The Sporting News Magazine issue of August 30 ranks the Vikings’ Brad Childress No. 14 among 32 NFL coaches. The top five are Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Jeff Fisher, Mike Shanahan and Mike Tomlin.
The same issue predicts the Vikings and Green Bay, both with 11-5 records, will tie for the NFC North title. Sporting News has the Jets winning over Dallas in the Super Bowl.
Middle Tennessee State quarterback Logan Kilgore will make his first major college start tomorrow night against the Gophers. He’s a junior college transfer who has been promoted to the No. 1 offense because the NCAA has ruled dynamic playmaking quarterback Dwight Dasher ineligible. Dasher set a bowl record for a quarterback last December by rushing for 201 yards.
Gophers coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners that Kilgore is a better passer than Dasher. He also said Kilgore completed 21 of 34 passes in the spring game. Look for the Gophers to bring defensive pressure to test Kilgore early in tomorrow night’s game.
The game is telecast on ESPNU and the Gophers athletic department is hosting a viewing party at TCF Bank Stadium.
Deolis Guerra, who is the only player remaining that the Twins acquired in the Johan Santana deal in 2008, continues to struggle in the minors. He is 2-10 with a 6.24 ERA pitching for Double A New Britain.
Twins third baseman Danny Valencia is the top hitting rookie in the American League at .328, 24 percentage points better than Detroit’s Austin Jackson who is second.
After last night’s games the Twins are four games ahead of the White Sox in the Central Division race. The Twins look like the better team but one advantage Chicago has is being scheduled for 16 of its last 22 games at home. The Twins play 12 of their final 22 on the road.
After defeating then No. 5 rated Central Washington in a season opening game last week, Minnesota-Duluth is ranked No. 3 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. Other NSIC schools in the top 25 are Minnesota State-Mankato at No. 18, Winona State at No. 24 and Wayne State, No. 25.