David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gophers on Spot to Fix Offense Before Mighty Michigan

Posted on September 17, 2023September 17, 2023 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers, with a 2-1 record, have scored only four touchdowns in their first three games and are averaging a paltry 17 points (including two points from a safety in the Eastern Michigan win). They have two games ahead to improve production before national championship contender Michigan comes to Huntington Bank Stadium on October 7.

Minnesota will have the most minimal of chances to hang with the Wolverines if the offense struggles like it did in home wins over Nebraska and Eastern Michigan, and yesterday’s embarrassment at North Carolina when the Tar Heels won 31-13. There’s not been enough efficiency with the offense other than the field goal kicking of Dragan Kesich who has converted on seven of eight attempts.

What the Gophers have done consistently is fail to score touchdowns inside the red zone. They have turned to first-year field goal specialist Kesich when unable to get six points. That reality may change in the next two games against opposition the Gophers should be able to handle, at Northwestern next Saturday and home against Louisiana on September 30. The 1-2 Wildcats are giving up 45.67 points per game, while 2-1 Louisiana is yielding 24.

Right now the Gophers have no identity offensively. Known for years as a program that pushes opponents around with its run game, Minnesota is trying to rediscover its former muscle. The Gophers averaged 207.5 yards rushing last season and had 33 touchdowns in 13 games. So far Minnesota is averaging 173.7 yards rushing, with three touchdowns.

In the last two games true freshman Darius Taylor has given the run game life and he looked improved yesterday not only running with power and speed but showing the patience to find openings like All-American predecessor Mo Ibrahim. He ran for 193 yards against Eastern Michigan and 138 versus the Tar Heels.

The offensive line, despite using replacements from last season, has often been okay in the first three games. There is enough talent under the superb direction of line coach Brian Callahan to expect continued improvement. One of the best developing stories will be true freshman Greg Johnson from Prior Lake who saw extensive playing time yesterday in a three guards rotation and he projects as an award-winning lineman before his college career ends.

Kaliakmanis photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

But what hasn’t been okay is the passing game that hit a season low in yesterday’s loss. Receivers dropped passes and starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw too high and too low while missing targets. He completed just 11 of 29 passes for 133 yards, and the Gophers converted on only three of 12 third downs.

After the game the redshirt sophomore was highly critical of his performance and blamed himself for the loss, calling it probably the “worst game” he’s ever played. “…I came up very short. That falls on me,” Kaliakmanis said at a postgame news conference (YouTube).

Playing in heat and humidity, Kaliakmanis was one of multiple Gophers who had to briefly leave the game with cramps. His replacement, Cole Kramer, threw an interception in his one passing attempt.

The cramps weren’t an excuse for the Gophers losing the game, coach P.J. Fleck said on the Gopher Radio Network after the game. In preparation for playing in the weather the Gophers had turned up the heat in their indoor practice facility. Interestingly, Fleck said his team didn’t have full use of the facility last week but wouldn’t detail why. “We only got to practice in the indoor for half the week,” he said. “We just weren’t able to.”

The defense, the strength of the team in the 13-10 and 25-6 victories over Nebraska and Eastern Michigan, didn’t measure up in Chapel Hill with blown assignments that led to a 21-10 first half lead by the Tar Heels. The Gophers, who were bothered by the hurry up offense and Heisman hopeful pass-run skills of quarterback Drake Maye, gave up an uncharacteristic 519 yards and 31 points.

The defense did make adjustments, playing better in the second half but not only couldn’t the offense produce more than three points, it didn’t stay on the field long enough to keep the ball from going back to the potent Carolina offense. Out of character, too, was Minnesota losing the time of possession battle, 33:10 to 26:50.

While the offense didn’t execute anywhere near its potential, the play-calling was worthy of praise. The offense has new leadership in gameday play caller Greg Harbaugh Jr. who replaced Kirk Ciarrocca now at Rutgers. Not enough right calls seemed to be in place during the first two games but yesterday Harbaugh dialed up plenty of opportunities. The players just didn’t make good on them.

Fleck said during his postgame interview on the Gopher Radio Network that the Tar Heels and Minnesota are “evenly matched teams” while also talking about all the mistakes his Gophers made and faulting himself for not coaching better. “We’re a really good football team,” he said later at his news conference (YouTube).

Jordan Addison Plea Bargain This Week

Minneapolis attorney Marshall Tanick has a letter in today’s Pioneer Press about the “kid gloves” treatment given Vikings rookie WR Jordan Addison who in late July was arrested for driving his Lamborghini 140 miles per hour on Interstate 94 in St. Paul. Addison reportedly hasn’t faced much discipline from the Vikings or NFL, and the courts may be going in a similar direction.

