NCAA – Page 140 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Gets Poised Leader in Seth Green

Posted on December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 by David Shama

East Ridge High School assistant coach Dave Fritze raves about Seth Green’s poise and general demeanor. He also told Sports Headliners the quarterback recruit’s verbal commitment to Minnesota may have been influenced by East Ridge fullback Connor Mohs, who is going to be a preferred walk-on with the Gophers.

Green, who played at East Ridge in Woodbury prior to moving to Texas earlier this year, flipped his verbal commitment from Oregon to Minnesota with an announcement yesterday. He is a coveted pass-run quarterback recruit who is now expected to sign a Letter of Intent with Minnesota on National Signing Day February 3.

“He is probably the most calm player I’ve ever been around as a coach,” said Fritze. “As a freshman he came off the field in a tight game and a coach was going crazy. Seth said, ‘Hey, coach, we’re going to be fine here.’ ”

Fritze was the Eagan High School head coach for 17 years and is now the Raptors defensive coordinator. Fritze, whose son Dan is the East Ridge head coach, said Mohs and Green have been friends since both were high school freshmen. He also said the two are talking about rooming together at Minnesota and their close relationship could have impacted Green’s decision to become a Gopher.

Mohs was a two-year starter for the Raptors and had Division II offers but wants to accept preferred walk-on status with the Gophers. Preferred walk-ons, although they aren’t scholarship players, generally are assured of a roster spot their first year on the team at major college programs. “He was probably the best leader on our team,” Fritze said about the 6-2, 230-pound Raptors captain.

Green is expected to enroll at Minnesota in January, with Mohs coming to campus later in the year. Fritze said it’s expecting a lot for a freshman quarterback to play in games his first year at the Big Ten level but he doesn’t hold back in evaluating Green’s skills.

“Seth has got all the physical and mental tools,” Fritze said about the 6-4, 215-pound Green. “He’s got great height, great speed, (is) strong, (and a) really strong arm. He’ll have to learn how to read defenses and see two or three receivers (on the same play).”

Fritze also said Green is an outstanding student, and is “just a great kid, nice young man.”

The Fritzes helped coach the Raptors to a surprise 11-2 record this fall and a Class 6A playoff run that ended with a loss to Osseo.

Worth Noting

The Gophers football team arrives in Detroit on Christmas Eve day to participate in events leading up to the December 28 Quick Lane Bowl game against Central Michigan. Minnesota will practice at Ford Field, the game site, on Christmas Day. The Gophers have practices on campus this week.

Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Stillwater-based Creative Charters is taking a fan group to Detroit for the bowl game. The group will depart Minneapolis on the morning of the game and return the next day. The cost of $499 per person includes air transportation via Sun Country, ground transfers, one night’s lodging, and game ticket. The Erbans have been taking fans to Gophers games since 1993. More information at Creativecharter.com.

New Gophers coach Tracy Claeys will speak to the CORES group on March 10. Twins president Dave St. Peter speaks on January 7. CORES lunch programs are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

The best basketball game I’ve seen this fall—pro, college or preps—was at Minnetonka High School on Saturday where Hopkins defeated Apple Valley, 89-81. It was an up and down the floor game with lead changes and athletic plays. Seldom, if ever, has a high school game in Minnesota included so many talented players including coveted college recruits Gary Trent Jr. and Tre Jones of Apple Valley, and Hopkins’ Amir Coffey.

The game was the featured piece of the annual Breakdown Sports Tipoff Classics at Minnetonka involving boys and girls teams. The West Court was so packed for the game the Minnetonka fire marshal and police arrived to clear exits and aisles for safety.

Basketball fans and the Minnesota State High School League have to hope for a rematch between Hopkins and Apple Valley in March during the prep playoffs.

Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith and assistant Joe Esposito were at Minnetonka High on Saturday. Esposito said the Red Raiders are recruiting five Minnesota preps currently. After Smith’s six-year tenure as Gophers coach, he and his staff still have relationships in the state and they target Minnesota as a key recruiting area.

Esposito, Saul Smith, and Vince Taylor, all former Gophers assistants under Tubby Smith, are on the staff at Texas Tech. Ron Jirsa, who was a key assistant at Minnesota with Smith, is an assistant coach at Radford (Radford, Virginia).

Kevin Garnett is now the NBA’s all-time leading career defensive rebounder but the league didn’t begin keeping the statistic until 1973. That failure does a disservice to the NBA’s great rebounders from the 1950s and 1960s like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell who averaged more than 20 rebounds (offensive and defensive) per season. In today’s NBA it’s unusual to see anyone average over 16 rebounds.

