'STUPID PREDICTION' REVISITED: Before the Iowa game, I was laying out a scenario where the Gophers could go 8-4 if they beat the Hawkeyes. A friend-with-connections who loves the Gophers almost as much as he loves his alma mater texted to troll me for my optimism and the Gophers got crushed. I wrote this: “I fell for the hype when I shouldn’t have last week by charting a course for the Gophers to finish 8-4 if they beat Iowa. . . . With Michigan and USC the next two weekends, I’m gonna do you all a favor and hold off on looking ahead.”
WELL, WELL, WELL: The Gophers are 6-3 with three games remaining and I think it would be a disappointment if they finished the regular season anything worse than . . . 8-4.
GETTING TO EIGHT: Minnesota should win Saturday at Rutgers, which started the season 4-0 (proving beyond a doubt it could dominate Howard University and Akron) before falling to 4-4. We've reached the stage where we can be annoyed if Paul Bunyan’s Axe stays in Wisconsin on the day after Thanksgiving.
THE RUTGERS GAME: More on that later in this Sports Take.
FANTASY OR NOT?: If the Gophers are 7-3 going into their home game a week from Saturday vs. Penn State, do they have a chance? The Nittany Lions will be 8-1 after beating Purdue this weekend and will likely be the least respected 8-1 team in the nation, at least by their own fans, who booed them and taunted coach James Franklin as they left the field following last week’s loss to Ohio State.
VIEW FROM AFAR: Via Frank Bodani at York Daily Record: VERBATIM: (Penn State is) still not "elite," as Franklin promised six years ago here. Yes, they still can rally and achieve everything they ever wanted in the expanded College Football Playoff world. The biggest problem is, who can believe in that right now? MORE: https://fluence-media.co/franklin
HEY, WAIT A MINUTE: Didn’t P.J. Fleck trademark “elite?’
BUT SERIOUSLY: I’m not going to tell you that the Gophers will beat Penn State. I am telling you that Gophers football is much more interesting right now than we expected and Fleck is doing a better job with this team than anyone expected. Enjoy the ride, OK?
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UGLY ENDING, NEW BEGINNING: Via Marcus Fuller at Star Tribune. Gophers men's basketball was a team on the upswing at the end of last season: a 19-15 record, a trip to the second round of the NIT and an experienced roster returning for this season. Then players started to bail on coach Ben Johnson and their former teammates. Seven of them, including five rotation players, entered the transfer portal. The lure of NIL money bit Minnesota in the butt, forcing Johnson to build anew by diving into the portal for replacements. ONE IMPACT: The Gophers are said to be the most "experienced" team in the nation, even if that experience isn't with each other. ANOTHER: Minnesota IS picked to finish last in the Big Ten in the conference media poll. VERBATIM: “In the portal, you have to decide: Do you have the NIL money to go buy the talent to win or do you try to get as old as you can?” Johnson said. “We tried to replace some of those guys with older players who know how to play and have one year. So, I don’t have to worry about tampering [from other schools].” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gopherspreview
PLAYER'S VIEW: VERBATIM: Minnesota’s starters and even some top reserves had people in their ear about possibly chasing better name, image and likeness opportunities after the season. Representatives from other programs even reached out. “The [NCAA] tournament was the goal,” said ex-Gophers guard Cam Christie, now a rookie on the Los Angeles Clippers. “Everyone tried to play to the best of their ability to make that happen. But there were some people who looked ahead to the future instead of staying in the moment.”
WHERE THEY WENT: Point guard Elijah Hawkins, who tled the Big Ten in assists, twice said he'd be back -- and then left for Texas Tech. Joshua Ola-Joseph sounded enthused about this year's team -- and left for Cal. Pharrel Payne went to Texas A&M. Braeden Carrington went to Tulsa. Isaiah Ihnen chose Liberty. Kris Keinys went to Pacific.
