Although media and fans may believe otherwise, Lane Kiffin wasn’t a finalist for the Gophers job after Glen Mason was fired on December 31, 2006.

Kiffin, then 31 and USC’s much acclaimed national championship offensive coordinator, was an intriguing candidate despite his age.  The former Bloomington Jefferson athlete had lived in Minnesota when his well-travelled coaching dad, Monte, was an assistant with the Vikings.

Becoming head coach of the Gophers would have been not only a homecoming but a first opportunity for young Kiffin to show what he might achieve as a football boss.  Kiffin had an extraordinary reputation for recruiting and college football observers were curious to see what he could do on his own, without the resources of USC and assistance of Trojans head coach Pete Carroll providing him support.

There were media reports in January of 2007 that Minnesota was close to hiring the personable Kiffin.  That wasn’t correct and although Kiffin was considered by Minnesota, he was never a finalist for the job that went to Tim Brewster.

Who knows what the record would show if Kiffin had been hired as Gophers coach?  He would have faced pressure to succeed here, but he’s also under scrutiny at USC — perhaps more than anyone could have imagined almost five years ago.

The Trojans are on NCAA probation for violations that occurred when Kiffin was at USC as an assistant coach.  Although Kiffin isn’t blamed for the violations, he did have NCAA rules violations (characterized as “minor”) while being head coach at Tennessee.

With the Trojans already facing a ban on post-season play and reduction in scholarships, the scrutiny on Kiffin and the program has to be serious.  The program can’t have additional problems.

Mike Garrett, the athletic director who hired Kiffin, has been replaced by Pat Haden, a former national championship USC quarterback and lawyer.  Haden has long been an advisor to the school and the new athletic director made his intentions known over a year ago when he was hired.

“We want to compete ferociously — but do it ethically and within the rules,” Haden said in a story posted online in July of 2010 by USC News.  “We want to have the best compliance program in the country.”

Don’t think Kiffin, though, isn’t facing pressure to win during the probation period that ends in 2014.  The fan base, accustomed to routinely winning conference titles and competing for national championships, is demanding.  The L.A. media pays a lot of attention to Trojans football, too.

Kiffin would have faced a difficult job as Gophers coach but being boss at USC is no stroll on the beach right now either.

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How do the Gophers defeat a USC team that is a three touchdown favorite tomorrow at the Los Angeles Coliseum?  Just ask Gophers quarterback MarQueis Gray and coach Jerry Kill.

“We can’t have turnovers against a team like USC,” Gray said.  “…The less mistakes we make — the more they make — and good things happen for us.”

Kill expects the game against No. 25 ranked USC to be decided by a dozen or so significant plays.  “I don’t know how many plays on Saturday, but there will be 12 or 13 of them that will determine the game,” he said.  “That’s why you can’t take a play off.

“…We try and make it (coaching) complicated but it really isn’t.  It’s just getting people to play hard all the time.  They (the Gophers) can’t take plays off.  I don’t know if we’re there or not, I really don’t.  But we’ll get a chance to find out before long.”

Kill’s team will need to play with the discipline that Gray referred to above.  “Missed assignments and misalignments will beat you long before mismatches,” the coach said.

Kill is continually trying to improve the team, a group that finished 3-9 last season.  In an example of his thoroughness, he will have the sideline behavior of his players monitored on Saturday.  He said he might be the only coach in the country that will “video” the sideline.

“I want to see how people handle themselves,” Kill explained.  “I want to see who’s throwing that helmet down, I want to see who’s losing their cool.  I evaluate the coaches (too) because everybody is accountable on game day.”

Whether Kill is evaluating a win or loss on Saturday night, could depend, too, on how much the Trojans’ defense is improved from a year ago.  Seven starters return from a 2010 defense that allowed 400 yards per game and ranked 84^th in the country.  USC ranked 109^th nationally in pass defense, giving up 259.5 yards a game.

The Trojans were particularly vulnerable in the fourth quarter of games, yielding 118 points.  USC, 8-5 a year ago, lost three times in the final minutes, including back-to-back losses on field goals in the closing seconds.

Kill has to be hoping for Trojans miscues in the fourth quarter or anytime before then, too.

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Kill announced his depth chart this week and perhaps most surprising was that junior college transfer Malcolm Moulton will be one of the starting receivers instead of freshman Marcus Jones, or another JC player, Ge’Shun Harris.  Moulton was a summer time addition to the roster.

Much publicized Tommy Olson, maybe the Gophers best freshman, is listed at second team left guard behind senior Chris Bunders.  Olson’s brother, Ed, is the starting left tackle.

Linebackers Brendan Beal and Aaron Hill, and offensive lineman Josh Campion will miss the USC game with injuries.

Former Gophers coach Tim Brewster will be the Fox sideline reporter on September 17 when USC plays Syracuse in Los Angeles.

The Trojans are 5-1-1 against the Gophers dating back to the series start in 1953.  The one Minnesota victory came during a 1955 Minneapolis snowstorm.  The Gophers tied the Trojans 20-20 in 1965 and have lost two other games in Los Angeles.

Only five Minnesota natives have played for the Trojans and none is on the current roster.  The five are Dominque Byrd (Minneapolis), Dan Deckas (Edina), Thomas Bert Sherman (St. Paul), Glenn Souers (Moorhead) and Nick Vanderboom (Medina).

Former Gophers linebacker Sam Maresh is now a sophomore at Iowa Western Community College.

Talk of a Vikings stadium referendum prompted recollection that in Brown County, where Green Bay is the county seat, voters approved financing for Lambeau Field by only a 53 to 47 percent margin.  Among stadium proponents throughout the country referendums are usually considered “the kiss of death” for public approval.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier talking last night after being asked whether Christian Ponder or Joe Webb is the No. 2 quarterback now that the preseason is over: “We’re going to sit down tomorrow and that’ll be one of the things that we talk about as well, exactly what the rotation will be and who is two, who is three as we get ready for San Diego.”

The Big Ten basketball schedule will be announced this week or next.  The Gophers one time opponents next year will be Ohio State and Purdue at home, Michigan and Penn State on the road.

Concordia’s volleyball team received eight of 12 first place votes in the MIAC coaches poll and is the preseason favorite to win the conference title.  St. Thomas (three) and St. Olaf (one) also received first place votes.

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