Greenway's loyalty still with Hawkeyes

This is a big week for linebacker Chad Greenway, with the Vikings involved in a must-win game at Jacksonville and Iowa, his alma mater, facing the Gophers here in their final game at the Metrodome.

Both subjects are important. Greenway won't hear the end of it if the Gophers upset the Hawkeyes. And I mean upset, because I think this is going to be a tough game against a team that has really come on.

As for the game with Jacksonville, Greenway is playing at his peak, leading the team in tackles with 65 unassisted and 17 assisted for a total of 82.

"Yeah, it's been fun. Obviously the guys around me are allowing me to make a lot of plays, the guys in front of me are keeping things pretty clean to make some tackles," said Greenway, a first-round draft choice who missed his rookie year because of knee surgery. "I just try to run around, have a lot of energy out there, and make as many plays as you can."

The native of Mount Vernon, S.D., who wasn't highly recruited out of high school, said the addition of defensive end Jared Allen has made a difference.

"You have guys like that, they're going to clear things up for you,'' Greenway said. ''You have to give them, really, the credit -- along with the other backers, who are always just doing their job."

He credits his success to film study and experience. Greenway also credits teammate Ben Leber, who took over the middle linebacker spot for the injured E.J. Henderson until the Vikings reacquired Napoleon Harris.

"He's probably been the MVP of our defense this year, because he's just stepped into a role that is hard to step in, and be the middle linebacker and make the calls," Greenway said.

Greenway will be in Jacksonville when Iowa takes on the Gophers but he is still close to his alma mater.

"It's a huge rivalry for us in Iowa. It's something that we took pride in, bringing that pig [Floyd of Rosedale] home every year -- and we took it home every year when I was in college against Minnesota, which was fun," he said. "We probably have three big rivals, Minnesota being one of the three, Wisconsin and Iowa State being the other two."

He said he thinks the Hawkeyes are playing at their peak and will beat the Gophers.

"They had a fairly good start, they struggled midway through, but if you look back at the scores of those games, they were in every football game," he said. "They lost to some good football teams. ... They have a chance to get their eighth win, which would be huge for our program, to get back to that eight-win plateau."

He is a big fan of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. (I am, too.)

"He's a calm guy. He's good in big situations, makes the right choices," Greenway said. "He turned that program around when he came in just by doing things right and having the right people in there. He's had a coaching staff that's been with him there all 10 years, and he's a great guy."

Iowa's great running back, Shonn Greene, has played a big role in the team's success.

"He came in when I was still in college there, and he's physically very gifted," Greenway said. "He had to get his grades straight last year to bring him back, and he's proven what he's capable of this year with the good offensive line and good people around him. He's been tugging a load for those guys."

For the Gophers to win, the tandem of quarterback Adam Weber and receiver Eric Decker will have to have a hot night.

Pete Newell, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who died on Monday, did more to make college basketball what it is today than anybody else. Through Bob Knight, I got to be a close personal friend of Newell, and over the years we spent a lot of time together at NCAA tournaments and we stayed in contact. I can't believe anybody else was as sought-after by coaches for advice than Pete, nor was anyone else as influential in getting jobs for coaches. He knew the game.

I remember sitting with Newell and Knight in March 1986 in Dallas while Duke held its Sunday practice before meeting Louisville the next night.

"As Duke worked out, Newell turned to Knight and said: "I don't think Duke can defense Pervis Ellison. He will score 30 points."

Well, the next night Ellison scored 25 points and added 11 rebounds as Louisville beat Duke 72-69. That same type of thing happened so many times when I was in Pete's company.

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said the Big Ten directors had a conference call Thursday and learned they might not know the conference matchups in the bowl games until Dec. 7.

Jack Simmons, the senior tight end who will close out his regular-season career against Iowa, said: "It's been an awesome career. I'm really glad that I came to Minnesota. It's a great place, and it's probably been the best five years of my life. Iowa's a very tough team. They line up and play defense, they're physical."

The Wild will play eight of its next nine games (including Thursday night's) at home, where it has been almost unbeatable. Wild players on the NHL All-Star ballot include Niklas Backstrom, Brent Burns, Mikko Koivu and Marian Gaborik.

Gophers baseball coach John Anderson said the brochures containing information about contributing for building the new baseball stadium are being prepared. Once they are ready, the fund-raising will start with the hope of breaking ground for the new stadium this spring. ... Sporting News, in its pre-season basketball publication, named the Gophers' Damian Johnson the top shot blocker in the Big Ten.

Gophers hockey recruits Josh Birkholz and Nate Condon are among the top scorers for former North Dakota coach Dean Blais' Fargo Force of the USHL. Birkholz has four goals and four assists and Condon has five goals and two assists in 12 games. ... Ryan Walters, the former St. Thomas Academy standout who has committed to the Gophers, is the second-leading scorer for Des Moines of the USHL, with six goals and nine assists in 13 games. Another U recruit, Seth Ambroz, has three goals and six assists in 15 games for Omaha and defenseman Brandon Martell of Elk River, who committed to the Gophers in 2006, has two assists in six games for Fairbanks of the NAHL.

Manuel Rivera, a recent graduate and an All-America Gophers wrestler, will be competing this weekend in the prestigious New York Athletic Club International freestyle tournament against an opponent to be named. ... Former Gophers wrestler Brock Lesnar is now the UFC champion after beating Randy Couture last Saturday.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on his Podcast once a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. shartman@startribune.com