Category: Golden Gophers

 

Forget whether the 1-4 Vikings are going to win tonight’s nationally televised game against the 0-6 Giants at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.  The question of the moment is will the Vikings play ugly again?

Last week’s 35-6 loss to the 2-3 Panthers was the Vikings’ most embarrassing defeat of the season.  The team’s will to win was questioned and the coaches’ ability to prepare was second-guessed.

The Panthers possessed the football for about 13 minutes longer than the Vikings and held Minnesota to 75 yards rushing in their win at Mall of America Field.  The results added on to a statistically unimpressive season for the Vikings that includes giving up 418 yards per game, the most in the 32-team NFL.

“You never see yourself losing a game like that.  That’s for sure,” said defensive end Brian Robison.  “It was not something that we wanted to show in front of our home crowd and we just gotta make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Robison’s teammate at the other end of the line, Jared Allen, was blunt after last week’s game when talking about expectations for tonight.  “I hope people rebound a little angry,” he said.  “I hope guys are pissed off.  I hope their feelings are hurt.

“I am a positive human being.  There’s something to a little negative reinforcement.  I hope this sticks in everybody’s guts a little bit.  Sticks in their craw and we can come back and remember this feeling.

“This is embarrassing and I hope they (Vikings teammates) remember that and come back and say, ‘Hey, I’ll flip that on somebody else and not on myself.’  That’s how you bounce back.  You go to New York and we play physical football.”

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema was emotional after the Panthers game.  “If they (the Vikings) don’t like playing and they can accept getting beat as a competitor, then they’ve wore out their welcome to the National Football League and wore out their welcome to their career.  I hate losing but I always learned from losing.  How can I improve?  How can I get better?”

Lurtsema said it’s not the responsibility of head coach Leslie Frazier to give motivational talks each week, emphasizing that players need to prepare mentally on their own.  “Their whole season is on the line next week (Monday night),” Lurtsema said recently.  “Everybody. …Any athlete who does not bring his ‘A’ game next week should be cut by the locker room after the game.”

To keep from playing ugly tonight the Vikings will not only need effort but solid fundamentals.  That means knowing assignments, holding blocks, using proper tackling angles, eliminating turnovers and a lot more.

The Vikings will try their third starting quarterback of the season, newly signed Josh Freeman.  If he can throw accurately and occasionally get the ball deep down field for completions, the offense will take a step in the right direction.  But games are won and lost on the lines of scrimmage where both offensively and defensively the Vikings have struggled.

“Living room coaches” and other critics might be questioning whether the team’s defensive linemen are taking the proper angles after the ball is snapped.  Asked about that, Robison declined to go into details.  “You know you got a job to do and I got a job to do but I can’t really get into schematics right now.  It’s just one of those deals where we gotta play better as players.  We gotta coach better as coaches and we just gotta find a way to get a win.”

Then there is the issue of starters on the defensive line like Allen being on the sidelines more than they might like.  “I hate coming off the field, especially in situations where they’re marching the ball down the field and then all of a sudden I gotta go in on the 10 yard line and make a play or something,” Allen said.  “I ain’t coming off the field period.  That’s not my choice.  I am trying to be a team player. I am not trying to fight that.  If they don’t need me on the field, or I need a rest, I guess that’s their call.”

So whether it’s schematics, playing time, revolving quarterbacks or other issues like an injury-weary secondary, there is usually drama involving the Vikings.  Lots of moving parts that will determine one thing: whether this team shines in the dark tonight.

“If you go down fighting, you’ve won the game,” Lurtsema said.

Worth Noting

MetLife Stadium, the site of tonight’s Vikings-Giants game, will be the first outdoor northern facility to ever host the Super Bowl when the game is played there February 2, 2014.

Vikings ownership will likely host a larger than normal group of family and friends at the game.  The Wilf family is based in the New York-New Jersey area.  Owner-chairman Zygi Wilf was a passionate Giants fan for years.  Owner-president Mark Wilf has also long been a football fan and was the radio voice of Princeton football  in college.

If the Wilfs make a change in head coaches after this season it wouldn’t be surprising if NFL TV analyst and former Ravens Super Bowl champion coach Brian Billick has his name mentioned among possible candidates.  Billick, who was a Vikings assistant coach from 1992-1998, is an extraordinary communicator and excels at public relations.

