Speculation is Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr will resign after this season. Former Michigan assistant Les Miles, now at LSU, might be the next Wolverine coach.
Gopher football coach Tim Brewster said freshman running back Duane Bennett, whose running style is similar to former pro star Emmett Smith, has a “chance to be really, really good.”
Illinois quarterback Isiah “Juice” Williams almost died at birth because of his size, 13 pounds, eight ounces. The sophomore quarterback was a highly recruited prep player, and he chose Illinois over Ohio State and other powerhouse programs.
Illini offensive coordinator Mike Locksley receives a lot of credit for the team’s recent recruiting success. Rivals.com ranked him as a top 10 Big Ten recruiter in 2006 and Sports Illustrated rated him a top 20 recruiter nationally.
The Vikings and San Diego play for only the 10th time when the two teams meet in the Metrodome on Sunday. The Chargers lead the series 5-4.
Ted Cottrell’s Chargers defense ranks 18th in the NFL while the Vikings are 27th. Cottrell is the defensive coordinator, the same title he held with the Vikings in 2004 and 2005.
The Vikings’ defense is tied for fifth in the NFL with 16 takeaways, including four resulting in touchdowns. The defense has 18 sacks, 10th best in the league.
Mr. Perfect. In his Vikings’ career that began with the 2006 season, Ryan Longwell is 25-25 on field goals of 45 yards or less.
Minnesota freshman goaltender Alex Kangas had a memorable first game last Saturday in a 3-1 win over the U.S. Under-18 team. He had 32 saves, including 21 in the third period. He had a shutout entering the final period and made four straight saves in a 30-second stretch, earning a standing ovation from the Mariucci Arena crowd. The Gophers play Denver tonight and on Sunday at home.
Minnesota Wild prospect Erik Reitz, a defenseman, has been impressive playing for the Houston Aeros. Through games as of Tuesday, he had 10 points in eight games.
Baseball hall of famer Dave Winfield was a pioneer when he established a charitable foundation in his home town of St. Paul, according to Kwame McDonald. He said Winfield was the first pro athlete to start such an organization, and the Winfield Foundation continues to provide college financial assistance to students of Asian, Latin American, Native American and African American backgrounds. McDonald, a sportswriter for many years, is a member of the Winfield Foundation Board of Directors.
The Minnesota Twins announced yesterday that third baseman Brian Buscher has been named the 2007 Sherry Robertson Award winner as the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Year. Right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey has been named the 2007 Jim Rantz Award winner as the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Buscher, 26, batted .309 (117-for-379) with 58 runs, 28 doubles, 14 home runs and 59 RBI in 103 games (63 with New Britain in the Eastern League and 40 with Rochester of the International League). Slowey, 23, was 10-5, with a 1.89 ERA, allowing 110 hits with just 18 walks and 107 strikeouts in 20 starts for Rochester