Vikings – Page 16 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gophers Reverse Trends with Axe Win Over Badgers

Posted on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota left a sweet taste in the mouths of their fans today with a dominant 24-7 win over the Badgers in Madison. A day after Thanksgiving, the Gophers finished their regular season in the public perception plus-column, and improved their positioning for a favorable bowl destination.

Minnesota finished 7-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten games. That looks and feels better than totals of 6-6 and 4-5.

With a bowl victory the Gophers can make their final record 8-5. That’s a lot better than last season’s 6-7 record that included a win in the lowly Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit. The Gophers, BTW, were 3-6 in Big Ten games during their disappointing 2023 season that had followed two nine-win years that included winning conference records.

Minnesota ended a two-game losing streak after painful missed opportunities against Rutgers and Penn State. The win over the Badgers meant the Gophers finished 2-2 in November games after being 0-4 in November last year.

The win gave Minnesota possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the third time in four years. The victory stopped a 2024 string of rivalry game losses, with the Gophers unable to win the Little Brown Jug against Michigan, Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa, and the Governor’s Victory Bell, Penn State.

The win in Madison assured the Gophers they won’t go bowling in Detroit this year. Destinations in Charlotte, Nashville or Phoenix loom as warmer and more attractive possibilities. An appearance and win in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte will set up one of the more interesting on the field celebrations as the winning coach gets soaked in gallons of mayonnaise.

Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck is undoubtedly up for the experience. His players gave him a nice 44^th birthday present today. He deflected attention from himself after the game during an interview with CBS, saying “after 40 you stop counting and you stop celebrating.”

Fleck said before the game on KFXN-FM: “We have to create turnovers.”

The Gophers didn’t do that, but they were in charge most of the game. Minnesota led 14-0 at the half and 21-7 after the third quarter. The Badgers might never have scored in the game if not for a foolish personal foul play by Joey Gerlach bailed them out of what would have been a fourth and more than 10 yards to go situation. Wisconsin got a first down and later scored their only TD of the game on a 15-yard pass that created some momentum for the Badgers then trailing 21-7.

Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer threw touchdown passes to Daniel Jackson and Jameson Geers, and scored on a one-yard tush-push. Brosmer, arguably the program’s top passing quarterback in decades, has a .668 best-ever completion percentage at Minnesota.

His consistency through the season was a trend Gopher fans can celebrate tonight. And here’s another that makes the fans in Dinkytown happy:

The Badgers’ 5-7 final record ends 22 seasons of winning records and likely bowl eligibility.

Worth Noting

Derik LeCaptain, the linebacker and special teams standout who blocked a punt against Penn State, is a team leader and has decided to return for a seventh season with the Gophers in 2025.

Can’t let the month of November pass without recalling Bob McNamara’s game for the ages against border rival Iowa. On November 13, 1954, 70 years ago, the All-American halfback from Hastings led the Gophers to a 22-20 win and a final 7-1 record in coach Murray Warmath’s first season in Minneapolis.

With more than 65,464 fans packed into Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, the game’s highlight came in the first half with the score tied at 7-7. McNamara received an Iowa kickoff at Minnesota’s 11-yard line and made an 89-yard touchdown run that deserves a place among the most determined efforts in program history.

McNamara shook off Iowa tacklers, refusing to go down to the ground. Warmath said in his biography, The Autumn Warrior, that McNamara’s run was indeed the stuff of legends. “It was the finest example of brilliance and desire I have ever seen,” the coach praised.

Viking Ed Ingram talking about the adjustment in losing his starting right guard spot to Dalton Risner: “At the end of the day, if they didn’t want me they would have got rid of me so they obviously see something in me and they want me to just take a step back…just learn from a veteran. Just see what I can do.”

Ingram, a third-year veteran who has been a starter during his career, is facing a challenge now. “I feel like everybody has their own way of coping with it. Me personally, I pray a lot. I go to God. Whenever something like this happens, I just put it in his hands.”

St. Thomas senior running back Hope Adebayo from Inver Grove Heights is among 35 finalists for the Walter Payton Award recognizing the top offensive player in the FCS. He rushed for 1,137 yards this season, averaging 6.3 yards in 11 games.