COOK'S REUNION: Gophers volleyball Coach Keegan Cook faces Washington, the team he used to coach, Thursday night at Maturi Pavilion. Minnesota is on a four-match winning streak and ranked No,. 14 in the nation. The team's 9-3 conference record has it in a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten with Purdue and Oregon. The Ducks, ranked No. 12, are in town Saturday. Thursday's match is at 7 p.m and Saturday's in at 3 p.m. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/volleytickets
WELL RANKED: Four Big Ten teams are in the volleyball poll's Top 10 and the Gophers are among three more teams in the Top 25. The list: Nebraska (2), Penn State (3), Wisconsin (7), Purdue (9), Oregon (12), Minnesota (14) and USC (20). Washington is among teams also getting votes but not ranked.
A SO-WHAT WIN: Dave Mona, ardent Gophers booster and ex-host of WCCO's Sports Huddle, joked on his Facebook page about the U women beating Connecticut in their opener. But there was no Paige Bueckers in sight because the 89-48 win came over Central Connecticut State. It was so one-sided that the Minnesota bench scored two more points than the whole Central Connecticut team. CONTEXT: This Connecticut went 9-21 last season, hasn't reached double digits in wins since 2016-2017 and could wear a 10th anniversary patch to celebrate its last winning season in 2014-15. The Gophers get a better challenge Friday night at the Barn when they play Vermont, which was the America East runner-up last season and lost in the WNIT semifinals to Saint Louis, which also beat Minnesota for the tournament title. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/gophersuvm
PRO TICKET TIP: If you're going to the game solo, grab the single seat at the front of Section 120 in the corner. If you need two, check out the ones in the second row of 119. They're in the corner, away from the band and away from the benches. They're $13 and were available Thursday morning.
AS FOR THE MEN: They opened with an 80-57 win over a mediocre Oral Roberts team with Dawson Garcia scoring 30 points and Johnson getting to experiment with player combinations. They'll get a much better test a week from Saturday against Yale, which shocked Auburn in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season as a 13th seed before losing to San Diego State.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE: The Vikings battered their way to a less-than-riveting 21-13 win over the Colts, ending their losing streak and setting up a three-game road swing in which they shouldn't return any worse than 9-2. Jacksonville, Tennessee and Chicago have a combined eight wins this season, with the Bears having four of them and the others two apiece.
SPECIAL TEAMS REINFORCEMENTS: The Vikings have signed kicker John Parker Romo (prefers to be called 'Parker' but we're calling him JPR for now) and long snapper Jake McQuaide to replaced the injured Will Reichard and Andrew DePaola. JPR had a brief stint with the Vikings this summer before being released at the start of training camp; McQuaide has 200 games of NFL experience, and has stops with the Bears and Lions in his career.
JPR ADDS CONTEXT: Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. Making his NFL debut will be exciting, but Romo knows what's he's really doing on Sunday against the Jaguars. That's looking for his next job. VERBATIM: As much as he understands that he will be auditioning for every other team in the NFL over the next month or so, Romo also plans to soak in the moment on Sunday with his dream set to become a reality. “This will be my NFL debut,” Romo said. “Just excited for the opportunity and I’ve got to take advantage of it.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/romo
IF KICKERS HAD ENTRY MUSIC: Romo would be entitled to borrow from this ex-Minnesota Romo. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/sergio
QUICK LEARNER: Offensive tackle Cam Robinson arrived Thursday from Jacksonville to replace injured standout Christian Darrisaw and, to the surprise of many, was a full-go performer on Sunday. He received a game ball for his solid work and talked about the transition afterward.
HOW IT WORKED: Via Andrew Krammer at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: “It was an experience,” said Robinson, who started his 95th NFL game on Sunday night but his first not in a Jaguars uniform. “Definitely new, something I’ve never experienced before, but all the credit in the world to the people in the building: my teammates, my coaches, they made it an easy transition for me. A lot of studying. . . . Just trying to pick up a lot in a short amount of time.”
