Recruiting – Page 75 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

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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U Makes Money on Carolina-TCU Swap

Posted on August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 by David Shama

Gophers coach Jerry Kill wanted out of a two-game schedule in 2013-2014 against North Carolina because the Tar Heels represented more of a competitive nonconference opponent than his struggling program was ready for. What he didn’t know was athletic director Norwood Teague would eventually schedule a much more difficult opponent in TCU. And while the Gophers might not win on the field against TCU, Teague arranged financial terms easing the expense of vacating the North Carolina games.

Minnesota was 3-9 overall and 2-6 in Big Ten games after Kill’s first season in 2011. The Gophers had the same record the season prior and Kill knew there was monumental work to do in rebuilding the program. In the fall of 2012 Teague and Kill were in agreement to buyout the Carolina contract for $800,000.

The Gophers had been scheduled to play in Chapel Hill, North Carolina September 7, 2013, with the return game in Minneapolis September 14 of the next year. The buyout was criticized by Minnesota media and fans for the cost and also the unwillingness to play an opponent from a major football conference.

Kill, though, was trying to follow a formula used by most program building coaches—schedule mediocre opposition in advance of the conference season. He got his way in 2013 when Minnesota was 4-0 against nonconference opponents New Mexico State, San Jose State, UNLV and Western Illinois.

However, in the spring of 2013 the Gophers announced the scheduling of two games with TCU, a program coming off many 10-plus win seasons in the 2000s and eventually headed for 12-1 in 2014. Kill and TCU coach Gary Patterson have been buddies for years but when the deal for the two schools was being initially arranged neither was aware of it.

Teague and TCU booked a game for September 13 last year in Fort Worth with the second game in Minneapolis this season—September 3. The deal was made before Kill had control of his football schedule, and is a prime example of disconnect between the coach and his now departed and infamous athletic director.

“Coach Patterson, you can talk to him. He knew nothing about it (scheduling TCU and Minnesota),” Kill said earlier this month. “I knew nothing about it. All of a sudden you hear something, and he goes, hey, are we going to play each other?

“I go, no. He goes, I don’t want to play. He goes, I heard rumors. I…said we’re not playing. And then all of a sudden I get a phone call that we’re going to play the game. I’m low man on the totem pole, so we’ll go play the game.”

Teague saw an opportunity to make money with the TCU games. A source told Sports Headliners the deal Teague finalized not only provides monies to entirely offset the $800,000 North Carolina buyout, but the Gophers will make a few hundred thousand dollars beyond that figure—perhaps $400,000.

The Horned Frogs are a favorite to win the national championship this season and it will be a huge upset if the Gophers win on September 3. Kill’s program is dramatically improved since he lobbied and won termination of the North Carolina games, but in a perfect world the Minnesota coach would probably prefer playing VMI instead of TCU. Still, his players are excited about the TCU opportunity on national TV and the competitor in Kill is evident now—with the coach saying earlier this month “we’re looking forward to it.”

Worth Noting

Patterson made a major change in his staff and offensive philosophy after TCU finished 4-8 in 2013. He brought in new co-offensive coordinators and installed a fast-paced attack similar to those used by other programs in the Big 12—sometimes only one player in the backfield, four wide receivers and no tight ends. The Horned Frogs had the personnel to make the change and went from 88th in scoring per game to second last season, averaging 46.5 points. The TCU offense starts with quarterback Trevone Boykin, a Heisman Trophy candidate.

You wonder if the Gophers might follow TCU’s change and open up their offense in a couple of years as the program adds more playmaking quarterbacks and receivers. Certainly Kill has a consultant ready to help in his friend Patterson.

Patterson is one of the nation’s winningest coaches and first built his program at TCU with defense. Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has visited TCU in the past, another indication of the respect and friendship between Patterson and Kill.

The Horned Frogs use a 4-2-5 defensive scheme loaded on the backend with athletic players who can run in space and defend. Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover, who watched the Gophers score only one touchdown in last year’s 30-7 loss to the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, is more concerned about the TCU personnel than the scheme.

