The Big Ten Network will have coverage this weekend of Big Ten Conference spring games including the Gophers.

The Gophers game at TCF Bank Stadium offers free admission to fans and starts at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The game will consist of four 12-minute (running time) quarters, plus a 15-minute halftime. The coaching staff and players will be available on the field following the game for a 30-minute fan autograph session.

Parking for $10 will be available from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in lots 33 and 37, and at the Maroon, Gold, Minnesota and Ski-U-Mah lots, and also the Fourth Street, University Avenue, Washington Avenue and Oak Street ramps.  Stadium gates A, C and E will open at noon.

It won’t be surprising if the legislature reverses itself and allows the Gophers to sell alcohol in premium seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena for the coming school year.

Two former Twins pitchers have eye-catching stats so far.  Livan Hernandez, pitching for Washington, is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.  Matt Garza, helping Tampa Bay to an 11-4 record, is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA.  Hernandez and Garza rank first and second in ERA among major league pitchers.

Michael Cuddyer, who drove in three runs for the Twins last night in a 6-0 win over Cleveland, is tied with several other players for third among American League RBI leaders at 13.  He’s hitting .389 in his last nine games.

A mixed martial arts event promoted as the largest card in Minneapolis since 1987 starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Target Center.  Travis Wiuff of Rochester fights Jeff Monson from Olympia, Washington in the main event.  Highly ranked Yoko Takahahi from Japan will fight Shana Olsen, a native of Hibbing and graduate of Bemidji State who is a registered nurse at a St. Paul hospital.

Wild wing Pierre-Marc Bouchard missed 81 of 82 games last season because of concussion symptoms.  Bouchard is still not recovered and hasn’t resumed a regular workout schedule.  After Bouchard receives medical clearance, he will use this summer to get back in shape, not vacationing.  He told Wild.com: “I rested enough this year. When I’m symptom free and able to get my heart rate pretty high, I’m going to start playing. As soon as I can, I’m going to start being on the ice.”  https://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=526167&navid=DL|MIN|home

St. Thomas assistant men’s hockey coach Jeff “Duke” Boeser has been named interim head coach for next season.  Boeser has been on the Tommie coaching staff for 30 seasons, including the last 23 as coach Terry Skrypek’s top assistant. Skrypek announced his retirement in late March after winning 419 games and continuing the program’s streak of 28 consecutive winning seasons.

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It’s anyone’s guess who the Vikings will choose in this week’s NFL draft but it’s almost a certainty that club decision makers won’t hesitate to take an aggressive approach.  Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman and his colleagues are risk takers and those decisions have helped build one of pro football’s best teams.

In 2007, Spielman’s first draft, the Vikings chose running back Adrian Peterson despite concerns about past injuries.  The Vikings didn’t let character questions stop them from trading draft choices to bring veteran defensive end Jared Allen here from Kansas City in 2008 and a year later character was a reason wide receiver Percy Harvin was still available in the first round.

Peterson and Harvin became offensive rookies of the year.   Peterson and Allen are among the best players at their positions in the NFL.

Spielman has particularly been willing, too, to trade draft choices after the first round.  His maneuvering in the 2007 draft resulted in a second round choice of wide receiver Sidney Rice who became a Pro Bowl selection last season.

There’s consensus that in this year’s draft the Vikings need help at cornerback and in the offensive line.  When the Vikings choose at No. 30 in the first round on Thursday night, though, it’s most likely the club will make a value pick, the best player regardless of the position he plays.

That could even result in a quarterback.  After Sam Bradford, there’s controversy about who else is worthy of being a high draft choice.  Jimmy Clausen’s attitude comes up quickly in discussions but his arm, vision and accuracy rank him No. 2 behind Bradford.  Clausen might be among the first 10 picks but could be around late in the first round.

The Vikings might say, “Okay,” to Clausen, or Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy.  Tebow and McCoy played in spread offenses in college.  That’s been raised as a concern about their pro futures.  So, too, has Tebow’s throwing motion and McCoy’s durability.  But some draft followers see a lot to like about the two.

If the Vikings are in that camp they won’t hesitate to choose either one.  Spielman and his colleagues have shown they see opportunity where others see risk.

