Posted September 9, 2011    

•Peter King

•Max Shortell

•Nick Rallis

•Adrian Peterson

•Lindsay Whalen

Vikings Open Against S.I. Super Bowl Pick Chargers 

The Vikings can use their game against the Chargers on Sunday in San Diego as a first step to show the national media its predictions about them are incorrect.  Sports Illustrated pro football authority Peter King predicts the Chargers will play in next February’s Super Bowl, losing 24-20 to Atlanta.  

Sports Illustrated is among the national media that implies or states the Vikings − 12-4 two years ago but 6-10 last season ─ are in rebuilding mode.  S.I. forecasts the NFC North order of finish as follows: Packers, Lions, Bears and Vikings. 

S.I. headlines its Vikings story with this: “The Donovan McNabb gamble could pay off big − or go bust.”  Will the 34-year-old quarterback resemble his best seasons in Philly, or replicate more recent performances in Washington?   

Sporting News Magazine’s NFL preview offers the same predicted order of finish in the NFC North as S.I., and projects wins and losses for each team. The Packers will finish 15-1, the Lions and Bears 8-8, and the Vikings 5-11, according to Sporting News.    

This might be irritating, but ProFootballWeekly.com managing editor Mike Holbrook is preaching the same predicted order in the division as the two magazines.  Ditto ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd.  

Critics not only wonder about the quarterback but also the receivers, offensive and defensive lines, and the safeties.  That’s a lot of doubt, but if McNabb’s okay, and Adrian Peterson is all-world, and Jared Allen and Chad Greenway lead a revived defense, and Leslie Frazier coaches like Tony Dungy, the Vikings might even surprise themselves.  (Whew. That’s a lot of ifs).  

Placekicker Ryan Longwell has been with Vikings teams going back to 2006.  He thinks the focus of this team in preseason has helped prepare the club for the 16 game regular season schedule that starts Sunday. 

“I think we’re all excited.  It’s been a different camp for us than the past couple of years in the fact that it’s been quiet and business-like, the way it should be,” Longwell said.  “I think for a team like us, with a lot of new pieces, new coaching and players, I think it’s actually what you want.  You want to be a little under the radar and be able to work.  And that’s what we’ve been able to do. …” 

Longwell said NFL observers may see a talent gap between the Packers and Vikings but his locker room doesn’t analyze it that way.  “I think the people that pick (forecast) the record, you can’t pick it until it’s all over with,” he said.    

 

Expect Both Gray & Shortell to Play Tomorrow 

Fans will attend tomorrow’s Gophers home opener against New Mexico State hoping to watch both MarQueis Gray and Max Shortell.  It’s not likely they will be disappointed.  

Despite Shortell’s impressive fourth quarter debut last week at USC, Minnesota coach Jerry Kill has made it clear Gray is still the No. 1 quarterback.  The New Mexico State game, though, figures to be so one-sided that Shortell, a freshman, will at least be given mop-up duties in the third or fourth quarter. 

The Aggies are a prime candidate to be the worst team on the Minnesota schedule this season.  New Mexico State hasn’t played in a bowl game since 1960 and that’s not likely to change in 2011.  The Aggies, 5-20 the last two seasons, lost their opening game last Saturday to Ohio in Las Cruces, 44-24, gaining 362 yards passing but only six running.  Pre-season media and coaches polls predicted the Aggies will finish last in the Western Athletic Conference.   

The Aggies are 0-6 historically in games against Big Ten teams.  They have been out- scored 336 to 41.   

The New Mexico State schedule matches the Aggies against 13 schools this season.  The Aggies don’t have a winning record against any of them, including Fresno State (0-17) and Utah State (7-27).   

As for Gray and Shortell, Kill likes to be aggressive with the use of his quarterbacks.  When he coached at Northern Illinois, he was willing to play more than one QB in a game. That’s definitely a possibility tomorrow.  

Shortell gave the coach a shot of confidence when he rallied the Gophers to a near win in the fourth quarter.  Gray, a junior, had to leave the USC game because of cramping that Kill said might have been caused by both dehydration and anxiety.  Both Gray and Shortell were seeing the most extensive playing time at quarterback of their college careers.

 

Worth Noting    

USC dropped out of the Associated Press top 25 after the Trojans’ close victory, 19-17, over the Gophers.  

There are only five major college head coaches who have assistants with more total consecutive years with their bosses than Kill.  No. 1 is Joe Paterno with a staff total of 173 years, followed by Gary Pinkel, 120; Frank Beamer, 116; Jim Grobe, 111; Kirk Ferentz, 99; and Kill, 94.  It’s impressive that Kill’s longevity with his assistants has been compiled at five different schools while the others have either been at one or two programs.  

The New Mexico Sate depth chart includes starting offensive right guard Andrew Kersten from Washburn High by way of El Camino College.  

Edina High senior Nick Rallis has verbally committed to the Gophers and could join brother Mike on the Gophers roster next season.  Mike is a junior linebacker for Minnesota and Nick could be a college safety.  Mike was asked to compare himself as a high school senior with his brother. 

“He’s a lot more technically sound than I was,” Mike said.  “He’s a lot smarter than I was. …He’s an absolute student of the game.  When I was in high school I watched a little bit of film, but I can’t even imagine watching the amount of film he watches.” 

The Gophers depth chart is loaded with inexperienced offensive linemen.  Senior center Ryan Wynn said there’s no way to completely prepare for the transition from high school to college line play.  A big difference is the “speed” of the defensive linemen, Wynn said.  

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson needs one more rushing touchdown to become the franchise’s career leader.  Peterson, Bill Brown and Chuck Foreman all have 52 touchdowns.  

Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in less than three years at Florida State, then had his MBA before his senior season playing for the Seminoles. 

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier works with All-Pro Dads, an organization that emphasizes fathers placing family first. 

Former Vikings defensive lineman Keith Millard is the defensive line coach for Tampa Bay.  The Bucs play the Vikings a week from Sunday at Mall of America Field.   

The Lynx’s Lindsay Whalen broke the franchise single season record for assists last night with her 185^th assist in the first quarter, then had nine more assists in the game. She was the WNBA’s Player of the Month in August, averaging a league point guard best of 14.2 points and 5.8 assists.                

MIAC football favorite St. Thomas plays at UW-River Falls tomorrow.  Then coach Glenn Caruso’s team starts the conference schedule on September 17 at home against St. Olaf.  WCCO Radio broadcasts Tommies games as part of a two-year deal that began this season.  

Gophers left-handed pitcher Tom Windle is ranked as a top 20 Northwoods League prospect by both Baseball America and Perfect Game USA scouting service.  

Canterbury Park closes its season this weekend with racing tonight, tomorrow afternoon and a special 11 a.m. start on Sunday.  Admission is free all three days.

Correction: the September 6 Sports Headliners said New Mexico State isn't on future Gophers football schedules but the Aggies return to Minneapolis in 2016.

 

Christian Ponder

 Lindsay Whalen

Glenn Caruso