MInnesota Beats Penn St and Destroys Trophy (w/bonus Jerry Kill Dancing)

So, Minnesota Golden Gophers, just a couple of years ago, you were won of college football's worst teams.

You then hired a coach with epileptic seizure issues and lo and behold, he's turned your program around.

That coach, Jerry Kill has struggled with his health to stay on the sidelines with his team. But he was in a booth over the field on Saturday as his Golden Gophers won their 4th straight Big 10 game, beating Penn State 24-10.

The win moved the Gophers to 8-2 on the season and 4-2 in the Big 10. A pretty big bowl game is in site for the team.

But the game was not without adventure. Well, okay, it's more like after the game, when the team went to celebrate with the Governor's Victory Bell Trophy.

That celebration didn't go so well. At least for the now-in-two-pieces trophy.

(Check out this GIF courtesy SBNation)

As for Coach Kill, well, aside from feeling good about how well his team is playing, he appears to be feeling better physically too.

Check out this video of him in the locker room after the game--very little else needs to be said about this dance….

Jerry Kill Taken From Minnesota Game on Stretcher

This is tough to keep reporting, and it keeps happening.

University of Minnesota Head Football Coach Jerry Kill was taken from the TCF Bank Stadium football field Saturday afternoon after suffering what appears to have been an epileptic seizure just before halftime.

The Gophers won Saturday's game 29-12 boosting their record to 3-0 this season, their best start in a long, long time.

Kill has a history of such seizures, in fact this is at least the third that he's had during a game. Most all have put him in the hospital.

No exception today as he was taken via ambulance to an area hospital where he's reported to be in good condition.

It will be interesting to see how Kill continues in his job with this periodic issue. He's reportedly done as many things as he can to improve his health and conditioning. The school's athletic department is happy with Kill's performance as the Gophers have steadily improved under his guidance beginning in 2011.

We're still searching for video of Saturday's incident, but here's some video posted by the school's athletic department on Friday, showing Kill meeting and greeting students as they return to campus.

Vikes Reveal New Stadium Design

((HT: KARE-TV))

And the word of the day is "translucent"

The designs are out for the new Minnesota Vikings stadium and they're looking very pretty...

Bryan Trubey of Dallas-based HKS Architects presented images of the $975 million project to a crowd and the look is that of steeped roofs and the idea that, eventhough you're really inside, it looks like you're more outside than you are.

Here's the early reveal...

The Vikes are playing their next two seasons over at the outdoor stadium at the University of Minnesota while ground is broken and the 65,000 seat stadium is completed.

Richard Pitino to Get Minnesota Coaching Gig

((ht: cbssports.com/goodman))

Richard Pitino

Wow! Really....

30-year old Richard Pitino, son of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, is moving on up in the coaching ranks.

According to a report by Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com, the younger Pitino is expected to be named head coach at the University of Minnesota, replacing the fired Tubby Smith.

Pitino just finished his 1st season as a head coach at Florida International, where his team won 18 games. The job at FIU was his first as a head coach.

Read the Jeff Goodman story on CBSSports.com RIGHT HERE

Talk about moving on up.

Pitino the younger has been an assistant at Florida and under his dad at Louisville, coaches his own team 1-year and is now in the Big 10. And replacing a coach that many questioned the firing of (Smith)

At Minnesota, he inherits a team that was mid-pack in the Big 10, but had won 20-games or more in 5 of the past 6-seasons under Smith. The Gophers were in this years NCAA Tourney, winning one game before losing to Florida in the South Regional.

As for his previous team, FIU was 8-21 the season before Pitino's arrival, so 10-more wins is a significant upgrade.

ICYMI: Tubby Smith Resurfaces at Texas Tech

According to multiple reports from numerous outlets, deposed former Minnesota Basketball Head Coach Tubby Smith will return to the court next season at Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders have been a troubled program that over the past few years have employed, Bob Knight, Knight's son Pat, Billy Gillispie and interim coach Chris Walker over the past 4-years.

Smith dismissal at Minnesota caught many by surprise as he had some success, winning 20 games or more the past 5-seasons. But many point to a losing record in the Big 10 as the reason for his ouster.

He's yet to be "announced" as the guy in Lubbock, but it is expected to be just a formality.