At his news conference yesterday Spielman acknowledged all the NFL mock drafts but wasn’t letting on as to who the Vikings like in the first round.  “I’ve seen maybe nine different players at the No. 30 spot,” he said.

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Fans will attend the Gophers’ annual spring football game on Saturday focused on the competition for the starting quarterback job, but don’t expect a commitment from coach Tim Brewster over the weekend.

“I will announce the starting quarterback probably within two weeks after the spring game, and (also) the captains,” Brewster told Sports Headliners.

The Gophers end spring practices with Saturday’s game at TCF Bank Stadium (1:30 p.m. start).  Brewster said his staff has “charted every throw and charted every decision” of quarterback candidates Adam Weber, MarQueis Gray and Moses Alipate.

The decision of who will be No. 1 going into August practices and presumably be the starter on September 2 at Middle Tennessee State will “sort itself out,” according to Brewster who gave no hint whether his guy will be Weber, Gray or Alipate.  The guess here is that it will be Weber, mostly because of his considerable advantage in experience and leadership (he was a captain last season as a junior).

Weber has been a three year starter (52 career touchdown passes) and a smart quarterback.  Gray, now a sophomore, didn’t dazzle last year with his knowledge of the offense and is still playing catch up.  Alipate was a redshirt freshman last year and unlike Weber and Gray doesn’t have Big Ten game experience.

Watch Weber on Saturday to see if he’s still short arming passes into the ground.  That was a problem last fall as he stumbled through the worst passing season of his college career, throwing more interceptions (15) than touchdown passes (13).  Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch reportedly wanted different throwing mechanics from Weber.  That didn’t seem to help Weber’s performance, and for sure he sometimes looked bad throwing the ball because of pass receivers who didn’t run correct routes and his offensive line offered phantom protection.

Much was asked of Weber in the Gophers offense during the last three seasons but Brewster is setting some guidelines about expectations for his starter in 2010.  “We don’t want our quarterback to have to carry the load,” Brewster said. “The basic premise we want to live off is we have to run the football.”

Under new offensive coordinator Jeff Horton the Gophers will use a pro style offense.  Sometimes there will be two backs in the backfield, other times one.  But Brewster said despite the emphasis on developing a rushing game, the Gophers will probably be in the shotgun formation 40 percent of the time next season.

The quarterback job will likely go to either Weber or Gray, and both have running ability.  Brewster expects his quarterback to create opportunities including with his “feet.”   But the Gophers won’t rely on option plays for the quarterback and Brewster emphasizes that the mission of his offense is to become a “physical” attack, often featuring multiple tight ends and frequently running behind the blocking of fullback Jon Hoese who Brewster describes as a “really good football player.”

The Gophers offense, Brewster said, will be “tailback oriented.”  That means one of three incoming freshmen, or returnees Duane Bennett or DeLeon Eskridge, will be the starter.  Brewster has high hopes for freshmen Lamonte Edwards, Donnell Kirkwood and Devon Wright.

The coach sees improvement this spring from Bennett and Eskridge, both juniors.  Neither ran for 400 yards last season on a Gophers offense that ranked last in rushing for Big Ten Conference games, 97.1 yards per Saturday.  “They’re both bigger, stronger, (and) both seem to be a step quicker,” Brewster said.

Don’t be too quick to judge the quarterbacks, running backs or others in the spring game.  Competing against your teammates doesn’t guarantee future results.  Review last spring’s game when Gray looked like a Terrelle Pryor clone and wide receiver/runner/kick returner Troy Stoudermire did a terrific Percy Harvin impersonation.  During the 2009 season neither Gray nor Stoudermire, now a junior, were high impact players.

Maybe they will be in 2010, though.  They’re two of the Gophers best potential playmakers, fast and gifted, able to run and catch the football.  If Gray isn’t the starting quarterback (and don’t discount the possibility) he probably will become a utility player, seeing time at receiver and spot duty at quarterback.

For now Brewster isn’t making a final judgment on Weber, Gray and Alipate but that doesn’t lessen his optimism.  “I feel very comfortable.  I’ve got a great feeling about the fact we have one older and two younger quarterbacks,” Brewster said. “We’re going to be in good shape.”

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