PERFECT STORM (GOPHERS STYLE) — The scoreboard said one thing; P.J. Fleck said another. And the lesson was reinforced about what typically happens when you tell students not to do something. The Gophers dismantled (formerly) No. 25 Nebraska 24-6 last Friday and the scoreboard warning went unheeded. Fleck’s take: “It’s so fun to watch the student population. I’m glad we don’t have a rule. Maybe we do. No?” The answer is no. The Big Ten, unlike the SEC, doesn’t have a field-storming rule. The Minnesota tradition has evolved: Beat ranked team. Storm field. Gophers fans have apparently done this without catastrophe, which allows most of us to consider it harmless and fun. And there are no more ranked teams on this year’s home schedule, although fans may want to consider breaking policy if the Gophers beat Wisconsin in the regular-season finale, even if only to kick the Badgers while they’re really, really down. — Howard Sinker
THREE MORE STORM NOTES: (1) Koi Perich on why field storming feels wrong, via Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press: “Aren’t we supposed to do this?” (2) The stadium media crew hit the right note with its choice of music to capture the conflict between field-stormers and the scoreboard message. If you’re a Lynx fan (or have chaperoned a high school dance), you’ll recognize it. (3) Other notable Gophers field storms are here, here and (No. 1 on my list) here.
FIVE MAIN EVENTS: Lots to follow but these are the anchors through the weekend, with a bonus for Monday. TONIGHT: Vikings at Chargers (7:15 p.m., FOX9 and Amazon Prime). FRIDAY: No. 4 Gophers at No. 5 UMD women’s hockey (6 p.m., BIG+). SATURDAY: Gophers football at Iowa (2:30 p.m., CBS). SUNDAY: Wolves home opener vs. Indiana (6 p.m., FDSN). MONDAY: Loons open best-of-3 playoff series vs. Seattle (8 p.m., FS1).
ANTHONY EDWARDS ON DISPLAY: Prevailing wisdom on the Wolves is that they’re a step below the NBA’s elite — and that making the leap to that status would require Anthony Edwards going from being one of the NBA’s 10 best players to among the top two or three. He started down that path in spectacular fashion in Wednesday’s season-opener.
HOW SO? On a night when the Wolves met a stern test of their revamped offense in Portland, Edwards willed his team to a 118-114 victory in a game that moved too fast for a couple of his veteran teammates. He scored 41 points, including the three-pointer that pulled Minnesota ahead 108-107 with 3:32 to play, another three that put the Wolves ahead for good at 114-112 with 1:14 left and the final points of the game on a 20-foot step-back with 7 seconds on the clock. It was the kind of late-game situation in which the Wolves usually failed last year despite advancing to the Western Conference finals.
HOW BAD WAS IT? Via Jace Frederick at Pioneer Press. VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s late-game offense stunk a year ago. It was one of the main sources of angst throughout a rocky regular season. Frankly, the Timberwolves clutch-time offense hasn’t been good at any point during the Chris Finch-Anthony Edwards era, and the star guard has deservedly shouldered plenty of the blame. . . . The guard took 13 shots in the final minute of games last season in which the Wolves were tied or trailing by one or two points. He made three of them. Nine of those attempts came from 3-point range, and only one went in.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wolves1023
THAT BAD? Without a doubt. His struggles last season led to stories like this one from the Athletic headlined: “Anthony Edwards is delivering everywhere except in clutch time for Timberwolves.”
JUDGMENT ZONE: Via Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic. What Edwards wants is to be seen as unstoppable. VERBATIM: “As he prepares to enter his sixth season in the league, Edwards has no interest in celebrating his All-Star appearances, his shoe deals or his movie roles. He has led the league in 3-pointers made, become one of the most vicious in-game dunkers of his era and has led what was a perpetually losing franchise to back-to-back Western Conference finals. He doesn’t listen to the comparisons to Michael Jordan of which he wants no part. Instead, he listens to the voice that wants more. That’s what he wants to hear. When he is asked what he wants from this game, excluding the obvious answer of a championship, Edwards lights up. ‘All I want them to say is ‘we couldn’t guard him. We. Could. Not. Guard. Shawty.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/goals1023
LAST NIGHT: THEY. COULD. NOT. GUARD. SHAWTY.
