Golden Gophers – Page 286 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Leidner, U Offense Expected to Step Up

Posted on September 12, 2015September 12, 2015 by David Shama

The Gophers produced 17 points and 341 net yards in their opening game loss to No. 2 ranked TCU last week. Since then head coach Jerry Kill has told the offense he needs over 400 yards and 31 points a game.

That assignment starts today in Fort Collins against Colorado State in another nonconference game. The 1-0 Rams don’t have the quality defense of TCU and this could be a confidence building game for Minnesota’s offense.

Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner and the offense were inconsistent against the Horned Frogs. Kill said Leidner missed on a couple of “critical” throws a week ago Thursday night. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said Leidner and the offense had “ups and downs” but he liked the maturity his quarterback showed in postgame self-evaluation.

“I think the important thing was that more than any other time he was proactive in being self-critical,” Limegrover said. “Before we ever got together, he had already watched the film on his own and came in prepared.”

Leidner is a redshirt junior and in his second season of being the full-time starter. The expectation is he will be a better quarterback this season.

Darrell Thompson saw improvement in the TCU game, specifically in Leidner’s decision-making, poise and self-trust. Thompson, the Gophers all-time leading career rusher and radio game analyst, is predicting more improvement from Leidner in today’s game. “I would expect that Mitch will step up and play better, and I also think that the offensive line is going to play better,” Thompson told Sports Headliners.

Against the Horned Frogs the Gophers were without starting left tackle Josh Campion (concussion) and first turned to Ben Lauer who was recovering from minor knee surgery and not expected to play. Kill said the coaches made a mistake with that decision and eventually settled on switching Jonah Pirsig from right tackle to the critical pass protecting position of left tackle.

Leidner’s protection was inconsistent and on one play he was hit and fumbled the ball, leading to a TCU drive from the Minnesota 15-yard line that ended up as a touchdown. Limegrover said it’s imperative for any quarterback to feel comfortable in passing situations.

“I think once Ben Lauer gives up the sack early, that causes the turnover, (and) that’s going to play on anybody’s mind,” Limegrover said. “Then moving Jonah over there… in Mitch’s mind, he’s wondering, okay, we’re actually on our third left tackle over there. It’s hard to block that out. I thought he did a good job with that, but occasionally I think that does play into a guy’s thinking.”

The expectation is Pirsig, a redshirt junior with the talent to one day play in the NFL, will start at left tackle today with Campion at right tackle. Campion is a redshirt senior who entered this season having made 39 consecutive starts on the offensive line. Limegrover said Pirsig did a “great job” against TCU playing in his new spot and Kill said it’s “huge” having Campion recovered from his concussion.

Leidner’s best moments in the TCU game included the closing minutes when the Gophers, trailing 23-10, had a 91-yard drive ending with a 22-yard touchdown pass to KJ Maye. Leidner’s passing and leadership in that situation is part of why Thompson gives the quarterback a B letter grade for his overall performance last week.

“I think he (Leidner) gained some confidence,” Thompson said. “At the end of the game I thought he played really well. The last drive (for a touchdown) was really phenomenal.

“There was a lot of pressure on him early in the game. When quarterbacks get hit, especially when they get knocked down and hit right after they throw the ball, it’s just like when you go through an intersection, and you almost get in an accident. You’re like looking for an accident for probably like two or three days, and it’s a little bit similar…situation. I am encouraged where Mitch is at and I hope he grows with it.”

The Gophers must have more than an improving Leidner and better offensive line performance to achieve Kill’s goals of over 400 yards and 31 points per game. They will need consistent production from running backs and receivers.

Redshirt freshman running back Rodney Smith is likely to play major minutes today after not starting in the TCU game but gaining a team-best 88 yards rushing and turning in a perfect performance. “He’s the only back I’ve had in a long time that played 46 plays and he graded out perfect,” Kill said. “Never made a mistake. Not in pass protection, not running the ball, no mental errors…so I’d say he needs to play more.”

Thompson, who played in the NFL after his Gophers career, said Smith’s perfect grade is unusual. Thompson couldn’t recall a game he graded out perfect.

“That’s a great compliment (to Smith),” Thompson said. “Pass-pro (protection) is one of the most difficult things to pick up as a running back. In high school you usually don’t have to block very much, or it’s not very challenging. In college it is challenging. In pro it is challenging. He picked up the blitzes. He ran the right routes. He did everything he was supposed to do.”

Among receivers the Gophers will continue to look for leadership from is Maye, the redshirt senior who led the team with 73 yards and an 18.2 reception average against TCU. Kill is high on redshirt freshman receiver Isaiah Gentry but he won’t play today because of an ongoing hamstring problem.

