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The Vikings offense that struggled in its opening game against New Orleans didn’t do much to change its profile yesterday, losing to Miami at Mall of America Field 14-10.

After the game the Vikings were 0-2 in the standings and observers, including former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton, wondered if a first quarter decision to decline a field goal opportunity was a major mistake.

On the Vikings’ opening possession in the first quarter they drove to the Miami 27 where they faced a fourth down and two yards to go.  With the fans cheering (of course), Vikings coach Brad Childress decided to try for a first down, but a Brett Favre pass was incomplete.

“I can’t believe he (Childress) did that,” former Viking Mike Morris said on KFAN Radio after the game.

Morris and Dalton preferred the almost certain three points a field goal would have provided.  The argument is why not take the points and put Miami behind early.

Instead of a 3-0 Vikings lead, Miami took over at its own 27 yard line and scored a touchdown nine plays later.  “Miami is not a high scoring team,” Dalton said.  “They’re a ball control team with good defense.  When you have (face) that kind of team, take the points every time you can get them.  That’s potentially a 10 point swing and momentum.”

Childress said his decision was about being aggressive in approach. “I thought we had good momentum right there, and I was trying to play off that,” he said.  “It’s like going for two points early in the game. Would the three points have been nice? Yeah, three points would have been nice, but there’s a lot of other plays to be made going down the line. Just trying to be aggressive, and send a message to our team. I thought we were moving the ball pretty well right there.”

The Dolphins led 7-0 at the half and were ahead 14-0 with less than seven minutes to play in the third quarter.  The Vikings recovered a Miami fumble at the Dolphins one yard line and converted that into a touchdown late in the third quarter.

With 7:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, Ryan Longwell kicked a 28-yard Vikings field goal to make the score 14-10.  Later in the quarter Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson recovered a Miami fumble at the Dolphins’ 24 yard line.  Because the Vikings needed a touchdown, the drive ended on the Miami one yard line with about two minutes remaining in the game.

In the last minute of the game, the Vikings drove inside the Miami 30 yard line looking for a touchdown without success.  If the Vikings had come up with three points in the first quarter, they would have been in position to win the game 16-14 with a last period field goal.

The day ended with a second consecutive loss.  There were somber faces and quiet voices in the Vikings’ locker room after the game.  NFC North Division rivals Green Bay and Chicago are 2-0, the Vikings 0-2.

The Vikings must now play Detroit (0-2) at home next week, then take a bye before facing a demanding October schedule against the Jets, Cowboys, Packers and Patriots with three of the four on the road.

“They’re not in a great position (record), and they’re not playing with confidence offensively.” Dalton said.  “The defense continues to play well.”

The decision to forego the first quarter field goal is no doubt understandable to some observers. A first down might have sent the Vikings’ offense on the way to a touchdown, boosted confidence and helped provide a win.  This is an offense that has produced but 19 points in two games while the defense has given up only three touchdowns (one score yesterday came from recovering a Favre fumble in the end zone).

Dalton said Favre and the passing game are struggling because his personnel is different than a year ago.  Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, a Favre favorite remains a weapon, but wide receiver Sidney Rice is sidelined indefinitely and the team’s other big play making receiver, Percy Harvin, has missed practice time with Favre because of migraine headaches.  Wide receiver Bernard Berrian and Favre have yet to click with one another.

The passing game looks out of sync.  There’s not much explosiveness.  Favre, who had three interceptions and a fumble, looks like a quarterback in search of help.  Struggling is the short version.

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It’ uncommon for the Gophers football roster to have a player who earned a four-star rating from Rivals.com while in high school.  Brendan Beal, was a four-star linebacker in 2008 as a prep in Pennsylvania.  Earlier this year he transferred from Florida to Minnesota where after sitting out this fall he will have two seasons of eligibility.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners Beal, who is interested in business, was attracted to the Carlson School of Management at Minnesota and also wanted to play in the Big Ten.  Beal, whose progress at Florida was slowed by injuries, also knew the Gophers had a need for talent at linebacker.

“The little bit I’ve been around him, he’s shown that he’s got excellent ability,” Brewster said.  “He’s an extremely smart player.  Big, physical kid (about 6-3, 250).  I anticipate him being a really good football player for us.”

