NCAA – Page 62 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Coming Days to Test Viking Owners

Posted on January 4, 2022 by David Shama

What the Wilf ownership group does in the next several days and coming weeks will reveal a lot about their thinking and make a profound statement to the Vikings’ rabid fan-base.

It’s currently a hostile public environment for GM Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer. Lead owners Zygi and Mark Wilf must certainly understand that, even though they don’t have Minnesota roots and are based in the east. What will they do this winter, if anything, about the future direction of the franchise?

The Wilfs are exceptionally loyal to their Viking employees. They bought the franchise in 2005 and Spielman, 59, has been on board from the start. Zimmer, 65, has been the coach since 2014. The Wilfs like continuity with their leaders and appear deliberate in their decisions.

They also are passionate fans with a stated commitment to deliver a Super Bowl team to this town. They have invested emotionally in Zimmer and Spielman, showing more patience than many other owners would offer. The Wilfs have also made a statement with their willingness to spend money on player payroll, and building world-class practice and stadium facilities.

But past on-field results by the team aren’t acceptable to many fans. Not as a franchise working on a 45-year Super Bowl drought, and with a more recent history that includes missing the playoffs the last two seasons and unable to play better than .500 football during 2020 and 2021. In the Zimmer era the Vikings have qualified for the post-season only three of eight times.

How capable are the Wilfs in being able to evaluate their football operation? That is a million dollar question. Are they comfortable enough with their abilities and experiences to not only determine who needs to be fired but also how to go about identifying, scrutinizing and ultimately hiring new leadership to be more successful?

The Wilfs could turn to a search firm for help regarding candidates to be new leaders. The NFL office could also be a candid source. Then, too, the Wilfs may have an inner circle they trust, perhaps including former Vikings players and coaches. Among alumni who could be useful and gets a vote here is Ben Leber. The 43-year-old former linebacker has a high football IQ and he is honest!

The options for final decisions in the weeks ahead include firing Zimmer and Spielman, or keeping one of them. They could also keep both and insist on clearing out most, or all, of their staffs. It’s believed the Wilfs have a particularly close relationship with Spielman and after eight seasons are certainly invested in Zimmer, too.

Presumably the Wilfs will have goals for near and long term results by their team and what can be accomplished within specific timeframes. Their roster has valued players like Dalvin Cook, Danielle Hunter, Justin Jefferson and Brian O’Neill. The team doesn’t need to be imploded, even if the Wilfs decide the coaching staff and front office must have a shakeup.

The fan base and media have been turning up the “heat” for months. Now the Wilfs get the last word and it will be intriguing to see what they do, how they do it and what the results will be in 2022 and beyond.

Worth Noting

NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said during Sunday night’s Vikings-Packers telecast the team can fire Zimmer but won’t find “a better coach.”

Minneapolis attorney and sports historian Marshall Tanick notes that Austin, Minnesota born John Madden, who died last week, coached the Raiders to their 32-14 Super Bowl win over the Vikings in 1977 (Minnesota’s last SB appearance). Madden’s final game as an NFL coach came in 1978 when the Raiders defeated the Vikings 27-21 in Oakland. As a broadcaster Madden mentored former Viking quarterback Rich Gannon as he transitioned from his playing career to NFL TV color man.

Illinois, 9-3 and 2-0 in Big Ten games, enters tonight’s matchup with the Golden Gophers at Williams Arena outscoring opponents by an average of 15.6 points per game and is a conference title contender. Minnesota, the surprise of the town’s sports teams at 10-1 and 1-1 in league games, has an average point differential of 8.9 against opponents.

Powerful Illini center Kofi Cockburn, who at 7-feet and 285 pounds averages 21.8 points and 12.1 rebounds, is a difficult matchup for the smaller Gophers. Look for the Gophers to double-team and perhaps use all three of their centers, Eric Curry, Charlie Daniels and Treyton Thompson, against Cockburn.

NCAA Tournament bracketologist Joe Lunardi of ESPN projects Minnesota and Illinois as No. 10 and No. 6 seeds respectively in the Midwest Regional.

