MIAC – Page 25 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Zimmer Frustrated with Vikings Opener

Posted on September 16, 2015September 16, 2015 by David Shama

Wednesday morning quarterbacking in today’s column after the Vikings’ embarrassing 20-3 loss to the 49ers on Monday night. Here are several observations:

Minnesota was favored to win its opening game against a 49ers team labeled mediocre, but the defeat raised questions about what kind of team the Vikings are and will become this fall. Minnesota has been a trendy summer pick to become a surprise team in the NFL—a club that improves on last season’s 7-9 record and finishes in the playoffs. The Vikings, though, didn’t impress anybody Monday night including head coach Mike Zimmer who indicated his players were out of position, flustered and frustrated against the 49ers. “It was just a really, really uncharacteristic performance from our football team and it’s disappointing,” the second-year coach said during a news conference yesterday in which he was critical of the offense and defense.

For one game at least the Vikings are a flop. The final score indicated the difference in the performance of the two teams, but the Vikings could have lost the game by even more than 17 points. The 49ers messed up potential early scoring drives in Vikings territory with penalties. They also had a punt return for a touchdown nullified because of a penalty during a first half that looked like a ragged scrimmage for both teams.

For all the attention given to flashy skill position players like quarterbacks, receivers and cornerbacks in today’s NFL, linemen still have a big say in determining outcomes. Monday night the 49ers offensive and defensive lines were superior to the Vikings. The 49ers sometimes ran through the Vikings defense like they were playing a college team. Second-year running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His performance was different from the Vikings Adrian Peterson who came into the game looking for redemption and found frustration.

Hyde ran with speed and deception, moving quickly through holes or making his own space. Peterson, 30, wasn’t explosive in the first game he played since missing 15 of 16 games last season because of the infamous incident with his son. He didn’t look very frisky compared with the elusive Hyde as he rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries. In fact, he sometimes looked more like a fullback than a halfback including a determined effort where he carried multiple tacklers on his back for several yards.

Peterson’s image didn’t gain any ground either when he was benched in passing situations. The Vikings didn’t seem to want him on the field as they struggled to maximize pass protection while using a line that has shuffled personnel because of injuries. The rebuilt offensive line came into the game as the Vikings’ most suspect unit and collectively they failed at run and pass blocking on Monday night.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was under plenty of pressure from 49ers rushers and at times looked rattled. Zimmer agreed his quarterback appeared unsure at times.

“Yeah, that’s the first time I’ve really seen him like that,” Zimmer said. “Usually he’s got so much composure, but he did seem that way (rattled).”

Praised for his accuracy in the past, Bridgewater had some bad throws even when he wasn’t under that much duress. Without a rushing game to relieve pressure, the Vikings weren’t that effective passing.

Not only didn’t the Vikings run the ball, they sometimes couldn’t stop the 49ers from success on the ground. Running and tackling requires physical play, and Zimmer lamented his team’s lack of it. “Not the team I’ve come to know,” he said on KFAN Radio after the game.

Zimmer made his radio remarks after midnight on Tuesday morning as rain began to fall in Eden Prairie near the Vikings Winter Park training facility. It was an appropriate ending to a dreary evening.

Worth Noting

Former Gophers and Packers running back Darrell Thompson talking about Peterson’s opening game and the season ahead: “I’ll bet he’ll rebound and play well.”

A source told Sports Headliners the Gophers received $200,000 from Colorado State for playing in Fort Collins last Saturday.

Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said at his news conference yesterday starting guard Jon Christenson had knee surgery on Monday and won’t play for three to four weeks. Injuries have disrupted the offensive line’s cohesiveness and Kill said two other starting linemen who he declined to identify wouldn’t practice yesterday. Regarding the line, Kill said, “Three starters down and we’ll see how it works.”

Injuries are also expected to keep defensive backs Damarius Travis and Charlie Rogers out of Saturday’s home game with Kent State.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Isaiah Gentry hasn’t played in Minnesota’s first two games, a loss to TCU and win against Colorado State. Gentry had a hamstring problem but is expected to make his college debut Saturday and the coaches are looking forward to seeing what he can do.

“He’s a big play receiver,” said offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. “He’s a guy that can change that field in a hurry, and we’re excited to get him back.”