The Twins front office could give the team and fanbase a boost if they signed Diamondbacks free agent Christian Walker. He’s won three consecutive Gold Gloves at first base. Last season he hit .251, with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. At 33, he is looking to cash in on his best ever contract and that looks like $22 million to $30 million for multiple years.

My friend Charley Walters reminded me of some humorous Herb Brooks wisdom the other day. The legendary hockey coach said eat dessert first, you never know what’s next.

Tickets costing up to $500 are available for the WWE extravaganza at Target Center next Friday and Saturday night.

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Turkey of the Year? Make Room for the Ducky Award

Posted on November 26, 2024November 26, 2024 by David Shama

Up here in the Bold North, when it comes to Thanksgiving, we’re a step ahead of the nation. Yes, we too gorge on turkey and watching football on television. But we’re unique because Minnesota is the top turkey producing state and…we’ve got Patrick Reusse’s Turkey of the Year column entertaining us every Thanksgiving.

The veteran scribe has been serving up a Turkey of the Year since 1978 when he was opining for the Pioneer Press. Since 1988 he has been bestowing the dubious honor as a favorite columnist for the Star Tribune.

I’ll guarantee there are throngs of Minnesotans who have been gossiping for days now in anticipation of who will be Reusse’s 2024 selection. An early favorite could be Joe Pohlad from the Twins. Joe’s grandfather, the late Carl Pohlad, is the only two-time winner on Reusse’s turkey list.

I sat next to the Turkey selection committee chair last month at a Timberwolves game. Reusse didn’t let out any clues about this year, retaining the policy of clandestine operations that keeps us on edge leading up to Thanksgiving morning. We conversed on various subjects, and he dazzled (as usual) with his recall about the local sports landscape.

It occurred to me awhile ago that there could be another annual award that Minnesotans might eagerly devour during Thanksgiving week.

So, let’s be honest.

The Turkey of the Year is someone, or some organization, that has screwed up. Here at Sports Headliners we’ve decided to go in a different direction.

I am pleased to announce the annual Sports Headliners Ducky Award. This honor will be bestowed on a Minnesota sports figure who is doing “just ducky.” To be considered by the Ducky committee this person has to be going through a delightful period in his or her career. The highest criteria will be someone we can look at and declare that life is pretty peachy keen.

The committee consists only of positive thinking devotees. We begin each meeting by reading out loud several paragraphs from a Norman Vincent Peale or Dale Carnegie classic. At one meeting the chairman (yours truly) went to the blackboard and drew up John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. Committee homework assignments include listening to Tony Robbins talks and reading Harvey Mackay books.

Our research to determine the winner of the Ducky Award has been arduous but the chairman insists on a certain amount of frivolity. We laughed our way through the Marx brother’s movie Duck Soup, and younger committee members were astonished to see a film in black and white. Bedlam prevailed for a few moments until order was restored.

To keep things loose at the meetings I may offer a Dick Jonckowski joke. Here’s one:

A teacher asked where Jesus was born.

A student raised his hand and said, “Philly.”

Nope, said the teacher.

The same student then guessed “Pittsburgh.”

No, said the teacher who then told the class it was Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

The persistent student replied: “I knew it was in Pennsylvania.”

The duck tasting part of our meetings has been another committee pleaser. Our mouths have been watering from a steady diet of Duck a l’orange, classic Duck confit and smoked Duck breasts. At this Friday’s banquet feast honoring the award winner we’re serving Peking Duck and advising members to wear XXL gear.

On Monday we settled on the finalists and then chose the winner. The committee debated about issuing a news release to the media, but the chair insisted the world should first learn about the finalists and winner via Sports Headliners. (As I type this, I see Lester Holt’s name coming up on my phone. I am certain he wants to go national with the Ducky news as the lead story tonight on NBC).

No way.

So, the finalists are…

Karl-Anthony Towns photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns. We liked to pile on KAT when he played for the Timberwolves. Critics howled about his silly fouls, carping at the officials and lack of production in playoff games. After nine seasons in the Mini Apple, KAT is purring in the Big Apple with the Knicks where he is averaging 26.3 points and 12.6 points per game. He is playing at an All-NBA level, and no doubt is a Spike Lee favorite at Madison Square Garden. The Wolves are struggling on defense and miss the 7-footer’s presence on both ends of the court. Things are pretty ducky for the New Jersey born KAT.

