MIAC – Page 22 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Linval Joseph, D-Line Get MVP Vote

Posted on November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 by David Shama

A lengthy list of notes including an unofficial vote for the Vikings midseason MVP, and also the Gophers “revenge” game tomorrow against Illinois.

Ex-Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema remains close to the team and was asked to name a MVP after nine games. “Linval Joseph right now is leading the pack, but if you answer the question straight out, I would say the defensive line entirely,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “…They do so many things, and now they’re coming together as a group.”

Joseph, a 27-year-old defensive tackle in his second season with the Vikings, is having a career year. Joseph has 31 solo tackles through nine starts, after totaling 28 in 16 games last season. He has 43 combined tackles, with seven games remaining in the regular schedule. His career-best for solo tackles in one season is 34, and it’s 59 for combined tackles.

Joseph was announced as NFC Defensive Player of the Week a couple days after his performance on November 8 against the Rams. In that overtime win he had 10 tackles, including seven solo.

Linval Joseph (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings.)

Joseph was a starter with the Giants before coming to the Vikings as a free agent prior to the 2014 season. The six-year pro told Sports Headliners that for consistency this is his best season. “I feel like things are just working out well for me right now. Everybody is playing team ball. Everybody is just happy for one another when they make plays. I just like the atmosphere that’s going on in this locker room. I just can’t wait to play Green Bay this week.”

The NFC North Division leading Vikings, 7-2, will play Green Bay at TCF Bank Stadium and the Packers will face a defense giving up only 17.1 points per game—best in the NFC. Joseph and his defensive line teammates have helped lead a productive defense for head coach Mike Zimmer, now in his second season with the Vikings.

“He’s a very good guy,” Joseph said about his coach. “He cares about his players. His players care about him. At the end of the day we’ve all got the same mindset. We want to win. We want to go to the top.”

Lurtsema has frequently praised Zimmer for his defensive teaching skills, blitz calls, secondary coverages, and overall approach with the team including intolerance for players who habitually make mistakes. Before this season began, an optimistic Lurtsema predicted a 10-6 record for the Vikings and a spot in the playoffs. The Vikings had finished 7-9 in 2014 and didn’t qualify for postseason play.

Lurtsema is also predicting a Vikings win by three points against the 6-3 Packers who have lost three straight games. The Packers are in a funk after an 18-16 loss to the now 2-7 Lions in Green Bay last Sunday. “Something’s missing there,” Lurtsema said on Monday. “You just don’t lose at home, especially to Detroit.”

A supportive and amped-up Vikings crowd on Sunday might even be the difference in the outcome of a game that is a projected toss-up. “Attitude (from players) is contagious. Attitude from the crowd is contagious,” Lurtsema said. “If it wasn’t important, why would point spreads bring in three points for home field advantage? That’s what they have always stated.”

The Gophers play Illinois tomorrow at TCF Bank Stadium and Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner has a message for the Illini who pulled off an upset last year. “It definitely was a surprise for us to go down there and get beat last year. They’re coming to our house this year and we’re excited about that, and it’s definitely a game that we got some revenge for them.”

That loss to Illinois cost the Gophers an opportunity to play the last game of the season at Wisconsin with one defeat. The Badgers had one loss entering the game. Wisconsin defeated Minnesota and became the West Division champs with a 7-1 Big Ten record. The Gophers finished with a 5-3 conference record.

Shannon Brooks, the Gophers 19-year-old freshman running back, has emerged as the team’s most explosive runner. “I don’t think he’s a finished product at all, and that’s what’s so exciting about it,” said Matt Limegrover.

Limegrover, Minnesota’s offensive coordinator, expects Brooks to mature physically. Limegrover used senior wide receiver KJ Maye as an example of a Gopher who has become faster, quicker and stronger after being dedicated to year-round training.

Limegrover said Brooks told him he has work to do as he continues to transition from high school to college football. “I think he’ll be a different player as early as this spring,” the coach said.