Tubby Smith Can Pack His Bags, Too...

Busy day...

But does this mean: Since Minnesota beat UCLA in Round One and Ben Howland was fired...
And since Florida beat Minnesota in Round Two and Tubby Smith was fired...

Tubby Smith

That the loser of the Florida-Gulf Coast game finds employment elsewhere...

If it's Andy Enfield, it's probably true... Billy Donovan- not so much...

Minnesota bought out the remaining four years of Smith's contract according to Jeff Goodman over at CBSSports.com.

The Gophers had signed Smith to a three-year extension through the 2016-17 season in July.

He is making close to $2 million annually, with a $600,000 base salary plus 5 percent annual raises back-dated to 2008 and "supplemental compensation" of $1.2 million.

Smith's language in his contract says that if he's gone before April 30, 2016 (which he now is), the university pays one-half of his base salary and supplemental compensation for the remainder of the deal- not to exceed $2.5 million.

The Gophers finished 21-13 (8-10 in the Big 10/12)...

And, now, the new AD Norwood Teague (formerly of VCU) probably will pursue his old coach Shaka Smart to be the new BMOC.

Here was the Gophers last win of the season...
((HT: NCAA.com/TruTV))


More when we know more...

Nothing Says The Holidays Like Jerry Burns Attempting To Sing

((HT: KSTP-TV))

The folks over at BringMeTheNews get credit for this one...

Admittedly, the HQ has been through various situations where we have had to fill countless sports segments with content when there's nothing else going on...

And we've given the joke about the Aloha Bowl where the game-time temp was 86 and with the wind chill- 85...

((Insert laugh track))

But the folks over at KSTP gathered a lot of local sports stars together to, ahem, sing carols...

Evidence below...


See...???

AJ Barker Leaves Gopher Football, Sends E-Mail To Coach Kill (UPDATED: Kill Responds))

((HT: Tumblr.com))

AJ Barker is, apparently, not one to mince words- especially when it comes to feeling slapped around verbally by his coaching staff at Minnesota...

So he quit...

Here's the Postscript... the whole letter is worth your time- including the Appendix...

The fact you think I think I have life “all figured out” just shows how fundamentally wrong you are about me. Learning is a life long hobby and I’m dedicated to the quest of figuring more and more things out untill the day I die. I’ve realized over time, like many others, the more I learn the less I know.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to apologize to my teammates and fans. This is extremely hard for me to do and I spent the last 4 years doing everything I could to make it work here. I understand that leaving you is a very hard thing to deal with. I’m not out to get you. Take this moment of betrayal I am forced to do to you and use it to fuel the team in your game against MSU and in our bowl game. I hope you kick their butts, I’ll be cheering for my teammates. The harsh reality is we all have a limited time to play college football. It goes by fast. 13 months from now I will be forced to move on from college football regardless of what I do. It breaks my heart to cut you off before that time, and it kills me I won’t give the U of M the legacy I had hoped to leave behind. This is life, however, and goes on with or without us. There’s no doubt that with you all in mind, this is a self serving response to a terrible situation, and I hope you can forgive me of that eventually.

I also hope this can motivate other players on the team that have been mistreated and other collegiate athletes to stand up against unreasonable psychological abuse and manipulation by their coaches/superiors.

The bottom line was that the emerging receiver claims he was abused by head coach Jerry Kill and his coaching staff after Barker suffered an ankle injury last month. Barker was the team's leading receiver in catches and touchdowns...

Evidence below...
((HT: GopherAthletics))


Minnesota has responded with the standard "released statement..."
Here's an interview Barker did with KARE-TV in the Twin Cities...
And Kill responded this afternoon... ((HT: KARE-TV))

TWTW Thursday: South Carolina, Vandy, UConn, UMass

Here's your Thursday recap...

South Carolina just got out of Vanderbilt alive 17-13
Here's the OBC talking about survival and Connor Shaw got out alive- although he gets a lot of bonus points for being a tough SOB...
((HT: ABCColumbia))
UConn welcomed UMass to Division I with a 37-0 shutout at Renschler Field. It was the first time the two schools played each other since 1999, when both schools were Division I-AA... it wasn't even close... ((HT: WTNH-TV))

UConn beats UMass 37-0 in renewal of rivalry

UNLV lost to Minnesota in three overtimes 30-27, the highlights are here fron 13 Action News/KTNV-TV
Other winners include Central Michigan (sorry, Wilkie), UCLA, and Utah
More fun tonight...

