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Jerry Kill: NDSU Bison FBS Program

Posted on September 24, 2019September 25, 2019 by David Shama

How impressive is the North Dakota State football program that has won seven FCS national titles in eight years and is riding a 25-game win streak? Impressive enough to earn the praise and admiration of former University of Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill who has coached at both the FBS (Division I-A) and FCS (Division I-AA) levels.

Kill spent much of his head coaching career at the FCS level including seven seasons at Southern Illinois. In his last five years, from 2003-2007, the Salukis were 50-14 and made five consecutive FCS playoff appearances. Although Kill went back into coaching last week as an assistant at Virginia Tech, he was recently the athletic director at Southern Illinois where the Salukis and the other teams in the Missouri Valley Conference annually try to figure out a way to compete with the Bison, who several years ago had a 33-game win streak.

In Kill’s first season as Minnesota coach in 2011, NDSU defeated the Gophers 37-24 in Minneapolis. The coach saw talent he envied and knew those players could compete in the Big Ten. “There were about five of them, six of them—when we played them—I ’d have taken in a heartbeat,” Kill said in a telephone interview. “Shoot, the year we played them I might have taken the whole damn team.”

The Gophers haven’t played the Bison since 2011 but did take on another Valley power in their opening game on August 29 in Minneapolis. No. 4 ranked South Dakota State gave Minnesota fits before losing 28-21 in the fourth quarter.

Kill was asked how the Bison might perform playing in the Big Ten.

“Jumping from that league and jumping all the way to the Big Ten is a huge jump,” Kill said. “(But) North Dakota State is a Division I (FBS) program.”

College football authorities raise the question of whether an FCS power like NDSU has enough quality depth to survive the physical pounding of a nine-game schedule in a conference like the Big Ten. “I don’t know,” Kill said. “I am not ever going to say North Dakota State can’t do anything because they beat K-State. They beat Minnesota when I was there. Shoot, they beat just about everybody they played.”

That’s for sure. Power Five Conference teams think twice about playing NDSU after the Bison have defeated Iowa, Kansas State and Minnesota (also in 2007) on their home fields. No wonder Bison fans have circled dates on future calendars when their team plays at Oregon next year and visits Arizona in 2022.

The Bison’s phenomenal success (not even duplicated by Alabama or Clemson on the FBS level) is built on shrewd recruiting and player development. NDSU benefits (as do North Dakota, SDSU and South Dakota) from there being no FBS programs in the Dakotas, and one FBS program in Minnesota. The Bison roster this season lists 36 Minnesotans including new star quarterback, Trey Lance.

“I think it started with (coach) Craig Bohl,” Kill said about the success in recruiting Minnesota. “Craig Bohl was real good at taking those in between kids that may not be quite ready to be in a Power Five (program). They did a great job of developing players.”

Bohl left for Wyoming after the 2013 regular season. His successor, Chris Klieman, departed for Kansas State following last January’s seventh national title. But the program rolls on under new head coach Matt Entz, with the latest triumph last Saturday’s 27-16 win over No. 4 national ranked UC Davis. The week prior the Bison played on the road at No. 18 Delaware and won 47-22.

The Bison and South Dakota State have byes this week before starting Missouri Valley schedules October 5. After the Minnesota loss, SDSU has won games by scores of 38-7, 38-10 and 43-7. The Bison and Jackrabbits play October 26 in Brookings. Call it a Valley showdown or matchup of two teams that could play in a FBS league like the Mid-American Conference, or just know it will be a special football game.

Worth Noting

Kill said he missed football when I asked him earlier this month how he was doing. Then came last week’s announcement he joined the Virginia Tech staff as an assistant coach and gave up the AD position at Southern Illinois.

Tracy Claeys, Kill’s defensive coordinator at Minnesota, is one of the best defensive minds in the country but he must be having nightmares after UCLA’s 67-63 win last Saturday over Washington State, the program whose defense he leads now.

Are the Purdue Boilermakers, who host the Gophers Saturday, overdue for a rebound? Dating back to the end of last season, Purdue has lost five of its last seven games. Minnesota has won six of its last seven.

