved offense but sometimes leaky defense. In the last two weeks Minnesota has flopped, losing Big Ten Conference games to Penn State and Iowa.

In those two league games the Gophers couldn’t hold second half leads. They played inconsistently on offense, defense and special teams. They self-imploded making costly and sometimes foolish penalties.

This week came news redshirt senior quarterback Mitch Leidner has been diagnosed with a concussion and likely won’t play tomorrow at Maryland against the 4-1 Terps (1-1 in the Big Ten). When Claeys showed up at his Tuesday news conference to answer questions about Leidner and other players, he looked like a concerned coach.

Who could blame him? The pressure is on Claeys to shift the Gophers in gear. This is a team he pronounced during the offseason as potentially the best at Minnesota in years, a group that could contend for the Gophers’ first ever Big Ten West Division championship. A team playing a 2016 schedule that avoided games against Big Ten East Division powers Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.

Now a schedule that looked relatively easy seems formidable given Minnesota’s slow start to the season. There are seven teams remaining to be played and right now the Gophers are likely to be favored in only two—October 22 and November 5 home games against Rutgers (2-4, 0-3) and Purdue (3-2, 1-1).

Presuming Minnesota can earn victories against Rutgers and Purdue, the Gophers need to find one or two additional wins to become bowl eligible. Tomorrow’s game at Maryland, the October 29 game at Illinois and November 19 home game against Northwestern look like other opportunities to build on the Gophers’ three wins total and earn a bowl invitation with the usually required six victories.

The prevailing prediction is Minnesota will lose tomorrow. The Gophers weren’t favored even before the Leidner news. Without their most important offensive player, the odds-makers like the Terps by about a touchdown.

The Gophers are replacing Leidner with former walk-on Conor Rhoda who has played briefly in one game this season and has six yards passing. Rhoda didn’t play in any games last season and in 2014 made two brief appearances, attempting one unsuccessful pass. The redshirt junior, now on scholarship, is an unknown to media and fans but he just might get the job done tomorrow managing an offense that needs to rely on running the football better than it has all season.

Minnesota’s offensive line will have to get off the line of scrimmage and hold blocks longer than last Saturday in a disappointing 14-7 loss against Iowa. But that line is capable of playing better under the direction of motivating assistant coach Bart Miller, and if there are holes to run through the Gophers have the rushers to pile up a lot of yardage.

The Terps gave up 372 rushing yards last week in a 38-14 loss at Penn State. Minnesota gained over 200 yards the week before against the Nittany Lions in their 29-26 overtime loss. Those numbers should provide Minnesota some confidence.

Rhoda needs to complete some low-risk passes and provide balance to Minnesota’s run game. The passing potential will take a step forward if potential All-Big Ten tight end Brandon Lingen, who has been sidelined with a broken clavicle, is able to play. Wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky, a senior leader and Leidner’s favorite receiver, needs to help Rhoda out with timely catches like on third downs.

While Leidner’s absence seems like a problem for the Gophers, it might elevate performances by his teammates. Darrell Thompson, the ex-Gopher and the school’s all-time leading rusher, believes Minnesota players may gain a psychological edge. “I think they rally around him (Rhoda),” Thompson told Sports Headliners.

If Rhoda minimizes mistakes, completes key passes, makes a few runs off the read-option, mixes in successful scrambles out of the pocket and mostly hands off to his running backs that have holes to run through, the Gophers will have a formula for success.

“That would be ideal,” said Thompson. “I hope there is a quarterback controversy by the end of the game. That means we’re doing something right.”

The Minnesota offense can inspire the defense after only scoring seven points last week. That defense could have one of its better days against the Terps who were held to two first half touchdowns last Saturday. Maryland scored 173 points in its first four games but played a cushy schedule facing Howard, Florida International, UCF and Purdue.

Gophers’ fans might be planning a pity party tomorrow without Leidner and after five substandard performances to start the season. But sometimes when “the sky is falling” the expected script doesn’t become reality.

