HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS: Vikings lose, Lynx win. Gophers football loses, Lynx win. MNUFC loses, Lynx win. Twins lose, Lynx win. Also: Gophers volleyball has won eight in a row with two matches this weekend before the Big Ten season starts next Thursday vs. Michigan State at Maturi Pavilion. See a pattern?
TWO GREAT READS: Before we plunge into the news of the week, I want to call your attention to two superb stories that went live last week. They are hugely different, with the only similarity being their focus of life in a small town. They’re worth a few minutes of your time . I’ve described them to people as being the rare stories written so well that I don’t want them to end.
COURTNEY WILLIAMS IS A PROBLEM: Via Players Tribune. The first-person story goes from rural Georgia to WNBA success. I can’t imagine a way it could be told other than by the Lynx point guard herself. VERBATIM: “People like me don’t usually get to be in this position. We’re not really celebrated for who we are — definitely not made the face of anything. And we damn sure don’t get second chances, you know what I’m saying? Let’s be real: I’m a black masculine woman from Folkston, Georgia. I’m not corporate at all. No matter what room I’m standing in, I’m walking into that room as myself. And people are going to judge me just off the strength of that alone. She’s too hood. She needs some media training. I’ve heard it all. I’ve been judged and written off my whole life. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Look, my story’s not cookie cutter. It’s no Disney Channel Original Movie. I’ll be honest, I was really in those fights. I was at those parties. Outside the club. On the block. That was all me. I’m really from that. . . . If you want the real story, I’ll tell it all.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/courtney0918
WADENA, CITY OF COMEBACKS: Via Chip Scoggins at Strib Varsity. The Star Tribune’s excellent Football Across Minnesota series is back for the fifth year, with Scoggins striking gold with his report from Wadena, a city of 4,400 people in central Minnesota, where a run of injuries forced last season to end early. It was the latest comeback for a community that was devastated by a tornado with 170-mph winds in 2010. VERBATIM: “The roster remains light on upperclassmen again this season, but the Wolverines are back on the field. They’ve picked themselves up, proudly. That’s what Wadena does. When a tornado tore through town 15 years ago, they rebuilt their homes and their school. When a recent school referendum involving updating athletic facilities failed, businesses stepped in. . . . The evidence of that is everywhere, from the new $184,000 videoboard in the gymnasium purchased by a banker to the $5 burger bash hosted by the Lions Club at football games. Friday’s opener was an open house, with the town gathering for fellowship just as much as football.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wadena0918
TOLD YOU SO: As much fun as the Vikings’ Week 1 win was, I cautioned last week that beating a Bears team “with a track record of being its own worst enemy” didn’t count for much. Sunday’s loss to Atlanta confirmed that. There were plenty of mistakes to go around and J.J. McCarthy has now played one good quarter out of eight total. The gloom intensified with the run of injuries in the loss to the Falcons. McCarthy won’t play Sunday vs. Cincinnati, Aaron Jones is on the injured list, the offensive line was hit hard. Four players, including linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, were in the concussion protocol as of Thursday. Despite giving up only one touchdown — late in the game and on purpose to get the ball back — the defense gave up 218 rushing yards in the 22-6 loss. Games the next three weeks (Bengals, Steelers and Browns) are winnable. The four games following (Eagles, Chargers, Lions and Ravens) will be struggles even if the team is close to full health.