The Gophers coaches often talk about their roster’s lack of experience but seniors made some of the most important plays in Saturday’s 20-17 upset road win over Northwestern.  Wide receiver Derrick Engle caught a pass for Minnesota’s only touchdown, placekicker Chris Hawthorne kicked two field goals, linebacker James Manuel returned an interception for a touchdown and defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman batted down three pass attempts and intercepted another ball.  H-back Mike Henry caught two passes for 21 yards and his blocking helped the Gophers rush for 215 yards.

The Gophers depth chart prior to the Northwestern game listed two seniors starting on offense and four on defense.  Along with Hawthorne, they made themselves noticed on Saturday as the Gophers, 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten, moved closer to six wins and bowl game eligibility.

Minnesota’s losing tradition that includes only 10 conference wins dating back to the 2009 season had at least one Gophers fan feeling pessimistic before Saturday’s game.  However, a sense of humor was also in place when he wrote this comment to Sports Headliners regarding his use of Maalox:

“I don’t bother with a spoon.  I just unscrew the cap and drink it straight up. I must admit, however, that I’m not sure as to how effective it is.  I’m still developing an ulcer from watching them (the Gophers) in action.”

Interim coach Tracy Claeys said on WCCO Radio yesterday morning he doesn’t know if Jerry Kill will coach this week, adding the Gophers head coach is “not 100 percent” but is continuing the process of addressing his seizures.

Don’t be surprised if University of Minnesota alum and former North Stars executive Lou Nanne heads the committee to assist Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague in raising $190 million for new athletic facilities.

The “M Club” Hall of Fame will have 10 new inductees on Thursday night during a ceremony at TCF Bank Stadium: Jon Andresen (baseball), Jim Carter (football), Natalie Darwitz (women’s hockey), Rick Naumoff (men’s tennis), Charlie Sanders (football), Krissy Wendell Pohl (women’s hockey), Gary Wilson (coach of women’s cross country and women’s track & field), Loyd LaMois (men’s track), Louis Lick (men’s golf) and Larry Ross (men’s hockey).  LaMois, Lick and Ross will be inducted into the Pioneer Division, honoring those who were at Minnesota prior to 1950.

Mounds View High School football coach Jim Galvin won his 100th career game last week with a 50-47 victory over Roseville.  He has a career record of 100-41.

Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio has his 23^rd birthday today.

Timberwolves season ticket holders are being invited Wednesday to sample new items on the concessions menu at Target Center.

Comments Welcome

 

What I believe and you might want to know about Gophers football and the Vikings:

Gophers fans I hear from are discouraged about the program, including the team’s 0-2 Big Ten start and coach Jerry Kill’s struggles with seizures.  After decades of being a passionate fan, one guy contemplates giving up on the Gophers after this season ends.  Another man is predicting one or two wins in conference games for not only this season but the ones most immediately ahead.

Then there is a supporter who retains a sense of humor, asking to be assured there are no tall buildings tempting him into suicide when he follows the team next week to Evanston to play nationally-ranked Northwestern.  Unfortunately, the Sears Tower in Chicago is not far away from the Wildcats’ campus.

“In the off-chance that the Gophs underwhelm the Wildcats, I‘ll broaden my horizons and develop interests other than U of M football,” the fan wrote in jest.  “In fact, I’ve already bought a book on cricket.”

Loyal fans have suffered for decades.  Since 1970 Gophers teams have only five times won more than half of their Big Ten games.  During that span the Gophers have just six finishes of fourth or higher in the standings.  Minnesota hasn’t won the Big Ten title since 1967.

Twice in the last six decades the program showed enough juice to look like it might become an annual force in the Big Ten.  The best hope died when coach Lou Holtz left town for Notre Dame after the 1985 season.  A flicker of light danced in Dinkytown during the Glen Mason era but the Gophers never achieved better than fourth place finishes (three times) in the Big Ten and couldn’t earn an invite to a New Year’s Day bowl game.  Mason’s 10 year record in league games was 32-48.

Mason took over a struggling program from coach Jim Wacker.  In 1999, his third season at Minnesota, the Gophers were much improved.  They upset No. 2 ranked Penn State and finished with an 8-4 overall record including 5-3 in the Big Ten.

This is Kill’s third season at Minnesota.  His team isn’t nearly as good as Mason’s 1999 club.  Kill inherited a mess from Brewster, his predecessor, and maybe a more difficult job than Mason found awaiting him in 1997.

An optimist will argue the program has been down for so long it’s going to take awhile longer to become more competitive.  Give Kill four recruiting classes (he has had two of his own making) and then judge the program, according to supporters.

