Golden Gophers – Page 331 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Teddy B. Aware of Holding Ball too Long

Posted on November 12, 2014November 12, 2014 by David Shama

Unloading a lot of quotes and notes from various sources:

Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater makes his sixth pro start on Sunday in Chicago against the Bears. He wants to improve in not holding the ball too long before passing.

“I have a tendency of wanting to see wide receivers open before I throw the football,” he said. “Sometimes I have to just feel it and trust that a guy is going to be in the right area at the right time.”

According to Monday’s USA Today, the collective record of four NFL starting rookie quarterbacks through last Sunday’s games was 4-19. Bridgewater, 3-2, is the only QB among Blake Bortles, Derek Carr and Zach Mettenberger with a winning record.

All three of Bridgewater’s wins have been in come-from-behind situations. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer praised his quarterback’s makeup. “Composure is big. We’d like for him to be ahead a little bit more but I just think that the game is not too big for him. He sits in there and understands what he has to get done and you know there is a heightened sense of urgency–and not just with Teddy but with everybody.”

The Bears, 3-6, have only played one home game since September 28. They are 0-3 at home this season.

Jerry Trestman and his wife Sharon, who live in the Minneapolis area, don’t plan to attend Sunday’s Bears-Vikings game. Since their son Marc Trestman became Bears coach the couple has seen two games in Chicago, the season openers in 2013 and 2014.

Jerry told Sports Headliners he usually talks to Marc “two or times per week” by telephone. “He usually calls at night after practice,” Jerry said.

Ohio State is ranked No. 8 in the AP poll and the Gophers haven’t faced a top 10 team since they played the Buckeyes in Minneapolis four years ago. The Buckeyes, 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten, scored 49 points on Michigan State’s proud defense last Saturday and in five of their last six games are averaging 52.4 points per game.

Could the Gophers be in awe, or intimidated when the two teams play at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday? Senior defensive tackle and team leader Cameron Botticelli said no.

He told Sports Headliners players and staff put extraordinary effort and time year-round into preparing for games like Saturday’s. “We invest a whole lot of work, so to make that investment and then come into TCF Bank Stadium and be intimidated or in awe of someone, I don’t think that’s within the realm of possibility.

“Definitely we’ll respect our opponent this week because they are a talented football team, but I wouldn’t say shock or awe. More like respect and (facing) another competitor.”

The Buckeyes, who are about a two touchdown favorite against Minnesota, have won a national-best 12 consecutive road games and are undefeated in their last 21 Big Ten regular season games. They also have won seven straight since losing to Virginia Tech at home in a nonconference game on September 6. That was before freshman J.T. Barrett established himself at quarterback and since then the Buckeyes have gone on to become arguably the hottest offensive team in the country.

Gophers junior wide receiver KJ Maye talking about playing the favored Buckeyes and being an underdog: “We play better when we’re like that.”

Ohio State totaled 568 yards against Michigan Sate, nearly 300 more than the Spartans had been giving up per game. Gophers coach Jerry Kill realizes how good Michigan State’s defense is. “I didn’t think they would be able to put that many points on the board (against MSU),” Kill said.

The Gophers gained momentum going into the Ohio State game with a surprising 51-14 win over Iowa last Saturday. A close score was anticipated, but after the one-sided win Kill danced in front of his players in the happy locker room. “Sometimes kids need to see that you’re human,” Kill said. “It’ll probably be the last time—because I figured out I’m stiff, old, and…I’m not a kid anymore.”

Tickets remain, starting at $50, for Saturday’s Ohio State game that will be televised on ABC. The game is the last of the season at home for the Gophers and will be among the most lucrative in gate receipts (prices can vary by game). In the Big Ten Conference the home team retains revenues from ticket sales.

Gophers defensive tackle Steven Richardson is among the Big Ten’s best true freshman linemen. He’s listed at 6-feet and 295 pounds. Some schools stayed away from recruiting Richardson because his height is less than they demand but the young lineman has already shown what he can do as a run stopper and is coming along as a pass rusher. He had a sack against Iowa.

“If you look at the way the kid’s built, he’s a rock and he’s explosive,” said defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. “I mean he can play anywhere (team) in the country.”

It will be 60 years ago tomorrow that Bob McNamara made his famous 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against border rival Iowa that deserves a place among the most determined efforts in program history. McNamara shook off Iowa tacklers, refusing to go down to the ground in the November 13 game that Minnesota won 22-20. Gophers coach Murray Warmath said in his biography, The Autumn Warrior, that McNamara’s run in Minneapolis was indeed the stuff of legends. “It was the finest example of brilliance and desire I have ever seen,” the coach praised. McNamara died last summer.

