Rolling into Nashville, Tenn., with a new defensive coordinator and a few position changes, Minnesota's football team will look very different defensively for the Dec. 31 Music City Bowl than it did during...

Minnesota's basketball team now officially has a "one-man fast break." In the midst of Minnesota's late 18-0 run Saturday against Central Michigan, Gophers junior guard Vincent Grier made two high-flying...

Minnesota strong safety Justin Fraley didn't even get to say goodbye to his defensive coordinator Friday, finding Greg Hudson's office cleared. Hudson left the team Friday to interview for an assistant...

Alabama football offensive tackle Wesley Britt's body has taken a beating this season - the 6-foot-8-inch, 300-pound senior played with the pain of a serious foot injury in Alabama's final two games against...

Like the entire Florida State men's swimming and diving team, Minnesota junior swimmer Adam Mitchell was shaved and tapered for the Georgia Invitational. Mitchell, who said he was hoping for NCAA bids...

Alabama athletics director Mal Moore accepted the Music City Bowl's invitation Saturday, setting up a New Year's Eve matchup in Nashville, Tenn., with Minnesota's football team. Moore and Alabama (6-5)...

Minnesota men's swimming and diving coach Dennis Dale said Florida State has shaved and tapered early in preparation to swim against the Gophers and the rest of the field at the Georgia Invitational in...

Smoking a cigarette and leaning over a thick math book, University janitor and student Johannse Eshete is fully at home in the Purple Onion Cafe in Dinkytown, where he's become a familiar fixture. When...

It looks very likely that Minnesota's football team will play Alabama in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31 in Nashville, Tenn. The Peach Bowl committee voted Tuesday to take Florida over Alabama, assuming...

While flying back from Anchorage, Alaska, late Saturday night, a pilot told Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi that Hawaii's football team had upset Northwestern, 49-41. Sunday morning, a few hours...

Ken Hoffman and the Motor City Bowl officials will be watching Northwestern's game Saturday in Hawaii very carefully. Hoffman, the executive director of the Motor City Bowl, said that if Northwestern wins,...

Minnesota's men's swimming and diving team nearly doubled its nearest competition after the first day of the Minnesota Invitational. But coach Dennis Dale wasn't satisfied, he said. "Our relays were subpar,"...

Senior Minnesota women's swimmer Katy Coombe thought about it for a few seconds and then concluded. "I think we'll surprise ourselves," Coombe predicted of her 200-yard freestyle relay team's debut. "But...

Attention Minnesota football fans planning on traveling to a bowl game: How does Las Vegas sound? Or maybe California? The Gophers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) are facing the distinct possibility they will be last...

Minnesota football coach Glen Mason stoically strolled to his traditional postgame meeting Saturday with Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz at midfield. Defeated and stunned after a 29-27 loss to No. 19 Iowa in front...

Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz doesn't pull any punches when discussing the current state of his offense. His descriptions vary from, "We are hardly a well-oiled machine right now," to "We can't find...

Along with the rest of Minnesota's football team, the last five weeks have been especially hard on Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III. After being hailed as one of the - if not the - best running back...

It showed on the face of every Minnesota football player who was dragged into Wisconsin's media room Saturday after a humiliating 38-14 loss: Another week of soul-searching was ahead, and the Gophers were...

MADISON, Wis. - After their worst rushing game of the season, the Gophers' nationally seventh-ranked ground attack is in jeopardy of not reaching an expected and unprecedented mark this season. Marion...

MADISON, Wis. - Minnesota free safety John Pawielski shoved Wisconsin's Anthony Davis out of bounds midway through the second quarter Saturday for his 10th tackle of the game. "It's not a good thing when...

Minnesota football coach Glen Mason started rolling on one of his customary analogies Wednesday night. "When you talk to your stock broker and get a 25 percent return from your portfolio, you're not really...

There was something wrong with Darrell Reid during Minnesota's football practice Tuesday. First, he wasn't feeling very well. But more interestingly, he didn't talk much. Gophers players and coaches have...

Minnesota's football team will spend the next week of practice trying to figure out what happened in the latest dip of a rollercoaster season. The Gophers (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) coaches and players seemed...

