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Phil Miller is returning to his Big Ten roots to follow Minnesota’s football fortunes for the Star Tribune after a decade of chronicling the NBA and Major League Baseball. The Illinois native began his writing career by covering Utah football for six seasons, and still insists that 12-1 Florida stole the 2009 BCS Championship from the unbeaten Utes.
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Posts about Gophers injuries
Gopher notes: Contract with New Mexico St. done
Posted by: Phil Miller Updated: November 20, 2012 - 1:51 PM
Just in time for the close of the 2012 season, the Gophers have finalized their 2013 football schedule.
With the final details ironed out, New Mexico State has returned to Minnesota a signed contract for a two-game series with the Gophers, executive associate athletic director David Benedict confirmed Tuesday, and the deal, along with a formal announcement, awaits only Norwood Teague's signature. A preliminary version of the contract called for each home team to play the visitor approximately $200,000, making the home-and-home deal a financial wash.
The contract calls for the Gophers to face the Aggies in Las Cruces, N.M., next Sept. 7, with New Mexico State making a return trip to Minneapolis on Sept. 14, 2014. Those dates replace Minnesota's originally scheduled meetings with North Carolina, a contract that was cancelled earlier this year by Teague, Minnesota's athletic director, at the request of Gophers coach Jerry Kill. Minnesota paid the Tar Heels a settlement of $800,000 to cancel that contract.
The Gophers will be trying to avenge a loss when they travel to Aggie Memorial Stadium next September; New Mexico State defeated Minnesota 28-21 in TCF Bank Stadium last September, the teams' only meeting. The Aggies are 1-9 this season, and 0-5 in the Western Athletic Conference, a league that will drop football after this year. The Aggies' athletic department is run by former Gophers athletic director McKinley Boston.
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Linebacker Brendan Beal suffered another knee injury Saturday at Nebraska, coach Jerry Kill said, and is definitely out for Saturday's game against Michigan State. Beal has already missed two complete seasons after tearing ligaments in his knee, and Kill said he sat with the junior linebacker in the locker room after the game Saturday. Kill said he is praying for Beal -- "That kid has been through so much," the coach said -- but he believes the injury is serious.
Marcus Jones, another player who has missed time following knee surgery, also re-injured his knee against the Huskers, Kill said, but that injury is not believed to be as serious.
Offensive lineman Mark Lenkiewicz suffered a knee injury as well, but Kill described his status as "questionable" for Saturday.
And defensive tackle Roland Johnson is definitely out after injuring the ACL in a knee Friday night -- during the team's non-contact walk-through. "When you have guys getting hurt in a walk-through, it's not a good day. Not a good week."
Gophers WR A.J. Barker says he is quitting team and will look to transfer
Posted by: Phil Miller Updated: November 18, 2012 - 8:04 PMGophers wide receiver A.J. Barker said via Twitter Sunday afternoon that he is quitting the team and will seek to transfer for his final season.
His tweet read: "Well, its official. I am done playing football for the University of Minnesota and I will be looking to transfer next season for my final yr."
He also created a Tumblr page where he published what he says was a letter he sent to head coach Jerry Kill, explaining why he is quitting. That letter -- which is more than 4,000 words long and contains some strong language -- has some harsh words for the head coach. It alludes to an apparent confrontation earlier this week. Barker, who has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain, is still the team leader with 30 catches for 577 yards and seven TDs.
He wrote in the letter: "In light of that pathetic, manipulative display of rage and love you put on this past Thursday, I have come to the decision, with the guidance of my parents and my closest friends, that my time on this team has come to an end. It kills me that I have to do this before the season’s over, but this is the only way I can protect myself against the manipulation and abuse I’d have to endure from you the rest of this season."
UPDATE: Athletic director Norwood Teague on Sunday night issued a statement regarding Barker's departure that read: "Coach Kill received an email from A.J. Barker today notifying the Coach that he has quit the team. Coach Kill tried reaching out to A.J. after receiving the email, but was unable to connect with him. We understand A.J.'s frustration with his injury, and we regret that he has chosen to leave the team on these terms. Our concern first and foremost is student athletes and we wish A.J. well."
Kill hopes center Mottla can return from broken leg by spring
Posted by: Phil Miller Updated: November 13, 2012 - 6:57 PM
Center Zach Mottla had surgery to repair a broken bone in his lower right left leg over the weekend, and he is recovering at his parents' home in Edina, Gophers coach Jerry Kill said Tuesday.
