NCAA – Page 68 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

WR Dylan Wright Steps Up for Gophers

Posted on September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 by David Shama

In Dylan Wright’s Minnesota debut last week he was the team’s leading receiver with five receptions, 57 yards and one touchdown catch. The Texas A&M transfer was a difference maker, showing his speed and skill in going up to catch the football against top-five ranked Ohio State.

Wright, 6-3 and 215, is a redshirt sophomore wide receiver who played in a total of eight games in 2019 and 2020 at A&M. “This is only his first year of really playing (college) football. First game (last Thursday) playing multiple, meaningful snaps. He’s just scratching the surface of where he can go,” Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said yesterday.

Wright helped against the Buckeyes in the absence of the team’s most established wide receiver, the injured Chris Autman-Bell. A senior, Autman-Bell has played in 33 games during his Minnesota career, with 78 receptions for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. He should be back soon and Fleck is anticipating the trio of Wright, Autman-Bell and sophomore Daniel Jackson.

“You start to look at that core and you start to see a lot of similarities from what we’ve had,” Fleck said in reference to 2019 when the 11-2 Gophers’ boasted superlative wide receivers in Rashod Bateman, Tyler Johnson and Autman-Bell.

Fleck also praises Wright’s character, referring to him as a “wonderful person” and says the Mesquite, Texas native is devoted to football. “Dylan Wright loves football and he loves to work at it. I think that’s what makes him special is how hard he works at becoming a really good player.”

The contribution of the wide receivers to the offense will be more important than ever after yesterday’s announcement that All-American running back Mohamed Ibrahim will have surgery today for what Fleck describes as a lower leg injury. He will miss the rest of the season and the redshirt senior’s future is uncertain at Minnesota.

Fleck said there is no pressure to do so now but in the months ahead Ibrahim will decide whether to pursue an NFL career or return for another season with the Gophers in 2022. “He should be able to make a full recovery,” Fleck said about what is believed to be a left Achilles injury. (Fleck doesn’t detail injuries, believing it’s best to leave that information up to the player to disclose if he chooses to do so.)

Ibrahim had a typical high production game against Ohio State, running 30 times for 164 yards. Who replaces him as the lead running back starting with Saturday’s home nonconference game against Miami (Ohio)? “Every back is going to be able to get a look,” Fleck said.

Fans may correctly expect redshirt sophomore Trey Potts, who had 37 yards in 10 carries last week, to win the designation as lead back. Others under consideration are redshirt junior Bryce Williams, redshirt sophomore Cam Wiley, redshirt freshman Ky Thomas and true freshman Mar’Keise Irving. Williams rushed for a career high 141 yards in a 2018 win over Miami (Ohio) in Minneapolis.

Worth Noting

Matthew Trickett, the Kent State transfer who kicked an impressive 46-yard field goal in the Ohio State loss, is a first team All-Big Ten preseason pick by Pro Football Focus.

The Gopher athletic department is promoting tickets for all available remaining home games, with “starting at” prices of $20 for Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green, $75 for Nebraska, $35 Maryland, $45 Illinois and $85 Wisconsin.

Saturday’s game with Miami will be televised by ESPNU and the September 18 game in Boulder against Colorado will be carried by the Pac-12 Network.

Arkansas’ Eric Musselman, who the University of Minnesota could almost certainly have hired as head basketball coach a few years ago, has the No. 6 ranked recruiting class for 2022, per the 247 Sports composite listings.

Iowa State, whose basketball verbal commits include Eli King from Caledonia, is ranked No. 10, and Purdue, with a potential class headed by Camden Heide of Wayzata, is No. 16. Both Minnesotans are four-star recruits, per 247.

Heide’s brother Keaton is a reserve quarterback on the FCS South Dakota State football team that upset FBS Colorado State in Fort Collins last week.

“David versus Goliath:” The St. Thomas football team, in its first season of Division I competition, plays Northern Iowa on September 18. The Panthers put a scare into top-10 ranked Iowa State last week before losing 16-10.

It’s fitting the Toronto Blue Jays will be the opponent when Canada native Justin Morneau is inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame on September 25. Prior to the game at Target Field with the Blue Jays, the former Twins first baseman and AL MVP will have former teammate Joe Mauer as his presenter.

