Golden Gophers – Page 310 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

No More Joking When Vikings Lose

Posted on November 24, 2014November 24, 2014 by David Shama

Notes from Mike Zimmer’s news conference this afternoon:

The Vikings first-year coach expects professional conduct by his players and he will act if he doesn’t see it. “There was a situation earlier this year that we got beat and there was some joking going on afterwards,” Zimmer said. “I put a stop to it pretty quickly.”

The Vikings, 4-7, have lost two consecutive games but Zimmer said the players are “taking the losses hard.” His players are developing the “mindset” he wants.

“The way we work in the weight room—intangible things a lot of you don’t see,” Zimmer said. “We’re on time. We act like professionals in a lot of different ways. We need it to show up more on Sundays with wins and that’s really where we’re at. But I don’t have a problem with the football team and the way they do things.”

Zimmer confirmed reports from earlier in the day that starting offensive tackle Phil Loadholt is out indefinitely with a pectoral tear. Loadholt will probably have surgery on Friday and reserve lineman Mike Harris, who hasn’t started a game this season for the Vikings, will likely be the replacement.

“I think Phil is a great person,” Zimmer said. “He’s very conscientious (and) works hard. He’s got a great heart. Obviously we’ll miss him but we’re not going to let it hold us back from what we’re trying to get done.”

Zimmer’s other starting tackle, Matt Kalil, is struggling with his performance on the field. After yesterday’s loss to the Packers, Kalil declined to talk with reporters after the game and then confronted a fan outside the stadium, reportedly knocking the person’s hat off.

“He was wrong in what he did,” Zimmer said. “We appreciate 99.9 percent of the fans. They’re great for us and he should have conducted himself in a better manner. I know in the past there have been times I’ve been upset with people, too, but they pay money to go watch us play and watch us perform so they have a right to express their opinion.”

At times yesterday Zimmer was disappointed with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s accuracy in the loss to the Packers. But Zimmer also had praise for Bridgewater.

The coach said Bridgewater has had slow starts in games but makes adjustments and he likes the rookie’s composure. “Maybe the biggest thing is when the game is on the line, he seems to make a lot of plays,” Zimmer said.

With a wintry forecast this week, the Vikings may practice both indoors and outdoors in preparation for Sunday’s home game against the Panthers at TCF Bank Stadium. “If we can get out, we will get out,” Zimmer said.

With this being Thanksgiving week, the coach was asked what he is thankful for. “I’m thankful for the guys that I get to work with every single day. I’m thankful for my family and the coaches that we have. I’d be more thankful with some wins.”

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Jerry Kill makes $300,000 more than the $1.8 million average pay for the head football coaches at FBS schools, according to the November 20 issue of USA Today. The newspaper annually reports on compensation for college coaches including in the Big Ten where Kill’s $2.1 million pay is less than rivals at Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio is the highest paid coach in the league at $5,636,145, while Ohio State’s Urban Meyer is second at 4,536,640. Nationally, Dantonio’s compensation ranks behind only Nick Saban at $7,160,187, according to USA Today. The publication reported Alabama pays a $32,395 annual premium on a $6 million term life insurance policy for Saban.

Gophers defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun is Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week today along with Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell. Calhoun forced and recovered a fumble in the closing minutes of Minnesota’s upset win over Nebraska on Saturday. He leads the Gophers in interceptions with four and ranks third in the conference.

The winner of the 2014 Mr. Football Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings, will be announced at a banquet Sunday morning at the DoubleTree hotel in St. Louis Park. The 10 finalists for the prep award are: Dalton Elliott, Nicollet; Jackson Erdmann, Rosemount; Kez Flomo, Totino-Grace; Robbie Grimsley, Hutchinson; Alex Hart, Prior Lake; Will Rains, Eden Prairie; John Rumpza, Blooming Prairie; John Santiago, St. Francis; Ryan Schlichte, Mankato West; and Michael Veldman, Becker. Information about the banquet is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

In the state football semifinals coach Cory Larson from Dawson-Boyd High School earned his 100th career victory, but on Saturday he saw his team lose the Class 1A state championship game to Minneota. His career record is 100-47-3 in 13 seasons of high school coaching—all at Dawson-Boyd, his alma mater.

WCHA Commissioner Bill Robertson is pursuing additional teams including Arizona State for the 10-team league. ASU announced its intent last week to play Division I college hockey. Robertson, a St. Paul native with West Coast relationships, is also working on other Pac-12 and West Coast schools as potential WCHA members.

