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.