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P.J. Fleck 15-5 Last 20 Games, But…

Posted on November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 by David Shama

P.J. Fleck, now in his fourth season as the University of Minnesota head football coach, is an impressive 15-5 dating back to November 10, 2018. That’s his overall record in both Big Ten and nonconference games including two bowl wins, highlighted by an Outback Bowl gem last January against SEC blueblood Auburn. His Big Ten record during the period is 10-5.

Fleck’s 15-5 translates to a winning percentage of .750. In all games during his Gopher career that began with the 2017 season he is 24-17, a winning percentage of .585. Looking back almost 100 years in Minnesota coaching history, only the legendary Bernie Bierman with a .727 winning percentage has a better number than Fleck’s .585.

But in the “what have you done for me lately” world of high stakes college football, Fleck must build on his record. Despite the honeymoon of last season’s 11-2 record and No. 10 AP final ranking, critics have rushed in to criticize the 39-year-old coach this fall, with his team losing two of its first three games and at times playing with an Olé defense. Minnesota is giving up 36 points per game and opponents have scored 15 touchdowns.

The defensive unit is inexperienced and development was slowed by the cancellation of spring practice and late start to the season caused by the pandemic. However, there was better tackling and swarming to ball carriers in last Saturday’s 41-14 win at Illinois. Friday night at home against Iowa, Minnesota’s defense is likely to determine the game’s outcome.

The Hawkeyes, 1-2 with the two losses by a combined five points, deserve to be favored. This is a typical Iowa team, fundamentally sound and conservative in approach with success starting with its defense. The Hawkeyes have given up only seven touchdowns, the fewest among Big Ten teams who have played three games.

New starter Spencer Petras is settling in at quarterback and Iowa scored a season high 49 points last Saturday in a win over Michigan State. The victory gave head coach Kirk Ferentz his 163rd win at Iowa, fourth best for overall wins in Big Ten history.

If Minnesota can upset Iowa that will end a streak of five consecutive losses to the Hawkeyes—and also of importance, improve Fleck’s standing in rivalry games. He is 4-8 in trophy games against Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. Nebraska is included here even though neither the Husker nor Gopher athletic departments officially recognize the $5 Broken Bits of Chair Trophy—an Internet creation that started several years ago.

A Gopher win in the nationally televised Fox game will slow the frequent carping by Fleck critics and boost Minnesota’s record to 2-2 in Big Ten games. That development keeps in place aspirations of winning the Big Ten West Division where 3-0 Northwestern is already in a commanding position. The Gophers and Wisconsin tied for best record in the West last year with 7-2 records.

Worth Noting

Although the Minnesota defense played poorly in its 45-44 loss October 30 to Maryland, the emergence of new Terrapins starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa as a high impact passer and scrambler provides perspective to the performance. The Terps, 2-0, took down Penn State last Saturday. His combined 676 passing yards over the last two weeks against the Gophers and Penn State are the most by a Big Ten player this season.

Former Gophers Darrell Thompson and MarQueis Gray help preview the Minnesota-Iowa game at noon Friday via zoom courtesy of the Goal Line Club. More on the program at the GoalLineClub.org.

Arland Bruce IV, son of former Gopher wide receiver Arland Bruce III, is a composite three-star athlete recruit per 247Sports, and is verbally committed to be part of Iowa’s 2021 recruiting class. He plays for Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa.

Word is the Vikings wanted 5,000 fans, seated in acceptably distanced sections, to attend home games this fall but with pandemic concerns trending in the wrong direction it doesn’t appear the state of Minnesota will allow that target number at any of the team’s four remaining dates at U.S. Bank Stadium. The policy of allowing a maximum of 250 spectators per home game seems all but certain to continue.

Twin Cities author Jim Bruton is finishing up a book on former Viking Scott Studwell to be marketed next fall. Named as one of the 50 greatest Vikings, Studwell’s connection to the organization is defined by 14 years of playing linebacker and 28 years in the scouting department.

Viking linebacker Eric Kendricks, who has led the team in tackles for five consecutive seasons, is third in the NFL with 84 total tackles. Linebacker teammate Eric Wilson is the only player in the league with at least three interceptions and more than one sack (he has 2.5).

Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s 627 receiving yards lead all NFL rookies in 2020. His receiving yardage total is already the fifth most for a rookie in Vikings history and is the most ever for a rookie through Minnesota’s first eight games.

In SI.com’s NFL power rankings out yesterday the Vikings are No. 17, with next Monday night’s opponent, the Chicago Bears, No. 18. The Kansas City Chiefs are No. 1, with the Green Bay Packers No. 5.

Erik van Rooyen, the South African golfer and former Golden Gopher, is playing in this week’s Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Van Rooyen’s opening tee time Thursday is 11:05 a.m. (Central). He tied for 23^rd this year in the U.S Open and has $941,958 in career winnings since turning pro in 2013. He won the local Tapemark Charity Pro-Am in 2016 but didn’t make the cut at this year’s 3M Open.

Anecdotal observation indicated for months that Minnesota golf courses were busier than usual, and Monday’s Axios Sports newsletter offered national numbers about the boom. In September there was a U.S. 25.5 percent increase in number of rounds played year-over-year—the fifth consecutive month to surpass 2019 totals. Also per Axios, “Equipment sales increased 42 percent year-over-year in the third quarter to just over $1 billion. It was the industry’s second-best quarter ever.”

Despite seven teams (half of the Big Ten) being ranked in the Associated Press men’s basketball preseason top 25, the unranked Gophers could turn out to be an NCAA Tournament entry. Coach Richard Pitino, after losing All-American center Daniel Oturu as an early entrant to the NBA Draft, has regrouped with six new players, including talented transfers with college experience (Both Gach, Brandon Johnson and Liam Robbins). Plus, All-Big Ten point guard Marcus Carr decided against entering the draft and is one of the best at his position in college basketball. The Gophers are expected to open their schedule at home November 25 against Green Bay.

Pitino’s dad, 68-year-old Rick Pitino, told the Sporting News Monday his new gig at Iona is a stepping stone job—to eventual retirement. Realtor.com reported last month Rick Pitino sold his $17 million south Florida home.

Jeff Munneke of the Timberwolves and J.P. Paul of the Vikings, both with expertise in fan relations, are the latest guests on “Behind the Game,” with co-hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. Munneke and Paul discuss fan engagement in the pandemic era and how the experience of fans will be different when spectators return to venues. The program is available on the “Behind the Game” Channel on YouTube and on cable access throughout the state.

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Dalvin Cook Joins Elite NFL Runners

Posted on November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 by David Shama

A newsy Monday notes column covering the Vikings, Gophers, Twins, Wild and more:

Dalvin Cook totaled a career-high 252 scrimmage yards (206 rushing, 46 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns in the Vikings’ 34-20 win against the Detroit Lions Sunday. He is now the third player in NFL history to have at least 225 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in consecutive games, joining Jim Brown (1963) and Deuce McAllister (2003). Cook had 226 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) a week ago Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

Dalvin Cook (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Cook has 12 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for the fourth-most by a player in his first seven games of a season in NFL history. All-time leaders are Brown (14 rushing touchdowns in 1958) and Emmitt Smith (13 in 1995) and Priest Holmes (13 in 2004).

The Gophers’ Mohamed Ibrahim is the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced this morning. He rushed for more than 200 yards and four touchdowns for the second consecutive week in Minnesota’s win Saturday over Illinois. He tied his career high with 224 rushing yards, adding 31 yards receiving and 27 yards on kick returns to set a career high with 282 all-purpose yards. He is the second Gopher ever to have two consecutive 200-yard rushing games and the first since Terry Jackson II in 2002.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck remembered when the junior running back was on the scout team early in his college career and “never complained” about his status. “He’s earned everything he’s got,” Fleck said.

Trey Potts, Ibrahim’s back-up, was carted off the field Saturday with an apparent ankle or foot injury. Fleck speculated Potts is “day-to-day” for Friday night’s game with Iowa.

Assistant coach Joe Rossi missed the Illinois game because of COVID-19 and Fleck offered no timeline on Rossi’s return, although he did say the defensive coordinator is “doing well.”