“…Charged with misdemeanors of reckless driving and greatly exceeding the limit, he speedily cut a sweetheart deal with the compliant Ramsey County Attorney’s Office to plead guilty to speeding, while the reckless charge will be dropped,” Tanick writes in part of his letter. “The offense, if the arrangement is approved by a Ramsey County District Court judge, will be treated as a petty misdemeanor, a non-criminal offense equivalent to walking a dog without a leash.

“His punishment: losing his license for the duration of the football season and a fine of $686, (which is) pocket change that he should easily be able to pay from his nearly $7 million signing bonus as part of his $13+-million-dollar four-year Vikings contract.

“The prosecutorial authorities will probably defend their lenity as being standard for first-time offenders like Addison. But, if that’s so, then they need to re-think their templates for hazardous conduct of this type.

“The plea bargain is still subject to approval by a judge, who is scheduled to hear it this week. …”

Tanick, a journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota, Stanford law graduate and longtime sports fan, questions whether the celebrity status of Addison and the Vikings is influencing the case of the 2023 first round draft choice. “It makes one wonder how a person of lesser renown would have been treated for similar aberrant behavior in Minnesota’s form of dual-track injustice,” Tanick wrote at the end of his letter.

The law firm of Meyer Njus Tanick is a Sports Headliners advertiser.

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Twins Shortstop Correa Impresses with High Character

Posted on September 12, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Carlos Correa, with the richest contract on the team and a disappointing .228 batting average, has frustrated Twins fans during a difficult season but he has demonstrated leadership and high character. The club’s 28-year-old shortstop has experienced a painful summer playing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot but yet he has started 129 games for the Twins, a total no other teammate even comes close to.

In an era when fans complain about the constant injuries sidelining players, Correa’s will to play is admirable. He has shown a commitment to lead by example and an impact on teammates predicted by club president Dave St. Peter even before his first full season with the Twins in 2022. St. Peter told Sports Headliners in April of last year that he also expected the bilingual former Astros star to make an impact in the community.

Correa is the Twins’ nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award that annually recognizes the MLB player best representing the game with superb character, community involvement, philanthropy and other desirable behaviors on and off the field. On Correa’s resume of good deeds is a family foundation whose focus includes non-medical costs associated with pediatric cancer diagnosis.

For several years, considered one of baseball’s best shortstops, Correa has obviously struggled at the plate, but he does lead the team in RBI with 67. His hitting mechanics and balance have to be impacted by his sore foot. Known for producing in big moments in September and October, Correa is hitting .257 in his last 30 games as the Twins move toward clinching the AL Central Division title and playing in the postseason.

Although his running speed has slowed, Correa is having one of his best fielding seasons statistically. He has committed only six errors. His fielding average of .986 is near his MLB best for any season when he played in over 100 games.

Outfielder Walker Jenkins, the Twins’ first round draft selection this summer, is hitting a gaudy .362 for Single-A Fort Meyers. The 18-year-old has a .988 OPS, with three home runs and 22 RBI in 105 at bats.

With 333 career receptions Vikings WR Justin Jefferson can become the third player with at least 400 receptions in his first four career seasons and can surpass Michael Thomas (5,512) for the most receiving yards by a player in his first four career seasons in the NFL.

Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson had nine receptions for 150 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Bucs. He has at least 100 receiving yards in 25 of his first 51 career games. He has surpassed Lance Alworth as the fastest player in NFL history to reach 25 career games with at least 100 reception yards.

Jefferson, 24, also surpassed Randy Moss’s record as the youngest NFL player to reach 25 career games with at least 100 receiving yards. Moss was 25 when he set the record.

Leslie Frazier, the former Vikings head coach and now out of coaching, is appearing on various NFL Network studio shows, including NFL GameDay Live.

That was 84-year-old Owatonna native Tom Moore, who was a top assistant for the Gophers in the 1970s, on the sidelines in the Vikings-Bucs game on Sunday. Moore is in his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Bucs and 45^th in the NFL.