Kirill Kaprizov. The 27-year-old superstar forward is No. 1 in the hearts of Wild fans and No. 2 in the NHL in points scored this fall with 34. His 13 goals trail only five other NHL players. The 2021 NHL Rookie of the Year has been a fan favorite from the beginning, including his first game when he became the first player in league history to score three points in his debut. Things are ducky with the team, too. The Wild, 13-4-4, has surprised the skeptics who before the season considered Minnesota to be on the bubble for the playoffs.

Bob Motzko. When a coach tells the public he has a darn good team it’s usually not bluster. Minnesota men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko doesn’t deal in hype, so best to take him at his word that the Gophers are deep and talented. He is in his seventh season at Minnesota after leading the St. Cloud State program for 13. A national championship has so far eluded Motzko with results that include Minnesota’s painful overtime loss to Quinnipiac in the 2023 Frozen Four title game. The Gophers are off to a 12-2 overall start, 6-0 in the Big Ten. Ranked among the best teams in the nation, the feeling here is Motzko and the Gophers are overdue for an NCAA crown. If they do that in the spring, Motzko will be positioned to win the 2025 Ducky.

Gable Steveson. The NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion announced earlier this month he will use a final season of eligibility to again compete for the Golden Gophers. “First I would like to thank the University of Minnesota for their time, their effort and their persistence with me to push me to the man I am today,” the Minnesota native said in his comeback video. “Minnesota has given me everything, and now it’s my turn to give it right back to them: to put my feet back on the wrestling mat, to be the champ, one more time.”

With Steveson’s debut last Friday and Sunday (he scored dominant wins over his heavyweight foes), the Gophers earned their first consecutive team shutouts since 1997-1998 with victories over North Dakota State and Campbell. It could be a peachy season on the mat for Steveson and the undefeated Gophers.

And the winner is.

Kevin O’Connell image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell. Smiling KOC embodies what the Ducky Award is all about. Great disposition. Good results. Wouldn’t surprise our researchers if KOC was in those Gerber baby commercials years ago, with his face beaming into the camera and on the jar. In his third season as Vikings head coach, O’Connell has made a national reputation for creating a much-praised working environment for his players. They laud his leadership and support while also noting the boss enforces accountability.

In O’Connell’s first season as coach the surprising 13-4 Vikings reflected the poise of their new leader. They were an amazing 11-4 in one score victories, an NFL record. The Vikings are 9-2 this season, again surprising forecasters who had them winning around six games.

And things remain calm in Skol Country. As recently as Sunday Minnesota went into overtime in Chicago but defeated the Bears 30-27. A smilin’ KOC watched from the sidelines.

So that’s it, folks. The banquet will be at Hurley’s Hanging Gardens up Nordeastway. It’s sold out. BTW, if the Gophers surprise and beat Wisconsin earlier in the day on Friday, the duck feast will make way for Badger stew.

How ducky would that be?

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Garcia Big Ten Scoring Title? U Teammates May Hold Key

Posted on November 19, 2024November 19, 2024 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers’ Dawson Garcia enters tonight’s home game averaging 25.5 points per game for his 3-1 team. His average through four games is the Big Ten’s best.

Garcia, a senior, plays for a team that has struggled to score points and may do so all season. The 6-foot-11 center-power forward has scored 102 of Minnesota’s 158 points this season. The next closest scorer to him is guard Lu’Cye Patterson with 34.

Dawson Garcia photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

If the Savage, Minnesota native from Prior Lake High School wins the league scoring title after the 2025 season he will be the first Gopher to do so since Kris Humphries in 2024. Humphries, a high school All-American at Hopkins High School, led the Big Ten in both scoring at 21 points per game and rebounds, 9.5 (stats are league games only). He was the first freshman in league history to accomplish that.

Other Gophers who have won conference scoring titles dating back to 1948 are: Tom Kondla, Quincy Lewis, and Mychal Thompson (twice), per Sports-reference.com.

Will Garcia join the list? Probably not, according to a former major college basketball coach who spoke with Sports Headliners on condition of anonymity.