The Vikings’ Dalvin Cook is the fifth player in NFL history with at least 110 rushing yards in each of his team’s first three games of a season. The others are Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Curtin Martin, O.J. Simpson and Emmitt Smith.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, with 342 NFL career touchdown passes, is tied with Vikings legend Fran Tarkenton for the ninth-most in league history.

Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park will cost about $5 billion and have a transparent plastic roof like that on U.S. Bank Stadium. The new privately funded facility opens next season as the home of the Chargers and Rams. U.S. Bank Stadium, a public-private partnership, opened in 2016 at a cost of $1.1 billion.

Twins total home attendance for the 2019 regular season was 2,294,152, including 12 sellouts. The franchise finished its 81 home dates with the largest season attendance since drawing 2,477,644 fans in 2013.

The Twins will finish about in the middle for home attendance among the 30 MLB clubs when all regular season schedules end next weekend. Per figures from Espn.com, the Los Angeles Dodgers will lead all franchises in attendance averaging 49,075 per game. The Miami Marlins, having finished their home dates like the Dodgers and Twins, averaged a pathetic 10,016.

The Capital Club will hear from Minnesota Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson October 4 at Town & Country Club, and listen to new Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin October 22 at Xcel Energy Center. More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrickklinger@klingercompany.com.

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Vikings Face No Ordinary Sunday

Posted on September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 by David Shama

Today’s Vikings-Raiders game at U.S. Bank Stadium has more drama surrounding it for the Purple than was predicted a couple of weeks ago. The 1-1 Vikings not only need a win to maintain their status as one of the NFL’s better teams, but quarterback Kirk Cousins badly needs redemption after last Sunday’s 14 of 32 passing performance in the team’s 21-16 loss to the Packers in Green Bay.

Cousins, the team’s $84 million man, didn’t do enough to justify his big contract in year one last year as the Vikings finished 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs after going 13-3 the previous season. In two games this season he hasn’t significantly impacted the outcomes, including a two interceptions performance in Green Bay. With a reputation for not being at his best under pressure dating back to his days playing with the Washington Redskins, it’s high time for Cousins to deliver today and on future Sundays.

Cousins acknowledged several days ago he won’t continue to hold his spot as the team’s starting quarterback if he doesn’t play better. The passionate Vikings fan base read that statement and could lose faith in the seven-year veteran before head coach Mike Zimmer does. A bad day for both Cousins and the Vikings against a mediocre 1-1 Raiders team known for their leaky pass defense will turn the Purple faithful into the unfaithful.

Cousins appeared shaken in the second half against the Packers after making an awful judgment on an attempted end zone touchdown pass that resulted in an interception, and was a turning point in the game. It might have been that kind of play Zimmer had in mind when he issued this vote of confidence for his quarterback last week:

“Kirk had an up and down game last week. He’s going to be fine. We have the utmost confidence in him. He’s in a good place where he’s going to play good this week and continue to play good for the rest of the year.”

If Cousins is fine today and during the remainder of the season it will certainly help Zimmer’s job security. Expectations are high in 2019 for the Vikings with an ownership group that wants a Super Bowl. The Wilf family has provided all the resources including a supportive payroll, new practice home and perhaps the NFL’s best stadium. Success is expected from Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman, both of whom surely promoted the Cousins signing to the owners.

If a quarterback change is made, presumably an opportunity will be given to backup Sean Mannion, the only other QB on the active roster. Acquired in a free agent signing during the offseason, Mannion is in his fifth NFL season but has minimal game day experience—10 games and one start. He has yet to see the field with the Vikings in a regular season game, and in four previous seasons with the St. Louis-L.A. Rams he attempted 53 passes, with 33 completions, one interception and no touchdowns.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound former Oregon State quarterback throws a harder pass than Cousins who has more touch, according to Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes. “Yeah, he does have a pretty good fastball,” Hughes told Sports Headliners, while adding the extra zip can deliver the football in tight spaces.

