Vikings – Page 225 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Lurtsema Predicts 11-5 Record for Vikes

Posted on July 31, 2013July 31, 2013 by David Shama

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the team, predicts Minnesota will finish 11-5 this season after a 10-6 record in 2012. Even rosier is Lurtsema’s opinion that before the Metrodome is demolished next winter, the last football event there could be the NFC Championship Game hosted by the Vikings who might need to win more than 11 regular season games to play in Minneapolis.

“That’s very realistic (hosting the title game),” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “You gotta realize when they were 6-6 last year they (the players) came together. That’s only the second time in Minnesota Viking history that they won the last four games.”

The Vikings won those regular season games before losing to the Packers in the playoffs, and giving Lurtsema confidence about continued improvement by Minnesota is the attitude of the players. “A lot of times you can preach and preach and nobody listens. But they’re listening now and they came together, and they believe in themselves. …They have that self-motivation.”

Two years ago Lurstema predicted the Vikings would win “five or six” games. They won three. Last July he told Sports Headliners 10-6 was going to be the record and the team’s first playoff appearance in three years was possible.

Now, Lurtsema said, the Vikings could not only finish with an 11-5 or better record but have at least a share of the NFC North title. “Yup. I know I bleed purple…but I am a realist.”

Lurtsema almost gushes about the team’s offense, “There’s not a negative.” He said fans are down on quarterback Christian Ponder but criticism was too harsh last season because “he didn’t have any receivers to throw to.” That situation changes now with a healthy Jerome Simpson and the acquisition of Greg Jennings, both talented veteran wide receivers.

Lurtsema likes the total package of the offense including tight end Kyle Rudolph, running back Adrian Peterson and an offensive line that impressed last season, but on defense he thinks the Vikings are more suspect. He frets about how effective both the defensive line and secondary will be.

Worth Noting

Lurtsema believes it’s time for starting cornerback Chris Cook, now 26 and heading into his fourth NFL season, to reward the Vikings for their patience with him. Two years ago Cook missed much of the season because of domestic violence charges. Although he was later acquitted, the incident was a setback to his career.

“Chris Cook has got to be awful, awful good,” Lurtsema said. “They (the organization) stuck with him. The players didn’t like that a couple years ago, when they paid his salary and (he) took up a roster spot. Players weren’t real happy about that at all. …I think all the coaches saw how good he really is.”

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier joins Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, Larry King and other speakers on August 27 at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the “Success 2013 Minneapolis” motivational event, according to full page ads appearing in the Star Tribune. Frazier’s talk is titled “How to Lead Your Team to Victory.”

As a group the Gophers linebackers roster is inexperienced with only two seniors, one junior and 10 freshmen and sophomores but coach Jerry Kill is “optimistic” about the potential. “Athletically we’re gifted there,” Kill told the media yesterday.

Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” on Sunday that junior college transfer linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who will have three seasons of eligibility with the Gophers, turned down offers from Texas and Kansas State after deciding not to attend Tennessee following a coaching change there last fall.

Kill said yesterday that highly publicized freshman quarterback Chris Streveler will work at wide receiver and QB when practices begin later this week. “Chris is a pretty intelligent guy,” Kill said about learning both positions.

Sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson thinks wide receivers Isaac Fruechte and Derrick Engle could be two of his best targets in the deep passing game. The Gophers’ first practice will be on Friday in preparation for their opening game against UNLV August 29 at TCF Bank Stadium.

Marcus Fuller, the Pioneer Press Gophers basketball writer, said on 1500 ESPN Monday he believes Rashad Vaughn is the most likely to attend Minnesota of the 2014 prep big three of Tyus Jones, Travis Reid and Vaughn. My opinion: there is no better than a 25 percent chance the Gophers will have one of the three commit to Minnesota.

As of now there is no Upper Midwest plan to televise the Gophers game at New Mexico State in Las Cruces on September 7. The game is scheduled to be televised in parts of the Southwest including Comcast in New Mexico and Fox Sports Net Houston.

In its updated rankings of prospects, MLB.com has Twins minor leaguers Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano ranked No. 1 and 3 among all players in major league systems. But Twins fans may want to hold back the enthusiasm for awhile because becoming successful in the big leagues takes time. Before the season Oswaldo Arcia was rated the organization’s fifth best prospect while Aaron Hicks was No. 6. Arcia, after two trials with the Twins, is back at Triple-A Rochester while Hicks is hitting .194 for Minnesota despite being the regular center fielder.

Nice to see Minneapolis receive attention in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Logo unveiled yesterday depicting the downtown skyline. Hennepin County made the public financing possible to build Target Field.

The economic impact of the All-Star Game was $191.5 million in New York this year and $60 million in Kansas City in 2012, according to Rhett Bollinger’s 2014 logo story yesterday on Mlb.com.