Brewster said Beal wasn’t asked by the Gators to leave Florida.  “Absolutely no,” Brewster said. 

Bob Hughes and other Goal Line Club members deserve praise for hosting a memorable luncheon last Friday to honor the 1960 Gophers national championship team.  Coach Murray Warmath’s health didn’t allow him to attend but many former players did including nose guard Tom Brown (the 1960 Big Ten Most Valuable Player) and tackle Bobby Bell who was a two-time All-American in 1961-62.  Gopher historian Doug Addison, a close friend of Bell and other players, devoted a lot of time to helping with 1960 reunion activities last week including a breakfast gathering on Thursday at the Minneapolis Club.

Bell will have his jersey No. 78 retired at the Gophers-Northwestern game on Saturday, October 2.

Former Kansas coach Mark Mangino, a friend of Brewster, attended the luncheon.  Mangino is living in Naples, Florida and will consider coaching again with the “right” opportunity.  Otherwise?  “I might become a game show host,” he quipped.

USC used all its allotment of 3,000 visiting team tickets for Saturday’s game at TCF Bank Stadium and would have welcomed more if available, according to Marc Ryan of the Gophers athletic department.  He also said USC will be paid $400,000.00 for playing here and Minnesota will receive the same for next year’s game in Los Angeles.

The Trojans have been penalized by the NCAA with reduced scholarships and a bowl ban but USC’s new athletic director Pat Haden isn’t using “turn around” in his vocabulary.  Haden told Sports Headliners he expects success in the immediate seasons ahead including possibly eight, nine, 10 win seasons.  The Trojans are 3-0  after defeating the Gophers on Saturday.

Al Nuness, the former Gophers basketball player, is retired from his executive position with Jostens and is consulting for the company.  His son Jared was recently hired as director of video and operations at Baylor, a fast rising basketball program.

The University of Minnesota is searching for a new president to succeed Bob Bruininks who will leave the position next year.  The guess here is that administrators on campus would be thrilled if former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were interested in the job.  Rice is a professor at Stanford and in the past there’s been speculation that because of her football interest she might one day be NFL commissioner.  (There’s no word that Rice is interested or a candidate to succeed Bruininks.)

Joe Mauer injured his left knee in yesterday’s loss to Oakland and his return is day-to-day, according to the Twins.

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The USC football program has won 11 national championships and 31 bowl games but the 2010 team has dazzled only the most Pollyanna of its supporters so far.

The 2-0 Trojans have wins over Hawaii (49-36) and Virginia (17-14).  Neither Hawaii nor Virginia is deserving of more than a mediocre label at best.

USC ranks 37^th in the country in rushing offense per game (185.6 yards) and 47^th in passing (240 yards).  The Trojans are 107^th in total defense giving up 464 yards per game and No. 73 in scoring defense at 25 points a game.

Tomorrow first year coach Lane Kiffin, a Bloomington Jefferson alum, brings USC to play coach Tim Brewster’s Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium.  Kiffin’s profile is pretty glitzy, a handsome 35-year-old with a platinum reputation as a recruiter and coaching stops already with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers and USC Trojans.  And, oh, yes, he might have the best looking coach’s wife in the country.

But the other day on ESPN Radio Colin Cowherd and Bob Davie said that Kiffin prefers to emphasize running the football, perhaps to the detriment of his own success so far with the Trojans.  Translation: Kiffin might be glitzy in some ways, but his football approach can be old school smash them and smash some more.

“They’re a team that needs to throw the football down the field,” said Davie, the former Notre Dame coach.  “I watched the game the other night against Virginia.  They’re lucky they hung on and won that game.”

The Gophers are about a two touchdown underdog tomorrow and if they play pass defense like they did against South Dakota the Trojans will score a lot of points.  USC sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley has thrown seven touchdown passes and is No. 12 in the nation with a passing efficiency of 171.82.  The Gophers rank 97^th in the country in pass defense, giving up almost 300 yards per game.

But tomorrow’s game won’t be determined by the stats of past weeks and if the Gophers play with fury this game could be close, or an upset.  It should be an angry group of Gophers who take the field tomorrow after last Saturday’s surprise loss to South Dakota.

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