ANOTHER WAY TO STEP UP. Via Chris Hine at Star Tribune: VERBATIM: “The Wolves especially want Edwards to ramp up his intensity on the defensive end of the floor. He expects to spend more minutes getting what he calls the ‘A’ matchup, guarding the other team’s best scoring option, instead of leaving that for Jaden McDaniels. ‘As the head of the snake, sometimes you’ve just got to take those matchups,’ Edwards said. It’s also a way Edwards can engage himself against opponents that are lower in the standings, an issue for the Wolves the past few seasons. They take it a little easier against teams that might not have a lot to play for, and that has cost them victories. ‘I can’t guard one game and not guard the next game because we’re playing, you know, somebody who’s not up to par. I’ve got to be ready every night, and I’m going to take pride in that. I told my teammates to hold me accountable, coaches included.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/edwards1023
PUT ANOTHER WAY: Via Britt Robson at MinnPost: “Ant is being challenged to be at his best more often, to be a dogged role player as well as a star; to disrupt the playmaking of more ordinary foes with a similar vigor deployed in higher leverage situations, and to seal off the weakside cuts and make crisp rotations according to scheme. On offense, he needs to quicken the pace and seize the openings and options that pressure generates, getting off the ball when necessary, and moving without the ball when he does. In crunch time, he needs to hone a couple of go-to moves in places that help his teammates space the floor, give him room to get a shot off even when covered, but also provide ways to pass or draw fouls in the flow. He also needs to recognize and accept that there will be times when the crunch time shots will arise out of post-up plays for Julius Randle in the low block, or pick-and-roll action between Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/challenge1023
ABOUT THAT NEW OFFENSE: Last week’s Sports Take included this description of what’s required from player in the Wolves’ higher-energy offense. On Wednesday, veteran guards Dante DiVincenzo (20 minutes, 6 turnovers) and Mike Conley (12 minutes, 0 assists) were overwhelmed by Portland’s pressure. But second-year players Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark stepped up and played roles in the comeback. It will take time for some players to either find their comfort level or find their roles diminished, while those who can execute what’s needed will get more playing time.
BILLUPS ARRESTED AFTER GAME: Via Rick Maese and Jeremy Roebuck at Washington Post. Hours after his team lost to the Timberwolves, Portland coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by federal authorities and charged with being a participant in rigged poker games that involved members of organized crime families. Billups, 49, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last year and had a 17-year NBA career, included two seasons as the Wolves point guard from 2000-2002. A total of 31 people were arrested. VERBATIM: “According to investigators, former athletes like Billups were used to lure unsuspecting players to the table. Everyone else in the game, from the big-name celebrity to the dealer, was aware the game was rigged with tampered shuffling machines, hidden cameras and even an “X-ray” table that could reveal cards, according to authorities.”
MORE: “Prosecutors say Billups participated in games in Las Vegas around April 2019 that included a tampered shuffling machine. While the indictment states that the rigged poker schemes defrauded victims of $7.15 million in total, they were defrauded of ‘at least $50,000’ in the Vegas games allegedly involving Billups.” Authorities also made arrests in a sports betting scheme that did not involve Billups. MORE: https://wapo.st/4njSLAM
BIG BORDER BATTLE: Beating Nebraska raised the profile of Saturday’s Gophers game at Iowa. Both teams are 5-2 and the winner is a candidate to find itself in next week’s Top 25 rankings. The Gophers received one 25th place vote in the current poll; Iowa was shut out. But the Hawkeyes gave undefeated and No. 4 Indiana its toughest game of the season a few weeks back in a 20-15 loss and — in what would have been considered a major upset before Penn State’s collapse — defeated the Nittany Lions 25-24 last weekend.
MY TAKE: It’s hard to get an accurate read on how the teams compare. They’ve had only one common opponent — and both overcame deficits in the fourth quarter to beat Rutgers. Iowa by 38-28 and Minnesota by 31-28. As much as I’d like to read the potential for excellence into the Gophers-Nebraska outcome, it looked like the Cornhuskers were far from playing their best. I’m putting the blame on all the chatter leading up to the game about Nebraska coach Matt Rhule being a front-runner for the Penn State job. His team looked sloppy, distracted and disorganized. Still, Iowa being an eight-point favorite and a -417/+249 money line choice looks a bit steep.