The Gophers offense has both faltered and been clutch in the first two games. Quarterback Mitch Leidner has been criticized and praised, but Kill pointed out the redshirt junior from Lakeville has now thrown 153 passes without an interception.

Kill raved about the play of sophomore defensive lineman Steven Richardson against Colorado State. “Steve Richardson played one of the best games I’ve ever seen a defensive tackle play. I mean, he played flat unbelievable. Highlight video. I mean, unreal.”

The Mid-American Conference served its annual notice last Saturday that MAC teams can’t be taken for granted when playing power conference schools. MAC members Toledo and Bowling Green pulled off upsets over Arkansas and Maryland, although it’s not likely Kent State will do the same against the Gophers. The Golden Flashes, 2-9 last season, lost their opening game this year to Illinois, 52-3. The Illini led 38-0 at the half. Kent State was 11-3 in 2012 but might be reverting to a dark period like 1989-2000 when the Flashes weren’t so golden, winning 16 games in 12 years.

The Kent State roster includes fifth-year kicker April Goss. The 5-6, 134-pound native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania converted an extra point in Kent State’s win over Delaware State last week to become just the second woman ever to score a point in a major college game. Goss was mobbed by teammates after her second quarter conversion, carried off the field on their shoulders and congratulated on the sidelines by the Kent State president. A walk-on with the Golden Flashes in 2012, she had seen no game action prior to this season.

Miami athletic director Blake James, a graduate of Coon Rapids High School and Minnesota State Mankato, is a name that could draw speculation for the Gophers AD opening. James has been athletic director at the Florida school for more than two years, and he has extensive experience in college athletics including administrative and development work.

It will be interesting to see if the University of Minnesota hires a search firm to assist with hiring the next athletic director who could be someone with Minnesota roots (the opposite of former AD Norwood Teague who came with an East Coast background and didn’t have relationships here). Perhaps a firm that will be considered for the search is College Sports Solutions founded by Jeff Schemmel, who worked for 13 years in the Gophers athletic department and is the former athletic director at San Diego State.

Twins rookie Miguel Sano, who drove in two runs last night in a 5-4 loss to the Tigers, now has an impressive 47 RBI in 62 games. Joe Mauer reached base for a 35th consecutive game, the second longest streak of his career after his 36 games in 2009-2010.

The Wild have capped season ticket sales at 15,000, an increase of “several hundred” from a year ago when sales also went well, according to a team spokesperson. The franchise has a waiting list for season tickets.

The Wild opens training camp Friday at 8:30 a.m. in Xcel Energy Center. Fans can attend practice at Xcel on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Entry to the building will be through Gate 1. The team’s first preseason game is next Monday at home starting at 7 p.m. against the Sabres.

Saint John’s is 2-0 this season after nonconference wins and the Johnnies are ranked No. 8 nationally in the D3football.com top 25. Two Johnnies have been honored with Player of the Week recognition following Saturday’s 56-7 win over Buena Vista. Junior linebacker Carter Hanson (Blue Earth, Minn.) is the MIAC’s Defensive Player of the Week after returning a fumble for a touchdown against Buena Vista and also making nine tackles and one sack. The Johnnies Josh Bungum (Paynesville, Minn.) returned three punts Saturday for 58 yards (19.3 average) and set up three touchdowns. He is the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Gustavus Adolphus senior quarterback Mitch Hendricks (Bemidji, Minn.) threw for 353 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Lake Forest last Saturday to win the MIAC’s offensive award for the week. This is his fourth MIAC Offensive Player of the Week award in the last two seasons.

The recent death of basketball Hall of Famer Moses Malone prompted memories of Bill Musselman, the former Gophers coach from the 1970s who revived interest in Minnesota basketball and packed Williams Arena with frenzied fans. Musselman was a tireless recruiter who targeted Malone as a high school player in Norfolk, Virginia but the 6-10 center went directly to the American Basketball Association and never played in college. Malone might have joined a Gophers roster in 1974 that included future pros Mark Landsberger, Mychal Thompson and Mark Olberding.

A guess right now is Dr. Bill McGuire and his ownership group that intends to bring a MLS team to Minnesota will choose St. Paul as a stadium site and make an announcement within 60 days.

