David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Could Kyler Murray Have Pack Running in Circles Sunday?

Posted on September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by David Shama

Kyler Murray makes his debut as Vikings quarterback next Sunday and there’s reason to wonder if he will have the Packers “on the run.” The diminutive but athletic Murray ranks fourth in the NFL among quarterbacks since 2019 with 3,193 rush yards.

The 29-year-old former Cardinals quarterback will face a Packer defense still learning under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon who is Murray’s former head coach in Arizona. There is always a learning curve with a new scheme and leader.

Green Bay will play without superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons whose absence could mean two things benefitting Murray and the Vikings.

First, less pass rushing pressure on Murray—who was much more effective when not harassed last season playing for the Cardinals. When pressured, Murray’s passer rating last season was 65.6, per an article last summer from http://www.si.com/nfl/packers/. From a clean pocket, it was 97.0—a 31.4-point difference (which is considered typical in the NFL).

Second, the absence of Parsons in not being available to chase down the elusive Murray on scrambles or designed runs is significant for a Packer defense that was just okay against rushing last season. And that defense must keep track, too, of pass receiving threats like wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, two of the better duos in the NFL.

Daniel House

Local football authority Daniel House, known for his football film breakdown and data driven research, is curious about Murray’s impact on Sunday, too. “By moving the pocket off of play-action, there will be natural scrambling opportunities,” he said in a text. “He is also a threat to scramble when coverage gets locked up downfield.

“I really want to see if there are some designed quarterback runs and run-pass options (RPO) dashed into the Vikings’ game plan. Those elements fit Murray’s game well. Even if Murray only pulls the ball on designed runs a couple of times per game, the defense still has to respect and prepare for it.”

The Vikings have prioritized the run game in the offseason, hiring Frank Smith as assistant head coach to improve what has been a struggling aspect of the offense. That, too, could cause issues for the Packers on Sunday, and contribute to having Murray on the loose as a ball carrier.

“Frank Smith’s impact on the run game is what I’m most fascinated to see this year,” House wrote. “I’m expecting big changes, so it may be challenging for the Packers to know what the Vikings are going to do schematically in Week 1.”

You can follow House on X: https://x.com/DanielHouseMN

Worth Noting

CBS has made Sunday’s game its featured telecast and the on-air headliner crew of Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt and Tracy Wolfson will be at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings are 1.5 point favorites, per the BetMGM sportsbook.

There were 72 NFL games with a game-winning score in the final five minutes of the fourth quarters or overtimes in 2025. That is second-most in a season all-time. Approximately 70 percent of games were within one score (eight points) at some point of the fourth quarters.

A former front office executive with NFL teams, who text messages with Sports Headliners, is bullish on the Vikings, predicting they will win the NFC North with a 12-5 record. He has the Lions finishing second in the division and making the playoffs as a wildcard, while the third-place Bears and fourth-place Packers miss out on the postseason.

CBS will also bring its lead college football team to town Saturday for the Minnesota-Mississippi State game: Brad Nessler, Charles Davis and Jenny Dell. Nessler is a native of St. Charles, Minnesota.

Gopher head coach P.J. Fleck, starting his 10^th season, said on Monday that State’s Kamario Taylor, who ran for a touchdown and passed for 354 yards in the Bulldogs opening win against ULM, is “one of the best” quarterbacks he’s seen here.

Gracious Matt Limegrover, who was with Jerry Kill’s Gopher staff as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 2011-2015, has been an assistant offensive line coach with Fleck since January and has coached at 11 different colleges and universities. Fleck praised how Limegrover and offensive line coach Brian Callahan work together.

When the Gophers need muscle trying to score inside the five-yard line they may miss 6-foot, 215-pound Fame Ijeboi. They certainly miss him for a quality depth on the running back roster with freshman Ryan Estrada injured in the opening game last Thursday and out for the season. Ijeboi is now at Purdue and the power runner and Gopher transfer averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored one touchdown last Friday in his team’s season opening win over Indiana State. He ran 11 times for 87 yards.

That was former Gopher and Nebraska wide receiver Malachi Coleman who caught a touchdown pass for Wisconsin in his team’s opening loss to Notre Dame.

The Badgers have Wisconsin-based Culver’s as their jersey patch sponsor. The Gophers have yet to announce a deal on the new innovation that adds revenues to college athletic departments.

Former Gopher quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who played his last two seasons of college football at Rutgers, is a rookie on the Commanders 53-man roster where his teammates include ex-Viking WR Stefon Diggs.

A couple of takes after the first weekend of Big Ten football: Rutgers is the worst team after a feeble loss to UMass, defending conference and national champ Indiana could again be the best in the league and UCLA coach Bob Chesney might be the second coming of Curt Cignetti.

Northing announced yet, but it seems like a logical move for the Timberwolves to pick up 38-year-old and 18-year NBA veteran power forward Kevin Love. He could be a terrific addition on the court and off.