WHAT’S A MONEY LINE? Via Investopedia. If you’re betting on a team to win without factoring in a point spread, the minus number is how much you have to bet to win $100. The plus number is what you’d win by making a $100 bet. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/moneyline1023
GUY TO WATCH: Quarterback Mark Gronowski was a four-year starter at FCS power South Dakota State before transferring to Iowa for his graduate year. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four Big Ten games and has only three for the season. But he’s run for 10 touchdowns (seven in conference play), including a 67-yard score vs. Penn State. His South Dakota State teams went 51-8, including FCS titles in 2022 and 2023. STATS AND BIO: https://fluence-media.co/gronowski1023
FLECK ON GRONOWSKI: Via Tony Liebert at Sports Illustrated. P.J. Fleck cited two of his top players in describing Gronowski. VERBATIM: “Where do you want to start? He runs the ball like a running back, throws it like a quarterback. He’s really, really intelligent. . . . He’s like a running back playing quarterback. If you could take Darius Taylor and Drake Lindsey and put them together, that would be him. I think that’s kind of the best way to describe him.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/fleck1023
FLOYD ON THE LINE: Iowa currently holds Floyd of Rosedale, which has gone to the winner of the game since 1935. The trophy is currently a heavy bronze pig statue. The original Floyd was a real pig — named for Minnesota Gov. Floyd B. Olson and Rosedale Farms in Iowa where the pig was born. (The pig died of cholera less than a year after the game and was buried on a southern Minnesota farm six miles from the Iowa border.)
FLOYD’S HISTORY: Via African-American Registry. How Floyd came to be involves a backstory of racism, threats from fans and the governors of Minnesota and Iowa joining forces to calm down things with humor. The central character on the field was Ozzie Simmons, an Iowa star who was one of the first Black players to play major college football. VERBATIM: “The Floyd of Rosedale trophy is about football, a celebrated college rivalry, and America’s racial history. It began in an era when racial discrimination was more widespread and protected at the highest levels of government. All Simmons wanted was a chance. The trophy is an ever-present reminder of how precious that right is.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/floyd1023
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GOPHERS (5-2) VS. IOWA (5-2): 2:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff on CBS, KFAN and the Gophers Radio Network. Gophers depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Iowa web site
BEST BORDER BATTLES. NOVEMBER 2025 RANKING: (1) Gophers vs. Hawkeyes football. Edgy but usually good natured. (2) Vikings vs. Packers. Something’s usually at stake. (3) USA vs. Canada women’s hockey. It’s Olympic gold.
HUGE GAME, SMALLER SCHOOLS: North Dakota State and South Dakota State are both undefeated and ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in all three of the FCS polls and rankings. Their annual Dakota Marker Game gets prime-time treatment at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU. Only one of their seven opponents have stayed within four touchdowns of the No. 1 Bison; the No. 2 Jackrabbits have scored at least 30 points in six of their seven wins. Since 2012, both teams have been nationally ranked every time they’ve played during the regular season — and they’ve also met six times in the playoffs. The Bison have a 5-1 record, but their loss was in the 2022 national title game.
‘DAKOTA MARKER’? Via Kevin Haley at Opta Analyst. VERBATIM: “The two schools, separated by about 188 miles that’s mostly traveled north/south on Interstate 29, made the move from NCAA Division II to Division I at the same time in 2004, and they created the Dakota Marker traveling trophy series for their regular season games. The trophy is a model replica of the quartzite monuments that marked the border when the Dakota Territory split into two states in 1889.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/marker1023
MINNESOTA ANGLE: North Dakota State has 38 Minnesotans on its roster, including leading receiver Bryce Lance of Marshall, the younger brother of Trey Lance, the former first-round draft pick who played for NDSU and is the L.A. Chargers backup quarterback. SDSU has eight Minnesotans.
THURSDAY NIGHT FRIGHT: Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. After playing a poor game in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia that also took a physical toll, quarterback Carson Wentz was asked about readying himself to play just four days later. VERBATIM: “Wentz voiced his displeasure with such a quick turnaround, making it clear that he doesn’t believe the NFL should ask players to play games roughly 96 hours apart. The idea of the NFL having a primetime game on Thursday initially debuted in November 2006 as a way to increase eyeballs leading up to the playoffs. The coverage expanded in September 2012 to make it more or less a regular occurrence. Though most players across the NFL would rather do away with it completely, they all seem to understand they don’t have a choice in the matter. ‘It is what it is,’ Wentz said. ‘It’s part of the business.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/thursday1023
TWO THOUGHTS: (1) Thursday Night Football is good for fans and horrible for players. (2) I hope teammates hold court and fine Wentz for saying. “It is what it is.”