MORE. Via Krammer. Right tackle Brian O’Neill, a team captain, said the coaching staff simplified the offensive line’s communication plan as much as possible to accommodate Robinson on short notice. He also said (Blake) Brandel, who lines up to Robinson’s right, directed him through play calls when needed before the snap. . . . Tackle isn’t the most complex position, O’Neill said, but that doesn’t mean it easy to transition so quickly. FULL STORY https://fluence-media.co/camrobinson
YOU NOTICE?: One impact of the "simplified" communication plan on the offensive line: No pre-snap penalties against the Colts. The Vikings had been among the league's worst in that area going into Sunday's game.
KEVIN O'CONNELL EXPLAINS. Via Kevin Seifert at ESPN. Simplifying things also helped QB Sam Darnold. VERBATIM: O'Connell said he cut back some of his "exotic" formations while also working to get the play in to Darnold earlier in the play clock than in previous weeks. In addition, the Vikings modestly reduced the frequency of pre-snap motion from 67.1% of their snaps in the first eight weeks to 54.2% against the Colts, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Finally, to help foster a more efficient huddle, Vikings coaches shortened the play clock during practice to impose greater urgency on getting to the line of scrimmage. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/oconnell
CONCERN ABOUT DARNOLD: Via Jim Souhan at Star Tribune. Darnold made big mistakes on three plays and if those continue, the Vikings could be cooked. VERBATIM: On those three plays, Darnold cost his team at least 13 points, allowing an overmatched Colts team to keep the game competitive despite major deficits in yards gained and time of possession. This was Darnold’s first game for the Vikings in which he looked like a danger to the team’s aspirations. . . .Thanks to a Vikings defense that didn’t allow a touchdown, Darnold will get credit for this victory. He didn’t deserve it. If he plays like this the rest of the way, the Vikings will either miss the playoffs or exit them quickly. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/baddarnold
JUST FACTS: KICKOFF: Noon Sunday. TV: FOX. RADIO: KFAN 100.3 FM, Vikings Radio Network and stream. Betting: Vikings by 4, Over/Under: 47.5. STATS AND STUFF: https://fluence-media.co/vikingsjagsweek10
COUSINS TORCHES ZIMMER'S DEFENSE: Via Josh Kendall at The Athletic. Kirk Cousins led the Falcons to a 27-21 win last weekend and pretty much shredded Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's defense, going 19 of 24 for 222 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating of 144.8 was the eighth best in Cousins' 13 seasons in the NFL. Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris is thrilled with Cousins. VERBATIM: Signing Cousins “was about getting a quarterback in here who could actually deal to all the guys, to all the talent,” Morris said. “He’s been able to go out there each week and get better and better, and, more importantly, proud of his leadership that he’s been able to show throughout the process. I think it’s just been awesome. Kirk Cousins is exactly what I thought he was.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/cousinszimmer
BOOTH REVIEW IS BAD: Via Adam Patrick at Vikings Age. If you're a defensive player getting cut by the Cowboys this season, you're really having a bad year. That's what happened this week to cornerback Andrew Booth, a Vikings second-round pick in 2022 who was traded to Dallas over the summer for a player, Nahshon Wright, currently on the Minnesota practice squad. VERBATIM: It's a bit baffling how poorly Booth has performed since entering the NFL in 2022. Prior to getting drafted, he was regarded by many as one of the top cornerback prospects. But for whatever reason, the success he had during his college career at Clemson hasn't been able to transfer over to the NFL. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/booth
U VS. RUTGERS AND THEIR EX-QB: Via Chris Iseman at Asbury Park Press. After three years with the Gophers, Athan Kaliakmanis is trying to act like it's no big thing that he'll be starting against them on Saturday in New Jersey. More important for Rutgers is trying to end a four-game losing streak and improving a 1-4 conference record. Despite those struggles, Kaliakmanis is still considered an upgrade at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights. But he doesn't think his years in Minnesota, where he had an 8-9 record in 17 starts, will help him against his former teammates. VERBATIM: “I wouldn’t say just me knowing them is a big advantage at all. You change as a player. I think I’ve completely changed as a player since last year. Yeah, I played with those guys but people change, there’s new players there. A lot of new things there, and they play really well.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/athan