In last Saturday’s Tyler Dunne online story for the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Brett Favre said if he had a son he probably wouldn’t let him play football “because of what I know.” The former Packers, Vikings and Jets quarterback is concerned about his memory in 10 or 20 years.

Favre turned 45 last month and is now eligible to draw his NFL pension.

You may not have read it before but neither the Gophers nor Louisville receive an appearance fee for participation in Friday night’s Armed Forces Classic in Puerto Rico. Expenses for the two schools are paid for by ESPN Regional Television, owner and operator of the basketball game that honors the military. The Classic will be played in front of military personnel with no admission cost and televised nationally by ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

Si.com’s college basketball preview of conferences ranks the Gophers ninth in the Big Ten, predicting Minnesota will finish with a 9-9 record (same as Nebraska and Illinois). Projected to have better conference records are Wisconsin,15-3; Ohio State, 12-6; Iowa, 11-7; and 10-8 records for Michigan State, Michigan and Maryland.

Draftexpress.com projects Minnesota natives Tyus Jones and Rashad Vaughn will be selected No. 14 and 21 respectively in the first round of next year’s NBA Draft. Both are college freshmen, Jones at Duke and Vaughn at UNLV.

Voting opened Monday in the USA Today High School Sports contest to determine the best high school football program in the country. A total of 255 programs are eligible after being determined by a panel. Minnesota programs are Blooming Prairie, Eden Prairie, Hutchinson, Rosemount and Totino-Grace. More at Usatodayhss.com.

J.D. Spielman, son of Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, played every snap offensively and defensively in last Friday night’s Eden Prairie High School football playoff win over East Ridge. Spielman, a junior, has a lacrosse scholarship offer from Ohio State but his father said the understanding is his son can change that verbal commitment to play football at a major college if he chooses.

Camden Mona, Dave and Linda Mona’s grandson, celebrated his seventh birthday yesterday. The sixth annual Camden’s Concert at the Hopkins Center for the Arts will be held July 13 next year featuring The Wright Brothers who were popular at this summer’s event helping to generate over $52,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The record amount increased the five year total from the event to more than $200,000.

Dave Mona said the National Senior Games will bring about 13,000 participants and approximately 25,000 total visitors to Minneapolis-St. Paul for competition in various sports next summer—July 3-16. Mona, the WCCO Radio “Sports Huddle” co-host, is co-chair for the games with Susan Adams Lloyd, the Clear Channel Outdoor executive.

Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders coach against each other tonight when the Rockets and Timberwolves play in Mexico City. The two former Gophers were close friends for many years and it was McHale that hired Saunders to work first in the Wolves front office and later as head coach. However, a distance has lingered between the two since McHale, as Wolves general manager, fired Saunders as coach in 2005. “It’s not that they’re (still) upset at each other, they just don’t get together,” a mutual friend told Sports Headliners.

With Garth Brooks performing at Target Center over a period of two weeks, the Wolves are in the midst of a road trip that has them without a home game from November 2 until November 19. With a long road trip, young team, 2-4 record and point guard Ricky Rubio being sidelined with an ankle sprain until perhaps next year, the Wolves are on the spot to win at least a few games this month.

The NBA has long been a leader in diversity and this season is using two female referees, Lauren Holtkamp and Violet Palmer. Dee Kantner, who once worked NBA games, is now the WNBA supervisor of officials.

The Wild will host Military Appreciation Night–presented by Thomson Reuters and benefitting Defending the Blue Line–tomorrow night when Minnesota plays the Sabres at Xcel Energy Center. More than 1,000 active or retired military members are expected to be in attendance. The Wild, along with Thomson Reuters, offered military members a lower level ticket, hot dog, chips and soda for $50.

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Gophers Recruiting Commitments ‘Solid’

Posted on November 10, 2014November 10, 2014 by David Shama

High school basketball recruiting authority Ryan James told Sports Headliners he expects all four players who have made verbal commitments to the Gophers to sign National Letters of Intent during the early signing period that begins Wednesday and continues through November 19. “I would say they’re (the commitments) as solid as you’re ever going to get,” said James who writes for Gopherillustrated.com.

Verbally committed and expected to accept scholarships are point guards Kevin Dorsey and Jarvis Johnson, shooting guard Dupree McBrayer and power forward Jonathan Nwankwo. James said Dorsey’s style is a “perfect fit” for Minnesota coach Richard Pitino who likes to speed up play offensively and pressure defensively all over the court. James also said Johnson has favored the Gophers for awhile and the coaches “got in early on” recruiting McBrayer and Nwankwo. “There’s been no rumors whatsoever to them (all) not signing,” James said.

