Recent content from Chip Scoggins
Scoggins: Vikings problems? Nothing a couple new players, or some glue, can't fix
The Vikings added an offensive lineman and a running back for their faltering rushing attack and bought "every piece of equipment" to help solve their turnover problems.
'Watch the QB run.' Meet UMD's bulldog of a quarterback
Football Across Minnesota: Kyle Walljasper is the hammer, not the nail as he runs through opponents for undefeated Minnesota Duluth. There's also a former East Ridge QB shredding D-II and it's prove-it week for the Gophers and Vikings.
Scoggins: Kaliakmanis' struggles leave Gophers with no shot at upset
Tremendous disparity in quarterback play led the Gophers to complete only 11 of 29 passes for 133 yards.
Scoggins: After two extremes, what's next for Gophers play-calling?
Greg Harbaugh Jr.'s first two games as Gophers co-offensive coordinator have been complete contrasts, and the next test comes at No. 20 North Carolina.
Swim, cry, drive, dream. Boomer's wild, wondrous road to coaching
In Football Across Minnesota's 2023 debut, Chip Scoggins introduces Boomer Roepke, whose journey to the University of Northwestern is a singular story. Also: Telling games ahead for Gophers, Vikings and a QB who threw eight TD passes.
Scoggins: Rising cost of Jefferson impasse adds loss to Vikings' opener
The clock is ticking for the Vikings to foot the bill to secure superstar receiver Justin Jefferson for the long term.
Scoggins: Fleck's return to conservative play just what Gophers needed
A course correction for the Gophers replaced their weak running game from the season opener with consistency.
Scoggins: How will Vikings win? If young players develop quickly
Everywhere you look on the Vikings roster, you'll find a young or inexperienced player. The team's notion of staying competitive while replacing older players hinges on the D word: development.
Scoggins: Life story of Stan Nelson, nearly 103, is one you should know
Stan Nelson is a war hero, a Hall of Fame football coach and a family man, and he's still making memories.
Scoggins: One more A to Z college football preview before chaos descends
The 2023 college football season begins with an air of finality, with seismic changes coming for next year. Savor what's left of the good ol' days while you still can.
Chip Scoggins' five Heisman Trophy candidates
Four of Chip Scoggins' five Heisman candidates are quarterbacks. The other is a Big Ten wide receiver.
Scoggins: Kaliakmanis looks the part despite U's growing pains
The sophomore quarterback put up 44 pass attempts and helped guide a comeback with his team's running game nearly nonexistent.
![Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck during an open Gophers football practice at the Universtiy of Minnesota Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minn. ] R](https://chorus.stimg.co/24886512/merlin_71640355.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Scoggins: Will Fleck change as a coach, as change swirls all around?
P.J. Fleck insists he's adapting as a coach, not changing, but the landscape that surrounds him has shifted dramatically as he begins his seventh season in Minnesota.
Scoggins: Edina's Rallis is youngest NFL coordinator with old football soul
Nick Rallis, a 30-year-old former Gophers linebacker from Edina, is the youngest coordinator in the NFL after being hired to run the Arizona Cardinals defense.
Scoggins: You should be wowed by Jefferson's eyes as much as his hands
Take it from Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and Eric Decker: Justin Jefferson's development into a superstar wide receiver involves more than just superb catching skill.
Scoggins: Hiring Rossi as defensive coordinator was Fleck's best move
The Gophers rank in the top-10 nationally in several defensive categories over the past four seasons. The hiring of Joe Rossi in 2018 is an undeniable success.
Scoggins: Vikings new defense is a fever dream of blitzes and movement
Watching the scheme from new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores at training camp was a glimpse into organized chaos. If it will work remains to be seen.
Scoggins: Fleck has a secret — and it may be about the Gophers offense
P.J. Fleck is being secretive, even by the standard coaching book in which preseason practices are treated like top-secret classified material. But here's a hint about what could be going on.
Scoggins: Twins' top prospect Lee races through minors, wants more
Little more than a year after turning pro, Brooks Lee is awed at being with the St. Paul Saints — just 10 miles from his ultimate destination: Target Field. But he wants more than to merely arrive.