Mannion has a one year contract with the Vikings and while he admitted everyone wants to start in the NFL, he is happy with his role. He is also a Cousins admirer. He even studied the throwing mechanics of his older peer while with the Rams, watching how Cousins used his feet to maximize timing with receivers.

“Kirk is great…with his feet and playing on time,” Mannion said. “That’s something that I’ve tried to really do as part of my game as well. Trying not to get behind the timing of the play and force a bad decision, really lifting my feet.”

After Mannion arrived at the Vikings practice facility, he learned what others already knew about Cousins as a person. “He’s just an awesome dude. Just the way he treats people, everybody in the building…he treats with total respect.”

Worth Noting

Hughes, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, could make his 2019 debut today. As of Thursday, he was undecided whether to wear a brace when he does return.

With a win today against the Raiders, the Vikings will have their 500th victory in franchise history dating back to 1961.

Brent Musburger, the 80-year-old famous sports broadcaster who graduated in 1957 from Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, is in his second season as the Raiders play-by-play man.

WCCO Radio change: The Sports Huddle program, a Sunday ratings leader for decades, has been moved from a 9:30 a.m. start to 10 a.m. Purple Sunday Pregame airs from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald (1,316) needs 10 receptions today against the Carolina Panthers to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for second on the NFL’s all-time list of career receptions. The Arizona Cardinals receiver has the league’s longest active streak of games with a reception (229).

A friend living in Athens, Georgia texted that interest in last night’s Georgia-Notre Dame football game was so intense that locals were asking and receiving rent of $4,000 to $6,000 per night with a two night minimum for their houses.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledging earlier this month that season ticket sales are down: “I would just say they (the sales force) have goals that they haven’t achieved yet.”

Tyus Jones, the former Timberwolf point guard now with the Memphis Grizzlies, will play a mentoring role to point guard Ja Morant, the team’s 2019 No. 1 draft choice.

Minnesota United, competing to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, plays at Providence Park in Portland this afternoon. The stadium is 95 years old, one of the iconic facilities in American sports, and home to the Portland Timbers.

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Wolves Owner Praises Wiggins Effort

Posted on September 19, 2019September 19, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Thursday notes column with a focus on Minnesota’s professional basketball franchises.

For many observers the Minnesota Timberwolves player to watch in preseason and beyond this fall will be enigmatic 24-year-old forward-guard Andrew Wiggins. The franchise opens training camp October 1, and in this town the five-year veteran’s name is synonymous with unfulfilled potential.

So flashy his nicknames have included Junior Jordan, Wiggins can prompt gasps from spectators because of his athleticism. He has a career scoring average of 19.4 and that is exceptional by NBA standards. The rest of his stat line, though, is pretty blah and his numbers in categories like assists (2.2 per game) and rebounding (4.3) hint at Wiggins not being a player who makes teammates more productive. His many critics see a high potential player who lacks the focus and intensity to be a star on both offense and defense.

Waiting on Wiggins to consistently perform at a high level seems like part of the franchise DNA. This season he gets a fresh start with new instructors, a revised coaching staff led by Ryan Saunders in his first full season as head coach. Directing from the top is Gersson Rosas, the new president of basketball operations.

How Wiggins prepared for this season may provide a clue as to things could go in the coming months. Team owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he likes the approach of Wiggins who he rewarded with a five-year contract in 2017 that reportedly approaches $150 million. He said Wiggins has invested more effort this offseason than in at least a couple of years.

“Everything has really been positive,” Taylor said. “He’s stayed around (Minneapolis and) worked. Done everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s working on the things that we thought were important.

“If he has a tough year (in 2020), or a good year…he has put in the effort. That was the first big step. If he didn’t put in the effort we would really be concerned. Now we’ve gotta see, does that effort translate into results?”

When Rosas was hired last spring many Wolves fans assumed general manager Scott Layden would move on. Layden had been hired by Tom Thibodeau in 2016 when he took over as president of basketball operations and head coach. Speculation was Layden might leave, or be asked to exit, months after Thibodeau’s firing in January of this year.