Gophers Notes

The Gophers were impressive defensively against TCU, a team with 10 of 11 starters back on offense that averaged 46.5 points per game in 2014. Holding the Horned Frogs to 23 points, including six on a 15-yard scoring drive, gave the Gophers a chance to win in the closing minute.

Part of Minnesota’s success was because of controlling Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Trevone Boykin. “I think that’s probably one of the best offenses in the country for what they do,” said Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. “The quarterback puts you in several conflicts as far as playing the pass or playing the run, and they work at such a high speed. I was disappointed we lost, but overall I thought our kids gave us a chance to win.”

Colorado State’s offense scored 65 points in a victory last week against Savannah State, an opponent that had lost 23 consecutive games. The Rams offense is probably the team’s strength. Wide receiver Rashard Higgins is a likely All-American who is being given a lot of hype by his school including a “Hollywood Higgins” page on the Rams’ website.

New Rams coach Mike Bobo was the offensive coordinator at Georgia for 14 seasons. Claeys said the Gophers have studied “an awful lot” of Georgia film during the offseason to gain knowledge as to what the Rams may do today.

Fort Collins is located about one hour from Denver and the elevation is nearly 5,000 feet. Claeys didn’t sound concerned about the altitude negatively affecting the Gophers’ endurance.

“No, I think that’s overrated, myself,” he said. “I think that’s all mental B.S. We ain’t there long enough for it to bother us. It won’t be a factor.”

What does Kill think? “We don’t have the budget to go out there and stay for a week. That’s what they tell you to do. We’ll go out there…play some ball, 1:30 (kickoff), be done at 4:30. Be back home at 9:30 (and) get ready for the next one.”

The Gophers flew to Fort Collins yesterday for today’s game starting at 2:30 p.m. Central Daylight time.

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Sano’s MLB Success Ahead of Schedule

Posted on September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 by David Shama

Miguel Sano did it again last night, having an impact on the Twins with a pinch-hit home run to defeat the Royals, but former Twins executive Jim Rantz is a little surprised by Sano’s success this season after not playing baseball in 2014.

The dramatic home run followed a bout with the whiffs for Sano who was called up by the Twins from Double-A Chattanooga in early July. He has struck out 11 times in his last 16 plate appearances, and been too anxious swinging at pitches. His timing could be off because of a troublesome hamstring that developed late last month. Manager Paul Molitor didn’t have Sano in the lineup Tuesday night, giving him a rest.

Faltering at the plate is a reminder to Twins fans the 6-4, 260-pound native of the Dominican Republic isn’t Superman. It’s just that there have been stretches where the 22-year-old slugger plays like it, hitting for average (.281) while clouting long home runs and driving in runs. As recently as last week Sano was finishing up a streak where he hit .333, with five home runs and 12 RBI in 10 games. He was so good in August he was American League Rookie of the Month after batting .278 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 27 games.

Miguel Sano (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

Rantz, the Twins senior director of minor league operations before he retired in 2012, watched Sano when he was 16. “When I first saw him…he was hitting balls out of sight. We were looking and always looking for power type hitters, and he showed that right from the get-go at 16 years old.”

Sano hit 35 home runs in 2013 as he continued his advancement through the Twins minor league system. But then in March of 2014 he had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and missed all of last season. Sano’s arrival date in the big leagues was uncertain.

Rantz thought Sano would one day play for the Twins but he has exceeded expectations this year. ”When you miss a full season it takes awhile to get your swing down and get on the field,” Rantz said.

Sano has put up numbers that make Twins fans wish he had been with the club since the season start. He has 196 plate appearances but in a full season might have totaled 600. Right now he has 16 home runs and 43 RBI. Projecting those numbers over 500 to 600 at bats he would have been a good bet to best Twins rookie records for 33 home runs (Jimmie Hall) and 96 RBI (Rich Rollins).

Mostly a designated hitter, Sano has shown promise as a part-time third baseman with a strong arm. “His defense got a lot better as he moved up the ladder (in the minors),” Rantz said. “He improved tremendously. For a big guy he moves around pretty good. He’s got some athleticism. He’s not as slow on the base paths as you think. He doesn’t clog up the bases.”

But the Twins, who are playing meaningful games in September for the first time in five years, aren’t counting on Sano to be a difference-maker in the field or on the bases. It’s his power and producing runs that have filled a void on a club that is fighting to make the American League playoffs. Despite his late start, he has entered his name in the conversation for American League Rookie of the Year.

Sano has been a huge contributor to the Twins success after no one knew if he would arrive in Minneapolis this summer after being shut down last year. “He didn’t miss a beat (this year),” Rantz said. “He got in there and got in the groove. He’s got that confidence at the plate. He’s also got good patience at the plate. I’d be lying if I thought that he was going to take off (this season) like he did.”