Scoggins: As greed takes root, Big Ten becomes unrecognizable
The last vestiges of a Pollyanna notion of tradition and geography providing order in college sports have been sandblasted from existence by the seductive power of TV money.
Scoggins: 'Goofball' Cousins is at peace during Vikings camp
Kirk Cousins' contract situation hasn't caused him to retreat into a quiet shell. In fact, it's been the opposite despite all the uncertainty surrounding his future.
Scoggins: Twins shouldn't waste time acting like contenders at trade deadline
The Twins have done nothing to show they should be treated like a serious postseason contender when it comes to making moves before today's MLB trading deadline.
Scoggins: At age 34, Smith still feels 'fantastic' about being a Viking
Safety Harrison Smith knew he really didn't want to play anywhere else when presented with that option after last season, even if staying with the Vikings required accepting a pay cut.
Scoggins: Addison must learn from teammates following reckless mistake
A reckless lapse in judgment will continue to follow first-round pick Jordan Addison. Now he needs to follow the lead of Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn to get his pro career on track.
Scoggins: Hazing in football 'beyond dumb' and can't end fast enough
We shouldn't need a reminder. But we got one, as we watch Northwestern's football program go up in flames. "Who wants to be demeaned like that?" former Gophers football coach Glen Mason asked.
Scoggins: How Roseville's Muscala built an unlikely NBA career
The average second round draft pick lasts 3.3 seasons in the NBA, Mike Muscala is entering his 11th. The Roseville native now speaks with a veteran's clarity on the game and life.
What. A. Night. Paige coached, Jalen dunked, Minnesota's stars shined
Paige Bueckers coached Jalen Suggs. Amaya Battle coached Tyus Jones. A night at Minnehaha Academy for the Twin Cities Pro-Am summer league was another showcase for Minnesota basketball.
Scoggins: Black hockey players see new path to college, step forward for players of color
HBCU Tennessee State's development of Division I programs is particularly meaningful in Minnesota.
Scoggins: Reality check. Wolves must trade Towns or another key player
The contract numbers simply don't add up for the 2024-25 season to allow the Timberwolves to keep everyone on the current roster. And the longer they wait, the more challenging the situation becomes.
Scoggins: Take me up to the ballgame — like 18 stories up
Construction workers in that can't-miss project next to Target Field get to watch day games on their lunch break. I joined them, despite my fear of heights.
Scoggins: Update on Buxton's return to center field is concerning
It's almost July. The season's halfway point is near. And Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is telling us that Byron Buxton is no closer to playing center field than when they started the season.
Scoggins: Flores' defense looks more creative, but there's a catch
Defensive improvement under new coordinator Brian Flores is an easily attainable goal, but only if the Vikings can find a compromise on edge rusher Danielle Hunter's contract.
Tyrell Terry picks up the pieces of a life broken by basketball
From Minneapolis high school star to Stanford to a $6 million NBA contract, the point guard from DeLaSalle looked to be making basketball's transitions easily. But the game turned on Terry, causing him to walk away from what he called "the darkest times of my life."
Scoggins: 2 athletes, 2 sports, 2 cases of prep athletics at their best
High school state tournaments are taking place throughout Minnesota in various sports right now. Teenagers are living out dreams. Medals and plaques are being won. The competition is wildly intense.
Scoggins: Twins' stunning strikeout stats frustrate me, you and Carew
Something is seriously wrong, whether it's approach, plate discipline, coaching or a combination of those factors. The Twins make striking out look comically routine.
Scoggins: St. Thomas football coach's 'new' job — assistant to his daughter
Glenn Caruso, the longtime St. Thomas head coach, didn't need any time to think about the job offer — to be his daughter's assistant with a girls softball team in St. Paul. It's 'wicked awesome,' he says.
Scoggins: Like it or not, next U president will oversee big changes in sports
Big Ten presidents are certain to face big-ticket decisions that will shape how college sports look and operate. The next University of Minnesota president will jump into that fire.