REAL TIME INJURY REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/injuries0918
HUGE TUMBLE: Via Athletic. Sunday night’s clunker dropped the Vikings from 12th to 22nd in the power rankings. VERBATIM: “The Vikings sent two perfectly good quarterbacks packing the last two years and put everything on the shoulders of J.J. McCarthy, who was overwhelmed by the Falcons in his second NFL start. McCarthy has taken the second-most time to throw of any QB in the league, taking three seconds to get the ball out, and he was sacked six times because of it on Sunday night.” FULL RANKINGS: https://fluence-media.co/power0918
PAGING JUSTIN JEFFERSON: Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. From the list of things that haven’t gone well so far: Star receiver Justin Jefferson has seven catches for 125 yards and has only been targeted 13 times. VERBATIM: “Maybe the best way to get the offense into a rhythm would be getting the best receiver on the planet involved early and often. There’s no reason Jefferson should only have a half dozen targets in a game. The biggest play against the Falcons came when McCarthy found Jefferson over the middle for a gain of 50 yards. That came from making a concerted effort to let it rip. And while that worked in that specific situation, Jefferson should be getting the ball in his hands closer to the line of scrimmage, as well.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/jj0918
INTRODUCING CARSON WENTZ: The former North Dakota State star, who played high school football in Bismarck, was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft and helped the Eagles to the No. 1 seed in the NFC in 2017, but suffered a season-ending leg injury that resulted in Nick Foles leading Philadelphia to the Super Bowl 52 title. He was the starting QB on two NDSU teams that won the FCS title (2014-15) and the back-up on two others. His last full season as an NFL starter was in 2021 with Indianapolis.
WHAT’S HIS GAME? Via Matthew Coller at Purple Insider. VERBATIM: “Wentz has been to the top of the mountain early in his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and landed as a starter with Indy and Washington and then served as a backup with two top-notch teams in Kansas City and Los Angeles. But what can we say about his actual playing style? ‘Little bit of gunslinger,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. ‘You like that sometimes, you love it and sometimes you try to rein it back in. Some guys in this league, they're prone to throwing the check down. . . . I think you like it the other way around, where you pull him back a little bit. And Carson's made a lot of plays over his career.’ ”
COLLER ON WENTZ: The big question will be how 2021 Wentz compares to 2025 Wentz. VERBATIM: “Last year, Sam Darnold led the NFL in passing yards on throws that traveled 20+ yards. Wentz’s skill set would seem to fit the bill for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. When it comes to the other areas of the field, Wentz’s data from his last full year is a little more spotty. He was 29th (of 37) in adjusted completion percentage on intermediate throws and graded 23rd. The Vikings run a high percentage of their offense between 10-20 yards downfield but even average execution in that area would be effective considering the weapons he has at his disposal. Wentz had very similar numbers in the quick game (0-10 yards), grading 21st. We shouldn’t expect lightning-quick decisions and releases from the veteran quarterback. He ranked 21st in time to throw in 2021 and scrambled 27 times (10th most). Wentz did do a good job of avoiding sacks when pressured though, scoring the 11th best pressure-to-sack ratio.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wentz0918
TURF TOE EXPLAINED: Bengals star QB Joe Burrow left last Sunday’s game and will need surgery that will keep him out for three months. ESPN injury expert Stefania Bell describes turf toe. VERBATIM: “Most commonly, it is a hyperextension injury at the big toe (forcing the toe to extend beyond its normal range of motion) that damages the associated ligaments and results in a turf toe injury. The name originates from the early days of artificial turf when cleats would engage with the turf and stick while the body weight came over the top of the foot, thus forcing the toes into hyperextension. But injury can happen on any surface. With the big toe being the last part of the body to leave the ground during push-off, it is subject to the most potential strain. Players often describe the pain from the injury as feeling like a nail is being driven through the toe as they try to push off.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/turftoe0918
VIKINGS (1-1) VS. BENGALS (2-0): Noon Sunday kickoff on CBS, KFAN and the Vikings Audio Network. Vikings depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Bengals web site
LYNX THRIVE AND ADVANCE: Let’s get this out of the way. It’s time for Twin Cities “newspapers” to travel when the Lynx go on the road. Their WNBA semifinal series will either be a rematch with the Liberty or against No. 4 Phoenix. At the very least — and this isn’t really sufficient — hire someone to cover games on the road instead of by watching TV (and without postgame access, based on the game reports from California on Wednesday).You wouldn’t treat the Vikings, Twins, Wolves or Wild this way. At the Strib, with all the $$$ being spent on expanding high school coverage, there has to be some available for a potential championship run.