Brooks has twice been selected as the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week. His most recent honor came this week after a performance last Saturday against Iowa that included 86 yards rushing and a surprise 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky.

It was the first pass Brooks has attempted in a Gophers game and perhaps his last, since it’s unusual for a tailback to throw the ball. Wolitarsky admitted the Gophers worked on the play a lot in practice last week. He said the throw Brooks made in the game was his best of the week. “It didn’t look good in practice,” Wolitarsky said.

New Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys, the team’s former defensive coordinator, attends offensive meetings now. Limegrover has come to know Claeys is willing to take chances on offense including the Brooks to Wolitarsky pass. “He was the one that said, ‘Hey, don’t bring it back on the plane with you,’ ” Limegrover recalled.

During games, though, Claeys seldom involves himself with play calling. He said “99.9 percent” (of the time) assistants are deciding on the offensive plays.

Asked about how his life has changed since taking over for Jerry Kill as head coach this fall, Claeys said he’s setting aside 60 to 90 minutes per night to make recruiting calls.

Look for the Gophers to continue Kill’s philosophy of filling recruiting needs mostly with high school players, not junior college prospects who have fewer years of eligibility at Division I schools than preps. Claeys mentioned the Kansas program that a couple of years ago under then head coach Charlie Weis recruited a large class of junior college transfers, and he said that “got them in a bind.”

The November 18 issue of Sports Illustrated ranks MLB’s top 50 free agents and suggests franchises where players will “best fit” next season. Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, 30 years old, and Astros right-hand pitcher Tony Sipp, 32, received Twins best fits.

Cabrera, ranked No. 29 by S.I., hit .265 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI last season, but his big value was in the field where he committed just nine errors in 1,141 innings. Sipp, ranked No. 46, had a career season in relief with a 3-4 record and 1.99 ERA.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team is one of eight teams playing in the Division 3 Hoopsville Classic Invitational in Stevenson, Maryland. The Tommies, ranked No. 4 in the nation by D3Hoops.com, play Emory tonight and Southern Vermont Saturday evening. Those two teams were a combined 47-10 last season and appear formidable again.

Tommies coach John Tauer is a professor of psychology. Sports Illustrated posted a podcast last Monday on his work as a coach, professor, and author.

Ready for the annual Teddy Bear Toss promotion? Better be if you’re planning to attend the Gophers women’s hockey game at Ridder Arena tonight. Fans can bring stuffed animals for donation to the athletic department’s annual toy drive. When the first Gopher goal is scored, fans can throw the stuffed animals on the ice. Minnesota (11-1-0, 9-1-0 WCHA) plays Yale (1-4-1, 1-2-1 ECAC) tonight and Saturday evening.

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Potential QB Battle in Oakland Intrigues

Posted on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by David Shama

If Teddy Bridgewater is recovered from a concussion and can play next Sunday in Oakland there will be an interesting matchup between two of the NFL’s promising young quarterbacks. Derek Carr, 24, was taken in the second round by the Raiders in 2014 while the Vikings selected Bridgewater, 22, in the first round of the same NFL Draft.

Teddy Bridgewater (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said this afternoon at his press conference that Bridgewater has passed his first concussion clearance test but as the week progresses it will be determined whether his quarterback is recovered from the blow he took in yesterday’s win over the Rams. “I think he’ll be good to go (Sunday),” Zimmer said.

Six NFL.com writers gave their opinions last month about top quarterback prospects 25 and younger. In addition to Carr and Bridgewater (he turns 23 tomorrow), the list included Blake Bortles, 23, Marcus Mariota, 21, and Jameis Winston, 21. In the October 20 article Bucky Brooks, Nate Burleson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders and Ike Taylor were asked to identify the quarterback they would choose to build a franchise around.