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ESPN’s Mark May: Gophers to Go 9-3

Posted on September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 by David Shama

Longtime ESPN football analyst Mark May told Sports Headliners last night he believes the Gophers will finish the season with a 9-3 regular season record. May made the prediction at TCF Bank Stadium prior to kickoff but he indicated win or lose he is buying into the program, saying a “win tonight catapults them into the national title picture.”

The Gophers lost 23-16 to No. 2 ranked TCU, a team that was 12-1 a year ago and a favorite to win the national championship. Nobody will have Minnesota in national title discussions anytime soon but May expects the Gophers to be better than last year’s 8-4 team and to contend for the West Division championship in the Big Ten Conference.

May praised Minnesota’s fifth-year coach Jerry Kill who inherited a bottom-feeder program in 2011. “I think you’ve got the right guy, for the right job,” he said about Kill who has made a career out of rebuilding programs.

There’s no reason for Gophers fans to be too discouraged about last night’s loss, despite the usual irrational comments from some disappointed fans who had unrealistic expectations. TCU is one of college football’s best teams and was favored by about 16 points. The Gophers, not even ranked in the top 25 nationally in polls, came within seven points of winning. Near the game’s conclusion Minnesota was within one long touchdown of tying the game and going ahead with an extra point.

Minnesota’s defense, predicted to be among the best in the Big Ten, exceeded expectations. TCU averaged 46.5 points per game last season and returns 10 of 11 starters including Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Trevone Boykin. But the Horned Frogs could produce only two touchdowns and three field goals last night. One of the touchdowns came after Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner fumbled, setting up an easy Horned Frogs touchdown starting at the Gophers’ 15 yard line.

Playmakers on defense were numerous including true freshman outside linebacker Julian Huff who made an impact rushing Boykin. Another Gopher in his debut game, redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Cody Poock, had seven tackles. Redshirt senior cornerback Briean-Boddy Calhoun made nine tackles (seven solo).

As expected, the Gophers’ offense looked like a project and the challenge of producing points was made more difficult playing without two of the best offensive linemen, redshirt senior tackle-guard Josh Campion and redshirt junior tackle Ben Lauer. The blocking was inconsistent, a word that described the work of the entire offense.

The Gophers are in search of playmakers and are without two of their stars from 2014, running back David Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams who have moved on to the NFL. Last night senior wide receiver KJ Maye caught four passes for 73 yards including a 22-yard catch in the fourth quarter that made the score 23-17. Redshirt freshman running back Rodney Smith showed changes of speed and elusiveness in the open field like Cobb did last season. Smith, replacing senior Rodrick Williams whose first half fumble in the TCU was another game-changing miscue, ran for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Redshirt junior quarterback Mitch Leidner was impressive at times including on that late fourth quarter drive putting his team within seven points of going ahead. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 197 yards. He had some poor throws but despite challenging moments he demonstrated leadership and a strong will.

On both sides of the ball last night, and on special teams, the Gophers showed grit. That will be a key ingredient if they’re to make good on May’s prediction of a 9-3 season.

Worth Noting

Scout ranks the Gophers No. 35 in the national recruiting listings for 2016. Under Kill Minnesota has never finished that high in the rankings. Ryan Burns, publisher for Scout’s GopherDigest.com, told Sports Headliners the close game last night is “something they (Gophers recruiters) can point to” in building further momentum.

Burns said nine players the Gophers are recruiting will be on campus for the Michigan game at TCF Bank Stadium on October 31, Halloween night.

TCF Bank Stadium football capacity is 52,525 but a record crowd of 54,147 attended the game including fans who paid $40 for standing-room only tickets.

The M Club Room in the stadium where University of Minnesota letter winners and their friends and families socialize for Gophers games can accommodate about 200 people. On the walls are the names of about 7,000 individuals who have lettered in athletics at Minnesota.

The fourth season of selling beer and wine at the stadium for Gophers football games began last night. The commission revenues the previous three years were: $185,023, $325,567, and $557,597 last season. Athletic department spokesman Chris Werle said alcohol is provided as a service to fans and issued this statement via e-mail:

“Our philosophy is to provide the best in-game experience to our many fans and given that we reside in a market with multiple professional sports teams that serve beer at their events, our fans prefer that we do as well.”