The results on the field during the Kill era certainly leave room for much improvement, although the Gophers did qualify for a bowl game in 2012 — the first for the program since 2009.  But there are no overall winning records in either of the two full seasons under Kill.  Big Ten results in two-plus years are painful with Kill having four league wins against 14 losses.  The defeats have been mostly one-sided. Minnesota has only twice lost games by 14 points or less.

Kill’s epilepsy is a threat to his future and has become the face of the program nationally.  His seizures have to be stopped or managed effectively enough so that he can do his job and not be a bigger news story than the team.

Count on Kill, a strong character guy and good football coach, to exhaust all possibilities in becoming seizure free.  He is one of the most determined individuals I have ever met.  Kill’s integrity won’t allow him to coach in the months and years ahead if he can’t be fully functional in his nearly 24-7 role as head coach.

The announcement yesterday that defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will become interim coach while Kill takes time off to concentrate on treatment and management of his epilepsy is no surprise.  But it is a responsible action and welcome news for a coach with multiple game day seizures at Minnesota including this year.

A silver lining for the story is how Kill’s struggles have raised awareness about epilepsy and seizures.  In addition, Minnesotans have been reminded about the problems and disabilities that confront so many people, and become more tolerant of them.

The best outcome for Gophers football is for Kill to get well and be able to provide stability to a program that has been fragile for too long including because of the coaching merry-go-round.  He has already shown he can guide his players to dramatically improved academic performance.  More recruiting classes with better talent (there’s a woeful lack of offensive and defensive playmakers on this year’s team) — along with the maturation process for players that comes with time in the weight room — will bring better results on the field.

Regarding the Vikings, let’s address the most recent drama with this franchise.  Two weeks ago fans and media jumped into conspiracy mode after hearing Christian Ponder had a bruised rib.  Wasn’t this, they speculated, just a contrived excuse to bench the erratic quarterback?

Uh, no, not really.  Ponder’s rib injury is real, still a problem and could be for awhile.

Matt Cassel will probably start at quarterback for the Vikings on Sunday at home against the Panthers.  On some future date this fall newly acquired Josh Freeman will almost surely come on the field during a game, either as a reliever or starter.  So four games into the season the 1-3 Vikings don’t know who their regular quarterback is.

Not good.

The Vikings began this season 0-3 and since 1990 only three NFL teams with that record have made the playoffs.  The Vikings are not going to win all of their remaining 12 games so probably the best they can hope for — a big hope — is to win nine of them and finish 10-6.  That might — a big might — win the NFC North and provide a ticket to the playoffs.  A 10-6 record, though, is unlikely to qualify for postseason as a wildcard team.

Ponder is a bright guy who may overthink his options when on the field.  He does play with hesitation and is indecisive.

Local fans have made Ponder Purple Enemy No. 1 and subjected him to more abuse than any Viking in recent memory.  An unhappy crowd is a subtraction in the home field advantage department.  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that many boos,” Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said about a home game this year.

Management has ego invested in Ponder, having taken him as the 12^th pick in the first round of the 2011 draft.  He was to become the franchise quarterback but if he falls out of favor and Cassel or Freeman takes the Vikings to the playoffs, management still looks good because they acquired both of those players in the last nine months.

Freeman was too talented for the Vikings not to sign despite problems with the Bucs and coach Greg Schiano.  Sometimes guys with troubled pasts become major contributors on new teams.  Allen had DUI problems with the Chiefs but has been invaluable here.  Years ago Cris Carter had drug problems early in his NFL career but he became a Hall of Fame receiver for the Vikings.

In the pass-happy and parity oriented NFL, the Vikings need better quarterback play than they have had in recent seasons.  Adding to the pressure to find a savior at quarterback is NFC Division rivals Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay have superior QB’s.

This Vikings roster is too talented not to be in contention for the playoffs.  Head coach Leslie Frazier, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and defensive coordinator Alan Williams are on the spot.  They have been coaching here long enough to be well beyond the “honeymoon” period.

Despite problems at quarterback, the Vikings defense has been a disappointment and is more responsible than the offense for the team’s 1-3 start — three losses by a combined 15 points.  The Vikings rank 14^th out of 16 NFC teams in total defense.

This team should be 2-2, if not 3-1.

Among players who deserve a smiley sticker are wide receiver Jerome Simpson and kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Simpson is the team’s top pass catcher with 19 receptions for 342 yards.  He looks more engaged than last season, his first with the team.  Patterson, averaging a league best 33.8 yards on kickoff returns, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the month for September.

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