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Quarterbacks Youth Not Concerning Kill

Posted on July 29, 2013July 29, 2013 by David Shama

There are seven quarterbacks listed on the Gophers roster as the team prepares to open practice on Friday and all are freshmen or sophomores. Only one, Philip Nelson, has game experience playing for Minnesota.

Fans might fret about the inexperience and lack of depth but not coach Jerry Kill. “We talk a lot about the quarterback position. That doesn’t concern me right now,” Kill told Sports Headliners.

“I feel good about where we’re at. I feel good about Philip. I feel good about Mitch. They’re young. They’re smart kids. They represent us well and that’s what we need to be successful. Now we gotta build the rest of the team and that’s more of a concern than quarterback is right now.”

Nelson is the starter and Mitch Leidner, a redshirt freshman, is No. 2. Kill, who likes the talent of Nelson, Leidner and other quarterbacks, isn’t discounting the importance of the position in rebuilding a program with only four Big Ten wins in the last two seasons.

“I don’t think anybody can win without a quarterback, no matter what system it is,” Kill said. “You look at the NFL teams that are winning, they’ve got the best quarterbacks. You look at college football, the ones that win they’ve got the best quarterbacks. When Wisconsin (historically great running teams) was really good, they had the best quarterback. …

“They (quarterbacks) come in all shapes and sizes. We’re blessed right now. We got some good young players.”

If not for injuries to other players, Nelson would have redshirted last season. Nelson started the last seven games and while he was inconsistent he did lead the team in total offense with 1,057 yards including eight touchdown passes. Fans didn’t realize the athletic freshman, who rushed for 184 yards during the season, was faster than senior starting quarterback MarQueis Gray.

Kill doesn’t second-guess Nelson losing a season of eligibility because the former Mankato West quarterback couldn’t be redshirted. “I don’t have any regrets whatsoever. It puts him farther ahead. It puts our football team farther ahead, and it helped us in a situation (where) we were injured up in that position at the time. In a lot of ways we didn’t have a choice but I think it worked out very well.”

Kill has started young quarterbacks at other schools where he coached including Southern Illinois. “The only way you can learn is to go out and play. You’re going to make some mistakes and then you’ve got to move on to the next play. We’ve never hesitated (about youth). I started a redshirt freshman when I was as Southern Illinois. Started four straight years. If kids’ got abilities you don’t hold them back.”

Despite the inexperience on the quarterback roster, Kill doesn’t simplify the playbook for his young students who are expected to execute what is given to them. “It’s not that we need to put any more (plays) in and all that stuff. We gotta execute what we’re doing and doing it well.”

Worth Noting

Brad Salem, son of former Gophers head coach Joe Salem, is the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State. Brad’s recruiting interest includes the state of Wisconsin, and Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said, “We think we found a little bit of a niche.”

The Spartans’ roster includes former Wayzata High School receiver A.J. Troup, a sophomore who has yet to play a game for MSU. He caught a game winning 46-yard touchdown pass in the spring game but recently suffered a knee injury and is out for the season.

Brad’s brother Tim Salem, a former Gophers quarterback, is the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Illinois.

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema has said tight end Kyle Rudolph was “the steal” of the 2011 NFL draft. Rudolph impressed in his first two seasons with the Vikings including his Pro Bowl MVP performance last winter, and he can improve more.

“Kyle developed from year one to year two and we are looking for another jump both in the run game and the pass game from Kyle,” said offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. “From all indication he is poised to do that. He has had a terrific spring, he is a little heavier than he has been, but that is good weight. He is definitely stronger and you know we pride the tight ends to be a big part of the running game and he did that last year. He is ready to do it again.”

Musgrave answering a question about how much better the offensive line might be in 2013 after helping Adrian Peterson almost break the NFL single season rushing record last year: “It would be hard to ask them to be much better in the running game. They (also) did a nice job pass protecting last year. We do want to minimize our sacks and stay out of those long yardage situations.

“It’s a terrific group. It is fun to have (injured center) John Sullivan back; he is really the stabilizer. Matt Kalil (rookie tackle last season) has fewer unknowns than 12 months ago so we are excited about that crew.”

Zach Line is a rookie free agent running back from SMU who is on the Vikings roster trying to make the team, and watching his pursuit of a pro career is writer Jenny Vrentas, according to the July 29 issue of Sports Illustrated. She will stay with the Line story this year even if he is out of football and “working at a CVS,” Peter King reported in the magazine while previewing features for the new Monday Morning Quarterback website that will be “under the Sports Illustrated umbrella.”

King’s tour of NFL training camps will include an August 12 stop in Mankato to view the Vikings. Based on previous dining experience, he praises Jake’s Stadium Pizza in Mankato. “One of the best meals on the camp trip, by far,” he wrote.

