With a surprising 7-2 record and three consecutive Big Ten wins, the Gophers are drawing national attention this week leading up to Saturday’s game at TCF Bank Stadium against Penn State.
ESPN’s Samantha Ponder was at the Gophers’ football office yesterday to interview coach Jerry Kill and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys who serves as head coach when Kill is absent. Her segment will air on Saturday’s College GameDay show.
SI.com college football writer Stewart Mandel listed his bowl game predictions on Monday and he predicted the Gophers will play in the Gator Bowl against SEC power South Carolina on January 1. If so, that will be the Gophers’ first January 1 bowl appearance since the 1962 Rose Bowl.
The Associated Press, Harris Interactive and USA Today top 25 polls all have the Gophers receiving votes this week. Although Minnesota didn’t make anybody’s top 25, the Gophers are earning attention from voters, probably more so than at any time in Kill’s three years as head coach in Minneapolis.
Gophers radio analysts Ray Hitchcock and Darrell Thompson think Minnesota is among the top six teams in the Big Ten. Hitchcock likes Minnesota’s chances of winning two of its three remaining regular season games. That script would leave the Gophers at 9-3 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten.
The present record of 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten surprises Thompson and others. “I think it’s a big surprise, quite honestly,” Thompson said. “It also goes as a credit to the coaching staff and the kids. The hard work is starting to pay off. We’ve seen improvement in losses but it’s good to finally see the kids have earned — and the coaching staff has earned — victories.”
Minnesota has won two of its last three games by three point margins. The other victory was by 11 so the Gophers haven’t dominated Big Ten opponents but that doesn’t mean the players and Kill are without solid confidence.
“I think we can play with whoever we want,” said tight end Maxx Williams. “We know our potential. We know how good we are and we know what we can do as a team. …We go into every week thinking we have a chance to win that game. I think that’s what helps us with our success.”
Kill agrees the Gophers can be good if injuries don’t become a problem. “I think that’s the key to the next three to four weeks. The off-week will help us.”
After the Penn State game the Gophers have a bye before playing at home against Wisconsin on November 23 and then closing the season at Michigan State November 30.
Good news yesterday was Kill’s prediction starting quarterback Philip Nelson, who injured his hip last Saturday against Indiana, will be ready to play in the Penn State game.
Worth Noting
The Big Ten has one of the nation’s best teams in Ohio State, ranked No. 4 in the major polls. But the league has no other teams in the top 15 of polls and that’s probably not fair to Michigan State and Wisconsin who deserve better.
Here are the latest Sports Headliners power rankings:
1. Ohio State: Buckeyes look on course for a national championship in next few years.
2. Michigan State: Spartans’ defense compares with any in the country.
3. Wisconsin: Badgers discover the forward pass under new coach Gary Andersen.
4. Michigan: These aren’t Bo Schembechler’s Wolverines; too many mistakes and leaks on defense.
5. Nebraska: Where have you gone Taylor Martinez? Coach Bo Pelini fighting for his job.
6. Minnesota: Swallow hard but Gophers deserve this ranking after three consecutive league wins.
7. Iowa: Hawks battle but offense lacks creativity and playmakers.
8. Penn State: Bowl ban and scholarship reductions will continue to topple this once mighty program.
9. Northwestern: Preseason thoughts of a Big Ten championship have died because these are unlucky Cats.
10. Indiana: If tackling is ever eliminated, pencil in pass-happy Hoosiers for the national title game.
11. Illinois: Illini have lost 18 consecutive league games but wait in anticipation for Indiana and Purdue.
12. Purdue: In their last three Big Ten games the beleaguered Boilermakers have been outscored 114 to 7.
High school senior basketball players can sign NCAA Letters of Intent from November 13-20. Minnesota prep stars Tyus Jones from Apple Valley and Reid Travis from DeLaSalle will reportedly make commitments during the early signing week instead of waiting until the next period, April 16-May 21. Jones is likely to announce his college choice next week at Apple Valley High School while Travis will do so this Friday at DeLaSalle High School.
Don’t be surprised if the Gophers sign Travis. No chance with Jones, though.
Former Twins vice president of corporate partnerships Eric Curry became vice president of sales for Sun Country Airlines last month. Curry is also an NCAA men’s basketball referee and officiated 85 games last season. He will work Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West games this season. He officiates his first game ever at legendary Pauley Pavilion on November 12 when UCLA hosts Oakland (Rochester, Michigan).
The Vikings have lost two games this season by four points and another by one point. If Minnesota had won those games their record going into tomorrow night’s game at Mall of America Field against the Redskins would be 4-4, not 1-7. The other teams in the NFC North, the Lions, Bears and Packers, all have 5-3 records so if not for those losses the Vikings would be in the division race.
In that scenario there would be local optimism about a division title, too, because both the Bears and Packers are playing without their injured starting quarterbacks, Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers.
Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier will have Christian Ponder make his third consecutive start tomorrow night. Ponder completed 25 of 37 passes last Sunday in a four point loss to the Cowboys. He threw one touchdown pass and had a pass intercepted. In five games this season Ponder has thrown three touchdown passes, been intercepted six times and has a 72.5 quarterback rating, but Frazier saw improvement last Sunday.
“I thought he was more confident in some of the things he was doing, more control,” Frazier said. “I like the decisions that he made when he had to escape the pocket, getting out of trouble and avoiding sacks. There are some things that he can do better obviously…but I like the way he moved and the way he handled our no huddle situation as well. He really seemed comfortable there. We thought he would with the way he practiced and he did a good job of directing our team.”
Despite the Vikings’ record, general manager Rick Spielman expressed public support for Frazier last week. Frazier, however, said he hasn’t spoken to his boss about his status that includes a contract with an option only for 2014.
With the Metrodome being torn down after the Vikings season, the baseball Gophers will play only 18 home games next year after having 34 in 2013. The Gophers don’t have a home game scheduled until March 26 when they play Saint John’s from the MIAC. Minnesota opens its 2014 schedule on February 14 in Glendale, Arizona against Northern Illinois.
The Gophers “M” Club for letter winners will be 100 years old next year. Director George Adzick said dues paying members now total nearly 1,000, an all-time high.
Reservations are requested by next Monday for the November 14 CORES luncheon program featuring Matt Majka, the chief operating officer of Minnesota Sports & Entertainment whose business interests include the Minnesota Wild. The program will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. For reservations or more information, contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.