Michigan Tech head coach Mel Pearson, who played for Willard Ikola at Edina East High School in the mid-1970’s, has his Huskies off to a 10-2 start, although the team did lose consecutive games last weekend to Minnesota State. Pearson’s father, George Pearson, played with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association.

The Gophers basketball team will visit Ground Zero in New York tomorrow. The Gophers are in New York to participate in the two-game NIT Season Tipoff tournament at Madison Square Garden. Wednesday night the Gophers play St. John’s and Friday they will have a second game against either Georgia or Gonzaga.

The Minnesota players will eat their Thanksgiving meals at a New York hotel.

Former Gophers wide receiver Lewis Garrison has a busy schedule officiating college basketball and football games. Last week he refereed the Iowa-Texas basketball game and was part of the officiating crew for the Illinois-Penn State football game. Tonight he will referee the Indiana-Eastern Washington basketball game.

ESPN will debut a “30 for 30” documentary next year about former Timberwolves forward Christian Laettner who starred at Duke and is famous for his buzzer beating shot against Kentucky. The film is titled “I Hate Christian Laettner.”

There is already anticipation about the Gophers women’s basketball team playing at home against Maryland on January 11. The Terps are led by former Gophers coach Brenda Frese and ESPN2 will televise the game—Minnesota’s only ESPN appearance of the season. Maryland is ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press poll.

New Gophers coach Marlene Stollings once coached a men’s club team in Europe, although initially she wasn’t sure the invitation was “serious.”

If the Twins make a deal with free agent Torii Hunter to rejoin his old team it’s a sure sign new manager Paul Molitor wants a vocal veteran leader in the locker room. Hunter, the 39-year-old outfielder who left the Twins after the 2007 season, was outspoken when he was here. With his quotes and personality, he’s a media favorite.

The Twins increased their roster to the 40-man limit with the recent additions of right-handed pitcher Alex Meyer, left-handed pitcher Jason Wheeler, outfielder Eddie Rosario and infielder Miguel Sano. Meyer, Rosario and Sano will be closely watched by fans in spring training because they have been hyped as prospects for awhile but Wheeler is an unknown.

Wheeler, 24, pitched at Single-A Fort Myers, Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester last season. He overall record was 11-9, with a 2.67 ERA (158.1 innings pitched, 47 earned runs). He walked 37 batters, with 115 strikeouts, two complete games and one shutout in 26 starts. The 6-foot-6, 251-pound left-hander was originally drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Loyola Marymount University.

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Golden Gophers Exorcise ‘Big Red’ Demons

Posted on November 23, 2014November 23, 2014 by David Shama

How nice that it’s Nebraska now coming up short on the scoreboard.

ESPN predicted last week the Cornhuskers had a 72 percent chance of defeating the Golden Gophers in Lincoln. It sounded like more frustration was ahead for long suffering Gophers fans, but that’s not what happened yesterday when Minnesota stormed from behind to play physical football and win 28-24.

Yes, the Gophers defeated the Cornhuskers in Minneapolis last year but one win in 53 years doesn’t heal the wounds from all the humiliations and close losses to “Big Red.” Oh, how we have suffered and for awhile yesterday it looked like it would be more of the same instead of a second consecutive win in the series that dates back to 1900.

Nebraska, trailing by four points, was driving down the field late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Tommy Armstrong completed a pass to De’Mornay Pierson-El inside the Minnesota five-yard line. At first the play looked like it would set up the winning touchdown but instead Gophers defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun ripped the ball out of Pierson-El’s hands and took possession.

With 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter the Gophers ran out the clock and secured their first consecutive wins against Nebraska since 1952 and 1954. The win made Minnesota 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten, and what the conference record means is the Gophers can go to Madison next Saturday controlling their own fate to win the West Division championship. A Gophers’ victory over the Badgers, 9-2 and 6-1, will send coach Jerry Kill’s team to the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis next month to play the East Division champion.

In the first half yesterday it appeared unlikely the Gophers would need to bother thinking about travel plans to Indy. The Huskers, with some good luck and even better play, led 21-7 at halftime. With the scored tied 7-7 in the second quarter, Nebraska’s Armstrong was within inches of illegally running beyond the line of scrimmage as he launched an 18-yard pass to Pierson-El who placed the ball over the goal line by a corn silk. Pierson-El also fumbled the football in the end zone on the same play but because the ball first broke the plane of the goal line, the Huskers had a touchdown.

Later in the second quarter Nebraska blocked a Minnesota field goal attempt. Give the Cornhuskers credit for making the play but how often do you see the ball scooped up and run back for a score? That’s what Nebraska’s Nate Gerry did on an 85-yard run that at one point had him in a posse of teammates thick enough the Gophers couldn’t bring him to the ground.