He expects the foursome to be a top 20 to 25 recruiting class when the national rankings come out after the early signing period, and for Minnesota’s group to be higher rated than those from border rivals Iowa and Wisconsin.

He believes the class will compare favorably to the Gophers’ best recruiting groups of the last 20 years except for what coach Clem Haskins achieved in 1995. The Haskins class included Bobby Jackson, Courtney James and Quincy Lewis—key contributors to the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four team. “That’s the best class that I have seen,” said James.

Dorsey is a 5-11, 160-pound four-star prospect from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, according to Rivals.com. “This is a guy who pushes the pace at all times,” James said. “He makes a 60, 70 point game (into) a 90 point game. His defense is game changing.”

Dorsey’s profile on Rival.com includes an impressive list of basketball schools that offered scholarships including Creighton, Maryland, Memphis, SMU and VCU.

Minnesota’s other three recruits are three-star players, according to Rivals but there are often different opinions about ratings. “Dupree McBrayer—some people have him four—most people have him three. I believe he’s a four-star kid,” James said. “As a guy who sees national talent (during) all the live periods, goes to all these tournaments, (I think) he’s better than a lot of guys that are ranked in front of him.”

McBrayer, from Bel Aire, Kansas, is 6-4, 175. “He’s a very skilled, very explosive long winged (player). He can play three positions,” James said. “He has so much potential, it’s amazing. He’s just starting to reach it.”

Johnson is the hometown kid, the DeLaSalle High School star who local prep fans have been watching for awhile. The 6-1, 175-pound Johnson turned down offers from the likes of Iowa State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and UCLA to stay home, according to Rivals.com. The decision was influenced, James said, by a “tight, tight, family.”

“Athletically he’s on another level,” James said about Johnson. “He can physically do things that other people just can’t and he’s been well taught at DeLaSalle.”

Johnson draws attention with his speed and James said the young point guard is “ferocious” in driving to the basket. And Johnson impresses with his hustle and effort on defense, too. “I’ve never seen him not dive for a loose ball. I’ve never seen him not play hard in a game. He plays for (coach) Dave Thorson; when you’re playing for Dave Thorson, you’re playing defense.”

Nwankwo is a player James is familiar with but wants to see more of. However, he has seen and knows enough to like the potential of the 6-9, 245-pound Nwankwo who is from Mount Vernon, New York.

“His body is like a Marvel cartoon character,” James said. “He’s a beast. He’s very coachable and willing to do whatever. Great size—he’s willing to defend.”

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2 Pitino Teams, 1 Airplane for Trip

Posted on November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 by David Shama

The Gophers and Louisville basketball players will be able to size each other up before the two teams compete in the Armed Forces Classic in Puerto Rico on Friday night. Minnesota and the Cardinals will fly together to the game.

Two college basketball teams using the same airplane is unusual. “I have never heard of that before,” Gophers center Elliott Eliason told Sports Headliners. “I guess when you’re father-son you kind of work those things out.”

The coaches, of course, are Louisville legend Rick Pitino and Gophers second-year coach Richard Pitino. The father and son, who talk frequently by telephone, agreed that to save money the two programs will charter from Louisville to Puerto Rico on Wednesday. The Gophers will fly to Louisville on Tuesday and have a practice there before joining the Cardinals on the flight to Puerto Rico.

“I guess I haven’t heard of it (same airplane),” said former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher. “I certainly didn’t ever experience that in 30 years of college where we flew with the opposing team.”

Eliason is curious what the seating arrangement will be on the airplane. “I am sure they’re a bunch of good guys so…it won’t be a problem, but it is kind of interesting. But it will be a good time.”

Will players from both teams socialize on the plane? “I’ll probably throw the old earphones on,” Eliason said. “Maybe take a nap, fall asleep. We’ll see. After the game we can talk all you want.”

Actually, get-togethers involving the Cardinals and Gophers are planned in Puerto Rico as part of festivities leading up to the game. The Armed Forces Classic is part of ESPN’s America’s Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans programming, and each year a different branch of the military hosts the game. This year it’s the Coast Guard’s turn and the game will be played in a hangar in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The Classic will be played in front of military personnel with no admission cost and televised nationally by ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

The game–the third annual–is owned by ESPN Regional Television. “It’s honestly a huge honor,” Eliason said. “It’s going to be an amazing game. I couldn’t be more excited about it. You watch those other teams play in it every year so it’s so exciting to be part of that this year.”