University of Minnesota football player found dead in apt.

Gary Tinsley

Gary Tinsley, a linebacker at the University of Minnesota, who was finishing his classwork to get his degree, was found dead in his on-campus apartment early Friday morning.

According to KARE-11 in Minneapolis, police were called to the apartment just before 7:30 a.m and Tinsley was down, on the floor, not breathing.

University police say they don't believe there was anything suspicious in the incident, but they are investigating, just to make sure.

You can see more from KARE-11 RIGHT HERE

The 21-year-old Tinsley, from Jacksonville, Florida had been hoping to get a shot in the NFL. He was the #2 tackler on this past years Gopher team.

He did have a couple of brushes with the law while at school, but was well liked and according to teammates and students, was looking forward to the future.

WCCO-TV in Minneapolis with a TV story on Tinsley's death:

Vikes Stadium Done By Next Week...???

((HT: KARE-TV))

But just because everyone likes the idea, doesn't mean it will pass the City Council...

And, then, if it goes through the City Council then and only then will it go back to the Capitol for a vote...

The site...??? Actually, close to the original Metrodome site...
Jana Shortal is very cold outside...


The team wants to limit playing at the University of Minnesota as much as possible since logistics will be a pain in the butt to shoehorn an NFL franchise into a college facility...

More when we know more...

Is It A Good Thing For A Fighting Sioux To Throw A Nutty...??? ((UPDATE: Even After The Game...?))

((HT: Big Lead Sports/FSNorth/firstandskol))

Minnesota and North Dakota have been known to go at it a few times in college hockey. Last night at Engelstad Arena was no exception, but when Sioux Danny Kristo runs someone and he throws a nutty like he's been robbed of everything- including his manhood- the HQ feels like we have to show it...

Here's the nutty in question...


Nah, dude...
You done wrong...
But we imagine it was a good game, anyway...

UPDATE: It was more a Gophers blowout than anything else, but get this...
They had another nutty in the handshake line...
((HT: UNDFightingSiouxhock))

TWTW: Long Day For Golden Gophers- On And Off The Field

((HT: KARE-TV))

First and foremost, the HQ will keep head coach Jerry Kill in its collective thoughts as he re-admits himself to the Mayo Clinic to continually monitor his body after the latest round of seizures he had a few weeks ago.

He has had multiple episodes since...

"The seizures continue to be a concern for me and my family," Kill said in a released statement. "Rebecca and I have made the decision to do what it takes to find a solution. I hope to be back to work soon, but we believe that taking some time away to get a handle on this is the right thing to do."

According to Gopher football team physician Dr. Pat Smith, Kill suffered another seizure Sunday morning.

Smith said that Kill is in good condition and his vitals are good...

On the field, two defensive TD's by hometowner Marcus Williams led to a 37-24 win over the Gophers by North Dakota State. It's not the first time in recent memory that the home team lost to a Division I-AA FCS school...

But it still doesn't look good... and, apparently, close to 20,000 Bison fans made the trip... Dave Berggren tells the story...

Gophers Coach Kill Collapses Near End Of Game

((HT: Big10Network/youtube))

Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill suffered a seizure on the sidelines with 20 seconds left in today's game against New Mexico State- rolling around on the ground as paramedics tried to hold him down.

The Gophers were down 28-21 and driving for what could have been a game-tying score when Kill collapsed. Kill's wife Rebecca was by his side as doctors worked on the coach.

The game ended after a delay of approximately 15 minutes on an incomplete pass, after Kill was taken off the field on a cart.

Here's the play...we think...


Kill missed a week as head coach at Northern Illinois after suffering another episode like today's...

Obviously, the HQ's thoughts are with the Kills and the Gophers...

More when we know more...

2015 UPDATE: Minnesota's team doctor says Kill is in stable condition at a local hospital. Team doctor Pat Smith says Kill "was at no time under any risk in any way."

Smith says the temperature coupled with dehydration might have played a role in the seizure.