Former Viking Matt Birk is a partner in Heritage Gear, an Edina-based firm that creates only American made premium accessories in the licensed sports merchandise industry. Heritage Gear creates high end wool and leather duffels and totes, cashmere scarves, merino wool blankets and other crafted goods for 50 major colleges, the NFL and most recently expanded to Major League Baseball. https://www.heritagegear.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw6eWnBhAKEiwADpnw9sXpjrlO72SJf8tM6g07MFtOQvOLqFyAyqvE-MprOKoO9OUD5X1VohoCJIcQAvD_BwE

The 2-0 football Gophers are about a touchdown underdog at North Carolina Saturday, but my view is the game is tossup. The Carolina cornerbacks could be vulnerable to Minnesota’s passing game and the Gopher defense has allowed one touchdown in two games.

A win over the 2-0 Tar Heels, ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll, could put Minnesota into the national top 25.

Darius Taylor, who rushed for 193 yards last Saturday against Eastern Michigan, is the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Taylor’s total is the second highest in school history for a true freshman, trailing only Darrell Thompson’s 205 against Bowling Green in 1986. Taylor has impressed with his maturity and attitude on and off the field.

Taylor is likely to be the Gophers’ lead running back this season. Minnesota’s quality and depth at running back was hurt after the 2021 season when major contributors Bucky Irving and Ky Thomas transferred. Irving is at Oregon and Thomas plays for Kent State after first transferring to Kansas.

Dinkytown Athletes, the Gophers’ official collective, has helped WR Daniel Jackson, who made an extraordinary toe-tapping TD catch against Nebraska, connect with Athlete’s Thread to sell clothing celebrating the extraordinary reception. https://athletesthread.com/collections/daniel-jackson

DA hosted over 100 guests at a tailgate party before the Minnesota-Eastern Michigan game, most of them members of the collective that started about a year ago to benefit Gopher athletes. Players from the Gopher men’s basketball team also attended the event.

It wouldn’t be surprising if former Gophers guard Andre Hollins is the new analyst on University of Minnesota basketball radio broadcasts next season, working with play-by-play voice Mike Grimm.

Signaling plays on the sidelines for Eastern Michigan Saturday was Jeremiah Salem, grandson of former Gophers’ head coach Joe Salem. Jeremiah, a sophomore quarterback, is the son of Brad Salem, tight ends coach at Memphis.

Minneapolis native and longtime college basketball coach Jay Pivec (most recently a men’s assistant at St. Thomas) is working on his autobiography, The Book of Piv. It’s a delightful collection of stories from a colorful and high character coach who made his coaching mark in the five-state area. “All the stories are as true as they need to be,” Pivec writes. “With the exception of my own, some names have been changed to protect the stupid.”

Armstrong High School alum Cameron Hodges, who played for Pivec at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, has joined the NBA Houston Rockets as an assistant coach after previous positions in the league including with the Clippers, Sixers and Spurs.

Edina native Anders Nelson, who played collegiately at St. Thomas and most recently for William & Mary, signed a professional basketball contract last month to play in Switzerland. Playing as a grad student in 2022-2023, the 6-foot-1 guard led William & Mary with an 11.2 points per game average.

It looks like sophomore Mason West, already a hockey star and now throwing touchdown passes as Edina High’s quarterback, is on his way to a place among the Hornets’ greatest athletes.

Abbey Murphy, who scored 29 goals last season for the Gopher women’s hockey team, has been named to the All-WCHA preseason team.

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Here’s the Predicted Outcome in All 17 Vikings Games

Posted on September 10, 2023 by David Shama

The Vikings open their regular season schedule today against the Buccaneers. Here’s how I see the outcome of every game on the 2023 schedule.

Week 1: It was a dream come true for the Bucs to have Tom Brady in his “golden years.” Post-GOAT era, not so good. The Vikings will win by 12 today. Record: 1-0.

Week 2: The Vikes go prime time later this week playing in Philly Thursday night. The Eagles are legit Super Bowl contenders, but the Vikings make it close in a four-point loss. No shame in losing to Jalen Hurts who could be the NFL MVP. Record: 1-1.

Week 3: The Vikings have been playing in the NFL since 1961 but Minnesota and the Chargers have only met 13 times. In their first matchup ever at U.S. Bank Stadium the Chargers are sluggish from their West Coast trek and lose by a touchdown in the September 24 game. Record: 2-1.

Week 4: Word is the Panthers will be a so-so team this fall but Carolina fans are applauding during this October 1 game when WR Adam Thielen puts the Panthers ahead in the second half with a touchdown reception. But it’s not a great reunion for the former Vikings hero after the Purple, taking advantage of mistakes by rookie QB Bryce Young, win in overtime. Record: 3-1.