Love is among the elite outlet passers in league history and can stretch the defense with his three-point shooting range. His passing would add a valued element to the built-to-run Wolves offense.

In the locker room the Wolves no longer have the veteran presence of three players from last season. Gone are Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Kyle Anderson.

As of yesterday morning, the Twins’ remaining opponents had a combined winning percentage of .463, the second-lowest strength of schedule in baseball. The Twins, 68-76, have 18 games remaining on the schedule.

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Athletic QB ‘Freak’ Awaits U Saturday in ‘Barometer Game’

Posted on September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers will need to contain multiple quarterbacks this season who not only can scramble from the pocket but also excel on designed runs. None may be more dangerous than Kamario Taylor from Mississippi State who Minnesota plays Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

The sophomore Mississippi native ran untouched for a 26-yard touchdown last night in his team’s 62-13 season opening win over ULM. Bigger news was his passing improvement that paid off with four touchdown throws. He showed development in his progressions while passing for 354 yards.

Taylor made two starts last season and played in 11 games during his freshman year. The 6-4, 230-pound athletic freak was third on the team in rushing yards with 458 on just 82 carries while leading the team in touchdown runs with eight. He threw 629 yards and five touchdowns, with one interception on 43-of-77 passing.

The Bulldogs, 5-8 last season, aren’t considered a title favorite in the mighty SEC but could be a dark horse spoiler, partly because of their quarterback. An opposing SEC coach, quoted by Athlon Sports in its college football preview, referred to Taylor as a “phenom.”

“…He can do a lot of things for them this year, not only with his arm, but also with his feet. He can keep plays alive, which turn into big plays.”

Legendary former Alabama coach Nick Saban said this at the SEC media gathering this summer: “…This guy could be the truth and the light now. He is really, really good.”

In three of the next four games Minnesota defensive coordinator Danny Collins must deal with quarterbacks who are formidable runners. On September 26 in Seattle Minnesota will see electric quarterback Demond Williams and then on October 3 faces Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood who is expected to be a frequent runner in new coach Kyle Whittingham’s system. The Gophers end the season at Wisconsin where quarterback Colton Joseph figures to be among the Badgers primary ball carriers.

Collins said in training camp the Gophers are “ready” for the challenges presented by scrambling and run by design quarterbacks. The offseason planning started last winter and continued in the spring and summer. Collins talked about having a “menu” of options depending on what the offense presents. Anticipating a designed run, for example, might prompt an additional safety on the field.

The planning gets its first test Saturday in a “barometer game” for the Gophers who are 1-0 like the Bulldogs. The early wagering lines have the Gophers as slight favorites, a couple of points.

After a final nonconference game September 19 at home with Akron, the Gophers face a second “barometer game” against a promising Washington team that will be favored. If Minnesota could enter the Michigan game 4-0 the Bank would be rocking in the battle for the Little Brown Jug.

Worth Noting

The NFL season starts Wednesday night in Seattle where the Seahawks and Patriots play in a rematch from last February’s Super Bowl. Minneapolis-based attorney, sports historian, and Sports Headliners advertiser Marshall Tanick noted in an email that the Vikings and Chiefs opened the 1970 season at Met Stadium after playing against each other in Super Bowl IV in January of that year.

That was an NFL first, matching the Super Bowl teams in the next season opener, and something that has happened only twice (Carolina at Denver in 2016) going into Wednesday’s game.

The Vikings lost 23-7 in the Super Bowl but earned redemption in a 27-10 September win. Chiefs coach Hank Stram had mocked the Vikings during the Super Bowl, so the victory felt like extra revenge for Minnesotans.

Via team voting the Vikings selected eight captains for the coming season:

Offense: Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, Sr., Kyler Murray, Brian O’Neill.

Defense: Blake Cashman, Joshua Metellus, Andrew Van Ginkel.

Special Teams: Andrew DePaola.

While Forbes isn’t out yet with its annual valuation of NFL teams, Sportico has done so. The Vikings rank No.23 in the 32-team money machine league. Their valuation is $8.26 billion and ranks ahead of the Packers at No. 24 and Lions at No. 27. Sportico figures the Vikings are worth 32 percent more than last year. https://www.sportico.com/feature/nfl-team-values-ranking-list-1234684165/

The Cowboys at $15.5 billion top Sportico’s valuations. That figure tops the valuation of any other American pro sports franchise.

Gophers hoops player Cade Tyson, image by David Shama — Cade Tyson

No final litigation word yet as to whether players seeking a fifth year of NCAA eligibility like Cade Tyson from Gophers basketball will be eligible this fall and winter. But, if so, Tyson will need to choose a team, and he likely can command seven figures. And $2 million might be the ceiling.

Tyson’s presence might be worth more than a couple of extra wins to Minnesota next season.

Former Gophers point guard Marcus Carr, who recently played professionally in Germany, is a member of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team this summer and is averaging 16.2 points and eight assists in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.

Former Timberwolves point guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, now with the Hawks, is averaging 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game for Canada.