Four of the six chose Carr, with two others picking Bridgewater. “Derek Carr reminds me a little of Brett Favre,” Mariucci wrote. “He’s got a little grit to him and a certain toughness. He’s a natural-born leader and has all the intangibles. …”

“Teddy Bridgewater is my choice for a franchise quarterback,” Brooks wrote. “He’s the one with the most complete skill set, and he has the intelligence, confidence and leadership you look for in a young QB. From a physical standpoint, he can make all the throws at the short and intermediate range, but he can be a little spotty on deep throws. …”

Carr and Bridgewater had comparable seasons as rookies. Carr had more passing yards, 3,270, and touchdowns, 21, than any other first-year quarterback in 2014.

Bridgewater’s numbers were 2,919 yards and 14 TDs. Carr had a passer rating of 76.6 while Bridgewater’s number was 85.2.

Bridgewater was voted by fans as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He started 12 games to Carr’s eight and had a slightly better passing completion percentage, 64.4 versus 58.1. The Vikings also had a 7-9 record while the Raiders were 3-12.

After week nine of this season Bridgewater is way behind Carr in stats including passer rating, 83.4 versus 104.3. Carr has 19 touchdown passes and only four interceptions while Bridgewater’s numbers are six and six. Carr has led an improving Raiders team that is playing .500 football at 4-4. The Vikings are a surprise team too with a 6-2 record.

No doubt Bridgewater’s priority for next Sunday is just to get on the filed. Then it’s helping the Vikings win another game but if he plays you can be sure fans and media will be comparing him with Carr.

Worth Noting

Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 125 yards yesterday in the Vikings win against the Rams, now leads the NFL in rushing with 758 yards.

It’s a sad legacy that former Vikings defensive players Wally Hilgenberg (2008 death), Orlando Thomas (2014) and Fred McNeill (several days ago) all died from ALS. Hilgenberg died at 66 years old, Thomas at 42 and McNeill was 63.

Although Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said he had seizures prior to the days before announcing his resignation last month, a Sports Headliners source wasn’t aware that any of the seizures were witnessed by his players. Another source said Kill and his wife Rebecca were in Florida last week.

Do a Google entry typing the name Tracy Claeys and among the first search words that come up is “wife.” Claeys, the Gophers interim head football coach who turns 47 on Christmas Day, is single.

A lot has been written about next year’s Gophers schedule with East Division powers Michigan and Ohio State going off the schedule, but what’s not noted much is the Big Ten will have each team playing nine conference games instead of eight and Minnesota will be on the road for five of them. East Division bottom feeders Maryland and Rutgers replace Michigan and Ohio State on Minnesota’s schedule.

The Gophers will play Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin on the road. Coming to Minneapolis will be Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Rutgers, plus home nonleague games with Colorado State, Indiana State and Oregon State.

St. Thomas (9-0, 7-0 MIAC) secured an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs and share of the conference championship by crushing Carleton (1-8, 0-7 MIAC) 80-3 last Saturday. Coach Glenn Caruso told Sports Headliners he doesn’t talk about wins and losses with his players, but instead emphasizes best effort and execution. That’s chapter-and-verse coaching philosophy from the approach of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

Caruso is a Wooden admirer and refers to him as the “greatest coach of the last century”—a master teacher who understood human nature and motivation. Among Caruso’s favorite resources is Wooden’s classic book They Call Me Coach. “I’ve read it seven or eight times,” he said.

Caruso dialogues almost daily with St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer who has a doctorate degree in social psychology. He refers to Tauer as “one of the smartest men I know.” The two coaches live within 10 houses of each other in St. Paul. “I draw a lot of vision from our conversations,” Caruso said.

Despite fan speculation, there appears no possibility the Twins will ask first baseman Joe Mauer to become a catcher again. The club needs catching help and there is a logjam of players who can play first base, third base and the outfield. Manager Paul Molitor, talking on KFAN Radio with “The Common Man” and Mark Rosen last Wednesday, said he is interested in having slugger Miguel Sano do less designated hitting next season and instead play a position in the field, perhaps in the outfield.

While some preseason listings have placed several Big Ten teams in their top 25 rankings, the November 9 Sports Illustrated college basketball issue included only three league teams—No. 5 Maryland, No. 14 Indiana and No. 15 Michigan State. The ACC had four schools in the top six with No. 1 North Carolina, No. 4 Duke and No. 6 Virginia.