Claeys is at the “keyboard” and it’s time for him, the staff and the players to write a better storyline. The Gophers are due to have their best game and quiet critics who already are speculating about the new coach’s future at Minnesota.

The Terps do have the advantage of playing at home and they could be motivated after the beatdown by Penn State. But they have quarterback issues too with senior starter Perry Hills possibly not available because of a shoulder injury, or not playing a complete game if there is a re-injury. Then the Terps would use true freshman Tyrrell Pigrome.

The outcome tomorrow could be decided by two mystery quarterbacks and by the team most determined to win coming off of disappointing early season Big Ten losses. Pigrome has yet to start a game but has played in all five games for the Terps and already shown playmaking skills. Rhoda is a lunch-bucket sub from Eagan who finally gets his big chance tomorrow.

Rhoda and the Gophers are the better script. I am going with Minnesota over the Terps, 27-24.

Worth Noting

Darrell Thompson eats bacon—lots of it—during the week leading up to the Gophers-Iowa game. The Maryland Terrapins take their nickname from turtles that live in fresh or brackish waters. Turtle soup this week for the Gophers’ radio analyst?

“I only do bacon,” Thompson said. “I love bacon. No turtle soup.”

There will be a news conference Monday at Target Field announcing a football game to be played in the Twins stadium next year. Best guess is North Dakota State will be the host team. The Bison have a home game on their 2017 schedule October 28 against Northern Iowa. Could the game be played at Target Field? The Gophers are at Iowa that Saturday.

Jeff Sorenson told Sports Headliners a hot putter and positive approach helped him earn the Minnesota Section’s PGA Player of the Year Award this week. The Minikahda Club pro, who won the award for a fifth time, said he’s “been putting really well” the last two-plus months after changing his set up and grip.

Sorenson isn’t so hard on himself mentally as in the past. He is better at maintaining a positive attitude and not letting poor shots bother him. “You get down, you’re done,” he said.

Two years ago Sorenson, 38, had major back surgery, so earning the most points to win the Player of the Year Award is rewarding. “I am just appreciative of being able to play,” he said.

Edinburgh pro Don Berry finished second to Sorenson in 2016 and was Player of the Year the two previous years. Sorenson, whose last Player of the Year Award was in 2012, worked for Berry in multiple roles from ages 13 to 25. The two remain friends. “He’s a grinder. He doesn’t make too many bogeys,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson said he earned about $22,000 in section events this year, plus earnings in other golf tournaments. He has played in two PGA championships during his career and among his goals are to play in more.

When Lou Holtz coached the Gophers in the mid-1980s he proposed playing the annual Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game in the fall after the prep season ended. That becomes a reality with the first Minnesota Football Showcase scheduled at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday, December 3, 2016. Past games have been played in June but the intent remains the same—to feature outstanding senior football players from around the state.

The Vikings and the Minnesota Football Coaches Association are partnering to present the 55th annual game matching the North All-Stars against the South All-Stars. Totino-Grace’s Jeff Ferguson will coach the North and Eden Prairie’s Mike Grant the South. KMSP Fox 9 will televise the game in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

The All-Star Game has been played since 1945 (annually since 1974) with over 4,200 players and 475 coaches participating. Past sponsors include The Shriners who sent game tickets to their large membership, resulting in crowds of over 30,000 at Memorial Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.

The 2016 event is billed as a football celebration with attractions to include youth football clinics, marching band performances and autograph sessions with Vikings alumni. Tickets are available now, with proceeds going to the MFCA and Tackle Cancer Campaign. More at vikings.com/showcase.

First place St. Thomas has a bye Saturday but two of the three teams tied for second in the MIAC football standings play each other. Hamline, 4-1 overall and 2-1 in league games, is the surprise group in the MIAC. The Pipers will be in Moorhead Saturday to face Concordia (2-2, 2-1).

The other one-loss team is Saint John’s (5-1, 3-1). The Johnnies are at home to play Carleton (1-5, 1-3 MIAC).