Shooting guard Amir Coffey, the former Gopher from Hopkins who went undrafted in 2019, is having a career season with the NBA Clippers averaging 16.4 minutes per game. Several games of late he has played over 20 minutes including in last night’s loss to the Timberwolves.

Could Mohammed Elazazy, the former Western Michigan offensive lineman who has entered the transfer portal, interest the football Gophers? The 6-5, 300-pound guard is from Menasha, Wisconsin.

Former Minnesota offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, now in the same role at Colorado, will be without WR Brenden Rice, a rising sophomore and son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who has entered the transfer portal.

Gopher quarterback Tanner Morgan and center John Michael Schmitz—both part of coach P.J. Fleck’s first recruiting class in 2017—have announced plans to marry their girl friends in 2022. Going into their fifth seasons of competition next September, Morgan and Schmitz will be among the most experienced players in the Big Ten.

Sixty years ago the Gophers played in their second and last Rose Bowl. On January 1, 1962 Minnesota completely dominated UCLA in a 21-3 win, compiling 397 net yards to 107 by the Bruins.

Apparently no report yet on TNT’s national viewership for last Saturday’s Winter Classic matchup between the Wild and Blues at Target Field. The game dates back to 2008 and the 2020 classic hit a new TV low averaging a 1.15 rating and 1.96 million viewers on NBC. COVID-19 postponed the 2021 Winter Classic in Minneapolis.

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U Ends Desert Drought in Bowl Win

Posted on December 29, 2021December 29, 2021 by David Shama

It may have slipped by most University of Minnesota football fans and even a few Golden Gophers historians, but last night your favorite college program earned its first ever win in Arizona.

The drought is over. This is reported with both amusement and relief.

The Gophers beat West Virginia 18-6 in Phoenix Tuesday evening and won the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Four previous games in the Phoenix area didn’t go so well.

In 1969 Minnesota, just two years removed from a Big Ten championship, got ambushed by Arizona State in Tempe. Back in those days the Sun Devils were members of the lightly regarded Western Athletic Conference, a league that seldom received a nod in Big Ten country.

Coach Frank Kush and the Devils saw an opportunity to make a statement to the college football world. They did just that, embarrassing Minnesota by a 48-26 score indicative of the difference between the two teams on a September night in the desert.

Maybe the Devils jinxed the Gophs back in ’69. Not only did the next several decades of Minnesota football look nothing like the glorious past of conference titles and national championships, but even a return to ‘Zona in the new millennium brought more frustration.

The Gophers had a 35-7 halftime lead over Texas Tech in Tempe in the 2006 Insight Bowl. By the end of the fourth quarter the game was tied 38-38 and the Red Raiders won in overtime 44-41. Pass-happy Texas Tech threw 55 times and Minnesota had no second half answers.

The “stubborn” Gophers made return trips to the Insight Bowl in 2008 and 2009. Same destination with the drought continuing in the desert, losing 42-21 and 14-13 to Kansas and Iowa State.

The Arizona football gods tried to hex the Gophers again last night at Chase Stadium, the baseball facility with a retractable roof. On a rainy night in Phoenix, Guaranteed Rate Bowl authorities briefly opened the roof just before kickoff to allow sky divers to prove for the umpteenth time they can land on a football field (BTW, this one with recently installed new sod).

A less than ideal playing surface had the Gophers sometimes unsure of their footing and prone to mistakes. Such was the case in the second half when wide receiver Mike Brown-Stephens fell down on his pass pattern and allowed a West Virginia interception. Yes, the Mountaineers played on the same surface but lest you forget the curse of the desert, the boys from Morgantown looked steady on their collective feet.

And if the field conditions weren’t enough to cause a pre-game “here-we-go-again” mindset, a woman named Stormy was the sideline reporter for ESPN’s telecast!

When Minnesota endured the 1969 butt-kicking that started the struggles in Arizona, the Gopher coach was Murray Warmath who was born December 26, 1912 and died in 2011. He received a birthday present of sorts this week with his former team playing the kind of dominating defense, advantageous field position and time consuming football he preached at Minnesota. His 1960 team won Minnesota’s last national championship.