LAST START? Via Matthew Collar at Purple Insider. If tonight’s game had been scheduled for Sunday, coach Kevin O’Connell indicated there would have been a chance that J.J. McCarthy would have been ready to return to play. As is, it sounds like this will be Wentz’s last start before McCarthy returns against Detroit a week from Sunday. VERBATIM: “Star receiver Justin Jefferson can empathize with the Vikings slow playing McCarthy’s recovery. He missed most of training camp as they tried to ensure that he was totally healthy before getting back on the field and handled a hamstring injury in 2023 similarly. ‘It’s very tough, especially if you are a competitor and a person that loves this game and want to be with the team,’ Jefferson said. “I feel like the training staff has a really good plan to work us back and make sure that we are fully recovered. That’s the main thing, it’s all about having that patience. As soon as you get back and you’re ready to go, hit that full gas.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/return1023
STUPID AND UGLY: Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers made two awful plays in the Vikings’ 28-22 loss and was subjected afterward to what he called “some of the most racist comments” he has ever seen via social media afterward. Some people used the n-word and one idiot called him “worse than Hitler.” The Vikings did what you would expect, issuing a statement condemning what happened. Twin Cities media gave it “just another story” treatment, writing a handful of paragraphs and moving on with other Vikings news. Among all the columnists, broadcasters and sports analysts in the community it felt like skinny coverage of a substantial subject.
VIKINGS (3-3) VS. CHARGERS (4-3): 7:15 p.m. Thursday kickoff on Fox9, Prime Video and the Vikings Audio Network. Vikings depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Chargers web site
ANOTHER COVERAGE MISS: The Nos. 2 and 3 women’s hockey teams in the nation played a weekend series at Ridder Arena and media coverage ranged from slim to none. Above and beyond the game results, the end of the second game between Ohio State and Minnesota featured a postgame brawl resulting in players on both teams being given one-game suspensions. The Star Tribune “covered” the games with a story written from its office and didn’t pursue the fight angle beyond a mention and noting that Minnesota coach Brad Frost didn’t address it in postgame remarks. Monday, the Strib posted an update on the suspensions based on a press release. MY TAKE: I continue to hear talk about the media taking women’s sports more seriously and I continue to hear complaints about coverage fails. Believe what you see and not what you hear.
FIGHT VIDEO: Via Reddit. The battles starts at the 2:11 mark with the announcer proclaiming “a little muckety-muck behind the Gophers net.” Things escalated quickly. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/fight1023
LOONS PLAYOFF RUN: Minnesota United opens the MLS playoffs on Monday night at Allianz Field (8 p.m., FS1) vs. the Seattle Sounders, who the Loons defeated twice this season, including their first-ever road win in Seattle. Game 2 is a week from Monday in Seattle and a deciding game, if needed, will be Nov. 8 at Allianz. HISTORY: One of the lowest points in Loons history was their 3-2 loss to Seattle in the 2020 Western Conference finals when the Loons lost a two-goal lead in the final minutes.
PLAYOFF GUIDE: Star Tribune series preview and MLS playoff guide. | MLS playoff page | Game 1 tickets
WILD’S BAD TRIP: Via Sarah McLellan at Star Tribune. Lost amid all that’s been happening elsewhere was Wednesday’s end of a rotten road swing for the Wild, who lost four of the five games. NEXT UP: Six games at home, beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday vs. Utah VERBATIM: “While the season is still young, the Wild are a work in progress, and their inconsistency is a notable issue. The lineup juggling doesn’t help: They did get Marco Rossi back after a one-game absence due to a shot block, but Zach Bogosian left the trip early and had a procedure done on his lower-body injury. . . . Factor in the ongoing recoveries from surgery for Mats Zuccarello and Nico Sturm, and it’s fair to wonder if getting healthy is all the Wild need to stabilize. But the mistakes that are hurting them are at odds with the identity the Wild want to have and if the Wild don’t stick to their structure, they’re in trouble.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wild1023
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: Via Talia Goodman at On3 Sports. In this preseason Big Ten power ranking, the Gophers are No. 7 and listed among teams that expected to make the NCAA tournament. VERBATIM: “Minnesota might be one of the most intriguing teams in the Big Ten this year. The Gophers return nearly their entire rotation – and they’ll finally have Mara Braun back healthy. Braun averaged 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists before redshirting last season and is the clear star of this team. Pair her with Amaya Battle (12.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.3 APG) and Grace Grocholski (13.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG), and Minnesota has a phenomenal group of returners to lean on. The Gophers also have strong complementary pieces around that core. . . . With a healthy Braun and expanded depth, Minnesota has all the makings of an NCAA Tournament team.” RANKINGS: https://fluence-media.co/uwomen1023
DEPTH TAKES A HIT: Mallory Heyer, the former Chaska star who started 102 games for the the Gophers over the last three years, posted on X Wednesday that she’s leaving the U and entering the transfer portal for her graduate year. Heyer, a 6-foot-1 forward, was the team’s top rebounder last season and had seven double-doubles. VERBATIM: “For personal reasons, I will be closing this chapter of my career at Minnesota and entering the transfer portal to find a new home as a graduate transfer. God’s Plan!”