The Minnesota Wild might be a more relaxed and focused team for three periods Saturday than shown last evening in a 3-2 opening regular season loss to the Blues in St. Louis. The Wild started slow even though the Blues had played the night before and could have been the more sluggish group. The Wild is at home Saturday night against the Jets who won four of five games against Minnesota last season.

New coach Bruce Boudreau is expected to help the Wild improve its scoring and the team is considered by some hockey authorities a “sleeper pick” to have a big season.

From a Minnesota basketball historical perspective, it will be interesting to see if the Lynx can win its fourth WNBA championship in franchise history next week. The Minneapolis Lakers won world championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1954.

The Lynx, tied 1-1 with the Sparks in the WNBA Finals, play tonight in Los Angeles in the best of five series.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino’s second annual Coaches vs. Cancer Minnesota Tip-off Reception will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, November 6 at the Minikahda Club. Activities include a cocktail reception and live auction. More at coachesvscancerminnesota.org.

Condolences to the family and friends of former Gophers basketball player and coach George Hanson who died recently. Hanson played for Minnesota in the 1950s, was an assistant coach in the 1960s and was head coach for one season in 1970-71. As nice a man as ever coached the Gophers, Hanson was let go after compiling an 11-13 overall record, 5-9 in the Big Ten.

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U Crowds Decline from Record 2015

Posted on October 12, 2016October 12, 2016 by David Shama

The Gophers sold 5,100 fewer football season tickets in 2016 than last year, according to figures provided by the University of Minnesota Athletic Department. Those are nonstudent season tickets and the decline represents about a 19 percent loss in purchases.

In 2015, the sale totaled 27,885 while this year it is 22,785.

The Gophers have played four of their seven-game home schedule so far and have no sellouts. Announced attendance for last Saturday’s rivalry game with Iowa was 49,145 and there were many seats sold but not used. That is the largest crowd of the season in 50,805 capacity TCF Bank Stadium. (Stadium capacity was reduced this year because the Vikings are no longer using the facility).

Minnesota is averaging 44,901 fans per game in announced attendance. Last year the Gophers averaged 52,355 fans per game—the best in seven seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. The 2015 schedule, with high profile football opponents like TCU and Michigan, was more attractive than this fall’s teams. Other factors impacting ticket sales and attendance this year includes price increases in season tickets, lack of excitement about the 2016 team after a disappointing 6-7 record in 2015, and the loss of popular head coach Jerry Kill who resigned last October.

The 2016 total for student season football tickets is 7,006—after a sale of about 8,000 last year. “I think it’s worth noting that this year’s student sections have been quite full and quite energetic, with single-game student ticket purchases supplementing the season ticket base,” an athletic department spokesman wrote via email. “We sold out the student section for the Iowa game and have seen strong student support throughout the nonconference season as well, with good attendance.” …

Jim Carter and other advocates for Gophers football want to see the University Board of Regents approve a resource at their meetings later this week that was originally part of the Athletes Village project. Last year plans were dropped for an area called the lineman center, or also referred to as the lineman facility. This was to be part of the new indoor football practice facility in the Athletes Village but the lineman center was eliminated from plans to save money.

Upgrading football resources at the U to be equal, or better than Big Ten competitors, is a priority of the $166 million Athletes Village project that is still in early physical development. The village will also create new and upgraded facilities to benefit all Gophers men’s and women’s programs.

Carter said the lineman center would likely take up about 40,000 square feet of additional space in the football practice facility. Without the center, according to Carter, offensive and defensive linemen won’t have a large enough place indoors dedicated to improving their skills—a space big enough to accommodate not only the players but also practice equipment including blocking sleds.

Carter was a star fullback on the 1967 Gophers football team that won the school’s last Big Ten championship. He is an outspoken proponent for excellence in athletics and academics at Minnesota. He wants to see all the potential resources for football made a reality in the Athletes Village project. Gophers coach Tracy Claeys has stressed the importance of the lineman center to Carter and others.