Week 5: Brian Flores’ defense has been turning heads with its play the first four weeks but not on October 8 when the Chiefs play their first game ever at U.S. Bank Stadium. That quarterback seen in all those TV commercials befuddles the Vikings and the Chiefs win by 21. Record: 3-2.

Week 6: Vikings players are likely privately pleased they don’t have to visit the Windy City late in the season. This October 15 game, however, is no fun for Minnesota as new Bears linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards cause havoc with Kirk Cousins and friends in a six-point Chicago upset. Record: 3-3.

Week 7: In an October 23 Monday night matchup in Minneapolis, the 49ers show why they could meet the Bengals or Chiefs in the Super Bowl next winter. The San Francisco defense harasses Cousins and his receivers, while the 49er offense, led by RB Christian McCaffrey, having his best NFL season ever, puts up 28 points in a 10-point win. Record: 3-4.

Week 8: Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson are singing kumbaya before the game, but J.J. is humming Skol Vikings at the finish. Not only does Jefferson get the best of his outspoken rival, but the Vikings defense has one of its best games confusing new starting Packers QB Jordan Love in this October 29 matchup in Green Bay. Record: 4-4.

Week 9: The Falcons have a terrific runner in rookie Bijan Robinson but the passing attack is toothless even playing at home November 5 against Minnesota. The Vikings have one of their better days so far on offense, with rookie WR Jordan Addison having a big day as the Vikings win by 20 points. Record: 5-4.

Week 10: The Saints come marching into Minneapolis November 12 and former New Orleans defensive end Marcus Davenport has a two-sack day against his old team. It’s not enough, though, because the vulnerable Vikings secondary is missing injured players and talented Saints WRs Michael Thomas and Chris Olave produce explosive gains in a 9-point New Orleans victory. Record: 5-5.

Week 11: On November 19 the Vikings play in Denver for the first time since 2015 and they haven’t won there since 1999. That changes this year in a shoot-out in the west as comeback quarterback Russell Wilson causes problems, but Cousins and his key pass catchers have several touchdown receptions. However, it’s RB Alexander Mattison who scores on a swing pass in the closing minute to give the Purple a one-point win. Record: 6-5.

Week 12: November 27 will be the 17^th time the Vikings and Bears have played on a Monday Night (the most ever MNF opponent for the Purple). U.S. Bank is rocking as usual and Bears QB Justin Fields looks to run when his first read isn’t there. The Vikings defense contains Fields, and the Minnesota offense puts up four touchdowns in a revenge win by 18 points. Record: 7-5.

Week 14: After a bye week, the Vikings play the Raiders for the first time in Las Vegas. This is no gamble, playing in Vegas on December 10 against a Raiders team having another poor season. Mattison rushes for a career-high 140 yards and the score is so one-sided Cousins back up Nick Mullens plays against his old team. Record: 8-5.

Week 15: The game date is TBA but wondering if former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer will leave his nearby Kentucky ranch and sneak in the backdoor at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati? Cousins threw for 351 yards in a 27-24 overtime loss in 2021 in Cincy. The game turns into a chess match between Flores and Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo who both are skilled at disguising and mixing up schemes. Bengals QB Joe Burrow wins the day for his Super Bowl favorite team as the Vikings lose 23-17. Record: 8-6.

Week 16: Better plan to open presents on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve, December 24, has the Vikings hosting the Lions, their main rival to repeat as NFC North Division champs. The last time the teams played in Minneapolis, Cousins, with 45 seconds remaining, threw the winning TD pass to WR K.J. Osborn in Week 3 of the 2022 season. At a magical time of year in 2023, guess what? Cousins and former Lion T.J. Hockenson beat Detroit in the closing minutes of the game. Record: 9-6.

Week 17: The Packers come to town and the Vikings play like they had too much eggnog, or maybe aquavit. It’s the first time since 2005 the Pack has been in Minneapolis without Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings find Love is much improved since the earlier meeting between the two teams. In the most disappointing loss of the season, the heavily favored Vikings lose by 5 points, but the game isn’t even that close. Record: 9-7.

Week 18: In Detroit Jefferson caps a year for the ages by having over 100 yards in receptions, a total that puts him past 2,000 yards for the season. He becomes the first receiver in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards during the regular season. That’s worth a festive celebration but a loss to the Lions isn’t. The Vikings, playing without several injured starters, suffer a two-touchdown loss to a Lions team that clinches the NFC North title. Game date TBA. Record: 9-8.

Recap: The Vikings don’t come close to last season’s record of 13-4 but luck into the playoffs with their mediocre record. How will they fare in the postseason? For that outlook, you have to wait until January.

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