The Cardinals are among the royalty of college basketball. Louisville won the NCAA championship in 2013 and is a contender for the 2015 title. The Cardinals are probably a top 20 team in every preseason poll, while the Gophers, who won the NIT last April after not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, are trying to become a nationally-ranked program. “It’s a bigger opportunity for Minnesota than it is for Louisville,” Dutcher said.

Louisville has forward Montrezl Harrell and guard Terry Rozier, two players who are projected as NBA draft choices next June by NBAdraft.net. The Cardinals also have Pitino who has won national championships while coaching at Kentucky and Louisville. The Cardinals are ranked No. 8 in the AP preseason poll. “There’s a lot more pressure on Louisville than there is on Minnesota,” Dutcher said.

Dutcher recalled that ex-coach Tubby Smith’s Gophers defeated Louisville in an early nonconference game in 2008. The Cardinals were rated No. 9 nationally, while the Gophers were unranked. It was a signature win for Minnesota and one that influenced the NCAA selection committee when they started handing out invitations to the tournament and the Gophers were included in the field of teams.

Richard Pitino is 32 years old and the consultation he receives from his dad is a plus for the Gophers’ program—something that goes beyond saving money on an airplane trip to Puerto Rico. “I think it’s definitely an asset,” Dutcher said. “I talk to my son Brian all the time about San Diego State games. He sent me the tape of their scrimmage the other day with Stanford and said, ‘What do you think?’ ”

For the younger Pitino to know that his father is just a telephone call away means a lot. “Every coach has somebody they want to talk to other than their staff and their players—particularly when things aren’t going well,” Dutcher said. “That’s when they kind of need some guidance and some help and some encouragement. I am sure he (Richard) gets that.”

Conversations between the Pitinos likely include potential recruits, and that’s another asset for Minnesota’s program. “That goes on between coaches who are just friends, not even family—there’s a kid that we can’t take but I think he would really fit into your program,” Dutcher said. “All coaches network, even with other coaches in different conferences. I am sure he (Richard) benefits from the success and the experience that his father has.”

Of course on Friday night the son would like nothing better than to take some of that success away from dad—even if they did hitch a ride together to Puerto Rico and back.

Gophers Football Notes

Even mascot Goldy Gopher—symbolically the biggest Golden Gophers loyalist on the planet—wouldn’t have predicted a 51-14 domination of Iowa on Saturday. The doomsday feeling hanging over Dinkytown for two weeks after Minnesota’s loss to lowly Illinois on October 25 evaporated by halftime on Saturday when the Gophers followed up an opening touchdown by Iowa with 35 unanswered points.

The win demonstrated again that the unexpected can be anticipated in college football where there is plenty of parity in talent among teams. Iowa had beaten up on Northwestern a week ago Saturday, winning 48-7, but what proved more valuable was Minnesota’s bye in the schedule that gave the Gophers an extra week of preparation.

The Gophers, now 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, improved their chances of an invitation to a good bowl game, enhanced the possibility of a sellout at TCF Bank Stadium next Saturday against Ohio State and won “Floyd of Rosedale” for the third time in five years. Representatives from the Holiday Bowl (December 27, San Diego) and Fiesta Bowl (December 31, Glendale, Arizona) were at the game.

The Gophers’ Maxx Williams, who had three touchdown receptions, showed again why he is on the midseason watch list for the John Mackey Award recognizing the nation’s best tight end. He is a redshirt sophomore eligible for next year’s NFL Draft.

The game wasn’t a happy homecoming for Iowa athletics director Gary Barta who was born in Minneapolis and attended Burnsville High School. Barta still has more than a dozen relatives in this area.

Zach Johnson of Gopherillustrated.com said the Gophers had high school players Colton Beebe, Jonathan Femi-Cole and Jaylen Waters at the game. Beebe is a Rivals.com two-star linebacker from Kansas City, Kansas. Femi-Cole is a three-star running back from Vaughan, Ontario while Waters is a three star linebacker from Copperas Cove, Texas. Beebe hasn’t verbally committed to the Gophers but Femi-Cole and Waters have, according to G.I.

Here are Sports Headliners’ power rankings of Big Ten teams after Saturday: 1. Ohio State; 2. Michigan State; 3. Wisconsin; 4. Nebraska; 5. Minnesota; 6. Maryland; 7. Iowa; 8. Michigan; 9. Penn State; 10. Northwestern; 11. Rutgers; 12. Purdue; 13. Illinois 14. Indiana.

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