Worth Noting

The Twins, 72-67, are close to overtaking the Rangers, 73-65, in the American League wild card race. The Yankees, 77-61, are better positioned to be one of the two qualifying wild card teams. The Twins are 5-4 in September, continuing a trend of playing around .500 baseball dating back to the months of July (12-13) and August (14-14). If the club makes the playoffs, Minnesota’s 20-7 record in May will be a big reason why.

“Fun is good” specialist Mike Veeck entertained the CORES luncheon group in Bloomington today with stories about himself and the Veeck family. The St. Paul Saints owner emphasized the importance of professional sports teams making their heroes accessible to the fans.

Game three of the Saints-Sioux City playoff series will be played Saturday night at CHS Field in St. Paul and comedian Bill Murray, another Saints owner, will be in attendance. Sioux City leads the series 1-0 and hosts the second game tonight.

In its NFL preview issue of September 7, Sports Illustrated predicts the Vikings (10-6 record forecast) will defeat the 49ers (9-7) in the opening game for both teams on Monday night in Santa Clara. Andy Benoit writes the 49ers have a problem with veteran quarterback Colin Kaepernick because he seldom sets up in the pocket:

“If Kaepernick’s initial read is not open, he’s liable to break down and flee, even before completing his drop-back.”

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had an impressive finish to his rookie season in 2014. Among all NFL quarterbacks from week 13 to 17 he tied for first in completion percentage (72.1), was second in passer rating (103), second in yards per attempt (8.79) and third in touchdown percentage (5.7).

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson leads all active NFL backs in opening games rushing yards with 823 and 10 touchdowns. Peterson has played in eight openers.

The Vikings return 19 starters from their 2014 opening game, with 10 on defense and nine on offense.

TCU was the No. 2 ranked team in the country when the Horned Frogs played the unranked Gophers last Thursday night at TCF Bank Stadium but the telecast on ESPN pulled a higher rating in Minneapolis-St. Paul than in Dallas-Forth Worth. Barry Horn, on the Dallasnews.com website, wrote last Friday that MSP led all 56 major markets with a 8.7 rating. Birmingham, Alabama was second at 8.2 and Dallas-Forth Worth third at 5.9.

Former Gophers linebacker and Minneapolis native Pete Najarian, the financial investing authority, will be a commentator on Saturday’s telecast for ESPNNEWS of the Indiana State at Purdue game.

One reason Gophers fans are optimistic this year about Minnesota ending its 10-game losing streak to the Badgers is the game will be played in Minneapolis on November 28. The Badgers are 68-7 at home since the 2004 season began. Only Boise State at 68-2 has a better home record in major college football.

Ryan James, writing on Monday for GopherIllustrated.com, reported Amir Coffey, the Rivals.com four-star player from Hopkins High School, might make his college choice by month’s end. James interviewed the senior shooting guard’s father, Richard Coffey, who played for the Gophers. “Amir has one other visit scheduled right now, and that visit is with Texas,” his father said. “Not this weekend but the following weekend. I think after that visit, I think there is a strong chance that Amir will make a decision. Very soon.”

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Playoffs, Super Bowl in Vikings Future

Posted on September 8, 2015September 8, 2015 by David Shama

Bob Lurtsema has come within one game of correctly predicting the Vikings’ records in two of the last three seasons, so he’s certainly worth listening to regarding 2015 wins and losses.

The Vikings finished 10-6 in 2012—exactly the number of wins and losses predicted by Lurtsema in a Sports Headliners interview before the season started. Last season he projected an 8-8 record after Minnesota had finished 5-10-1 in 2013. The Vikings, playing under new head coach Mike Zimmer, surprised most observers by going 7-9.

Lurtsema, 73, remains close to the team and talks with Vikings players. He is enamored with Zimmer who he likens to Vikings coaching legend Bud Grant. “He won’t tolerate mental mistakes, just like Bud,” Lurtsema said of Zimmer, the former Bengals defensive coordinator. “He’ll cut you. You see a good athlete getting cut, you know he made mental mistakes.”

Grant coached the Vikings to four Super Bowls including the last appearance by the franchise in 1977. “They’ll be in the Super Bowl in 2017,” Lurtsema said.

Lurtsema predicts a 10-6 record for this season. The playoffs? “They’ll sneak in the back door,” he said.

It takes more than the presence of a coach to fuel long-range Super Bowl optimism and Lurtsema knows that. He likes the Vikings’ talent on both defense and offense.

The Vikings jumped from 31st in NFL total defense in 2013 to 14th last season. Lurtsema raves about how Zimmer coached teams pursue ball carriers and gang tackle. “The defense is so strong,” the former defensive end said.

