Think you’re good at college football trivia?  Try this one: there have been two native Minnesotans who have won the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation’s best receiver.

Neither of the Minnesotans played for the Gophers but that will change if wide receiver Eric Decker can win the award this season or next.  The junior from Cold Spring, Minnesota leads the nation in receptions with 59 and also yards, 782.  He has five of the team’s nine touchdown receptions and has accounted for almost 50 percent of the Gophers’ passing yardage.

Gopher coach Tim Brewster has been saying for awhile now that the 6-foot-2 Decker, who runs precise runs, physically battles defenders and has outstanding hands, is one of America’s premier receivers.  “I can’t imagine that there’s anyone who does more for his team,” Brewster told Sports Headliners.

Although Decker was outstanding last season, making 67 receptions to set a single season school record, he wasn’t on the 25 player 2008 pre-season Biletnikoff watch list.  Playing for a 1-11 team isn’t the kind of stuff that makes for strong resume building.

But now Decker seems like he’s better than ever and the Gophers are 6-1 on the season, 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference.  The weekly polls are showing interest in including Minnesota among the nation’s top 25 teams.  That will help the Decker cause, even though his candidacy has a late start.

And what about those other Minnesotans?  Larry Fitzgerald, who attended Holy Angels High School, won the Biletnikoff playing at Pittsburgh in 2003.  Marcus Harris, a Brooklyn Center High School player, won the award in 1995 while starring for Wyoming.

Decker may write a little history of his own.

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Decker is not the only Gopher receiving notice.  Senior end Willie VanDeSteeg was named the Walter Camp Foundation national defensive player of the week for his performance against Illinois last Saturday.  He’s also been named co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the week along with defensive end Aaron Maybin of Penn State.  VanDeSteeg had five tackles, including one that set up a touchdown, and broke up a pass play that resulted in a key fourth quarter interception.  He also had three sacks against Illinois.

VanDeSteeg was bothered by a broken bone in his right wrist last season after being named second team all-Big Ten his sophomore year when he tied for the conference lead in sacks with seven.  “He has such a sense of pride in himself and he was so disappointed last season,” Brewster said.   He also said VanDeSteeg, 6-4, 256, can play in the NFL and has drawn interest from scouts.

Marcus Sherels, the Gopher cornerback who missed the Illinois game with a right shoulder injury, is expected back for the Purdue game on October 25.  The Gophers have a bye on the schedule this week and it’s most welcome with all the “nicks” the team has, Brewster said.  Players will be given some time off during the week and coaches will be nationally recruiting this weekend, Brewster said.

The Vikings have tickets available for all five remaining home games, Steve LaCroix reported via e-mail.  The Vikings vice president of sales and marketing wrote that some games still have $30 tickets.  Tickets can be purchased via www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 651-989-5151.  Fans may also visit the tickets section at www.vikings.com for additional information.

Season two of the Tubby Smith era of Gopher basketball begins with “Tubby’s Tipoff” at Williams Arena on Friday.  Doors open for the free event beginning at 8:30 p.m. and activities will include a three-point shooting contest, slam dunk competition and scrimmage.

The Twins announced on Monday the installation of a Target Field Webcam located on the roof of the Ford Centre, directly across Fifth Street from the new ballpark opening in 2010.  Fans can view construction progress from a new, closer angle looking directly into the field of the ballpark, www.twinsbaseball.com.

Pat Neshek writes on his web site that he continues to make progress in rehabbing his right elbow after pitching in only 15 games last season.   He expects to be in Florida until November.

There are eight former Gopher players on NHL season opening rosters including Minnesota’s leading scorer from last year, Blake Wheeler, now a rookie with Boston. Phil Kessel is beginning his third season in Boston. Kyle Okposo, who played in Minnesota’s first 18 games of 2007-08 before departing for the New York Islanders, is back with New York.  Alex Goligoski is in his second season with Pittsburgh.

Keith Ballard is with Florida after playing his first three seasons with Phoenix.  Thomas Vanek is back with Buffalo for a fourth year following his 2007-08 season when he had 36 goals and 28 assists for 64 points in 82 games.  Paul Martin is in his fifth season with New Jersey and Jordan Leopold his third with Colorado. A ninth former Gopher, Erik Johnson, played in 69 games as a rookie with St. Louis last season, but will miss the 2008-09 season with a knee injury.

 

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How could it be any better for Tim Brewster?  The Gophers’ coach celebrates his 48^th birthday today after returning to his alma mater last Saturday and throwing himself a never to be forgotten homecoming party as Minnesota upset Illinois, a 12 point favorite, in Champaign.

A visitor wished the Gophers’ second-year coach happy birthday last Tuesday and Brewster said, “Not yet.”  Well, he can celebrate now as the Gophers go back to work during a bye week where they don’t play again until October 25 at Purdue.

Don’t get the idea that Brewster, staff and players will be partying today and the rest of this week.  No, they’ll be working to build on their 6-1 start, 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference.  On Saturday, the Gophers earned their first Big Ten Conference road victory since November 11, 2006 and Brewster told Sports Headliners yesterday that he’ll be in his office today at work after a birthday celebration with his wife Kathy last night at a local restaurant.

It’s preparation, hard work and better personnel that has the Gophers, so far, reversing last year’s disastrous 1-11 season.  Yes, you better add confidence to that list of success factors, too.

Looking at a 10 game losing streak dating back to 2007, the Gophers had the confidence to try for and score a late fourth quarter touchdown against Northern Illinois to win their opening game of the season.  Instead of the touchdown, the Gophers could have attempted a field goal to tie the game and likely send it into overtime.  That gave the Gophers momentum and helped inspire a second game win over Bowling Green and eventually a 4-0 start to the season.

Brewster had the Gophers believing they could beat Ohio State in Columbus in the Big Ten opener two weeks ago.  They didn’t but the Gophers played with confidence, didn’t quit when they fell far behind, and some players were reportedly in tears in the locker room after the 34-21 loss to the Big Ten pre-season favorite.

Saturday in Champaign, the Gophers were facing an Illinois team that had some of its best players returning after playing in the Rose Bowl in January.  Few people expected a Gopher win, except Brewster, staff and players including defensive lineman Willie VanDeSteeg who caused a fumble that set up a touchdown run by linebacker Simoni Lawrence and VanDeSteeg also made Illinois quarterback Juice Williams throw a late fourth quarter interception that helped end an Illini comeback.

There were plenty of other Gophers who made plays, too, like freshman DeLeon Eskridge who ran 46 yards for a second half touchdown, quarterback Adam Weber who never turned the ball over while completing 18 of 26 passes including a touchdown pass of 25 yards to (who else?) Eric Decker who had a total of nine catches in the game, 59 on the season.

The list of names, including assistant coaches, could be made much longer in tribute to this 27-20 win.  But, hey, lots of contributors are what you would expect when the Gophers did the unexpected in Champaign.  “I just love our team,” said Brewster who is constantly talking up a collective, not individual, approach.

And, one more thing, the Illini had designated the day as their 2008 Homecoming celebration.  Nobody on the planning committee checked first with Brewster.

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