The Gophers arrived in Houston for the Texas Bowl two days before Syracuse. To Gophers senior cornerback Brock Vereen, getting to the host city six days before the game demonstrates coach Jerry Kill’s intent to be prepared.
“There’s no other way to describe it — (that’s) coach Kill,” Vereen said last week.
Teams at bowl games can lack focus. Players become distracted by mild weather, recreational activities and meeting new people.
“We’re not talking about what night life we’re gonna do, or what restaurant we’re gonna go eat at,” Vereen said last Friday. “We’re all talking about the game. It’s good to know that’s still the priority.”
Former Gophers center Ray Hitchcock played in two bowl games. “You want to be ready to play,” said Hitchcock, now a Gophers radio analyst. “You have to be prepared, especially in the first quarter. Some teams come out with a lot of energy.”
The 8-4 Gophers are expected to win tomorrow night’s Texas Bowl that will be televised nationally by ESPN starting at 5 p.m. Minneapolis time. Vereen said winning a ninth time in 2013, “sending the seniors” home with a victory in their last game and gaining momentum for the program in 2014 are reasons the Gophers want to defeat 6-6 Syracuse. “We’re going down to win the game,” Vereen said.
“I do expect them (the Gophers) to win,” Hitchcock said. “I know the practices have been good. I think we’re the better team, with better personnel. I know it’s all business (in Houston). They’re not down there sightseeing.”
The game seems to fit the program’s “brick-by-brick” philosophy. While the Gophers best record since 2003 brought them near an invitation to a more prestigious bowl game in Arizona or Florida, the trip to Houston matches them against an opponent less formidable than Minnesota would have seen in those places.
The Gophers were in Houston last December and lost to Texas Tech when the game was the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Gophers can show tomorrow night they can win in Houston, stopping a five game postseason losing streak and winning nine games for the first time since 2003.
Worth Noting
The site for last year’s game and the one tomorrow night is Reliant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Texans. The facility has FieldTurf and three types of grass fields that can be used for playing surfaces.
Gophers deputy athletic director David Benedict said Minnesota played on FieldTurf last year but will play on one of the grass fields tomorrow night. The game will be the fourth this year when the Gophers played on a grass surface. The other sites were New Mexico State, Northwestern and Michigan State.
The Gophers sold approximately 3,100 tickets to last year’s bowl in Houston but Benedict said the 2013 total will be higher. Among the fans will be University of Minnesota students who paid $200 each to be bused to Houston and enjoy the bowl game experience including meals. Benedict said three buses of students are travelling. For their money students also receive 2014 Gophers season tickets.
Former Gophers football players and also ex-Iowa and Vikings coach Jerry Burns are expected to attend a lunch tomorrow (Friday) in Edina to recognize the December 26 birthday of Murray Warmath. The former Gophers national championship coach died in 2011 at age 98. Wamath would have been 101 today.
The Gophers basketball team plays Texas Corpus Christi at Williams Arena on Saturday night. Senior guard Malik Smith, although not a starter, scored a Minnesota career high 19 points in the last game, a December 20, 92-79 win over Nebraska-Omaha.
Smith has scored 15 points or more in four of the last six games. He’s also shown proficiency for long range shooting, making 16 of this last 34 three point attempts.
Smith doesn’t hesitate to launch shots further back from the three point line than most players will attempt. “Honestly, I think I can shoot from a step inside the half court line without like really forcing a shot,” he said.
The Vikings play their last game ever at Mall of America Field on Sunday against the Lions. At halftime the organization will unveil the remaining two “Top 10 Moments at Mall of America Field.” A short post-game ceremony featuring a highlight video and remarks from several Vikings legends will officially close the building. Former Vikings Matt Birk and Robert Smith, along with Adrian Peterson and Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant are expected to address the crowd.