Carter sent out an email last week asking for help in contacting members of the Board of Regents—writing that the lineman center will greatly improve the Gophers’ competitiveness. “Tracy has said a number of times that he wants and needs this facility,” Carter said in the email. “The Board of Regents can make the decision to add/include the funding for this project, but we need to let them know we strongly support this happening. Time is of the essence, so we need to be heard now! If we all contact the Board of Regents we will make a BIG difference!”

Carter said more than 20 emails have been sent to regents, and he expects that the lineman center may come up as new business on the agenda for the regents who will have meetings tomorrow and Friday. The indoor football facility, including the lineman center space, would likely be used at certain times by sports other than football, and is projected to have a cost of $6 million, according to Carter.

The overall cost for the Athletes Village is currently at $166 million and Carter sees the $6 million for the center as a minimal price to do things right. It also looks for certain that the $166 million total will be revised upward soon—likely this week.

The regents are expected to vote this week and will likely approve a final plan to place the Gophers track near baseball’s Siebert Field. That means relocating the recreation sports bubble and rec softball field to an area near TCF Bank Stadium. Carter said the track and relocations referenced will cost $19 million.

Carter said last year’s cost cutting for the Athletes Village included not only the lineman’s center but also eliminating two skyways for $2.5 million. Carter believes those skyways could be put back into play, too. If so, the projected cost for the Athletes Village could soon be revised to $193.5 million.

About $80 million has been secured through fundraising for the Athletes Village, with the University committed to borrowing a significant sum to fully finance the project. …

Sam Bradford (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Through his first four games as the Eagles quarterback last season, Sam Bradford saw his team lose three times. He threw six touchdown passes and four interceptions, with passer ratings in the four games of 77.1, 65.6, 73.2 and 122.6.

With the 5-0 Vikings (Bradford didn’t become the starting quarterback until game No. 2), he has thrown six touchdown passes, zero interceptions and compiled passer ratings of 121.2, 93, 101.9 and 122.1. His overall rating is 109.7 for the season, compared with 84.6 a year ago.

Bradford didn’t join the Vikings until several days before the opening regular season game. “I think the offensive coaches have done a great job with getting him prepared,” said Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. “The one thing about Sam is that he will communicate the things that he likes to do, and if we have a play in the game plan that he doesn’t like, he’s going to say it. He’s going to tell Norv (Turner, offensive coordinator), and we get rid of the play. So, we try to do things that he’s comfortable with, even though it has been a short period of time.”

The Vikings Andrew Sendejo continues to establish himself as the team’s starting free safety. Against the Texans last Sunday he had four tackles and one interception while playing defense, and two tackles on special teams.

“Before (Sendejo) was even playing much defense, he was our best special teams guy,” said Vikings strong safety Harrison Smith. “He has done nothing but make plays on special teams and defense since I’ve been here (2012). That’s what I know you’re getting out of Sendejo—a guy who going to make plays.”

The much publicized AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas has retracted its roof 17 times for Cowboys games since the facility opened in 2009, according to a pro football source. By contrast, the five pivoting doors at U.S. Bank Stadium have been open for three regular season games and one preseason game since the Vikings began playing there in August.

The same source said as of last week he isn’t aware of any bird-window collisions at the new stadium. The Minnesota Sports Facility Authority announced in July a scientific study to monitor such collisions will be led by Audubon Minnesota, the National Audubon Society, the University of Minnesota and Oklahoma State University. The study will begin in the spring of 2017, with analysis to be released in 2019.

The Big Ten Network will televise the news conferences of all 14 Big Ten basketball coaches tomorrow including the Gophers Richard Pitino who answers questions from the media from 8:10 to 8:20 a.m. Pitino will also be interviewed on BTN by studio hosts from 11:40 a.m. to noon. The league’s coaches will be in Washington, D.C. for Big Ten Basketball Media Day.

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