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I've got no snappy intro. It's Monday morning, I forgot to wear sunblock to the Bengals game yesterday, and now I'm a crispy and tired guy coming into a long week. Yay me!
Yes, yes...I know. #firstworldsportsfanproblems
Broken? Not Broken? Who Knows Anymore...
According to Joe C, Mitch's toe is not broken but his status for SJSU is uncertain:
Gophers coach Jerry Kill said Sunday that he's not sure if quarterback Mitch Leidner will be ready to play in next Saturday's game against San Jose State.
Leidner played with his left knee in a brace and was seen after the 30-7 loss at TCU wearing a protective boot on his left foot. Without giving any specifics on Leidner's injuries, Kill said he'd have to see how the sophomore progresses this week.
Update: Leidner suffered a toe injury Saturday, but there were no broken bones, according to people familiar with the situation. Leidner still hopes to play against San Jose State.
But Fuller is saying that his sources say the toe IS broken:
After trying to play coming off a knee injury, Gophers sophomore quarterback Mitch Leidner suffered a broken bone in his left big toe in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 30-7 loss at Texas Christian.
Leidner, who sprained a medial collateral ligament late in a 35-24 win over Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 6, was limping and wearing a protective boot leaving the locker room after the game at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
He later was diagnosed with the broken bone, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
This would all be easier if we could all realize that there is no spoon. Oh yea, you didn't see that completely unrelated quasi-philosophical tangent coming did you?
Other Injuries
Mitch isn't the only one hurting unfortunately:
Kill also mentioned that starting guard Zac Epping played with a high ankle sprain in the 30-7 loss at TCU. David Cobb played with a low-ankle sprain, and right tackle Jonah Pirsig was limited with a right shoulder injury.
Kill seemed to think Cobb and Pirsig will be fine, but the coach was admittedly concerned about Leidner and Epping's ability to continue playing through their injuries.
Kill was mad at himself for playing Cobb:
Coming off a career-high 220 yards against Middle Tennessee State, senior running back David Cobb had 15 carries for just 41 yards against the Horned Frogs.
Kill said he regretted playing Cobb because he didn't participate in full practice all week because of a sprained ankle.
"Sometimes when they don't practice as much and don't get the reps he needs, you go ahead and do that because he's your best player," he said. "But I know when you don't get that timing and everything, it's not good. I should know better after 31 years (coaching)."
And let's not forget Damien Wilson (because injuries to your best LB are always cool):
Wilson hurt his left ankle in the second quarter on a play near the Gophers end zone but had the ankle taped and returned to the game.
The Gophers heaved a sigh of relief. Wilson entered the game as the Big Ten’s leading tackler, with 24, and tied Derrick Wells for the team lead against TCU with 11 more tackles.
"He’s a tough kid," Kill said of Wilson. "I didn’t think he was going to play in the second half, but he played."
Your "UGH" Stat Of The Weekend
Via Fuller:
One thing that made it tough on the defense Saturday was Minnesota's offense committing five turnovers, the most since a seven-turnover game in a loss to Florida Atlantic in TIm Brewster's first year in 2007.
A Little More Football Coverage
Really? Do we have to?
Yes, We Have To
If you feel you need a negative take on things, Scoggins has you covered. I think the snark came on a little hard, but it's not like the team didn't earn it.
In your "good grief" moment from Saturday...
When Wilson went off the field with his ankle injury, nobody replaced him, leaving the Gophers with 10 men on the field. But on first-and-goal from the Minnesota 1, TCU running back B.J. Catalon got stuffed for no gain.
The Gophers still had 10 men on the field before finally calling a timeout. Kill chalked it up to a lesson in facing TCU’s up-tempo, no-huddle offense.
"Fast pace," he said. "I mean, they snap the ball every 16 seconds. Put anybody over there trying to substitute, they’re going to have that every once in a while. TCU had a penalty because they were going so fast. So it’s a hard thing to get lined up, and Damien got hurt."
The Kids Like Him
Richard Pitino landed Jarvis Johnson by building a relationship with the HS star:
DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson said Johnson represents the results of a new recruiting culture building at the university, under the second-year staff.
"I think they’ve taken a different approach than what [Tubby] Smith did, and that approach, at least in this situation, was extremely effective," Thorson said. "I get the sense that relationship-building is something [Pitino has] really emphasized in terms of how he’s spread the word about his program. So I think in that way, it’s probably a little different."
Johnson cited his relationship with Pitino and Ben Johnson as well as the chance for his parents to come to games regularly as the main reasons for his decision.
The nut graph for anyone who wants to Tubby bash for a bit:
"No question," Thorson said when asked if he thought Travis had felt the difference between Smith’s recruiting style and that of Pitino’s. "They did a great job kind of digging out of a hole to get in the position they were with him."
Now, he said, Johnson’s commitment could help open the pipeline for future local players to decide to stay at home.
There are plenty of reasons that bias and such can come into play here so grains of salt.
Reusse Being Positive Reusse About Non-Revs
Pat writes a long blog post about U Volleyballer Daly Santana. Worth a read.
Just In Case You Needed Another Reason To Hate Mike Eaves...
Eaves said he could see, or at least hoped he would see, the Big Ten expand with the next 5 to 10. He listed Indiana and Illinois as possibilities due to their strong club programs--though both would require the school to build a brand new facility to play hockey. He also mentioned Northwestern as a potential target, where Badger alum Chris Chelios is helping a commission determine the feasibility of the Wildcats starting a program.
And Now For Something Completely Different
You'll be able to by Star Wars themed Gopher apparel. You read that right.
Whether a member of an undefeated empire or part of a rebel alliance, collegiate sports fans know what it means to be part of a legacy. Now college sports fans can celebrate their school pride with the power of the Force sporting a new collection of apparel and accessories featuring iconic designs from the Star Wars saga! Everything you need for an intergalactic sports showdown: T-shirts, caps, throws, outerwear, lunchboxes, coolers, and more featuring each college’s unique graphics and favorite Star Wars characters like Yoda, Darth Vader, stormtroopers, and more. Gear up the friends and family for the next home game or make the jump to lightspeed with your own Star Wars tailgate at a campus not too far, far away…