After hiring Rosas, Taylor told him that Layden was under contract and to decide about his future. Rosas said he had worked with Layden in the past and respected him. “He said, ‘I got no reason to push him out. If he finds another job, if he wants to do something else he thinks would be better, I am okay with that, too.’ “

Layden remains with the Wolves with responsibilities that include evaluating personnel.

The Wolves will train in Taylor’s hometown of Mankato for the first time since 2014. Taylor’s wife Becky will prepare a lasagna dinner and the two will host a team party at their home for players and staff.

Although most media who cover the NBA don’t predict a spot in the playoffs for the Wolves, Taylor is upbeat because of new leadership with Rosas and Saunders, and promising young players like rookie guard Jarrett Culver joining Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the league’s premier centers.

Taylor was elated over the 2019 regular season performance of his other basketball franchise, the WNBA Lynx. Despite a roster reshuffle after losing star players following the 2018 season, the team made the playoffs.

The Lynx are four-time WNBA champions, with the last title coming in 2017. During the past offseason, coach and front office decision maker Cheryl Reeve asked Taylor how to approach the 2019 season, with options that included rebuilding. Taylor had seen Reeve’s past skills to acquire talent and coach the team to high performances. He didn’t want a rebuild.

Taylor told her: “…Cheryl, I got you (to do things). I’d just as soon go for it (not rebuild). I am betting on you. Let’s go for it, and we’ll help.”

Taylor got involved with “recruiting” players to Minneapolis but he downplays the importance of what he did. He told players the Lynx has a culture that distinguishes the franchise from other WNBA organizations. “So you know I did the pitch,” Taylor recalled. “It helped her but I am not implying anybody came because of me.”

It was announced yesterday that Reeve was voted by her peers WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year for her work as the Lynx’s general manager.

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen led the team in receptions and receiving yards against Green Bay last Sunday, with five catches for 75 yards. He holds the franchise record for most receptions against the Packers, coming up with 12 in two different games.

Thielen, a Minnesota native, was asked if his focus or intent is different in the rivalry games against the Packers. “No, no, not at all,” he told Sports Headliners. “It’s the National Football League. If your emotions aren’t the same for every game, you got a problem. You only have 16 games. You gotta bring it every week.”

Thielen has 212 receptions since 2007, tied for fourth most in the NFL.

The Vikings, 1-1 after their loss to the Packers, play the Oakland Raiders Sunday in Minneapolis. The two franchises met in Super Bowl XI, with the Raiders winning 32-14, and giving the Vikings one of their four Super Bowl losses. Ten individuals associated with that Raiders team, including owner Al Davis and coach John Madden, have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Defending WCHA regular season and playoff champion Minnesota State is the favorite to repeat as league champions in the 10 member conference, receiving nine first-place votes in the eighth annual Mankato Free Press WCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll and all 10 votes in the WCHA Preseason Media Poll.

Minnesota Twins Luis Arraez and Mitch Garver appear at the Fan HQ Ridgedale store on September 21 and 22 respectively. The Minnesota Wild’s Zach Parise is scheduled there September 30. Details on celebrity appearances at Fanhqstore.com.

The 3-0 football Gophers, who are one of five Big Ten teams with byes this weekend, rank No. 13 in the country in average of time possession at 34:36. Wisconsin is No. 1 at 37:13.

CollegeAD.com reported that through Sunday tickets sold on Vivid averaged $611 for next Saturday’s Georgia-Notre Dame game in Athens. That’s the most expensive college ticket this season, CollegeAd said on Wednesday. By contrast the average for the Wisconsin-Michigan game coming up in Ann Arbor is $184.

September birthdays: Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino turned 37 Monday, and former University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler will be 63 next Monday.

Prep football coaching milestones: Jay Loven, Upsala/Swanville Area, and Tim Kirk, Mountain Lake Area, won their 100th career games last Friday. Loven’s career record is 100-55 in 16 seasons as a head coach at Upsala/Swanville. Kirk is now 100-71 in 17 seasons as a head coach at Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin and Mountain Lake Area.

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