Those two scores looked like the kind of stuff that has had Gophers fans gulping Maalox for years. But momentum changed a bit on Nebraska’s closing drive of the first half. Pierson-El (there’s that guy again) fumbled the ball at Minnesota’s 11-yard line after a pass reception. Gophers defensive back Damarius Travis recovered the fumble.

The recovery stopped a field goal or touchdown that could have put Nebraska ahead 24-7 or 28-7 at halftime. Instead the Gophers came out in the third quarter and scored on their opening drive. They added a second third quarter score while holding the Cornhuskers to a field goal during the period which ended with Nebraska leading 24-21.

The improbable fourth quarter comeback was led by Mitch Leidner who answered his critics yesterday. Leidner completed eight of 17 passes for 135 yards. None of the throws was more important than a 38 yard completion to KJ Maye. That put the ball on the Nebraska 25-yard line. Five plays later Leidner ran two yards to put the Gophers ahead to stay, 28-24. He led Minnesota’s rushers with 111 yards.

The win pumped life into the spirits of Gophers fans who experienced the pain from decades of demoralizing losses to the Cornhuskers. After the 1960 national champion Gophers team defeated Nebraska in Lincoln the Cornhuskers won 16 consecutive games before last year’s victory by Minnesota.

For so many years the end result was always disappointing for Minnesota fans—and often disgusting. Students of Gophers football history can recall close losses in the 1960s when Minnesota lost three games by a total of only 15 points. A key play here, better luck there, or a friendly call from the “zebras” could have been the difference for the Gophers.

While those games were close, they were also frustrating defeats. And then there were the humiliations—the bulldozing of the Gophers from 1969-2012. During that period Nebraska outscored Minnesota 568 to 86!

No game hurt more than the infamous 84-13 pounding at the Metrodome in 1983. Yeah, the 71 point margin is painful but the tale that has circulated for years makes the hurt for Gophers fans even deeper. In the second half the Huskers were way ahead but their starters were still on the field. Nebraska’s coaches were thinking about sending in the reserves but a Cornhusker player reported the Gophers were “talking trash.”

If this were peewee football the mercy rule would have applied, but the Cornhuskers coaches decided if the Gophers were going to be lippy they still hadn’t learned their lesson. The Huskers’ starters were sent back on the field. Let the beat down continue.

After two consecutive wins, it’s probably greedy to dream about a day when the Gophers could give the Huskers a 71 point lesson. But, hey, yesterday a lot of Minnesota fans became bigger believers in this program than at any time since the 1960s.

Too bad the teams don’t play for a rivalry trophy. There’s enough history and emotion to inspire a trophy going to the winner of the series that was played as a nonconference regional rivalry until 2011 when Nebraska joined the Big Ten.

A sledgehammer might be an appropriate trophy. And just in case you’re counting—the Gophers lead the series 31-22-2.

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No Home Sellouts for Gophers in 2014

Posted on November 21, 2014November 23, 2014 by David Shama

In six seasons at TCF Bank Stadium the Gophers are averaging about the same per game attendance they had in the last half dozen years at the Metrodome.

The stadium opened in 2009 as the new on-campus home for Gophers football. During six years playing in the $288.5 million outdoor facility, the Gophers are averaging 48,389 fans per game. From 2003-2008 the average at the dome was 48,950.

The lure of a new stadium and sitting outdoors boosted attendance in 2009 with all seven games selling out in the 50,805 seat facility. During the five years since, the per game averages starting with 2010 are 49,513, 47,714, 46,637, 47,797 and 47,865.

This year stadium capacity was increased to 52,525 to accommodate the Vikings who are using the facility for home games in 2014 and 2015. The Gophers didn’t sell out a single game this fall, although the announced crowd of 51,241 for Purdue came close. Minnesota has sold out only four games since 2009.

Annual attendance is impacted by several factors including the box office appeal of the Gophers and their opponents. Also factoring in are the number of tickets sold in the off-season including public and student season tickets. Other variables are ticket prices, weather and times of day for kickoffs, with mid-afternoon and evening games more popular than 11 a.m. starts.

When cold and snow arrive on game week it’s an easy decision for fence-sitting fans to stay home and watch the Gophers on high definition television. Last Saturday’s game against No. 8 ranked Ohio State might have attracted 55,000 to 60,000 at the dome but an announced crowd of 45,778 was the lowest for a Gophers’ Big Ten home game this year.

Nice weather in September and October is when TCF Bank Stadium is most attractive to fans who can not only sit outside but also enjoy the tailgating experience in nearby areas. The Gophers drew their largest consecutive crowds this year on October 11 and 18 when 49,051 watched the Northwestern game and 51,241 saw Purdue.