“It’s going to be hard. He’s going to face a double, triple team every game.”

The former coach is implying if Garcia’s teammates can consistently make shots and cause foes to pay for double and triple teaming Minnesota’s star, it’s a lot more likely Garcia can win the league scoring title (based on regular season conference and nonconference games).

The source is certainly an admirer of Garcia who averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 rebounds last season. Garcia was second-team All-Big Ten as selected by the media and is now on national watch lists for postseason awards.

“He’s really a great player,” the former college head and assistant coach said. “He’s worth the price of admission.”

Garcia, listed at 234 pounds, is averaging a team-best 7.3 rebounds. He is unselfish and a good passer. He can score inside and out, including a pro range three-point shot. He’s making an impressive 57.1 percent of his threes.

“He’s (going to be) a pro player,” said the source. “He absolutely has NBA potential.”

Garcia’s mobility with and without the basketball fits the flexibility of today’s NBA that emphasizes position-less players who can handle the ball. A question about his pro future potential might be development of his lower body strength.

The Gophers have a rebuilt roster after a breakthrough 9-11 Big Ten record in 2023-2024 that followed two last place conference finishes under head coach Ben Johnson. Garcia is one of only two returning starters and Minnesota is a popular choice to finish near the bottom of the league standings.

“It’s going to be a struggle,” the former coach said about the team’s season outlook.

Minnesota plays its fourth nonconference game tonight against 3-2 Cleveland State. The Gophers, averaging a modest 64.5 points per game against so-so competition, are fortunate to have Garcia who initially spurned his hometown team coming out of high school and played at both Marquette and North Carolina.

With Name, Image and Likeness money reportedly involved, the Gophers lost two of their better starters via the transfer portal after last season. Point guard Elijah Hawkins is at Texas Tech and center Pharrel Payne plays for Texas A&M.

It’s believed Garcia is making six-figures via NIL at Minnesota, but he could have commanded more if not for his loyalty to the Gophers and his family.

Worth Noting

Hawkins has played in two of four games at Texas Tech, average 8.5 points per game and has a total of 16 assists. Another Red Raiders guard is Hopkins alum Kerwin Walton who started his college career at North Carolina. He made 47.8 percent of his three-point shots last season.

Payne’s playing time in four games has ranged between 17 and 24 minutes. He is averaging 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 82 total minutes.

Another transfer from last year’s team, forward Joshua Ola-Joseph who was a key reserve, is averaging 11.3 minutes in four games at Cal. He is 0-6 on three-point shots and is averaging 4.5 points per game and 2.5 rebounds.

Great news for the University of Minnesota football and volleyball programs, per Derek Burns from Dinkytown Athletes, the official Name, Image and Likeness collective of Gopher athletics. DA recently concluded its “million-dollar match campaign” with Mark Pearson’s Twin Cities-based financial services company, Nepsis.

“We did hit our number and went over slightly,” Burns told Sports Headliners Monday. Nepsis matched dollar for dollar donations, new memberships or upgraded memberships to DA through November 10.

While the DA president didn’t specify a dollar total, he said this was the most successful campaign ever for the collective which officially launched in September of 2022. DA will now target a similar campaign for February and March to benefit athletes in winter sports.

Funding success is pivotal, Burns said, when Gopher programs approach the time they and other schools across the country compete for athletes in the transfer portal. Within a few weeks, for example, football and volleyball players will be making decisions on whether to enter the transfer portal and, if so, where to go. NIL resources will also be timely for retention of athletes.

The Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, who is second among NHL players in points with 31, makes $9 million. Although he is playing at a league MVP level, his contract value doesn’t rank in the league’s top 30 highest paid players.

Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson, whose 2.08 goals against average is best in the league, are unrestricted free agents after the 2025-2026 season. Gustavsson is playing with a $4.1 million deal this season and next. Kaprizov’s contract remains at $9 million next season.

The Lions defeated the Jaguars 52-6 last Sunday, after the Vikings beat the Jags, 12-7 the week prior. The 9-1 Lions, who lead the 7-2 Vikings in the race to win the NFC North, have scored 35 points or more three times in their first 10 games. The only other clubs to do that since the late 1960s are the 1969 Vikings and 1973 Falcons.

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