“That is a less of a headache as far as preparing than just the kind of players they have and how well those kids play in the system,” Limegrover said. “We didn’t have a bad day offensively last year because they did a bunch of stuff that we couldn’t handle necessarily from an assignment standpoint. We just didn’t play well. We had five turnovers. …”

The opening weekend of college football will draw a lot of attention including the AdvoCare Classic on September 5 when Wisconsin plays Alabama in a Big Ten versus SEC matchup at AT&T Stadium in Irving, Texas. A friend bought four tickets at $300 each (face value) for the game between the top 25 teams. ESPN’s College Gameday will promote the game that morning from Fort Worth.

Sean Engel, who is a senior wide receiver at Chaska High School, has received nine college offers this summer with the most recent coming from Wyoming and head coach Craig Bohl, the former North Dakota State coach who built much of his success with the Bison recruiting Minnesota preps. Engel is the brother of former Gophers wide receiver Derrick Engel who has been hired by Adidas to be a national account manager.

Fans shouldn’t make too many judgments about the Vikings offense during the preseason including tonight’s game against the Raiders at TCF Bank Stadium. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner said the team won’t show a lot in the team’s five exhibition games. “We do the things we need to do to go play a preseason game,” he said.

Exhibition games put a focus on judging personnel and eventually reducing the number of players to 53. Turner, who three times has been an NFL head coach, said his experience is teams don’t have pre-set goals on number of players at each position as they reduce rosters. He added “you want to keep the 53 best players” and the Vikings are proficient at making evaluations.

In a move to help their often struggling bullpen, the Twins have acquired left-handed reliever Neal Cotts from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later, or for cash. The 35-year-old Cotts appeared in 51 games for the Brewers this season, with a 3.26 ERA (49.2 IP, 18 ER), holding opponents to a .239 average with 17 walks and 49 strikeouts. During 2015 left-handed hitters are hitting .185 (15-for-81) against him.

Carl Pohlad, the former Twins owner who died in 2009, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday (August 23). Former Gophers women’s basketball coach Pam Borton turns 50 years old today.

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Rod Carew: Aaron Hicks All-Star Talent

Posted on August 19, 2015August 19, 2015 by David Shama

Among those who have mentored Aaron Hicks in the past and are watching his improved season is Rod Carew. “I’ve always liked Aaron Hicks,” Carew told Sports Headliners by telephone last week.

The Twins 25-year-old center fielder flopped in 2013 and 2014 after making the club’s major league roster and becoming a starter. He hit .192 and .215 in 81 and 69 games those two seasons, and experienced demotions to Triple A Rochester. This year the switch-hitter and skilled fielder didn’t even start the season with the Twins but the way he’s played this summer indicates Hicks will fulfill the promise Carew and others have seen. “He’s got tremendous talent,” said Carew who is a special assistant for the Twins organization.

Carew played 19 seasons in the major leagues including 12 with the Twins. His lifetime average of .328 is among the best in baseball since 1950. He won seven batting championships and played on 18 All-Star teams.

Can Hicks become an All-Star? “Well, he’s got the talent,” Carew answered. “It’s all up to him.”

Hicks, who has been moved up from near the bottom of the batting order to the leadoff position, is hitting .272 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. He has 243 plate appearances, or close to the equivalent of a half season. His numbers in the last 30 games, including a .277 average and 17 RBI, are impressive. However, in the past 15 games the inconsistency that occurs during a long season is evident. In that stretch he is hitting .219, although he has homered three times including Monday night in New York against the Yankees.

Hicks has turned heads with his fielding. His spectacular catches have Twins fans also anticipating the arrival of Byron Buxton in the outfield. A combination of Hicks in left field and the even speedier Buxton in center will close down outfield space for opposing hitters. Hicks has no errors and eight assists this season.