Retiring: Bill Evers, 67 and filling in as Twins manager while Rocco Baldelli is on paternity leave, will retire at season’s end. The veteran Twins coach has managerial experience in pro baseball dating back to 1987.

“Book Reports:” Pioneer Press sportswriter Chris Tomasson Tweeted that his book, The Minnesota Vikings All-Time All-Stars, is coming out September 15 and will be available on Amazon.

There will be a private publication party September 24 at the University of Minnesota for Terry McConnell’s new book, Breaking through the Line. The book tells the story of former Gophers All-American Bobby Marshall who was the NFL’s first African American player.

The Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins wrote on Facebook he is collaborating with fellow columnist Patrick Reusse on a book they hope to have out in the spring. The book will recount the many entertaining stories of Reusse’s career in newspapers and radio.

Real Estate: Various online reports this summer say former Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett sold his unfinished Malibu, California mansion for $16 million. No word on whether he’s looking for property in Glen Taylor’s home town of Mankato.

The state’s top thoroughbreds and quarter horses race Wednesday at Canterbury Park in the 28th Minnesota Festival of Champions. The 12-race card will pay a total of $852,450 in purses.

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Ex-Viking Sees Zim & GM on Hot Seat

Posted on September 5, 2021September 5, 2021 by David Shama

Bob Lurtsema, the former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman who remains a close observer and loyalist to the franchise, predicts a mediocre team record in 2021 and possible end to the Mike Zimmer-Rick Spielman era. “I think both their jobs are on the line,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners.

This is Zimmer’s eighth season as head coach, while Spielman is in his 10th as GM and 16th as a front office personnel executive with the club. The Vikings have won only three playoff games in the last 16 years and the team missed the playoffs last season after a 7-9 regular season record.

Minnesota has been inconsistent under Zimmer, who in his only NFL head coaching assignment has often earned praise for his defensive savvy. Two times the club has won NFC North Division titles and twice finished second, but four times hasn’t qualified for the playoffs. Spielman earns credit for many savvy draft choices but in the last several off-seasons he’s been unable to fix the offensive line, and he has critics of his quarterback choices over the years—from first-rounder Christian Ponder in 2011 to the mega contract he committed to current QB Kirk Cousins.

Lurtsema particularly scrutinizes Viking offensive and defensive linemen, and wonders why some of them were acquired. “What are they doing?” Lurtsema said about the front office.

He labels the footwork of some defensive linemen as “terrible.” The Vikings were supposed to have fixed their defensive line in the off-season and maybe they have but Lurtsema didn’t like the lack of aggressiveness he watched in the preseason. “If you catch the contact, rather than initiate it, you’re really losing that six to eight inches (of space and advantage) which you’re fighting for all the time on the defensive and offensive line.”

Minnesota’s offensive line is the most suspect unit on the team going into the season opener Sunday, September 12 at Cincinnati against the Bengals. All the starters were on the roster last season when the collective results were lacking. Except for right tackle Brian O’Neill, the other regulars are judged mediocre at best.

Powerful, fast and elusive running back Dalvin Cook, a second round steal by Spielman in 2017, is so talented he can make his line look better than it is. “He can do it on his own,” Lurtsema said of the man he considers team MVP.

Lurtsema’s hope is the offensive line can improve its performance and make Cook’s running production even better. An opposing defense almost completely trying to contain the Viking run game results in minimal pass rush. “Then the sky’s the limit for Cousins and (Justin) Jefferson and a healthy Adam Thielen,” Lurtsema said about the team’s QB and top wide receivers.

Through the years Lurtsema’s predictions of Minnesota’s final win-loss record has been impressive. What’s in the crystal ball for this season? “If they’re .500, that’s about as high as I would go with them,” he said about 2021. “I am hoping for a lot better, of course.”

Lurtsema deliberated between forecasting 8-9 or 9-8 records, before going with the latter because it sounds more positive. “I love Zim—okay—but his job is on the line. He goes 8-9, he’s gone. He has got to have a winning season.”

If there is a losing season, what about Spielman? “I would say he should lose his job, too,” Lurtsema said.

Worth Noting

In Sports Illustrated’s football preview issue out last week the magazine also predicts a 9-8 record for the Vikings. Neither Lurtsema nor S.I. sees Minnesota qualifying for the playoffs.