HISTORIC COMEBACK: Via Kendra Andrews at ESPN. The Lynx trailed by 14 going into the fourth quarter of what turned out to be a 75-74 win over Golden State that knocked out the expansion Valkyries. VERBATIM: “Trailing by 14, the top-seeded Lynx faced a tall task as they looked to end this series in a sweep. Since the 2006 season, when the WNBA switched from halves to quarters, Minnesota was 0-76 when trailing by that margin entering the fourth quarter in the regular season and playoffs.”
QUOTES: Via Andrews. Napheesa Collier: "I am just so proud of our effort. I think it shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we've been talking about for two years. I was really proud of us today. [It's] the desperation that we played with knowing we were down by a lot and only had 10 minutes to get back in it." Cheryl Reeve: "What always strikes you is whether you are up 20 [or down], it's a long game with a lot of possessions. I asked them not to quit. I told them to get after it, and they believed." MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lynx0918
TRIUMPH AFTER STRUGGLE: Courtney Williams was having a Game 2 that looked a bit like her subpar Game 5 performance against the Liberty in the 2024 Finals, when she went 2-for-14 with five turnovers and a minus-10 plus/minus rating. Williams was on the bench in the fourth quarter until DiJonai Carrington hobbled off the court with just under three minutes to play. Williams came in and, with the Lynx leading by one, nailed the final basket with 29 seconds left on a 17-foot pull-up jumper — her specialty shot that had gone missing for most of the night. She ended up 3-for-9 with four turnovers and a -10.
NEXT: The best-of-5 semifinals begin with home games on Sunday and Tuesday. Game times will be set when the other three quarterfinal series conclude. SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE | TICKETS
LOONS HEARTBREAKER: Via Jon Marthaler at Star Tribune. Minnesota United was within seconds of a penalty-kick shootout when Austin scored in the 120th minute Wednesday to take a 2-1 win in their U.S. Open Cup semifinal, depriving the Loons of a chance to play on their home field for their first major trophy. Owing to an injury and roster restrictions, they were forced to play with makeshift lineups for much of the match. VERBATIM: “I can talk about it as objectively as possible, but I think ultimately, it’s the worst way we could have possibly lost the game,” Loons coach Eric Ramsay said. “I think the nature of losing the game in that way, the nature of some of the stuff that goes with it, is obviously very, very difficult to swallow.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/mnufc0918
WATCH THE GOAL: https://fluence-media.co/goal0918
FLECK CHECK: It’s happening again. UCLA is going to be looking for a football coach and P.J. Fleck’s name is getting tossed around again, just like it did after the 2023 season, when Chip Kelly left the Bruins to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator — a one-year stop before moving into the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders. This time, UCLA will be looking for someone to rebuild a program has been pretty much wrecked, with a 35-10 loss to New Mexico last Friday being the blow that knocked out head coach DeShaun Foster. The Bruins came after Fleck two years ago and the interest “was real,” according to Athletic Director Mark Coyle, who acknowledged that in March 2024, at about the same time that Fleck agreed to a revised contract that added $5.7 million in retention bonuses for staying at Minnesota through 2029. (The contract was revised again earlier this year, running through 2030. Current terms are still $6 million per year but with his total retention bonuses were upped to $8 million.)
CURRENT CONTRACT TERMS: Click here. 2024 EXTENSION TERMS: Click here.
WHY LEAVE NOW? Via Essan Kassim at USA Today. Fleck is on the reporter’s list of 10 possible candidates. VERBATIM: “Fleck has already established himself as a strong coach in the Big Ten Conference; however, he may have already hit the program's ceiling with Minnesota. A move to UCLA could potentially open up more resources for the coach with a career 90-62 record.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/list0918
CONTEXT: Via Nikko Buenavidez at LA Football Network: VERBATIM: “Culture, detail, and clear identity are (Fleck’s) brand; knows the Big Ten week-to-week grind and how to sell a plan. PROS: Proven Power conference HC with Big Ten wins. High-energy recruiter and program builder. Track record of player development and bowl results. CONS: Culture-first style can be polarizing if results dip. Recent plateau raises ceiling questions. Limited West Coast ties.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lafootball0918
MY TAKE: Fleck’s name has been in a double fistful of these lists since he arrived from Western Michigan in 2017. He’s 44 years old and isn’t likely to stay in Minnesota until retirement age. Should we be taking this one seriously? I don’t know. But these things often happen when you least expect them.