FLECK ON KALIAKMANIS: Via Tony Liebert at SI.com. VERBATIM: Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck was asked about what he's seen from Kaliakmanis and he was fairly complimentary on Monday. "He's doing what he does. He's throwing with the RPO game and he's hitting his checkdowns. The receivers are making plays and they're moving him and running him a little bit," Fleck said. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gophersrutgersfb24
STATS TO KNOW: Kaliakmanis has seven touchdown passes and one interception in Rutgers' first four games but has thrown four TDs and four INTs in the five games since. He's completed 54% of his passes and passing for 1650 yards. In his last start, against USC, he threw for a season-high 313 yards and a touchdown in a 42-20 loss at USC. MORE NUMBERS: https://fluence-media.co/athanstats
BY COMPARISON: Gophers starter Max Brosmer has completed 68.2% of his passes for 13 touchdowns with four interceptions. His QB rating is 140.4 compared to Kaliakmanis's 119.5. MAX STATS: https://fluence-media.co/maxstats
JUST FACTS: KICKOFF: 11 a.m. Saturday.TV: Peacock. Listen: KFAN 100.3 FM, Gophers Radio Network and stream. Betting: Gophers by 6.5, Over/Under: 46.5. STATS AND STUFF: https://fluence-media.co/gophersrutgersgame10
NEED A DEPTH CHART? https://fluence-media.co/gophersillini
BOWL PROJECTIONS: CBSsports.com has the Gophers playing Clemson at the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Jan. 3 in Charlotte. IF THAT HAPPENS: Get ready for the "it's the perfect bowl because it's in prime time and the ONLY GAME on that night" hype . USA Today has Minnesota vs. LSU at the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 in Orlando., IF THAT HAPPENS: Get ready for the "it's the perfect bowl because there are FIVE GAMES that day and everyone will be watching football" hype. PROJECTIONS: From CBSsports: https://fluence-media.co/bowlscbs. From USA Today: https://fluence-media.co/bowlusatoday
A McDANIELS PROBLEM? Via Britt Robson at MinnPost. It should be a surprise that the Wolves are off to a 4-3 start as they readjust their game in the aftermath of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. Some night have been very good. Others haven't. Perhaps the most unexpected step back has been the inconsistent play of forward Jaden McDaniels. The hope was that he'd expand his game this season, becoming more of an offensive threat while playing the lockdown defense that has already made him an important part of the lineup. VERBATIM: Ever since he came into the NBA four years ago, McDaniels has been a hound defending the perimeter and the Wolves designated stopper not only for wings, but point guards and even power forwards who frequently initiate the offense. Last season he was rewarded by being named to the NBA’s All Defensive second team. By contrast, through the Wolves’ first six games, the team gave up more points per possession when McDaniels was on the court than any other player in the team’s 8-man rotation. When (Coach Chris) Finch was asked in his pregame press conference on Monday about the way McDaniels was defending the perimeter, he was terse. “It is not good. It has got to be way better.”
MORE FROM ROBSON: After the Wolves beat Charlotte on Monday, Robson asked Finch about his observation that the starters need to find a better rhythm. VERBATIM: "Sometimes it is like the flow wasn’t there. Defense, maybe, (is lackluster) so it doesn’t give us a chance to get out and run. (The starters) have got to run a little better and get some easy stuff too, particularly earlier in the game. But there is a hesitancy to push it. So we have got to address that. One thing I think can really help there is Julius (Randle). Julius brings it (the pushing), more in that group.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/jaden
TAKING NOTICE: McDaniels' most obvious backslide came when the Wolves rallied to beat Denver in a national TV game last Friday. McDaniels was a minus-29, a career worst, and was replaced by Nickeil Alexander-Walker for the final minutes. McDaniels has been a "plus" in only one of seven games so far this season.