Scoggins: Bullpen will make or break Twins; so far, it's mostly bending
Four relievers combined for four scoreless innings in Wednesday's victory over the Giants. Though the bullpen has been tagged with 13 losses this season, overuse shouldn't be an issue.
Scoggins: Amid firing frenzy, Finch gets another year to coach Wolves
Timberwolves ownership decided to show patience by sticking with coach Chris Finch after an erratic season that was a bucket of cold water to the face. Was that the right move?
Scoggins: Trinidad to Dinkytown, U sprinter chases a national title
Kion Benjamin placed his name among the top Gophers sprinters in history with his performance at last weekend's Big Ten Championships.
Scoggins: As more states legalize sports betting, NCAA complications mount
College sports are abuzz over sports wagering after situations involving Iowa, Iowa State and Alabama came to light the past few weeks.
Scoggins: Relieved and recovering, Farmer ready to go after beaning
Luck was on the side of Kyle Farmer (and his family) in many ways when he was hit by a pitch last month. There have been challenges — but he's ready to move ahead. "It's going to take a lot for me not to come back and play."
Scoggins: Wild's playoff exits have become predictable, stale
That makes seven playoff appearances in a row without a series win, and that's the team's identity now.
Scoggins: Lethargic Wild have no one to blame but themselves
They can lament injuries and curse officiating until they're old and gray, but when dissecting their latest first-round playoff demise, the Wild should look inward.
Scoggins: Wild must 'walk the walk' to avoid familiar playoff outcome
That's a quote from winger Marcus Foligno, and nobody knows better about changing behavior ASAP.
Scoggins: Injuries hurt Wolves but immaturity doomed them
With the notable exception of Anthony Edwards, the team again finds itself needing to look at all options in deciding on what steps are needed to get beyond another first-round playoff exit.
Scoggins: 'Grit First' is nice, but penalties are killing the Wild
The Wild moved to the brink of scheduling tee times Tuesday by falling into a familiar self-sabotaging trap. Take penalties, cave on the penalty kill, flub their own scoring chances.
Scoggins: Faber steps right in to Wild lineup during 'crazy ride'
Maple Grove native Brock Faber has impressed his new team less than two weeks after captaining the Gophers to the national championship game.
Scoggins: Wild, Wolves losses feature troubling failures by Evason, Towns
The Wild coach and the Timberwolves star helped create disappointing outcomes — but there's only one sure bet about things changing when the teams play again on Friday.
Scoggins: Here are the two words the Wolves need to remember in playoffs
Mike Conley was a savvy point guard for a No. 8 seed during a big playoffs upset a few years ago. Can he lead another one when the Wolves take on top-seeded Denver in Round 1?
Scoggins: If you want a deal with Bueckers, one thing you must do
Paige Bueckers could secure as many endorsement deals as she wants. But the UConn and ex-Hopkins star is being intentional about her NIL deals, and she has a stipulation she calls "non-negotiable."
Scoggins: Wild might use rotation, but Gustavsson has earned Game 1
With all due respect to the legendary career of Marc-André Fleury, Filip Gustavsson has established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and should start in Game 1 of the playoffs.
Scoggins: After all the wrong moves, Wolves right to suspend Gobert
Is this real life? Punching a wall? Punching a teammate? In the season finale? Who knows what these Wolves will do Tuesday vs. the Lakers. But we do know the root of the madness.
Scoggins: Reese, Clark help women's basketball reach watershed moment
Star power, great games and controversy made the women's Final Four must-see TV even for those who knew know next to nothing about the sport. That is how women's basketball grows.
Scoggins: Carrying weight of history, will U end its 20-year title drought?
College hockey has undergone fundamental change since Minnesota last won an NCAA men's title. While Gophers hockey slumbered as the sport changed, coach Bob Motzko knows the target on the program never faded.
Scoggins: High school spring sports clash with lingering winter weather
The annual issue is even more of an inconvenience this year because the cold is lingering and snow levels have been historic.
Scoggins: Here are two things Twins need to do less often in 2023
Sonny Gray unwittingly became the most popular Twins player in uniform last week, a hero to many before even throwing his first pitch of the season. He did it by a pointed message to his bosses.
