-A giddy reader emailed me during the radio show this morning to point out that Montana scored 61 points on the South Dakota State team that lost to the Gophers 16-13 two games ago.

Remember that the Jackrabbits did not allow the Gophers an offensive touchdown in that game, and the game-winning field goal came after a Jackrabbit fumble deep in their own territory.

Then again, how can Tim Brewster's recruits match up to the veteran depth of Mighty Montana?

-I recognize that Tubby Smith's 10-man rotation provides advantages. He can demand full defensive intensity, he has fresh legs with which to press and run, and he has few offensive standouts who deserve to be on the court for 35 minutes.

But playing 10 or more players has to be damaging to offensive continuity and rhythm. Despite the legend of The Microwave, Vinnie Johnson, most offensive players require time to probe and attack a defense's weaknesses. Running fresh legs into the game rarely is going to benefit a team offensively.

-My KSTP cohort Brad Lane reports that the Wolves drew a decent crowd on Friday night. My guess: The lenses of those Kurt Rambis throwback glasses have been painted to make fans think they're entering a Vikings game.

-I'm at the Vikings game today. To be blunt, I'm going to be killing off some vacation time between now and the end of the year, so I may not appear quite as often as usual in this space or in the paper. I'll use Twitter to let you know when I write a new blog or column.

-Reusse and I disagreed this morning on the proper point spread for this game. I'm picking the Vikings big _ I believe they're becoming increasingly confident and comfortable on offense, and I don't think the Bears can score enough to make this a game.

The main concern for the Vikings, to me, is that they haven't been good at breaking on the ball or intercepting passes. If Cutler is allowed to get away with a few mistakes, will he have a big game?

Probably not.

-I had Jake Mauer on the show this morning _ Jake the Brother, not the Grandpa or Dad _ and he said something interesting when I asked whether Joe would want to put up with the tumult of playing in Boston or New York.

He said that Joe is so low-stress that his surroundings just wouldn't affect him, and that winning a championship is more important to him than the size of the contract.

I still believe Joe will be signed within two months, but the Mauer camp has been consistent in saying that believing he'll be able to win a title here is the biggest factor in his decision.

-Upcoming: You can follow me at SouhanStrib on Twitter. I'll be on the air Monday morning with Reusse at 6:40 a.m. on KSTP, and on WJON in St. Cloud at 7:14 a.m.

-Enjoy the Bears. If that's possible. I'll be sitting near Sid, so I just hope not to be struck by food shrapnel.