It was worth watching!
Unleashing an awesome aerial attack and an opportunistic defense, which bent but didn’t break, the undefeated — and maybe yet unheralded — Minnesota Golden Gophers football team became a perfect 9-0 with a thrilling 31-26 victory over previously undefeated and highly-ranked Penn State last Saturday (November 9) at a loud and jam-packed TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.
Gopher sophomore quarterback Tanner Morgan was absolutely remarkable, competing 18-of-20 passes (that’s 90 percent) for 339 yards. Morgan tossed a trio of first-half touchdowns — all highlight-reel plays — to three different receivers, Rashod Bateman, Chris Autman-Bell and Tyler Johnson.
Bateman caught seven passes for 203 yards, including an early-strike 66-yard catch-and-run on the Gophers’ first drive, coming quickly after the first of two big pass interceptions by stalwart defensive safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. The Gophers ended the game and clinched the victory with a late-game interception by Jordan Howden, giving the Maroon and Gold three picks on the day.
Penn State, which was ranked fifth in the Associated Press poll and fourth by the wizards of the Playoff Committee, had allowed only three first-quarter points all season (through eight games). But the Gophers scored 14 on them in the first 15 minutes, as Morgan hooked up with Autman-Bell on a dandy play which produced a 23-yard catch and run for a second touchdown, which gave Minnesota a 14-7 lead.
As the game progressed, the Gophers built leads of 21-10, 24-13 (halftime) and 31-19 before holding on for the 31-26 win.
Ranked 13th before the game by the AP, the Gophers have vaulted to seventh in that poll. It will be most interesting whether they rise as much — from 17th — in their ranking by the “committee” which still may not be impressed.
ESPN analyst Rex Ryan suggested Monday morning, that if the “Row Your Boat” guy brought his team to tangle with Clemson they would lose by 40 points?
The Gophers need to keep winning and maybe they will, indeed, rise in the ‘eyes’ of the National Playoff Committee? Following road games at Iowa and Northwestern, Minnesota hosts Wisconsin on November 30.
The all-around play of the huge offensive line, which includes # 77 tackle Blaise Andries (6-6, 325) from Marshall, was exceptional in Saturday’s triumph and has improved immensely since the Gophers narrow 28-21 season-opening victory over South Dakota State back on August 29.
Swimming star Shell signs with Mavericks
Brooke Shell, a senior at Timber Creek High School in Orlando, Florida, has been swimming competitively both through the YMCA and with her school for the past five years.
On Friday (November 15), Brooke will be swimming in the 2019 Florida High School Athletic Association (FSHAA) Class 4A state championships in Stuart, near West Palm Beach, having qualified in two events — the 100-meter breaststroke (her favorite event) and the 50-meter freestyle (which she recently broke her own school record in, with a blazing time of 24.61 seconds).
Shell is the daughter of Tracy and Deb Shell of Orlando. Her mother, Deb, is a 1987 graduate of Heron Lake-Okabena High School and was a fine basketball player for the Scarlet Knights.
Deb’s parents — and Brooke’s grandparents — are Harlan and Mary Hanson of Heron Lake.
Harlan and Mary won’t have to travel so far next year to see Brooke swim, as she has accepted a scholarship offer to swim with the Minnesota State (Mankato) Mavericks next year. Brooke was also recruited by both Augustana and the University of Sioux Falls (USF), but she liked the nursing program, the campus and the swimming facilities at Mankato.
Red Rock Conference will have just nine teams this winter
With the recent pairing of Adrian and Ellsworth for basketball this winter, along with all sports in the future, the Red Rock Conference will be reduced from 11 teams to just nine for the upcoming season. Heron Lake-Okabena and Fulda will also be combined in both boys and girls this year.
A few years ago, there were 12 competitive teams in the league, but after Round Lake-Brewster joined with HL-O, the conference had 11 teams. Comfrey has rejoined, but as a pairing with Mountain Lake.
Now, there will be nine — stretching from Hills-Beaver Creek to Mountain Lake Area / Comfrey. The other seven are Adrian / Ellsworth, Edgerton, Heron Lake-Okabena / Fulda, Murray County Central, Red Rock Central, Southwest Minnesota Christian and Westbrook-Walnut Grove.
That’s nine teams (and still 12 high schools), but how many towns are involved?