Carew was famous for driving the baseball to all fields and he is seeing that trait in Hicks. “I think he’s using the whole field a lot better,” Carew said. “I think when he first came up he was trying to pull everything. He’s got some power and once he starts thinking about home runs, that’s when he starts getting into a rut. He just needs to continue thinking about driving the ball to all fields.“

In past years Carew believes the 6-2, 210 pound Hicks was putting too much pressure on himself including trying to hit balls over the fence. “Every time I see him I really stay on him and try to get him to maintain his focus,” said Carew who lives in California but travels to Minneapolis to assist the Twins. “I think Torii (Hunter) has been a great help for him too because Torii has that presence in the locker room to help the younger players out.”

Hunter has hit 18 home runs with 60 RBI as the Twins 40-year-old regular right fielder. No doubt Hunter, Carew and others in the organization who have mentored Hicks would like to see him playing at a high level when he is 40.

Worth Noting

Carew was born on a train in Panama in 1945. Early in his big league career fans knew him by the nickname “Choo-Choo” but he doesn’t answer to it now. “No one calls me that,” he said.

Florida wide receiver Dredrick Snelson is among the most hyped high school players who have made verbal commitments to sign with the Gophers next February but recruiting authority Ryan Burns told Sports Headliners Marshall, Minnesota WR Drew Hmielewski has the “potential” to be even better. Snelson, with three and four-star labels from recruiting sources, is also the “least solid” to keep his commitment among Minnesota’s recruits, according to Burns who is publisher of Scout’s GopherDigest.com. Snelson, described by Burns as an “excellent route runner,” is scheduled to visit Minneapolis for the Gophers game against Michigan on October 31.

Burns raved about Hmielewski, praising his athletic and leadership qualities. He can foresee maybe ranking Hmielewski a four-star recruit this fall. Like former Gophers All-Big Ten receiver Eric Decker, Hmielewski is an outstanding high school baseball player. Hmielewski also excels at basketball.

Last fall Burns was excited about quarterback Demry Croft who ended up signing with the Gophers and is now a freshman earning compliments from head coach Jerry Kill. Burns is even more enthusiastic about quarterback Tony Poljan who has verbally committed to be part of Minnesota’s 2016 class. He was impressed with Poljan’s throwing mechanics this summer and said the 6-6, 215-pound passer-runner from Lansing (Mich.) Catholic High School reminds him of a “young Ben Roethlisberger.”

Quoting Kill on Croft after last Saturday’s scrimmage: “He’s just an instinctive guy. He’s had a heck of a camp. It’s kind of like watching (Teddy) Bridgewater. He doesn’t get excited about anything. …There’s nothing that rattles the kid. He’s got an extreme amount of talent. He’s been very impressive in camp.”

Although the negative publicity about former Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague has been national news, Burns said the impact on football recruiting has been nil. He judges the 15 recruiting commits as the highest quality class yet in the Kill era that began in 2011.

Early speculation is the Gophers might have the best defensive secondary in the Big Ten, certainly ranking near the top. That’s a benefit and challenge for Minnesota starting quarterback Mitch Leidner—to practice against the skilled group of cornerbacks and safeties.

“You learn your progressions and reads better,” Leidner said. “You don’t see the coverages (in games) that they do. They disguise them well. …Some of the best athletes in the Big Ten are in our secondary, so it’s definitely helpful.”

While the Gophers may reach a final total of 4,500 or so student season tickets, some other Big Ten schools dwarf that number. Penn State has sold out its student allotment with 21,000 tickets, while last year Ohio State totaled over 29,000.

It will likely be a bittersweet homecoming for Christian Ponder on Saturday night when the former Vikings quarterback returns to Minneapolis with the Raiders. Ponder has friends here but he didn’t permanently win the starting quarterback position with the Vikings during a four-year career. His confidence couldn’t have benefited from booing and heckling Vikings fans. Ponder, who is projected as a reserve with the Raiders under former Vikings offensive Bill Musgrave, completed six of eight passes with one touchdown and one interception for Oakland last week in the team’s preseason win against the Rams.

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