What an interesting Big Ten football season so far. Wisconsin, the preseason favorite to win the West Division, has only played one game because of COVID. Minnesota, another popular pick to emerge as the division champ, is off to a 1-2 start, while Northwestern, 1-8 in league games last season, is 3-0 and could win the West. In the East Division nobody saw a 0-3 start for Penn State or 3-0 beginning for Indiana, a program historically among the worst in the nation.

Because he is 40 years old, Minnesota Twins DH Nelson Cruz didn’t make MLB.com’s list from today of the top 25 free agents this offseason based on analytics for future production. No Twins made the list but three former Minnesota players did, second baseman Jonathan Schoop at No. 17, relief pitcher Liam Hendriks, No. 19, and outfielder Robbie Grossman, 24.

MLB.com on Saturday listed the “perfect” free agent fits for all 30 major league teams and tagged the Twins with New York Mets starter Marcus Strommen. He is a potential No. 2 or 3 talent but MLB.com speculates the Mets could extend an $18.9 million qualifying offer. Twins free agent starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi is projected as the right fit with the Boston Red Sox.

Organizer Patrick Klinger reports the Capital Club will hear from Golden Gophers men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino tomorrow (Tuesday) via zoom. Klinger, the former Twins executive who now runs a St. Paul-based marketing company, uses this signature quote in his emails from English essayist and moralist Samuel Johnson:

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.”

Pitino will be upbeat tomorrow talking about transfer guard Both Gach. Pitino announced today the Austin, Minnesota native, who played his first two seasons at Utah, has been given immediate eligibility by the NCAA. Gach joined Pitino’s program this summer after playing two seasons at the University of Utah. An almost certain starter for the Gophers this fall, Gach will have two years of eligibility at Minnesota.

A media panel selected a 10-member preseason All-Big Ten team announced today that includes Pitino’s junior point guard, Marcus Carr. He was an All-Big Ten third team selection last season, after having a school record 207 assists.

The Gopher men’s hockey team program is the favorite to win the Big Ten Conference in 2020-21, per a poll of league coaches who also designated four Minnesota players with preseason honors. It was announced this morning Minnesota led the poll ahead of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Penn State.

Minnesota junior forward Sammy Walker is a member of the preseason All-Big Ten first team. Senior forward Brannon McManus and sophomore defenseman Jackson LaCombe are on the second team. Sophomore forward Ben Meyers received honorable mention.

Defending WCHA regular-season champion Minnesota State is the unanimous favorite to repeat as champions, earning all 10 first-place votes in the league’s media poll announced today. The Mavericks are followed by Bemidji State, Bowling Green , Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State , Alaska, Ferris State, Alaska Anchorage and Alabama Huntsville. Minnesota State junior goaltender Dryden McKay is the media poll choice as WCHA Preseason Player of the Year.

Nobody is saying Marco Rossi is the next Mikko Koivu yet, but the Minnesota Wild need to develop an extraordinary center and it could be the 19-year-old Rossi. The team’s 2020 first round draft choice might make the Minnesota roster in his first season.

The NHL hasn’t announced when the season will begin but don’t count on spectators being allowed, at least early on.

“The Rundown,” Jeff Crilley’s daily newsletter, reports in today’s issue that early analysis by Pfizer says more than 90 percent of volunteers given the company’s vaccine didn’t develop COVID-19.

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P.J. Fleck: Gophers Defense ‘Talented’

Posted on November 2, 2020 by David Shama

Enjoy a Monday notes column quoting Mike Zimmer and P.J. Fleck about their inexperienced defenses, and Dave St. Peter on free agents and building next year’s team.

The 0-2 Golden Gophers football team has given up 94 points but in a Zoom call with reporters this afternoon Fleck stressed it is inexperience, not abilities, that is the defense’s problem. “We have a very talented defense,” Fleck said. “…We’ve got a lot of really good players.”

The defense is without seven starters from last year’s 11-2 team, including linebacker Kamal Martin who had some nice plays for the Green Bay Packers Sunday against the Vikings. Fleck used Martin as an example of a young talent with the Gophers who before he left the program had refined his skills including major improvement as a tackler.