Mottla was injured during the fourth quarter of Saturday's 17-3 victory over Illinois in Champaign, and was taken off the field on a cart. He flew home with the team and had successful surgery in Minneapolis. Kill said he hopes the junior from Cretin-Derham Hall will recover in time for spring drills, but it's too early to tell if that's the case.
"Everything I've heard, he'll be ready to go, and if you talked to him, he's day he's going to be ready to go in two months," the coach said. "I think it'll be awhile."
In the interim, the Gophers are short on centers, because starter Jon Christenson suffered a left ankle sprain on Saturday and Kill said he is questionable for this weekend's game in Nebraska. "Sometimes those are slow, but he's a tough kid, so we'll see how that goes," he said.
Left guard Zac Epping finished Saturday's game at the position, a natural fit since he started the season opener at the position. But the Gophers will train another offensive lineman to play the position this week.
"We'll have to find out who's going to be the backup center," Kill said, and the Gophers tried a couple of players during practice. Junior Ed Olson, a left tackle when he's healthy, was snapping the ball at the end of Tuesday's practice, and offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the 6-7, 305-pound Olson would be the emergency center on Saturday.
The Gophers should have much more depth next season. In addition to Christenson, Mottla and Epping, Minnesota will add Brian Bobek, a transfer from Ohio State who is sitting out this season, and Isaac Hayes, a freshman from St. Thomas Academy who is redshirting this season.
Barker needs "a miracle" to play Saturday, Kill says
Posted by: Phil Miller Updated: November 6, 2012 - 3:20 PM The Gophers will prepare for Illinois this week with their leading receiver, A.J. Barker, watching from the sidelines. "I really question whether he will play or not," coach Jerry Kill said at his weekly news conference on Tuesday. "That seems to be a little bit more of an issue than (the team's medical staff) thought at the beginning."
Barker sprained the back of his right ankle, near the achilles, while catching a touchdown pass against Purdue on Oct. 27. He didn't practice until doing some light drills on Thursday, and the Gophers decided before Saturday's game that Barker hadn't healed enough to play. Barker's 30 catches this season are twice as many as the team's second-leading receiver, Isaac Freuchte, and his seven touchdowns are five more than any other wide receiver has scored.
"A.J. is the biggest concern," Kill said. "Unless some miracle takes place, I don't look for him to be able to play on Saturday."
Kill said another receiver, Derrick Engel, injured a hamstring during Saturday's game, "and he's questionable." Engel, however, said the injury shouldn't be something that keeps him out of practice this week.
Left tackle Ed Olson, out for three weeks with ankle injuries of his own, is expected to practice, Kill said, and he hopes the junior will be available at Illinois. Derrick Wells should also play, after sitting out several practices -- but no games -- with a laceration on his leg.
Gophers anxious to get missing football starters healthy
Posted by: Phil Miller Updated: November 4, 2012 - 4:01 PM The Gophers had hoped to play Ed Olson and A.J. Barker on Saturday, but neither was healthy enough during warmups to risk it, coach Jerry Kill said Sunday. In fact, Barker suffered another minor ankle sprain while trying to determine whether he could play.
The junior receiver was taken for x-rays, Kill said, after doctors suspected a bone chip might be the cause of his ankle pain, but nothing unusual was detected. Barker, whose seven touchdowns lead the Gophers, will try to practice this week after sitting out all but a mild Thursday workout last week, the coach said.
As for Olson, the junior left tackle, the Gophers intend to remain cautious, especially considering the physical defensive lines that Minnesota will face during the season's final three weeks. With Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan State still to come, "we need him to be 100 percent," Kill said. "If he's not, we'll stay with (the current offensive line). These next three games -- we're not a big, bulky offensive line -- it's going to take its toll. So we'll need him."
Kill had planned to ease Olson in on roughly half the snaps Saturday, he said, but he was still moving gingerly, "and you can't play that way."
MarQueis Gray remains hampered by his knee and ankle injuries, too, Kill said, but is healthy enough to run routes and catch passes. Gray was the Gophers' leading receiver against Michigan, with three catches for 27 yards, though a couple more passes were overthrown. The senior hasn't been healthy enough to practice at quarterback, Kill said, but when he is, the Gophers plan to work him into the game plan with occasional snaps to reduce the number of hits starting quarterback Philip Nelson takes.
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