The Vikings announced a roster move today, signing defensive end Justin Trattou and waiving safety Shaun Prater. Trattou has already played in two games this season, with his stats including one interception.

The NFL season is in its closing weeks and as usual the injuries totals are troublesome for teams. Durability over a 16-game season has everything to do with the success of a team and individuals. Bud Grant, the former Vikings coach who took the team to four Super Bowls, said all the great players have durability. Earlier this month he talked about Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak of 297 games and how players like Jim Marshall, who played for Grant, never missed a practice or game.

“You find out that the greatest ability a player has is his durability,” Grant said. “You never achieve greatness without durability. It doesn’t do any good to play eight games a year. You gotta play 16 games a year. It doesn’t do any good to be great one year, and out the next year.”

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Sky Not Falling on Gophers Football

Posted on October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 by David Shama

Dark clouds above the Minnesota tundra are expected (as usual) this fall but that doesn’t mean the sky is falling on Gophers football.

The pessimists are all atwitter over the Gophers offensive miseries. Indeed, production has been awful. Through five games (four nonconference and one league game), Minnesota ranks last in scoring among Big Ten teams at 15.4 points per game. The Gophers are also last among the 13 other teams in rushing offense (141.2 yards per game) and tied for ninth with Michigan State in pass offense (195.4).

But more of the not so positive details later. The day brightener these days is the Gophers defense—a unit that, despite the loss of injured defensive backs, ranks fourth in the Big Ten versus the pass giving up 154.6 yards per game. The overall defense has lived up to the preseason hype of being among the best units in the Big Ten and although allowing an eighth-best 20.2 points per game the defense has sometimes been put with their backs near the end zone because of miscues not of their doing.

Jerry Kill inherited a mess, including personnel shortages, when he took over the program as Gophers coach after the 2010 season. He set a goal of fixing the defense first and he has done just that. He has also upgraded the kicking game with senior Peter Mortell being one of the nation’s better punters. Sophomore Ryan Santoso has a powerful leg and he has shown accuracy in his early career while both kicking off and booting field goals.

Kill is five games into his fifth season at Minnesota. His overall record is 28-28. In the last 29 years the Gophers have had two other head coaches who were around long enough to coach 56 games—Glen Mason with a 25-31 record and John Gutekunst, 26-28-2.

The opinion here is Kill is the best coach at Minnesota since Lou Holtz made a stopover (1984 and 1985) between assignments at Arkansas and Notre Dame. In the last two seasons the Gophers have twice had overall records of 8-5, with 4-4 and 5-3 records in the Big Ten. The 1999 and 2000 seasons were the last ones the Gophers were at .500 or better in the Big Ten during consecutive years.

The Gophers are 9-6 in their last 15 conference games. The 9-6 ties Iowa for the fourth best mark in the Big Ten during that period. Excluding the results of Big Ten title games, the records of other teams include Ohio State 15-0, Michigan State 14-1, Wisconsin 12-3, Nebraska 8-7, and Michigan and Penn State, both 6-9.

Kill has turned around the football program beyond the playing field. His team collectively had a 3.04 GPA last spring semester and his players are earning their degrees after he inherited a program where players were on academic probation and not attending classes. Also, ask the University police and Minneapolis police if there hasn’t been a dramatic change in off-field behavior.

This week the University Board of Regents is expected to approve detailed plans to move ahead on the $190 million project to improve athletics facilities. Included in that project will be a badly needed new football practice facility. Kill has been adamant about such a facility becoming a reality and has hinted he might not be at Minnesota long-term without it.

Without Kill, the reported $80 million or so that has been fundraised wouldn’t be in place. He is the single most important fundraiser in the athletic department and millions of dollars have been donated because of him.

The anticipated good news about the athletic facilities project is well timed after the offensive debacle at Northwestern. The Wildcats, who shut out Minnesota 27-0, have one of the Big Ten’s best defenses but the Gophers’ biggest obstacle offensively is themselves.

It’s disappointing that after five seasons the Gophers haven’t developed an above average Big Ten quarterback. Instead, there has been a parade of quarterbacks unable to consistently perform at a high level. Kill and his staff developed outstanding quarterbacks in just three seasons at Northern Illinois. Look for them to get the QB riddle solved by next year, perhaps with true freshman Demry Croft who has promising skills both passing and running.