Sports Illustrated describes the Vikings as “the sleeper’s sleeper” in its NFL preview issue that came out this week. The magazine predicts the Vikings, 7-9 last season, will finish at 10-6 and in second place in the NFC North but will just miss the playoffs. Writer Chris Burke praises the defense but frets about the offensive line.

S.I. forecasts the Packers winning the division at 12-4, followed by the Vikings, Lions (8-10) and Bears (3-13). The Ravens will defeat the Seahawks in Super Bowl 50.

College basketball coaches are cautious about the number of quality opponents they schedule for nonconference games. Gophers fans want to see nonconference games between Minnesota coach Richard Pitino and his father, Louisville coach Rick Pitino. It probably doesn’t enhance the likelihood of a multi-game series between the two now that Louisville has made a three-year commitment to play Indiana in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Gophers prep basketball recruits Eric Curry and Amir Coffey attended last night’s Minnesota-TCU football game on official visits to campus. Curry, a power forward from Little Rock, is a Rivals.com three-star recruit while Coffey, the shooting guard from Hopkins High School, is a four-star.

During the last school year 989 MIAC student-athletes were academic all-conference, achieving at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average. More than 6,000 athletes—over 70 percent of them coming from the state of Minnesota—are expected to participate in MIAC sports again in 2015-2016.

The first game of the season involving an MIAC football team was played last night when Bethel won a nonconference matchup at Wisconsin-Stout, 35-20 as the Royals rallied with three fourth quarter touchdowns. Saint John’s, the preseason favorite to win the MIAC title as voted in a coaches poll, opens at home on Saturday against Buena Vista in another nonconference game.

Morning show host Dave Lee congratulated Sid Hartman earlier this week on his 60th anniversary of being on WCCO Radio. Hartman, who has been writing for Minneapolis newspapers even longer, turned 95 last March.

Wild regular season single game tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on September 19, exclusively at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office. Beginning at noon that day, they will also be available at Ticketmaster locations and Wild.com. Tickets for preseason games are on sale now.

The four newest members of the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame will be honored in a ceremony Saturday. They are former jockey Tad Leggett; Minneapolis Star Tribune sports reporter Rachel Blount; state veterinarian Dr. Richard Bowman; and retired thoroughbred Wally’s Choice who ranks third all-time in earnings at Canterbury. “Wally the Beer Man” (Wally McNeil) and his wife Joyce McNeil and Canterbury Park board chair Curtis Sampson have been longtime owners of Wally’s Choice.

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Gophers Coaches Praise QB Leidner

Posted on August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 by David Shama

Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said quarterback Mitch Leidner is the “best I’ve seen him” during the most recent weeks of practices. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the redshirt junior starter looks “sharp” as Minnesota counts down the days to the opening game on Thursday night at home against national title contender TCU.

Kill and Limegrover remarked about Leidner’s confidence at a news conference this afternoon. After they spoke, Leidner told Sports Headliners his passing has improved from when he was a part-time starter as a freshman in 2013 and last year as the No. 1 quarterback.

“I feel like I am throwing the football as best as I ever had—accurate, consistent everyday and throwing with more velocity as well,” Leidner said.

Kill said he has noticed a difference in Leidner since preseason camp opened August 7. “Well, I think for the first three or four days of camp Mitch wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be, but I can tell you the last two weeks he’s been unbelievably sharp,” Kill said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him look since I’ve been here. I mean, he’s done a really, really good job.”

Leidner struggled and so did the entire offense last year in a 30-7 loss to the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. He passed for 151 yards, with 12 completions in 26 attempts while throwing three interceptions. Backup quarterback Chris Streveler produced the only Minnesota score, throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Maxx Williams.

Leidner had a troublesome knee prior to the TCU game and there was some question about his availability. He played much of the game, though, and he certainly wasn’t pleased with his performance or an offense that came up with just 14 first downs and 99 yards rushing.

Limegrover said it “eats” at his quarterback when he and the team struggle. “I know that’s been something he’s wanted to rectify (the TCU loss)—the way he played, regardless of whether he was injured up or not,” Limegrover said. “He didn’t feel very good about his performance and the way things went. He is feeling good (now). He’s been looking sharp.”