NEXT GOPHERS COACH? From Fleck to Eck? Yeah, I’m getting way ahead of myself here. But my guy for now is James Eck, the first-year New Mexico coach whose team beat UCLA by 25 after entering the game as 15.5-point underdogs. THREE THINGS TO KNOW: (1) His New Mexico team, currently 2-1, has been forced to add 129 players over the last two seasons to fill in for players who graduated or left for other schools. (2) Local angle alert: Eck was an assistant at Winona State in 2007 and 2008 and Minnesota State’s offensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014. (3) He played for Wisconsin, and you can never swipe enough Badgers, right?
BOOM! Via Connor Moreno at SI.com. Eck knew it was a big deal for his traditionally downtrodden team to beat UCLA, which paid the Lobos $1.2 million to come to Los Angeles for the beating. But he wasn’t overly impressed afterward. VERBATIM: “We’re gonna play better teams than UCLA. I know they’re a Power Four team, but there’s gonna be a lot of teams we play that are better than UCLA. It’s not (like) we just beat Ohio State or something.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/eck0918
GOPHERS RECORD: I deferred a couple of weeks ago when someone asked for my prediction on the Gophers football record this season. I had to see them play competition better than Buffalo and Northwestern State, which lost to Cincinnati 70-0 last weekend after its 66-0 loss to the Gophers the previous Saturday. I want to be more optimistic, but the Cal loss has me thinking it’s an 8-5 season. THE FIGURING: Currently 2-1. Certain wins: Purdue and Northwestern. Losses: Ohio State and Oregon. That’s 4-3. Up or down: Rutgers, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan State and Wisconsin. I’m going with 3-2 in those games, even though all but one (Iowa) is at home. That’s 7-5. Bowl: A middle-tier win against an opponent whose players aren’t as motivated as Fleck’s squad. Quick rationale: The loss to Cal showed the Gophers still are struggling in some areas. TWO THOUGHTS: (1) There isn’t a back ready to step up if Darius Taylor is injured. (2) Drake Lindsey has promise, needs polish.
‘PILL OF ADVERSITY’: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. That’s the phrase Fleck used to describe the poor play of sophomore star Koi Perich in the 27-14 loss. He mishandled a fourth-quarter punt that Cal turned into its final touchdown, which capped a bad night. VERBATIM: “That muffed punt wasn’t the only play Perich will want back. In the first quarter, his fair catch on a punt inside the 5-yard line gave the Golden Bears better field position for their opening touchdown. On that ensuing TD, Perich was slow to cover Jacob de Jesus out of the backfield, and he caught an easy 3-yard scoring pass. In the second quarter, Perich caught a 19-yard out route to put Minnesota in better position to tie the game. But on a double-pass trick play, Perich felt pressure as he went to throw and ate a 9-yard loss. The Gophers punted two plays later.”