It’s stunning to view the late season batting averages of MLB players. There are only eight players hitting over .300, with former Twin Luis Arraez leading at .318. The Twins Luke Keaschall is 30th in the majors at .276.

Arraez, who won the AL batting crown in 2022 with Minnesota hitting .316, could win his fourth batting title in the majors. Now with the Phillies, that would be four with four different teams.

The average MLB batter is hitting .244, per A.I. That reminds baseball historians of 1968, The Year of the Pitcher when the average reportedly was .237.

The dismal hitting in 2026 is a combination of factors including the swing for the fences approach and minimizing bat contact as a priority (Arraez is the opposite). Also, pitching supremacy is fueled by powerful arms, technology (analytics and more), improved body mechanics, and the proliferation of quality pitching available from beginning to end each game.

For those who want to follow the teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the MIAC Sports Network offers streaming annually of more than 1,000 contests. The network app is free.

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In Off-Season Byron Buxton & Twins Need to Part Ways

Posted on September 1, 2026September 1, 2026 by David Shama

Byron Buxton has a no-trade $100 million contract with the Twins that runs through 2028. The pros outnumber the cons for huddling during the offseason and figuring out a new home for the long-time fan favorite.

On Sunday Buxton went on the 10-day Injured List with right hip impingement (retroactive to August 27). It’s his third time on the list with a hip-related injury this season.

Over the years injuries have limited Buxton’s playing time like few or any other Twins players. In 12 seasons with the club, he has played in over 100 games only three times. The numbers: 140, 126 and 102.

This season the total stands at 93. Whether he tops 100 in the 162-games schedule is TBD, but what can’t be disputed is the Twins are paying a lot of money for a part-time player and have done so over the years. Buxton turns 33 years old in December and it’s unlikely his durability will change in future summers.

The metrics say he is no longer an elite center fielder, and his glove talent would be better utilized as a corner outfield spot. The Twins are already using elite rookie and recent call up Walker Jenkins in center field. At 21, Jenkins looks like the club’s fixture in center field for a decade or more.

Buxton, although a streaky hitter who only once in his career has topped 70 RBIs, still has considerable value at the plate. In 2026 he has a .254 average, with 18 doubles, one triple, 25 home runs, 46 RBI, 65 runs scored, a .511 slugging percentage and an .829 OPS.

He brings value on the base paths, too, and historically has been among the most efficient base stealers in MLB. Last season, he stole 24 bases in 24 attempts. He’s only been thrown out once in 2026 in eight attempts.

The Twins payroll is modest among peers, entering this season reportedly around $100 million. Buxton, at about $15 million in 2026, is second only to sidelined pitcher Pablo Lopez in compensation (nearing $22 million).

Ownership isn’t expected to go on an overly aggressive spending spree in the next couple of seasons. That means two valued players, catcher Ryan Jeffers and starting pitcher Joe Ryan, face uncertainty when their contracts expire after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Freeing up payroll from Buxton’s departure presumably could encourage ownership to retain those players.

While the Twins aren’t approaching World Series ambitions, teams like the Yankees, Phillies and Braves are positioned to compete for championships. Their budgets can afford a contributor like Buxton, who even in a limited playing role could mean the difference in a postseason game or two.

Buxton has been a Twin since being drafted in 2012, the second player selected that year. It’s understood he’s a positive in the clubhouse and on the field, but it sounds like a convincing proposal to suggest he plays his “golden years” chasing a career-first World Series.

A win-win situation could be in the offering, with the Twins not only lightening payroll but receiving quality from a trade partner either in MLB talent or top prospects, or both.

Gophers Notes

Furian Inferrera, a pocket passer, is the lowest ranked player among Minnesota’s 29 verbal commits in the class of 2027, per 247Sports. He also may turn out to be an impactful addition to the program.

That’s the opinion of Minnesota-based recruiting authority Ryan Burns from GopherGazette.com. Inferrera, from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California and listed by 247 at 6-3 and 210-pounds, was sidelined with a knee injury last season and was a backup quarterback as a sophomore.

“I saw him perform live at Minnesota camp and I watched him do his stuff, and I think he’s got a chance to be special if he can stay healthy. He just needs to play,” Burns told Sports Headliners.

Former Golden Gophers running back Barry Mayer emailed that his friend and former teammate, flanker Terry Addison, passed away last Sunday morning. Terry, a flanker, lettered in 1968 and 1969, and he later was an administrator at Augsburg College and more recently a dean at Brown University. Barry was the best man at Terry’s marriage to Loni. Deep condolences to Loni and others on their loss!

Jeremiah Salem, grandson of former Gophers’ head football coach Joe Salem, is a graduate student reserve quarterback on the Eastern Illinois football team that plays Minnesota on Thursday night in Huntington Bank Stadium. Joe, 88, will travel from his South Dakota residence to see the game and Jeremiah whose father is Brad Salem.

The FCS Panthers, who defeated Murray State 28-14 last week, are about a 42-point underdog.

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