Ironically, coach Richard Pitino’s Gophers (2-0 in exhibition games) open their regular season at home on Friday night against UMKC, the program whose coaching staff included Andre McGee until he resigned late last month. McGee has been a focal point in allegations about a sex scandal involving the Louisville men’s basketball program where Pitino’s father Rick Pitino is head coach. The Kansas City, Missouri based school and team opens its schedule with a home exhibition game tonight against Hawaii Pacific.

The 3-2 Timberwolves, who play the Hawks in Atlanta tonight, are 3-0 in road games—the first time in 13 years the franchise has done that. The 2001-2002 team won its first four games of the season away from home. The Wolves didn’t win their third road game last season until January 13.

Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio is averaging 9.2 assists per game—second best in the NBA behind the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook at 10.9.

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Claeys Needs Wins & Style Points

Posted on November 6, 2015 by David Shama

Some call it moral victories. Let’s refer to it here as style points. Either way, hello, Tracy Claeys.

The Gophers interim head football boss is coaching for scoreboard wins in the team’s last four games of the season, but there’s more to it than that as he auditions for the permanent job. Minnesota is all but certain to lose some of those games but what matters along with the number of W’s will be how the team looks.

Will the Gophers play with emotion the rest of the season? Do they sustain effort if the score is one-sided? Will sloppy play characterize the performances of players? Is this going to be a team making excessive mistakes including turnovers and penalties? How about the effectiveness of the play calling? What about the in-game adjustments by the coaches?

It’s anyone’s guess whether Claeys can be a successful head coach. His debut game last Saturday against Michigan didn’t dazzle. While the Gophers played with effort and execution, and the game plan looked solid, clock management and play selection at game’s end were troubling and directly contributed to the 29-26 loss.

Claeys’ predecessor, Jerry Kill, was a zealous, leave no stone unturned leader who inspired players. Gophers defensive back Antonio Johnson said Claeys can get after his players with emotional outbursts but his personality isn’t as intense as Kill’s. Asked if Claeys will be fiery on occasion, Johnson said: “Yeah, he’ll lose it if something just goes completely wrong. But overall, though, he’s pretty laid back and calm.”

Different coaching personalities can produce desired results, but Claeys will have to prove himself in the emotions department and everything else if he gets the interim tag removed—from recruiting to game plans, from fundraising to disciplining players, from media relations to halftime adjustments. The highly regarded staff of assistant coaches Kill assembled and kept in place is still around to work for Claeys who was promoted from defensive coordinator when Kill resigned last week. That’s a huge plus for Claeys and the program.

The four games ahead won’t deliver the final judgment on Claeys but will provide a lot of insights. Minnesota plays at No. 1 ranked and undefeated Ohio State tomorrow. A week from Saturday the Gophers face another nationally ranked and unbeaten team in Iowa on the road. Then it’s home to finish the season against mediocre Illinois, and play a Wisconsin team that has only lost two games and seems to be gaining momentum. That’s no day at the beach for Claeys and the Gophers who have a 4-4 overall record and are 1-3 in Big Ten games.

This has been a disappointing season to date—characterized by a lot of injuries and also an inconsistent offense that sometimes looks unimaginative and often lacks playmakers. If the Gophers surprise most everyone by winning three of their final four games the results will put a huge smiley face on Gopher Nation. If the Gophers win two of the last four, and thereby qualify for a bowl game, the program’s more starry-eyed supporters might say, “Pretty good season considering all the setbacks this fall.”

What about if the team wins only one—or zero games—the rest of the way? That’s pretty much an “ugh”—although make one of those wins against Ohio State, Iowa or Bucky Badger, and Gophers loyalists won’t be quite so down in the dumps.

Long ago Gophers football had a high standard of excellence. There were expectations about Big Ten titles, even national championships.

Moral victories? Bull.

Style points? Really?