Minnesota ended bad times in Arizona by holding the Mountaineers to just one touchdown and 206 total yards of offense. The West Virginia running game was shut down and the passing results were not a whole lot better. The Gophers sacked the quarterback five times, bringing frequent pressure that helped hold the Mountaineers to 140 yards passing.

This season defensive coordinator Joe Rossi removed any remaining doubt about how important he is to the Gophers. He doesn’t like being referred to as “a guru” by his players but when your defense ranks among the best in the nation and allows only one opponent in 13 games to score over 28 points, you deserve accolades.

Minnesota’s kicking game and offense had the Mountaineers starting drives inside their 30 and 20 yard lines. Gopher defensive end Boye Mafe, who had a stellar night auditioning for NFL scouts, nearly caused a first half safety while tackling the West Virginia quarterback, Jarret Doege.

Minnesota’s time of possession was 38:29. West Virginia’s 21:31. The disparity was due mostly to the Gophers hoarding the football with their running game. That success started up front with its veteran line led by right tackle Daniel Faalele who also scored high with NFL evaluators while playing his final game for Minnesota.

In the first quarter the offense failed twice inside the West Virginia 10-yard line. Minnesota’s Ky Thomas fumbled to end a drive and Matthew Trickett missed a makeable 33-yard field goal try. That cost the Gophers points on a night they could have won the game by a much larger margin.

With Rossi in charge, it looks like the Gophers can consistently produce defenses that will do their part in winning a Big Ten West Division title. But to take the next step the Gophers have to raise the bar offensively, particularly with the passing attack including better play calls, catching consistency, big gains and more points. With the return of Kirk Ciarrocca as offensive coordinator, there is hope the Gophers can develop a passing offense that better complements their successful running game.

But before washing the desert sand out of their eyes and looking to 2022, the Gophers should take a few days to celebrate their triumph in Arizona and what it represents. Minnesota finishes 2021 with a 9-4 record including three straight wins and that sounds a lot better than 8-5. This is the second time in three years the Gophers have won nine games or more.

Among the victories in 2021 was taking down a nationally ranked Wisconsin team that has won seven of its last eight games. The late November win over the Badgers was the first time the Gophers claimed Paul Bunyan’s Axe in Minneapolis since 2003.

Head coach P.J. Fleck is now 3-0 in bowl games because his teams come prepared to compete instead of arriving with a “let’s party” approach. The focus is there for four quarters. In all games during the Fleck era (dating back to 2017) the Gophers are 33-4 when leading at halftime.

Fleck’s overall record at Minnesota is 35-23 but he is 23-10 the last three seasons. His winning percentage of .603 is third best among Gopher coaches who coached in 45 games or more. Minnesota has had 19 coaches since 1900 and Fleck ranks sixth all-time in program wins.

Fleck’s Big Ten record is 21-22 after going 6-3 this fall. In Warmath’s first six conference seasons he won 15, lost 25 and tied 2. Since 2000 the Gophers have produced five winning seasons in Big Ten games, with two coming under Fleck.

Oh, yes, one other stat before signing off. Fleck is 1-0 in the desert.

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What to Know about Vikings’ Win

Posted on December 21, 2021 by David Shama

Five things jump out about last night’s Vikings-Bears game:

1. For the Vikings to win their last three games and qualify for the playoffs the offensive line must be better than it was in Chicago. Minnesota had 193 net yards in offense and a lot of that was because the line struggled. The priority before the game was to focus on running and the Vikings did okay with 132 yards on the ground, but had less than 100 passing and quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked four times. Guard Mason Cole, a recent starter in a line that continues to reshuffle its personnel, was way too vulnerable to inside pressure.