Got something to show me or tell me about? Email: sportstake@fluence-media.com
PROBLEM FREE WILD? Via The Athletic. The web site took a swing through the NHL to highlight each team's biggest problem after the first several weeks of games. For the Wild, the best it could come up with is that Jared Spurgeon's health issues aren't welcome, but . . . VERBATIM: One big reason the Wild were confident this season would be better than last was the return of the captain after he was limited to 16 games last season due to shoulder, hip and back injuries. But after season-ending hip and back surgeries, Spurgeon was sidelined after his second game and missed six in a row before returning Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The team has said the discomfort is “part of the healing process.” Spurgeon said they took “different routes” medically to get him back in the lineup, but he couldn’t say he was confident this would not be a season-long issue. The good news is the Wild went 4-1-1 without him. AROUND THE LEAGUE: https://fluence-media.co/nhlwoes
ON THE OTHER HAND: Via Sarah McLellan at Star Tribune. The Wild's power play has been in a funk in their last four games that was pretty well disguised until Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Kings. VERBATIM: “In the last couple of games it hasn’t been good enough,” veteran winger Mats Zuccarello said, “and believe me, I think we know. We just can’t let that creep in to our game and get frustrated. It’s gonna come.” Although their recent three-game win streak camouflaged it, this problem had been percolating for the Wild during the past week. The Wild have failed to score in their past 14 power-play opportunities. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/powerplayfunk
WILD LINES, DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS AND MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wildlines2425
BIG, BAD BREAK: Remember when the Loons moved on in the MLS Cup by sweeping Real Salt Lake last weekend? In case you're wondering why you haven't heard much chatter about what's next, it's because the league is on another international break. They'll play next in the quarterfinals on Nov. 23 or 24 against LA Galaxy in Los Angeles. REMINDER: Everything from now until the MLS Cup on Dec. 7 is a one-game series with 30 minutes of extra time before a shootout if the score is tied.. BRACKET: https://fluence-media.co/mlsbracket
TWINS A TV TEST CASE. Via Evan Drellich at the Athletic. The Pohlad are looking into selling the Twins. Will this make it more complicated? VERBATIM: The Minnesota Twins were publicly put up for sale last month, and they are the first club to hit the market with MLB’s central office as its broadcast partner. They are also, for a second straight season, expecting to make less money from their TV rights than they did the year before. That creates an unprecedented circumstance: Since the rise of (Regional Sports Networks) in the 1990s, no MLB team is known to have been sold with its TV rights fees in decline. KEEP IN MIND: Carl Pohlad bought the team for $44 million in 1984 and they are currently valued at $1.5 billion by Forbes. So even a cut-rate sale brings home a big profit. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/twinsstreamsale
ADJUSTING: That $44 million purchase price in 1984 would be the equivalent of about $133 million today.
TWINS TRADES? Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. Baseball's general managers meetings are going on this week in Texas. VERBATIM: The Twins have no plans to phase into a rebuild. They can opt to keep almost all their roster together, minus the six players who departed through free agency, but it would amount to essentially running it back with a group that collapsed in the final six weeks of the season and fell out of a playoff spot. Instead, the Twins are expected to look for ways to reallocate money to different parts of the roster through trades while maintaining a payroll around $130 million. It makes pitcher Chris Paddack, catcher Christian Vázquez and utilityman Willi Castro their top trade candidates. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gmmeetings24
MY ONLY ELECTION TWEET. Via an Edina hockey parent on Facebook. VERBATIM: Dear universe, please do not ever ever ever EVER schedule hockey tryouts the same week as the election ever ever again. Ever.