GOPHERS WOMEN: The season opens Nov. 4 vs. North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks have six Minnesotans on their roster, including Hopkins freshmen London Harris and Lauren Hillesheim. SCHEDULE | ROSTER | TICKETS
ONE MORE BIG GAME: Carleton plays at Saint John’s at 1 p.m. Saturday and hopes to smash conventional wisdom that the MIAC has two excellent teams (the Johnnies and Bethel) with everyone else playing for third place. Led by quarterback Jack Curtis, who is third in the nation with 21 touchdown passes and 2,253 passing yards in six games, the Knights (5-0) are hoping for an upset that would set up a title showdown with Bethel in two weeks. PLAN B: If Saint John’s beats Carleton and Carleton beats Bethel, they would almost certainly finish in a three-way tie for the title. The tie-breakers would be point differential in games between those three teams, followed by the title (and automatic NCAA postseason berth) going to the team (Carleton) that hasn’t been in the NCAA tournament for the longest period of time. LIVESTREAM | LISTEN
TWINS END ANNUAL EVENT: After 20 years, the Twins are putting an end to the annual Diamond Awards dinner, which had been a fund-raiser for medical research at the University of Minnesota. The awards, voted on by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be presented this year at TwinsFest. THE WINNERS: Byron Buxton (team MVP), Joe Ryan (top pitcher), Luke Keaschall (top rookie), Austin Martin (most improved player), Pablo Lopez (leadership award), Brooks Lee (community service), Ryan Jeffers (media “good guy”) Nelson Cruz (alumni community service) and Michael Busch of the Cubs (Upper Midwest Player of the Year). Busch is from Inver Grove Heights.
NEAR A MILESTONE: Eden Prairie football coach Mike Grant will become the third state high school coach to reach 400 wins if his team beats Lakeville North in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday. The others are Mike Mahlen of Verndale, who has coached at the central Minnesota school since 1969, and Dwight Lundeen of Becker, who started there in 1970.
NBA TV REFRESHER: If you need a reminder about all the different networks that are broadcasting and streaming NBA games this season, here’s that information from last week’s Sports Take.
AND FINALLY: Via Betsy Helfand at Pioneer Press. Yes, it pretty much sucked to be included among the Twins sent away at the MLB trade deadline, but North St. Paul native Louis Varland is pretty much over it. That’s what happens when you end up in the World Series. All the more after pitching in 10 of Toronto’s 11 playoff games, with more work expected when the games begin Friday night. VERBATIM: “ ‘I wouldn’t say it’s what I expected, but it is what I wanted. To be used and trusted like that, it feels great. I’m glad I’m in a position to pitch every day. I’ve been available every day, and they love using me. So, it’s a great feeling.’ Varland has a 3.27 earned-run average with 13 strikeouts in 11 innings this postseason. All four of the runs he has given up have come on home runs, including one to former teammate Jorge Polanco in the ALCS against Seattle. Varland has been called upon in all kinds of situations this October, from starting a bullpen game one day to entering in the eighth inning on another.”
ONE LAST QUOTE: “It’s been just crazy, fun, extremely exciting. We’re still playing baseball. It’s Oct. 22 now. I’m not used to it, that’s for sure.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/varland1023
THANKS FOR READING. You’re a great audience and I appreciate the time you spend with Sports Take.
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