Scoggins: State tournament was showcase for Minnesota point guards
Basketball fans who love and appreciate high-level point guard play were treated to some excellent performances during the state tournament. One coach called it a "historic run of talent."
Scoggins: For Albany's Tysen Gerads, it's all in the family of champions
Tysen Gerads led the Huskies boys team to its first state title Saturday. His sister, Kylan, helped the Albany girls win one two years ago. And their mother, Shanna, was an assistant coach on a state champion.
Scoggins: Towns returns, kills any drama about his place on the Wolves
Karl-Anthony Towns showed why his presence in the Wolves lineup is so important and why fans who took to social media to say the team is better off without him peddled a nonsense narrative.
Scoggins: 'Maddyn the Magician' making a name for herself
Maddyn Greenway, Providence Academy freshman and multisport star, completed a spectacular season with 31 points in Saturday's Class 2A state championship game.
Scoggins: Vikings moves put them on the spot to solve their QB quandary
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is betting on himself and Kevin O'Connell to find the right answer to the most important personnel decision in pro sports — and with some urgency.
Scoggins: On being Bud's son, 'I hear my dad's voice in things that I say'
While Minnesota mourns the loss of a coaching legend, Eden Prairie high school football coach Mike Grant is mourning the loss of his father. A lifetime of memories, though, brings smiles along with those tears.
One team, one dream: What it's like to make the boys hockey state tournament
From a section championship to snowball fights, bus rides and friends they'll never forget, go behind the scenes with the Maple Grove Crimson as they chased the dream of reaching the state tournament.
Scoggins: Minnesota State Mankato builds Division II women's track powerhouse
The Mavericks won an NCAA indoor track and field title last year and are favored to repeat as national champions this week in Virginia.
Scoggins: His hires, his problem. Coyle must get Whalen's successor right
No Big Ten school was worse than Minnesota this women's and men's basketball season. Six victories and 31 losses in the Big Ten. AD Mark Coyle's job includes fixing that with the right hire.
Scoggins: Give Whalen one more season to show if she can lead the Gophers
Gophers players looked completely befuddled by Penn State's first-half press, and that falls on coach Lindsay Whalen. If the team doesn't show dramatic improvement next season, it will be time for a new direction.
Scoggins: Edwards shows his passion by scorching load management
That Anthony Edwards called out players for skipping games while surrounded by the game's best during All-Star Weekend was further proof that the Wolves have someone special.
Scoggins: Guerin the Gambler should hold 'em for Wild at trade deadline
Trading prospects to bolster this Wild team wouldn't make sense, given this roster's weaknesses. It will be difficult for risk-taking General Manager Bill Guerin to stand pat.
Scoggins: Professor Fleck? Yes, that's the coach in a U of M classroom
P.J. Fleck's lecturing style is fast-paced and energetic. And loud. Really loud. His students in the Carlson School of Management class get the full Hurricane Fleck experience.
Scoggins: Flores will be refreshing, even if 3-4 scheme remains
It's a standard tradition in sports — always hire the opposite. The Vikings' did just that in going from passive Ed Donatell to aggressive Brian Flores.
Scoggins: NBA to North High, Ricky Davis' career took bewildering turn
Davis played 117 games over two seasons for the Timberwolves and never envisioned putting down roots here once he retired from pro basketball. He understands why people were shocked by his new job.
Scoggins: Key question after Russell trade: What are the Wolves doing?
It's clear D'Angelo Russell wasn't the answer at point guard, but the second big move by new president Tim Connelly adds more murkiness to the future.
Iron Range standout puts tiny Cherry on top of 1A basketball
Gym lights go dark, leaving a single spotlight trained on the home bench as starting lineups are introduced. Isaac Asuma dances the Griddy through a tunnel of teammates when his name is called. Then he gets to work.
Scoggins: Can Wolves make Towns fit into their winning formula?
When he returns from the injury that has sidelined him for 33 games, it will be up to Karl-Anthony Towns and Chris Finch to work KAT's game into a formula that's working well right now.