The offensive line has made many misplays this season, another disappointment since that unit was supposed to be among the best in the Big Ten’s West Division. Injuries have kept starters Ben Lauer and Jon Christenson from playing, although Christenson is expected back for Saturday’s game at Purdue. Injuries have slowed other players and forced the coaches to reshuffle assignments. The results have been a mess with the Gophers sometimes unable to pass block or run block.

The offense’s failures include an inability to make long gains. Freshman running backs Rodney Smith (one 30 yard run) and Shannon Brooks (40 yards) show some big play potential but the Gophers are still looking for receivers to consistently step up.

The Gophers might be advised to focus on a power run game, rather than use it occasionally along with their spread offense. Load up the offense with extra tight ends and a blocking fullback. Run not only using the tailbacks, but also let the quarterbacks carry the ball. Both Croft and Mitch Leidner are effective runners, with Croft offering elusiveness while Leidner runs with power.

The offense needs a spark and it seems likely both Croft and Leidner, who has been the starter since going back to last season, will play at Purdue. One or both of them could make plays with their feet and arms to give Minnesota a lift against a less than impressive Boilermakers defense. Purdue is giving up a Big Ten worst 33 points per game.

If the offense can raise its level of play and the defense can cause turnovers, and turn them into points, the dark skies over the program will fade at least for next Saturday. A win gives the Gophers a 4-2 record and moves them within two victories of bowl eligibility.

If Minnesota earns a 2015 bowl win, that will be the program’s first postseason victory since 2004. That would lift spirits, too, as fans anticipate a much less demanding schedule in 2016 than the Gophers are facing in 2015. Michigan and Ohio State go off the schedule while Maryland and Rutgers come on. A better Minnesota record in 2016 is likely.

Gophers fans down in the dumps can remember success doesn’t always follow an ascending line on a chart. Consider nationally-ranked 5-0 Northwestern, riding high at the moment, but coming off consecutive 5-7 seasons. Iowa is also 5-0 after a 7-6 record last season. Head coach Kirk Ferentz, the longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten season, came into this season on the hot seat.

Yeah, short-term things aren’t so cheery with the Gophers because of on-field scoring problems this fall. But big picture—including the successes already achieved, the new facilities coming and Kill’s commitment to coaching here—things look much better. The sky isn’t falling, and brighter days are ahead.

Big Ten Power Rankings

1. Ohio State (5-0, 1-0): As the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, the Buckeyes are targeted for each team’s best shot.

2. Michigan State (5-0, 1-0): Spartans not playing like a top-five ranked team and after a warm-up game Saturday at Rutgers better get ready for October 17 at Michigan.

3. Michigan (4-1, 1-0): After an opening loss to nationally-ranked Utah, the Wolverines have outscored their opponents 122 to 14.

4. Northwestern (5-0, 1-0): Wildcats now in a key schedule stretch with games at Michigan on Saturday and then home versus Iowa.

5. Iowa (5-0, 1-0): The planets align for the Hawkeyes every few years—and this might be one of them.

6. Wisconsin: (3-2, 0-1): These may not be Barry Alvarez’s, Bret Bielema’s or Gary Andersen’s Badgers.

7. Penn State (4-1, 1-0): After the offensive line faltered in opening game loss to Temple, Nittany Lions looking better.

8. Illinois (4-1, 1-0): Illini made an upgrade in August when interim coach Bill Cubit took over for Tim Beckman.

9. Minnesota (3-2, 0-1): Gophers might have the most unproductive offense in the Big Ten after producing a total of 37 points in the last three games.

10. Nebraska (2-3, 0-1): Huskers can’t win the close games, losing three by a total of nine points, and that’s no endorsement of new coach Mike Riley and his staff.

11. Indiana (4-1, 0-1): After a softie nonconference schedule and close loss to OSU, much more will be learned about the Hoosiers after their game at Penn State on Saturday.

12. Purdue (1-4, 0-1): Boilers got a moral victory in 24-21 loss at Michigan State last week. You better believe they’re thinking real win against the Gophers.

13. Rutgers (2-2, 0-1): Wins over Norfolk State and FBS punching bag Kansas don’t impress.

14. Maryland (2-3, 0-1): Porous Terps defense gave up 121 points in losses to Bowling Green, West Virginia and Michigan. No relief in sight as Maryland plays at Ohio State on Saturday.