Limegrover acknowledged that how Leidner performs has everything to do with the success of the offense this season. The quarterback is aware of the questions continually asked about his passing skills last season, in the spring and even now as the team prepares for the 12 games ahead. He said it would be “huge” if he excels on Thursday night and the Gophers win. “I am just hoping all this preparation will payoff,” he said.

Worth Noting

As of today, approximately 200 tickets remained on sale for Thursday night’s game. When those tickets are gone, standing-room only will be sold and will contribute to an attendance that will be the largest for a Gophers game in TCF Bank Stadium history.

The University of Minnesota’s decision to give men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino a $400,000 increase is certainly controversial. The increase was the decision earlier this year of the now departed athletic director Norwood Teague. Defenders of Teague’s decision will say Minnesota needed to boost Pitino’s compensation because of Alabama’s interest in hiring the second-year Gophers coach. But after Pitino coached a 6-12 season in the Big Ten and didn’t qualify his team for postseason play, the increase is difficult to accept under any circumstances.

Pitino could have achieved a public relations coup by turning down the $400,000 while noting this is a challenging time for the University because of the Teague scandal. Further, he might have said the money was better directed toward the school’s $190 million athletics facilities project that will include a new basketball practice facility benefitting him.

Among Pitino’s contract bonus incentives is one paying him $25,000 for an annual cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher. His players had a GPA of 2.73 (low B range) for spring semester.

The Vikings play tonight in Arlington, Texas against the Cowboys in another preseason game expected to draw a large TV audience in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The Vikings had a 35 average share for preseason games last year and in the first three exhibition games this summer the shares have been 38, 35 and 34.5. A share is the percentage of households watching a specific program at a specific time.

AT&T Stadium in Arlington was designed by HKS, the same company providing much of the vision for U.S. Bank Stadium that opens in Minneapolis next summer. The retractable roof stadium is among the most acclaimed sports venues anywhere, and a facility with similar features to the Vikings new home.

Both stadiums allow the home team to take the field at the 50-yard line adjacent to turf suites (bunkered in AT&T but field-level at U.S. Bank Stadium). The Arlington venue has a retractable window while the new Vikings home features five pivoting doors that at their peak are 95 feet tall. AT&T Stadium houses an art collection and U.S. Bank Stadium will have artwork depicting Vikings and other Minnesota sports history, plus culture of the state.

Vikings second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater makes his fourth preseason start tonight. Bridgewater was asked to contrast his first preseason start as a rookie in 2014 with now. “Last year, that preseason game, my head was spinning,” he said. “My head was everywhere. My mind was everywhere. First off, trying to get the play call correctly in the huddle. Then coming to the line of scrimmage, trying to make the right calls at the line of scrimmage. Then post-snap trying to figure out what coverage the defense is running. I think my coaches did a great job last year preparing me for that first game and this year, having a year under my belt playing in this system, I’m even more comfortable.”

Vikings second year head coach Mike Zimmer, who is 7-0 in preseason games in 2014 and 2015, was the Cowboys defensive backfield coach from 1994-1999 and defensive coordinator from 2000-2006. Zimmer remains friends with the Jones family who own and operate the Cowboys. Steve Loney, the former Gophers and Vikings offensive line coach, is the assistant o-line coach for the Cowboys.

The Timberwolves are selling a “3-Pack on a Stick” multi-games ticket package at the Minnesota State Fair. The games are the home opener November 2 against the Trail Blazers, November12 with the NBA champion Warriors and December 9 versus the Lakers. The ticket offer is available exclusively at the Timberwolves’ exhibit at the fair. Buyers also receive an Andrew Wiggins cutout on a stick.

Defending champion Saint John’s is the MIAC football coaches choice to win the league title again. In their annual poll the coaches voted teams in this order following the Johnnies: St. Thomas, Bethel, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus, Augsburg, Hamline, Carleton and St. Olaf. D3football.com ranks Saint John’s No. 9, St. Thomas 14th and Bethel 20th in its national preseason top 25.

Former Gophers tennis coach Jerry Noyce is a new member of the Evanston (Illinois) Township High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Noyce played on the undefeated Evanston state doubles championship team in 1962. He was part of two state championship tennis teams playing for the suburban Chicago school. He is also a member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame and the Gophers “M” Club Hall of Fame.

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