The St. Thomas football team, with 15 of 22 starters returning from last year’s school record 14-1 team, is ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls by both D3football.com and the USA Today Magazine Division III preview. The Tommies, winners of 33 consecutive regular season games, are second in the polls to Mount Union. Bethel is No. 8 in the D3football.com poll and ranked No. 6 by USA Today.

The field for the 3M Championship, scheduled now through Sunday at the TPC Twin Cities, will include Champions Tour rookies Rocco Mediate, Colin Montgomerie and Steve Elkington, plus Tom Lehman, Fred Funk, Nick Price and other fan favorites, according to 3mchampionship.com.

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Jones Undecided on U Official Visit

Posted on July 26, 2013July 26, 2013 by David Shama

Tyus Jones isn’t sure about making an official recruiting visit to the University of Minnesota, according to his mother Debbie Jones.

The family has made unofficial visits to Minnesota in the past to become acquainted with the Gophers’ basketball program. “We have talked about it (the official visit) but not decided,” Debbie told Sports Headliners on Wednesday.

The Gophers are on the Apple Valley High School point guard’s current list of possible college destinations along with Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State. There had been seven schools but Debbie said, “Ohio State is no longer recruiting Tyus.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association allows a recruit to make five official visits to schools. An official visit is paid for by the school while an unofficial is at the family’s expense.

The first official visit by Tyus will be to Baylor in late August. Baylor director of player development Jared Nuness is a distant cousin of Tyus who is the Rivals.com No. 2 prospect in the country for the class of 2014.

Official visits by Tyus are planned for August, September and October with dates and schools beyond Baylor to be determined. High school seniors can sign National Letters of Intent with colleges in November, or they can wait until the following spring for a second period of signing dates. Asked by Sports Headliners on Sunday if Tyus will sign in November, his mom said: “I think so.”

Worth Noting

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the 2014 All-Star Game logo will be revealed next Tuesday at Target Field. Among those present for the unveiling will be officials from Major League Baseball.

The Twins will host the first ever All-Star Game at Target Field on July 15, 2014. The franchise hosted All-Star Games in 1965 at Met Stadium and 1985 in the Metrodome.

During the 2012 and 2013 baseball seasons Target Field has been the site of Kenny Chesney concerts drawing crowds of more than 42,000. No decision has been made on a concert for next year including type of music or date. “We’re likely to host one major show (in 2014),” St. Peter said. “It’s likely to be post-All-Star Game.”

St. Peter also said the Twins are “hopeful” about hosting the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2015 but that will be the final decision of the Wild and National Hockey League. Both the Wild and Twins have long been interested in bringing the Classic to Minnesota where the local NHL team would play against an opponent to be announced, perhaps the Blackhawks.

St. Peter is co-coach of an Eden Prairie travelling baseball team for 15 year olds that includes twin sons Ben and Eric. Asked about their prospects of playing college baseball, St. Peter said they inherited their dad’s slowness of foot.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he and his wife enjoyed a one-week vacation in Carmel, California. The Vikings reported to training camp at Minnesota State Mankato yesterday with the first practice today.

Frazier on whether it’s fair for observers to tie so much of the expectations about the Vikings to starting quarterback Christian Ponder: “It’s a team game and we need a lot of guys to step up. We definitely need Christian just to continue to improve, but we need the rest of our offense, our defense, our special teams, to improve as well.

“And if we all improve across the board we’ll be a better football team and we’ll have a chance of reaching our goals as a team. It’s not fair to say we’ll only go as far as Christian will take us. We have a lot of people that have to play well also.”

Frazier said the team will practice today and tomorrow, take Sunday off and then be in pads for the first time on Monday and for the duration of training camp in Mankato.

Chris Burke, writing last Tuesday for S.I.com, ranked new Viking Matt Cassel as the fifth best backup quarterback in the NFL. Burke said Cassel was “awful” last season for the Chiefs but played on a bad team. He noted Cassel was outstanding in 2010 for the Chiefs and 2008 for the Patriots. “A lot of time has passed since then but Cassel has more NFL on-field experience than just about anyone on this list,” Burke wrote.

Kyle Orton of the Cowboys is Burke’s No. 1 followed by Matt Moore (Dolphins), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Titans) and Matt Hasselbeck (Colts).

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill meets with the media next Tuesday with the opening practice for his team on Thursday. Four practices including the August 10 scrimmage (start time 4:40 p.m.) at TCF Bank Stadium are open to the public. More details at Gophersports.com. The Gophers open their season at home on August 29 against UNLV.

Will Rakeem Buckles transfer to the Gophers after finishing summer school at Florida International where new Minnesota basketball boss Richard Pitino coached last season? The 6-7 forward sat out last season after transferring from Louisville and could play this fall at Minnesota as a graduate student if the NCAA approves.

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