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Coughlin Gives Spielman Gopher Hints

Posted on October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 by David Shama

Carter Coughlin hasn’t given up on Eden Prairie High School football teammate J.D. Spielman changing his mind about playing for Nebraska. Coughlin has verbally committed to the Gophers and hasn’t been bashful about encouraging other high school prospects to follow him to Minnesota.

Coughlin committed to his home state school last winter, while Spielman announced for Nebraska this summer. The two Eden Prairie teenagers are captains and buddies. Coughlin told Sports Headliners he was disappointed to learn Spielman chose Nebraska over Minnesota but he understands and respects the decision.

Still, that doesn’t mean Coughlin has lost interest in seeing Spielman sign a National Letter of Intent with the Gophers next winter when high school players can make official commitments. “I make hints every now and then but for the most part I am not drilling him too hard,” Coughlin said.

Spielman likes how the slot receiver is used in the Nebraska offense, so that’s provided an opportunity for Coughlin to promote Minnesota and its slot specialist, KJ Maye. “Whenever I am at the Gopher games and KJ Maye makes a play I always take a video of what he did, or whatever, and say this is you out there, or something like that,” Coughlin said. “He chuckles, but that’s pretty much the most I do.”

Eden Prairie is 6-0 and considered the best prep football team in the state. Spielman has been an extraordinary game changer and headline-maker with long runs and touchdowns. He is a headache for defenses with his ability to run and elude tacklers on rushes, pass receptions, punts and kickoffs. Opposing offenses see plenty of Spielman too when he plays in the Eden Prairie secondary where he is a continual threat to intercept passes and run them back for touchdowns.

“J.D. has been making a ton of plays,” Coughlin said. “He’s got like the most incredible vision of any high school player I’ve ever seen. The way he can minupulate his body (is special). Before you even know what you’re going to do, he knows what you’re going to do. It’s pretty incredible.”

Coughlin and Spielman are two of the top college prospects in the Upper Midwest. Coughlin turned down Ohio State for Minnesota. He played defensive end for Eden Prairie last season but has been moved to linebacker, the position he will play at Minnesota. He is 6-foot-4 and his weight is up to about 220 with the goal of adding 10 more pounds before he becomes a Gopher. He has run close to 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. “I’ve kept my speed and I’ve just gotten bigger,” he said.

The Eagles have won 36 straight games and are targeting another 6A title. Coughlin believes this year’s team is better than last season’s champs. “We’ve been running over teams that we’ve been playing,” he said. “Maple Grove gave us a really good game, but to be honest with you we didn’t play very well. So the fact that we beat one of the top teams in the state when we had an off game just goes to show that if we’re playing at our full potential we can beat anybody in the state.”

Eden Prairie defeated Maple Grove by eight points early last month. It was the kind of close game the Eagles always seem to find a way to win under coach Mike Grant and his staff.

“It’s kind of our identity at Eden Prairie,” Coughlin said. “The coaches have created a culture that is unquestionably a winning culture. You look at coach Grant’s statistics (winning record) and he instills that in you right from freshman year. You go in your freshman year, and you’re expecting to beat everybody.”

Grant has a saying that you don’t have to be a great player, just make great plays. “He believes you don’t have to have a bunch of great players that are all going Division I, you just have to have a bunch of players that are going to play great,” Coughlin said.

With Coughlin and Spielman, Grant has players who are great talents who play that way.

Worth Noting

Gophers interim athletic director Beth Goetz told Sports Headliners the University of Minnesota Board of Regents will be presented the final design and plan details next week for the proposed $190 million athletic facilities project. “We feel good about where we are with that presentation and are hopeful we will get approval,” Goetz said.

Approval could come next Thursday as the regents gather for two days to review University matters. The project will include an Athletes Village to benefit the more than 700 Gopher athletes, and new practice facilities for the football and basketball teams. Goetz said groundbreaking details could be announced next week.

Although fundraising revenues aren’t in place to cover the entire project cost, the University is expected to finance remaining expenses. Look for a Sports Headliners feature next week profiling Goetz, who assumed her new responsibilities last summer replacing AD Norwood Teague.

Justin Jackson, Northwestern’s sophomore running back who the Gophers will see tomorrow in Evanston, is second among Big Ten Conference runners with 516 yards and is averaging 129 yards per game in four games. He has rushed for at least 100 yards in nine of his last 11 games. The Gophers recruited the Carol Stream, Illinois native. “If you don’t get him wrapped up, he’s going to bounce off of you, and you don’t want to give him any creases,” Gophers coach Jerry Kill said.