But reality is today’s Gophers program is still trying to prove winning half of its conference games year after year is doable. What Claeys and the staff might show us in the next few weeks and months (recruiting season) is this program could go beyond what Kill delivered including 5-3 and 4-4 conference records the last two seasons. It requires Forrest Gump-like optimism to see the Gophers winning three more times this fall and finishing at .500 in Big Ten games. But let’s be willing to drink enough feel good Kool-Aid to think the Gophers are going to find a way to win two more regular season games and then get Minnesota’s first bowl victory since 2004.

Yeah, win a couple more games and in the losses don’t embarrass Gopher Nation—the tag Tim Brewster put on the fan base. During the Brewster era he had games where he lost 55-0 to Iowa and 48-12 to Wisconsin. Seven games into the 2010 season he was fired. Two weeks later his successor, interim head coach Jeff Horton, lost 52-10 to Ohio State.

Get the idea about style points?

Worth Noting

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott is a Heisman Trophy candidate and he does more than make explosive runs. He is a willing blocker. “No question, and I don’t think he gets credit for the way he blocks,” Claeys said. “I think he’s the best blocking tailback that there is. …”

The Vikings have won six consecutive home games and play the Rams on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota has also won two consecutive road games for the first time since 2012.

Vikings place kicker Blair Walsh knows Todd Gurley, the Rams rookie running back who is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and has gained 575 yards. Both Walsh and Gurley are from the University of Georgia, although the two didn’t play together in Athens. Gurley left the Bulldogs after his junior season while drawing comparisons to legendary Georgia and NFL running back Herschel Walker. Walsh is among Gurley’s admirers and quipped with this: “He was only there three years. We would have loved for him to stay four. …”

Since week four of the NFL season, Vikings rookie wide receiver Stefon Diggs has 10 catches of 20-plus yards.

St. Thomas (8-0, 6-0 MIAC) can cinch an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs and share of the conference championship with a win tomorrow afternoon at home again Carleton (1-7, 0-6 MIAC). Coach Glenn Caruso’s Tommies are having one of their more impressive seasons in memory, winning each game by at least 21 points. A victory means a fourth MIAC title in six years.

Caruso told Sports Headliners this is the healthiest team late in the season that he’s had at St. Thomas. “It’s not even close to any other year,” said Caruso who has led the Tommies since the 2008 season.

Caruso gives much of the credit for his players’ health to strength coach Tommy Becker who even teaches the Tommies yoga for flexibility. Becker, a former linebacker at Wayzata High School, started his college career with the Gophers before playing for Caruso.

The 10 finalists for the 2015 Mr. Football Award are Isaac Collins, Maple Grove; Carter Coughlin, Eden Prairie; Logan Hatfield, Bemidji; Amani Hooker, Park Center; Tyler Johnson, Minneapolis North; Kamal Martin, Burnsville; David McCuskey, Orono; Bishop McDonald, North St. Paul; Dillon Radunz, Becker; J.D. Spielman, Eden Prairie. The award is sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings. The 2015 winner will be announced at the Mr. Football Banquet on Sunday, November 22 at the Doubletree by Hilton Minneapolis Park Place Hotel.

Lightning right wing J.T. Brown, the Burnsville native and son of former Vikings running back Ted Brown, has two goals and one assist in 13 games this season. He and his Tampa Bay teammates play the Wild at Xcel Energy Center tomorrow night.

Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher, a close friend of the late Flip Saunders, will speak at the next CORES luncheon on Thursday, November 12 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Reservations should be made by next Monday. More information about CORES is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino after being asked to name three coaches he admires: “My father (Rick Pitino), he’s somebody that has been so good, for so long. Billy Donovan is another mentor of mine who built Florida into a powerhouse. I kind of look at the model he did there as something we’re trying to do here. I was always amazed by Joe Torre’s ability to handle so many distractions in New York as a manager of the Yankees, and handle it with such great class. That’s something that I think every coach aspires to. …”

The Gophers play Southwest Minnesota State at Williams Arena tonight. That will be Minnesota’s second and final exhibition game of the year.

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