FLECK SAYS: “This is probably his first piece of adversity in the 15 months he has been here. Adversity strengthens you, if you use it properly. You swallow the pill of adversity, and you take accountability and responsibility for it. We all do. It’s going to make him better.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/perich0918
OLD MAN AT CAMP: Via Sarah McLellan at Star Tribune. The Wild opens training camp today at the TRIA rink in St. Paul. One of low-key storylines is having 38-year-old defenseman Jack Johnson on the ice for a tryout. Johnson has played 1,228 games for six teams dating back to 2006. What’s the fit? VERBATIM: “Johnson’s experience could be appealing alongside youngsters Zeev Buium and David Jiricek and in the absence of veteran Jonas Brodin, who is still recovering from offseason surgery on an upper-body issue and isn’t expected to be an active participant at the beginning of camp.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/johnson0918
YOUNGSTER TO WATCH: Via Michael Russo at the Athletic. Adam Benak is only 5-foot-7, but was the most noticeable Wild player on the ice during the three-team prospect showcase last weekend in St. Paul. Benak dropped to the 102nd overall pick in the June amateur draft, largely because of his size, but showed up with four assists in his team’s two games. VERBATIM: “After leading all USHL under-18 players last season with 59 points in 56 games, the Czech-born forward will play for OHL Brantford this season. ‘He’s terrific,’ AHL Iowa coach Greg Cronin said. ‘He’s got an unbelievable mindset, very coachable. He’s got a history of scoring and generating points, and the other parts of his game, I think he’s going to learn them over the next year or two. If I’m the Minnesota Wild, I’m really excited to watch him develop.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/prospects0918
WILD STUFF: The seven-game preseason schedule starts at 4 p.m. Sunday at Colorado (NHL Network). SCHEDULE | ROSTER
WNBA AWARDS (LYNX EDITION): The league’s defensive player of the year is being announced later today and Lynx center Alana Smith is a contender. The five MVP finalists, which will include Napheesa Collier, will be released Friday with the winner announced Sunday. The Sixth Player of the Year will be named Saturday, and Natisha Hiedeman is a solid bet. MORE AWARD DATES: https://fluence-media.co/awards0918
STEVESON WINS MMA DEBUT: Former Gophers wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson has swerved from an unsuccessful attempt at pro wrestling to a victory in his mixed-martial arts debut with Legacy Fighting Alliance, a developmental organization that hosted a card Friday at Mystic Lake. It took Steveson less than two minutes to win.
TWINS FIRE SCOUTS: Via Dan Hayes at The Athletic. The Twins fired four of the five members of their pro scouting department this week, which an MLB source told the Athletic was a cost-cutting move. Another department within the organization will take over those duties. VERBATIM: “The Twins had leaned less on their pro scouting department in recent years, heavily cutting travel to road games and requiring them to mainly do video-based scouting. . . . The limiting or elimination of pro scouting departments is becoming a trend across baseball as teams have been relying on video scouting more and more in recent years. Ten months ago, the Chicago Cubs drastically reduced their pro scouting department.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/fired0918
TOMMIES FAVORED FOR TITLE: St. Thomas is the pick to win the CCHA hockey title by the league’s nine coaches and the co-favorite, with Bemidji State, among media members who cover the men’s league. Coaches have Bemidji State in a second-place tie with Michigan Tech and Minnesota State fourth. The media has Minnesota State third. The league begins play on October 4, with conference games starting three weeks later. The Tommies open their new on-campus arena with a series against Providence on Oct. 24-25 and start CCHA play the following weekend with a home-and-home series vs. Minnesota State. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/ccha0918
GOPHERS OPENING: The Gophers women open with an exhibition game against Bemidji State on Saturday in Brainerd. Tickets are $5 at the door of the Essentia Sports Health Center. They play Boston College next Thursday and Friday at Ridder Arena.
ONE FINAL QUOTE: If my item at the top about Courtney Williams didn’t convince you to read her first-person Players Tribune story, maybe this will. VERBATIM: “When I signed with Minnesota (in 2024), I feel like I walked through the doors of our practice facility with something to prove. I had a big chip on my shoulder. This organization took a chance on me before it was cool. And I’m honestly so grateful for that. I just really wanted to prove them right. Everybody knows Cheryl Reeve is a winner. Everyone knows the dynasty — Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson. Cheryl is somebody who’s so respected in this league, if she wants you on her team, you need to go be on that team. Even my mama was like, “If Cheryl wants you, you need to go.” And I see why because Cheryl is a f***ing basketball genius." READ THE REST: https://fluence-media.co/courtney0918
THANKS FOR READING AND SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ME. Back with more next week.
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