2. Again, the Vikings’ offensive game plan was without much imagination. And the coaches didn’t appear to effectively adjust to the Bears’ double-coverage of wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The exception came when Jefferson was lined up in the backfield and it confused the Bears’ secondary, resulting in a wide open seven yard touchdown throw from Cousins to wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

3. Who could blame punter Jordan Barry if he’s on edge today? The Bears blocked one punt and came close on two others. Punt protection will receive a lot of scrutiny in practice this week and should. In close games special teams can decide the outcome. And the Vikings know all about close outcomes with 13 of their 14 games decided by one possession (eight points or fewer).

4. Defensive end D.J. Wonnum had eight tackles and three sacks in the 17-9 win. Selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, he has a work ethic and it’s beginning to show in impressive fashion. With elite pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen out for the remainder of the schedule, Wonnum’s development is an early Christmas present for Vikings head coach and defensive specialist Mike Zimmer.

5. Another gift is the 7-7 Vikings will play the 4-10 hapless Bears in Minneapolis January 9 for the final game of the regular season. The Bears were an undisciplined bunch last night, with five personal fouls and other costly mistakes. The offense’s execution was frequently inept with rookie quarterback Justin Fields looking confused, explosive plays absent and the red zone scheme a flop. No guarantees Chicago can be this bad in January, but for certain the Bears are way less formidable than the other two opponents remaining on the schedule, the Rams and Packers.

Worth Noting

As of yesterday morning Mike Nowakowski from Ticket King said a seat on the 50-yard line at Lambeau Field for the January 2 Packers-Vikings game costs $650. A lower level end zone seat $225.

Nowakowski still has tickets but expects the NHL to announce a sellout for the January 1 Winter Classic at Target Field. He said the Wild’s December 23 Xcel Energy Center home game with the Red Wings was a “hot ticket” and sold out prior to the COVID caused postponement.

Recent success by the Timberwolves and Gopher basketball team is attracting ticket buyers. Nowakowski said there is a “lot of buzz” about the Warriors-Wolves game January 16 at Target Center, and some fans are “fired up” for the Gophers with lower level Williams Arena seats priced at $100 for the January 2 Illinois game.

The Gophers received three votes in the latest AP men’s top 25 poll and remain unranked, but they are prompting national awareness. Xavier, the program Gopher head coach Ben Johnson was at last season, is No. 18. Niko Medved, the former Gopher basketball student manager, is head coach of No. 21 ranked Colorado State.

It was nice to read Blaise Andries’ Tweet yesterday expressing loyalty to his home state. “I chose to stay home at Minnesota because I believed we could change the perception of this team to the state and nation,” the Gophers offensive lineman from Marshall wrote.

The redshirt senior, who in the Tweet declared he is entering the NFL Draft after Minnesota’s December 28 bowl game, has been a major contributor to the Gophers’ 22-10 record the last three seasons including a final AP national ranking of No. 10 in January of 2020.

The Gophers enter their Guaranteed Rate Bowl game against West Virginia in Phoenix ranked No. 4 in the country in total defense behind Wisconsin, Georgia and Oklahoma.

Tony Oliva told Sports Headliners what makes him happy about his recent election to baseball’s Hall of Fame is the reaction of Minnesotans. “Any place I go, the people come to me and say, ‘Tony, congratulations.’ “

The great Twins hitter, now 83, is a longtime Bloomington resident who has been among Minnesota’s most well-liked sports personalities for generations. Former teammate Rod Carew, in his 2020 autobiography One Tough Out, expressed what so many people feel about Oliva when he wrote:

“Tony has never met a stranger. The warmth he exudes could light a cigar from the lush tobacco fields he grew up surrounded by in Cuba. He taught me things like how to knot a tie and where to eat on the road. Any question I had, about baseball or life, he answered. Sometimes he provided advice before I even realized I needed it.”

Oliva grew up on a farm in Cuba and his father made about $10 per week. Oliva’s 16-year-career was before baseball’s big money era. He made $7,000 his rookie season of 1964 and the most he ever earned was $100,000.

But Oliva’s happiness doesn’t seem focused on recognition or money. People are a priority for him including the Twins organization who he considers “family.” Oliva still works for the franchise as a spokesman and ambassador of goodwill. His involvement is priceless.

Merry Christmas to all!

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