In a best case scenario for the Vikings, S.I. writer Gary Gramling sees the defense regaining its elite status of 2019, with Jefferson being even better than his sensational rookie season and Cook earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Worst case: the defense doesn’t regain its magic, “veterans look old,” newcomers are green, and too often the offense is playing from behind while forcing Cousins to pass too much and thereby neutralizing Cook.

S.I. forecasts NFC North rival Green Bay easily winning the division with a 13-4 record. Former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, going into his second season as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, wins the AFC North with a 12-5 record and advances in the playoffs to the AFC Championship game, per the magazine. The Browns lose to the Kansas City Chiefs who go on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl.

The last time the Golden Gophers defeated Ohio State at home was in 1981, winning 35-31 with a pass-happy offensive scheme led by Minnesota head coach Joe Salem. The Buckeye defensive backs coach was Nick Saban. In an email to Sports Headliners, Salem’s son Brent passed along this quip from Joe: “It looks like coach Saban has bounced back from that one!”

Joe, 83, and players from the 1981 team enjoyed a reunion at last Thursday night’s Minnesota-Ohio State game at Huntington Bank Stadium. U president Joan Gabel and athletic director Mark Coyle welcomed the group (see photo with Joe in the middle).

As college coaches, administrators, governing bodies and athletes across the country decise how best to make the Name, Image and Likeness opportunity work best for all concerned, prominent Minneapolis attorney Marshall Tanick has ideas worth a look. He suggested in an opinion page letter to the Duluth News Tribune that college athletes who receive compensation for NIL could be required to publicly disclose details through a certification process and thus provide more transparency then is currently in place.

“As part of that process, they would be required to report any compensatory earnings, which would then be deducted from any scholarship or other financial aid or benefits furnished to them by the schools, or reimburse the institutions for what has already been provided to them. …It makes sense that, if these athletes are to use university-provided forums for their financial gain, they should be accountable for the benefits they receive from the schools,” Tanick wrote.

The Tampa Bay Rays, among American League favorites to win the pennant and advance to the World Series, have scored eight or more runs in 20 of 39 games since acquiring DH Nelson Cruz July 23 from the Minnesota Twins.

Minnesota prep legend Ron Stolski will be honored at a retirement celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. October 9 at the Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd. The Minneapolis native devoted 58 years to football coaching, with much of his career at Brainerd High School. No gifts are requested but donations for the Ron Stolski Scholarship Fund (part of the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation) are welcome. There is no cost to attend the event.

Stolski, who retired with 389 wins, will also talk to the CORES luncheon group Thursday at the Bloomington Event Center. In addition to coaching, he has served as the executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association since the organization’s inception in 2006. For more information about the luncheon and program, contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. Reservations must be made by Monday, September 6. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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No Whimsy, U Can Upset Buckeyes

Posted on August 31, 2021 by David Shama

Every dedicated follower of college football knows the famous Notre Dame mantra of “Win one for the Gipper.” Nearly 100 years ago Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne inspired his players to win a big game for deceased Notre Dame star George Gipp.

How about if the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers pull off an upset for the ages Thursday night against national title contender Ohio State after repeating this pregame mantra: “Win one for Smokey Joe! ”

Now bear with me for a little storytelling.

Minnesota will enter its season opening home game about a 14-point underdog to No. 4 nationally-ranked Ohio State. The game looks like a mismatch, and the history between Minnesota and Ohio State doesn’t offer much encouragement to Gopher fans. Minnesota has seven wins in 52 games against the Buckeyes since the series started in 1921. In the last 75 years the Gophers have four wins, most recently at Ohio State in 2000.

The last Minnesota victory at home was in 1981, when the Gophers won a 35-31 shoot-out in old Memorial Stadium. The Minnesota head coach was Joe Salem, an offensive guru who directed a major upset over No. 18 Ohio State. It was Minnesota’s program highlight during a 4-5 Big Ten season.

Joe Salem photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Salem was nicknamed Smokey Joe during his Gopher playing career in the 1950s. Salem cigarettes were popular back then, so a student publication at the U dubbed him Smokey Joe and the nickname stuck. Although a backup quarterback during his playing career, he was a fiery competitor and his stage was never bigger than when he came off the bench to help lead the No. 3 ranked Gophers to a win over No. 1 ranked Iowa. Minnesota went on to win the 1960 national championship. Salem, 83, is long retired from head coaching and returned to his hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota after leaving the Gophers following the 1983 season.