Fleck said his inexperienced players are in position to make tackles but not executing. He wants to see more “gang tackling” as the Gophers try to end the explosive plays made by the opposition through two Big Ten losses. Fleck, who said defensive effort is not an issue, referred to a “developmental program” with the Gophers and said, “You’ve got to allow them to fail, to grow. I know it’s hard. …”

This has been the most difficult stretch for Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi since he took over in that role during the 2018 season. Fleck said Rossi is one of the best at what he does. “I think he is one of the best football coaches I’ve ever been around,” Fleck added.

Minnesota has seven more games on the schedule with a trip to Illinois next. Fleck said the chance for players to learn, gain more experience and improve will only grow. “We’re going to be playing a lot more people, and that’s the investment we’re going to continue to make,” he said.

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more in Maryland’s 45-44 win over the Gophers last Friday, is the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week along with Ohio State QB Justin Fields.

Interestingly, the Vikings played seven rookies on defense yesterday in their 28-22 win over Packers. Zimmer has been the Vikings’ head coach since 2014 and before that spent many years as an NFL assistant, but that seven number made an impression.

“It was interesting, I will say. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that as well,” Zimmer said this afternoon on a media call with reporters.

Injuries and off-season departures have resulted in new players and the mistakes they inevitably make. “Defensively we started out a little slow (yesterday),” Zimmer said. “Some of the young guys, I think they just wanted to watch the Hall of Fame quarterback (Aaron Rodgers), instead of watching their guy, but we played better in the second half. …”

Cornerback Jeff Gladney got beat in the first quarter yesterday on a touchdown pass to Green Bay’s Davante Adams. Gladney should have been positioned to the outside of Adams, not the inside. When he headed toward the sideline coach Zimmer barked at him but the rookie appeared to pay little attention and just kept running.

Zimmer said Gladney started out on the outside and then got out of position. “That’s where (outside) he should have been all the way.”

Rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler had to be carried off the field with a neck injury yesterday. “He’s doing well,” Zimmer reported. “Got a chance to play this week.”

The Vikings, 2-5, play the Detroit Lions, 3-4, at US Bank Stadium Sunday, and have four of their next five games at home. No predictions from Zimmer, but he expressed optimism about Sunday if the effort and execution of yesterday continues on both offense and defense.

This fall the Minnesota Twins have eight free agents: Ehire Adrianza, Alex Avila, Tyler Clippard, Nelson Cruz, Marwin Gonzalez, Rich Hill, Trevor May and Jake Odorizzi. St. Peter, the club president, told Sports Headliners he is uncertain whether the Twins will negotiate with all eight and it’s “probably unlikely” all the free agents will be on the 2021 spring training roster.

St. Peter declined to talk about specific Twins free agents but acknowledged there are big decisions ahead (presumably at the top of the list are Cruz, Odorizzi and Gonzalez). He didn’t commit his organization to signing free agents from other teams, although he said that is certainly a possibility—along with possible trades and promoting players from within the system as ways to improve his club.

Perhaps the Twins indirectly showed their interest in Chaska native Brad Hand when they recently declined the option on the contract of key Minnesota reliever Sergio Romo. The Cleveland Indians have also declined an option on Hand who last season was 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA and an American League-leading 16 saves.

Because of the pandemic this will be an offseason like no other as the 30 MLB franchises show how much, or little, they are willing to pay players, starting with free agents. Sportico interviewed MLB commissioner Rob Manfred who said in a recent story teams amassed $8.3 billion in debt from financial lenders and lost $2.8 to $3 billion in operational expenses this year. Manfred is cautious about what baseball will look like in 2021.

St. Peter referred to the “economic carnage” of 2020 but didn’t offer details about Twins finances. “We’re no different,” he said.

The Twins won the AL Central for a second consecutive season. “We really like our club,” St. Peter said. “You’re always looking for ways to improve, and that’s what the offseason will be about.”

The 2020 Twins often impressed with their pitching and defense. “Our offense was average, which I think was surprising,” St. Peter said. “We expected our offense to be better than that. But pitching and defense is what wins championships at the end of the day. …”

The goal of management is to head out of spring training with an improved team capable of reaching the World Series, St. Peter said.

The NHL’s 2021 Winter Classic scheduled for January 1 at Target Field has been postponed, but St. Peter is hopeful his venue will eventually host the game that was to be played between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. He also said college football at Target Field remains of interest with St. Thomas being among possibilities to participate in a game.

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