My Take on Vikings, Gophers Football

 

What I believe and you might want to know about Gophers football and the Vikings:

Gophers fans I hear from are discouraged about the program, including the team’s 0-2 Big Ten start and coach Jerry Kill’s struggles with seizures.  After decades of being a passionate fan, one guy contemplates giving up on the Gophers after this season ends.  Another man is predicting one or two wins in conference games for not only this season but the ones most immediately ahead.

Then there is a supporter who retains a sense of humor, asking to be assured there are no tall buildings tempting him into suicide when he follows the team next week to Evanston to play nationally-ranked Northwestern.  Unfortunately, the Sears Tower in Chicago is not far away from the Wildcats’ campus.

“In the off-chance that the Gophs underwhelm the Wildcats, I‘ll broaden my horizons and develop interests other than U of M football,” the fan wrote in jest.  “In fact, I’ve already bought a book on cricket.”

Loyal fans have suffered for decades.  Since 1970 Gophers teams have only five times won more than half of their Big Ten games.  During that span the Gophers have just six finishes of fourth or higher in the standings.  Minnesota hasn’t won the Big Ten title since 1967.

Twice in the last six decades the program showed enough juice to look like it might become an annual force in the Big Ten.  The best hope died when coach Lou Holtz left town for Notre Dame after the 1985 season.  A flicker of light danced in Dinkytown during the Glen Mason era but the Gophers never achieved better than fourth place finishes (three times) in the Big Ten and couldn’t earn an invite to a New Year’s Day bowl game.  Mason’s 10 year record in league games was 32-48.

Mason took over a struggling program from coach Jim Wacker.  In 1999, his third season at Minnesota, the Gophers were much improved.  They upset No. 2 ranked Penn State and finished with an 8-4 overall record including 5-3 in the Big Ten.

This is Kill’s third season at Minnesota.  His team isn’t nearly as good as Mason’s 1999 club.  Kill inherited a mess from Brewster, his predecessor, and maybe a more difficult job than Mason found awaiting him in 1997.

An optimist will argue the program has been down for so long it’s going to take awhile longer to become more competitive.  Give Kill four recruiting classes (he has had two of his own making) and then judge the program, according to supporters.

The results on the field during the Kill era certainly leave room for much improvement, although the Gophers did qualify for a bowl game in 2012 — the first for the program since 2009.  But there are no overall winning records in either of the two full seasons under Kill.  Big Ten results in two-plus years are painful with Kill having four league wins against 14 losses.  The defeats have been mostly one-sided. Minnesota has only twice lost games by 14 points or less.

Kill’s epilepsy is a threat to his future and has become the face of the program nationally.  His seizures have to be stopped or managed effectively enough so that he can do his job and not be a bigger news story than the team.

Count on Kill, a strong character guy and good football coach, to exhaust all possibilities in becoming seizure free.  He is one of the most determined individuals I have ever met.  Kill’s integrity won’t allow him to coach in the months and years ahead if he can’t be fully functional in his nearly 24-7 role as head coach.

The announcement yesterday that defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will become interim coach while Kill takes time off to concentrate on treatment and management of his epilepsy is no surprise.  But it is a responsible action and welcome news for a coach with multiple game day seizures at Minnesota including this year.

A silver lining for the story is how Kill’s struggles have raised awareness about epilepsy and seizures.  In addition, Minnesotans have been reminded about the problems and disabilities that confront so many people, and become more tolerant of them.

The best outcome for Gophers football is for Kill to get well and be able to provide stability to a program that has been fragile for too long including because of the coaching merry-go-round.  He has already shown he can guide his players to dramatically improved academic performance.  More recruiting classes with better talent (there’s a woeful lack of offensive and defensive playmakers on this year’s team) — along with the maturation process for players that comes with time in the weight room — will bring better results on the field.

Regarding the Vikings, let’s address the most recent drama with this franchise.  Two weeks ago fans and media jumped into conspiracy mode after hearing Christian Ponder had a bruised rib.  Wasn’t this, they speculated, just a contrived excuse to bench the erratic quarterback?

Uh, no, not really.  Ponder’s rib injury is real, still a problem and could be for awhile.

Matt Cassel will probably start at quarterback for the Vikings on Sunday at home against the Panthers.  On some future date this fall newly acquired Josh Freeman will almost surely come on the field during a game, either as a reliever or starter.  So four games into the season the 1-3 Vikings don’t know who their regular quarterback is.

Not good.

The Vikings began this season 0-3 and since 1990 only three NFL teams with that record have made the playoffs.  The Vikings are not going to win all of their remaining 12 games so probably the best they can hope for — a big hope — is to win nine of them and finish 10-6.  That might — a big might — win the NFC North and provide a ticket to the playoffs.  A 10-6 record, though, is unlikely to qualify for postseason as a wildcard team.

Ponder is a bright guy who may overthink his options when on the field.  He does play with hesitation and is indecisive.

Local fans have made Ponder Purple Enemy No. 1 and subjected him to more abuse than any Viking in recent memory.  An unhappy crowd is a subtraction in the home field advantage department.  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that many boos,” Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said about a home game this year.

Management has ego invested in Ponder, having taken him as the 12^th pick in the first round of the 2011 draft.  He was to become the franchise quarterback but if he falls out of favor and Cassel or Freeman takes the Vikings to the playoffs, management still looks good because they acquired both of those players in the last nine months.

Freeman was too talented for the Vikings not to sign despite problems with the Bucs and coach Greg Schiano.  Sometimes guys with troubled pasts become major contributors on new teams.  Allen had DUI problems with the Chiefs but has been invaluable here.  Years ago Cris Carter had drug problems early in his NFL career but he became a Hall of Fame receiver for the Vikings.

In the pass-happy and parity oriented NFL, the Vikings need better quarterback play than they have had in recent seasons.  Adding to the pressure to find a savior at quarterback is NFC Division rivals Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay have superior QB’s.

This Vikings roster is too talented not to be in contention for the playoffs.  Head coach Leslie Frazier, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and defensive coordinator Alan Williams are on the spot.  They have been coaching here long enough to be well beyond the “honeymoon” period.

Despite problems at quarterback, the Vikings defense has been a disappointment and is more responsible than the offense for the team’s 1-3 start — three losses by a combined 15 points.  The Vikings rank 14^th out of 16 NFC teams in total defense.

This team should be 2-2, if not 3-1.

Among players who deserve a smiley sticker are wide receiver Jerome Simpson and kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Simpson is the team’s top pass catcher with 19 receptions for 342 yards.  He looks more engaged than last season, his first with the team.  Patterson, averaging a league best 33.8 yards on kickoff returns, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the month for September.