Craig James, who was steady and impressive returning punts for the Gophers last year as a freshman, has struggled with judgment and ball security in 2015. Receivers KJ Maye and Drew Wolitarsky have experience as Gophers punt returners and might be options if James is replaced tomorrow. Wolitarsky suffered a concussion last Saturday against Ohio but Kill said earlier this week the junior will be available in Evanston.

Despite marketing itself as “Chicago’s Big Ten team,” the Wildcats have difficulty attracting fans to home games at Ryan Field. The stadium’s capacity is 47,330, the smallest in the 14-member Big Ten Conference. The 4-0 and nationally ranked Wildcats have played three games at home this season, reporting attendance of 36,024 (Stanford), 29,131 (Eastern Illinois) and 30,107 (Ball State).

Tomorrow’s game against the 3-1 Gophers won’t come close to selling out. Minnesota, though, has sold out its first three home games for the first time since the 2009 season. That was the opening year at TCF Bank Stadium.

Northwestern is ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the Amway Coaches Poll. Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner said his team can compete with anyone and deserves to be ranked. “We feel like we should be,” he said. “Being 3-1 and the schedule we played in the nonconference, we feel we should have that opportunity as well.”

The NCAA annually recognizes academic progress rates for teams that are in the top 10 percent of all teams in each sport. In May the NCAA recognized 79 percent of Northwestern’s teams in various sports, the best ranking of any FBS school. The Gophers ranked fifth nationally with 58 percent of their teams.

Adrian Peterson (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Despite gaining only 31 yards in the opening game, Adrian Peterson leads the NFL in rushing yards after three games with 291 yards. The Vikings play the Broncos on Sunday and Denver’s defense is No. 1 in the NFL. The Broncos rank No. 6 in the league against the rush, No. 1 versus the pass.

Minneapolis-born Ryan Harris has been a starter at offensive tackle for the Broncos in their first three games. Denver assistant coaches Fred Pagac (outside linebackers) and Joe Woods (defensive backs) are former Vikings assistants.

The Vikings have tickets available for their remaining six regular season home games including with the Packers on November 22. A team spokesman said the club has sold 86 percent of its seat license inventory and 90 percent of its suites in the new U.S. Bank Stadium.

The most attention given to MIAC football on Saturday will likely be the game between Bethel and Concordia, two teams with 3-1 overall records. The Royals are 2-0 in league games, while the Cobbers, who host the game, are 1-1. Concordia is giving up only 13.8 points per game, while Bethel is allowing 17.

Playmakers on offense include Bethel running back Marshall Klitzke and Cobber receiver Brandon Zylstra. Klitzke is second in the MIAC with 509 rushing yards and has five scores. Zylstra has 16 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams have new quarterbacks this season. Bethel’s Trey Anderson has completed 71 percent of his passes, while throwing seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. Michael Herzog threw for 211 yards and a score last week in leading the Cobbers to 37 points in a win over St. Olaf.

If the Twins could sweep the Royals with wins tonight, Saturday and Sunday they would finish the season series with 10 victories and nine losses against the Central Division champs. Saturday’s game time was switched from an evening start to 12:05 p.m. at the request of Fox Sports.

With three games remaining in the season, the 83-76 Twins are a cinch to finish above .500 for the first time since 2010 when they were 94-68. The Twins were 5-2 on the last road trip that ended in Cleveland with a win last night. Minnesota finished 15-13 in September, the most wins in one month since April when the club was 20-7.

Former Twins Rod Carew and Jeff Reardon had 70^th and 60^th birthdays yesterday.

Prominent sports agent Ron Shapiro, who represents Twins first baseman Joe Mauer, spoke about negotiations recently to a group of Minnesota business and nonprofit leaders at the Metropolitan Club at Target Field. The event organizer was the National Mentoring Partnership, based in Boston and led by Shapiro’s son David.

The Lynx won both of their games during the regular season against the Indiana Fever. The teams open the WNBA Finals on Sunday at Target Center in the best three of five series. Sunday’s game will be televised by ABC, with the remaining games, including next Tuesday, on ESPN.

The Wild purchased 500 tickets for Sunday’s game to be made available complimentary to the first 250 fans requesting tickets on the Lynx website. The Wolves Tyus Jones and the Twins were involved with purchases for Western Conference semifinals games.

Joe Schmit, the KSTP TV sports anchor, said sales for his book have reached 13,000. Sudden Impact: Stories of Influence through Purpose, Persistence & Passion is now in its third printing.

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