MIAC BASKETBALL STARTS: Games begin Friday. MEN: St. John's is ranked No. 13 in the preseason D3hoops.com poll and Gustavus received a few votes. The Johnnies host UW-Oshkosh to open and the Gusties are at UW-LaCrosse. Both games are at 5 p.m. Saturday. Bethany Lutheran of Mankato and the UMAC also got votes without making the Top 25. WOMEN: Gustavus is ranked No. 11 and Concordia-Moorhead gets votes. The Gusties play two games in Eau Claire this weekend -- at 2:30 p.m. Saturday vs. UW-LaCrosse and 7:30 p.m. Sunday against UW-Eau Claire. Concordia opens Tuesday at Minnesota Morris. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/watchmiac
MANKATO MEN STUMBLE: In Division II, both Minnesota State men's and women's teams are defending national titles. Minnesota State's men are off to an 0-2 start with losses last weekend to No. 19 Florida Southern and No. 9 North Georgia at a tournament in Florida. The Mavericks play in Kansas City this weekend against Southern Arkansas on Friday and No. 10 Washburn on Saturday. The Mavericks women open this weekend in St. Joseph, Mo., against Emporia State on Friday and Northwest Missouri State on Saturday. SCHEDULES, WATCH, LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/msumankato
HEY, LOOK AT BETHEL! The Royals finally made the D3football.com Top 25. They're 25th. St. John's is still third. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/d3fbpollweek9
STATE VOLLEYBALL: The tournament started Wednesday at the X and we know there will be a new state champ in 4A because four-time defending champion Wayzata isn't in the field after losing to Maple Grove in the section semifinals. The only defending champ to qualify is Marshall in Class 3A. TICKETS AND LIVESTREAM: https://fluence-media.co/volleyball24
AWARD NAMED FOR A LEGEND: Via Red Lake Nation News. VERBATIM: Red Lake High School head football coach Nolan Desjarlait has been awarded the 2023 Tom Mahoney Man of the Year by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. The award started in 1990, named after the legendary Fairmont High School football head coach Tom Mahoney who retired with 256 victories – which made him the winningest head coach in Minnesota high school history at the time. "Taking no break from coaching: Nolan cannot walk away from coaching the Red Lake Nation Youth," read the MFCA's release on Desjarlait. "The Minnesota Football Coaches Association is proud to name Coach Desjarlait as our 2023 Man of the Year." MORE: https://fluence-media.co/mahoneyaward
MAHONEY'S GRANDSON: Mat Mahoney is in his 15th season of coaching at Fairmont, and his team will be playing in the Class 3A quarterfinals at 3 p.m. Saturday against Dassel-Cokato. The game is at Washburn High in south Minneapolis. Mahoney won his 100th game this season and the Cardinals bring an 8-2 record into the quarterfinals, including a section title win against Waseca, avenging a regular-season loss.
WHILE WE'RE AVENGING: Cromwell-Wright defeated No. 1-ranked Nevis 20-14 to reach the nine-player quarterfinals. Not only did the Cardinals end a 23-game winning streak by the defending state champs, but they knocked out a team that beat them 48-8 during the regular season.
STATE FOOTBALL BRACKETS: There are 13 games tonight -- including Edina vs. Maple Grove at Park Center High School with a 7 p.m. kickoff -- eight on Friday and seven on Saturday. https://fluence-media.co/statefootball2024
THE BEST GAMES, THE BEST NAME: Via Jim Paulsen at Star Tribune. The veteran high school reporter has a best game to watch in each of the seven classes. He also points out that Class 6A is all about the quarterbacks. But Sports Take is all in on Renville County West in the nine-player tournament because it brings the quarterback with the best name into the playoffs. Let's go Camden Hungerholt! MORE: https://fluence-media.co/hungerholt
WATCH WHILE WARM: You can buy a subscription to watch livestreams of the football playoffs and state volleyball tournament. It's $10 for the month and $30 for the year. SUBSCRIBE: https://fluence-media.co/NSPN
AND FINALLY: Moorhead, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, was leading Alexandria 44-41 with about seven minutes left in their section final. The Cardinals had the ball about a football's length from their own goal line. THEN THIS HAPPENED: https://fluence-media.co/stunner
Thanks for reading, Back with more next week.
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