Offensively the Vikings showed improvement in 2014 despite working through a season of injuries and the absence of superstar running back Adrian Peterson. Both defensively and offensively the Vikings have drafted promising talent and the parade is led by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater who started 12 games last season and set almost every franchise record for a rookie quarterback.

Mike Wallace (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Of course, Lurtsema knows the Vikings’ drive to an improved record in 2015 and eventual trip to the Super Bowl could be derailed by problems including the need for a better passing game. During the offseason the team acquired speedy wide receiver Mike Wallace from the Dolphins to open up the vertical passing. Lurtsema stressed the offense needs a big play receiver who can combine with Bridgewater on long passes.

“The biggest thing (needed) is they’ve got to have a deep threat,” Lurtsema said. “If you don’t have a deep threat, the corners can press you more. If they press you more, that affects your running game, even your short passes.”

Other concerns for the Vikings include an offensive line that had to be shuffled during the preseason because of injuries, and a schedule of opponents which includes seven teams ranked among the top 15 in ESPN.com’s NFL power rankings. Lurtsema, looking for positives, expects the line to get a boost with an improved performance from left tackle Matt Kalil who played injured last year.

What about the schedule? “That’s the part that kind of throws a curveball at you,” Lurtsema said.

The Vikings open their season away from home, playing in Santa Clara next Monday night against the 49ers. Lurtsema said NFL teams and players are annually primed for opening games and thinking about a successful season. “Home field advantage doesn’t really come into play on the first game of the season, so I’ve always liked starting on the road,” Lurtsema said. “It works out so well for a player’s psyche.”

Lurtsema offered one more prediction—this one about the outcome of Monday night’s game against a 49ers team labeled mediocre. “They (the Vikings) will win,” Lurtsema said. “You can put that down.”

Worth Noting

Lurtsema disagrees with critics of NFL preseason games who see the exhibitions as too numerous and unimportant. He said the games are important for the role they play in developing player endurance, toughness, and setting team expectations. “Winning is a habit,” he said.

The ESPN.com power poll out today has the Vikings No. 17 among 32 NFL teams. The seven teams in the top 15 who the Vikings play are the No. 1 Seahawks, No. 3 Packers, No. 5 Broncos, No. 10 Cardinals, No. 12 Lions, No. 13 Chargers and No. 14 Chiefs.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill said offensive lineman Josh Campion who missed the TCU game last Thursday because of a concussion has resumed practice. Ben Lauer, another key offensive lineman, played some in the game but has struggled with a knee injury and didn’t practice yesterday.

Kill said Jonah Pirsig may start on Saturday at the left tackle position that he, Campion and Lauer have all played recently. The interior offensive starters at Colorado State could be Pirsig and Campion at tackles, left guard Jon Christenson and right guard Connor Mayes, with Brian Bobek at center.

Sophomore wide receiver Jake Wieneke from Maple Grove High School was a major contributor last Saturday when FCS South Dakota State earned its first win ever over an FBS team, defeating Kansas 41-38 in Lawrence. Wieneke had five catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns by early in the second quarter as the Jackrabbits jumped off to a 31-7 lead.

As a freshman last season he led the team with 73 receptions for 1,404 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns.

Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber provided the color commentary on the FSN telecast of the Kansas-South Dakota State game. Ex-Vikings offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson provided commentary on Sunday’s Marshall-Purdue game on FS1.

Zach Zenner, the former Eagan football player who starred at South Dakota State, made the Lions’ final 53-man roster after leading the NFL in rushing during the preseason with 183 yards. Zenner, a rookie, was an undrafted free agent.

There is a lot of buy-in St. Paul will be the site of a new soccer stadium intended to host a Twin Cities MLS team some day. That may prove to be true but the media and public should know after following baseball and football stadium site fights for more than 40 years that such sagas can have multiple storylines and outcomes.

That’s former Gophers and Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz appearing on the Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” program Monday-Friday starting at 6 a.m. Central Daylight time. Holtz has long been an avid player and describes golf as “the greatest game in the world.”

Holtz is also working for Sirius XM, hosting college football shows (Friday and Saturdays) and a golf show (Tuesdays). When Holtz was an assistant football coach at William & Mary decades ago, he was also the school’s golf coach.

Minnesota native Ron Rabinovitz, who made friendships with baseball great Jackie Robinson and president John Kennedy, will speak to the “Breakfast with Leroy” group on Saturday at the Bloomington Knights of Columbus, 1114 American Blvd West. A breakfast buffet starting at 9 a.m. precedes Rabinovitz’s remarks, with more information available by contacting Pat Rickert at 612-861-3981. Group attendees are mostly athletes from the Minneapolis public schools in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, many of whom went on to college and professional careers.

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