So there you have it, Gopher football fans. Before P.J. Fleck sends his lads onto the field Thursday night, he could tell them “Win one for “Smokey Joe!”

A motivational talk before the game by Fleck is a given and with or without invoking the name of Smokey Joe the Gophers will be sky-high to pull off THE upset of college football’s opening weekend. How can they do it? Here’s how:

Despite having an inexperienced quarterback, the Buckeyes figure to score a lot of points against opponents. Minnesota’s defense is suspect after a so-so 2020 season. It’s mandatory for the U to produce time consuming drives while keeping the Buckeyes’ offense on the sidelines.

Remember two of Minnesota’s most impressive wins during the 2019 season when the Gophers won 11 games? They won the time of possession battle in upset wins over top-10 ranked Penn State and Auburn. In the Auburn game, it wasn’t even close—37:35 to 22:25.

A discrepancy like that for Minnesota Thursday night will greatly enhance the odds of a Gopher win. And on those long drives the Gophers need to produce points either via touchdowns or field goals.

The U will likely run its Heisman Trophy hopeful RB Mo Ibrahim over 25 times in the game. But it’s important, too, that the Gophers not be as predictable offensively as last season. Frequently Minnesota had conservative play calls, including too many third downs with Ibrahim running (or trying to) off tackle when the whole world knew what was coming before the Gophers came out of the huddle.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan will have to throw with accuracy and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford will have to produce an imaginative game plan for the Gophers to sustain drives. No. 1 wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell provides a major contribution if he is healthy enough to play, and a breakthrough night by another pass catcher like tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford would provide a big lift to the offense. With one of college football’s most experienced offensive lines, the Gophers need to push around an Ohio State line and linebackers considered the best in the Big Ten Conference.

In six of eight games last season the Buckeyes scored 38 points or more. It appears Minnesota will have to total over 35 points to have a high probability of winning Thursday night.

It seems like from day one in Dinkytown (winter of 2017), Fleck has preached “the ball is the program.” Translation: against the Buckeyes the Gophers can’t turn over the ball running and passing from the line of scrimmage. On special teams they can’t make misjudgments regarding field position or even worse fumble kickoff returns and punt returns. There will be no margin for error Thursday night against an Ohio State team with the best talent in the Big Ten Conference. The reputation of the Buckeyes can intimidate other teams before games even start.

Errors have to come from the Buckeyes, starting with quarterback C.J. Stroud who saw minimal playing time last season and didn’t even attempt a pass. Minnesota’s defense needs to rattle him early in the game. Maybe it can be done through defensive schemes, punishing tackles or unexpected blitzes. Crowd noise could help, too, making it difficult for the Buckeyes to hear snap counts, and fueling the emotions of Minnesota’s defensive players.

If Minnesota can’t force Stroud into a bad performance—or at least subpar—the party will be over for the Gophers before it even begins. The Buckeyes feature a terrific offensive line and dangerous running backs. Their receiver group, led by All-American Chris Olave, might be the best in America.

Certainly any kind of miscues from the Bucks will be welcome developments for the Gophers. Ohio State interceptions, fumbles, timely penalties, blown assignments etc. could lead directly or indirectly to Minnesota points. A score or two made or set up by the U defense will not only help on the scoreboard but also test the poise of the Buckeyes in their first road game.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day has a 15-0 career record in Big Ten games. For Minnesota to put a blemish on that mark, the Gophers will have to be what Fleck said earlier this month: be the best version of themselves they can be.

The outlook here is that Minnesota has a 20 percent chance of shocking the sports world Thursday night. A win will elevate the program to national importance and increase the likelihood of an elite season. A victory could also become a turn-the-corner night for years to come for Fleck and the program.

If an upset script can’t be achieved, the best alternate storyline is for a loss where the Gophers impressed and played a close game (perhaps 17 points or less). Part of that alternate scrip needs to include Minnesota’s most important players avoiding injuries (including Ibrahim, Morgan, Autman-Bell and defensive linemen Boye Mafe and Nyles Pinckney). A summer night scenario like that could work for the Gophers and their fans including Smokey Joe.

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