The Gophers played on campus and outdoors at Memorial Stadium from 1924 through 1981. The first six seasons at the dome saw a big jump in attendance with the Gophers averaging 54,898 fans. In the six prior years at Memorial Stadium the average was 40,872.

The Metrodome capacity for Gophers football was 64,172 from 1991-2008. Capacity at Memorial Stadium was 56,652 from 1970-1981.

Worth Noting

Fans concerned about cold temperatures and outdoor seating during the Prep Bowl today and tomorrow at TCF Bank Stadium have an indoor option. For $50 there is admission to the stadium’s indoor club. More at mygophersports.com/online/prep-bowl.

The Prep Bowl has four games today and three tomorrow in various classes. Among the matchups is tonight’s 7 p.m. Class 6A state title game between defending champion Eden Prairie and Totino-Grace. All games are televised on KSTC.

Among those cheering for the Gophers at Saturday’s game in Lincoln against the Cornhuskers will be University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler who is a major supporter of athletics.

The Gophers, despite their loss last Saturday to Ohio State, are still in contention to win the Big Ten’s West Division with two games remaining on their schedule. Senior defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli said the Gophers’ loss to OSU, 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten, isn’t quickly forgotten as Minnesota prepared this week for Nebraska.

“There’s going to be a special fervor in practice this week in getting ready because of falling short on Saturday, and because of where this program can go still in the season,” he said.

The Gophers, 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, play a Nebraska team and West Division rival that is 8-2 and 4-2. It will be Nebraska’s last home game and the Cornhuskers will recognize their seniors as they did two years ago when they beat up on the Gophers in Lincoln by a score of 38-14.

Botticelli said the fans can be loud at Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium and he remembers the noise of two years ago. He described the energy as “electric.”

“You can feel the vibrations in your body,” he said. “That makes communication a little difficult for offenses and defenses alike. But nonetheless I feed off that energy. …”

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on whether he learned anything about Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earlier this season when Green Bay won 42-10: “No, I’ve played him a few times in the past. …He’s pretty steady doing what he does. He’s pretty good.”

Rodgers is the face of the Packers’ franchise and that’s a role rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater wants to play for the Vikings. Zimmer, whose team plays the Packers at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday, was asked if that’s something Bridgewater can potentially achieve in his first season.

“Well, I’d be glad to let him do it instead of me,” Zimmer said. “…It’s hard for a young guy when you come in the middle of the year and you start playing but I believe he will be the face of the franchise. He can actually do all of these press conferences from now on. I’d be ecstatic to let him do them instead of me.”

St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso has the Tommies in the Division III playoffs for the fifth time in six years. But the 8-2 Tommies will need to stage an upset in Waverly, Iowa, tomorrow to defeat 10-0 Wartburg—a team that is 2-0 against the MIAC this season with wins over both Augsburg and Bethel.

Saint John’s (9-1), the other MIAC team in the football playoffs, hosts St. Scholastica (10-0) in Collegeville tomorrow and the Johnnies are likely to win. Victories by the two MIAC schools will match them against one another on November 29. Earlier this season the Johnnies defeated St. Thomas 24-14 in front of a UST-record crowd of 12,483. This fall Saint John’s won the school’s 32nd MIAC football championship and first since 2009.

Former Gophers basketball player Austin Hollins plays for a pro team in France but is sidelined with a fractured toe, according to Mo Walker. Hollins and Walker, a Gophers senior this season, text each other.

Ex-Gopher and Minneapolis native Al Nolen is operating basketball camps and giving private lessons in the metro area, according to a Tuesday story in the Minnesota Daily. His company is the Al Nolen Elite Basketball Skills Training.

The Division III St. Thomas men’s basketball team will pursue a record 10th consecutive MIAC title this season. The Tommies are already 2-0 in nonconference games and have a 74-52 exhibition win over Division II nationally-ranked Minnesota State. Coach John Tauer’s Tommies open league play against Gustavus on December 3.

The WCHA has four men’s teams ranked in the top 20 poll of USCHO.com including No. 1 Michigan Tech. The Gophers, No. 1 before the season started, have slipped to No. 4 and are the only Big Ten team in this week’s rankings.

Tom Lynn was among the first employees of the Wild’s operations staff when the Minnesota NHL franchise started. Passionate fans of the franchise will be interested in his book, How to Bake an NHL Franchise from Scratch, the First Era of the Minnesota Wild. The book is available in paperback, Nook and Kindle formats.

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