A week after a rejuvenating 45-0 win over Illinois, Minnesota's football team finds itself back in its comfort zone: beating up on teams it should and setting impressive offensive records along the way. In...

Ukee Dozier and Darrell Reid are senior leaders on the Gophers defense. Their similarities pretty much stop there. Dozier's approach to his leadership role doesn't have Reid's pizzazz or verbosity. But...

If you're familiar with a Minnesota goodbye, you'd know Gophers football coach Glen Mason is in a better mood than he has been the last two weekends. But even while joking Sunday with reporters in the...

Minnesota's football team's 45-0 blanking of Illinois is even more impressive knowing that its defense was as beat up as it has been all season. The Gophers gave up only 231 total yards and did so without...

First, it was a players-only meeting Sunday. Then, they gathered at the Woodbury, Minn., home of defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. The Gophers' defense, after a week of searching, evaluating and re-evaluating,...

Looking at Illinois' football team on film this week, one thing stood out for Gophers defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery. "Their running backs really run hard," he said. "It looks like they don't usually...

Minnesota's defensive linemen won't have a quarterback's picture to hang over their lockers this week. Illinois coach Ron Turner announced Monday that he will change his quarterback against Minnesota on...

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Minnesota's football team should petition the Big Ten for an automatic bye week following every Michigan game. For the second-straight year, the Gophers have seen their Rose Bowl...

M innesota football coach Glen Mason called out receiver Jared Ellerson on Tuesday - sort of. "I'm disappointed with the production we are getting out of Jared Ellerson, and that's not a reflection of...

A turning point came with 9:15 remaining in the third quarter in Saturday's Minnesota football game at Michigan. Three Wolverines defenders easily blitzed through the Gophers' line and buried Laurence...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - As time was running out in the first half, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne was confusedly communicating with his coaches. As time was running out in the second half, the freshman was...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said he was worried his fullback was being too cocky. Wolverines senior Kevin Dudley told Carr on Friday night that all the talk about Minnesota's Laurence...

Picture this - you're walking through a tunnel, and as you emerge, you find yourself in the middle of a sea of hostile, screaming, maize-and-blue-clad fans numbering approximately 110,000. Welcome to the...

Minnesota football coach Glen Mason said his team isn't going into Michigan Stadium afraid and definitely not angry. It would be only natural to have sore feelings after Michigan's 21-point fourth quarter...

It wasn't the exclamation point Minnesota's football team wanted to make before entering the Big House. Instead, the No. 18 Gophers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) pulled out a closer-than-expected 16-7 win over Penn...

Minnesota volleyball player Paula Gentil received a phone call Friday from the team trainer, Shelly Kinney. "She told me if I had any Vioxx on my shelf to throw it away," Gentil said. "I didn't know what...

After Minnesota's 43-17 win over Northwestern on Saturday, running back Laurence Maroney said Big Ten defenses should be scratching their heads. "They'll say 'Oh, they're winning and (Marion) Barber (III)...

Minnesota coach Glen Mason likes to knock on wood. He did it a couple times Tuesday in front of reporters at his weekly press conference. "I am a little superstitious," Mason said before he began talking...

Minnesota kicker/punter Rhys Lloyd, running to his right in soccer-style form, spiked an awkward 29-yard punt to Northwestern's 44-yard line after the Gophers' first offensive possession Saturday. Exploiting...

It started with a Northwestern 97-yard kickoff touchdown return. It continued with two blocked Gophers extra points. No Big Ten special teams honors will be awarded to Minnesota's football team this week. "I...

On Oct. 4, Northwestern's offense owned Minnesota's football team's defense for a quarter. After the first 15 minutes of the Gophers' 42-17 romp over the Wildcats in Evanston, Ill., Northwestern had a...

Minnesota football cornerback Ukee Dozier emerged from the visitor locker room at Hughes Stadium on Saturday with the same business-as-usual look he wore the Saturday before, at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. But...

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State knew exactly what Minnesota's football team was going to do long before the team arrived at mountain-embedded Hughes Stadium. But the Rams (0-3), who join a quickly...

Sometimes after a full day of football practice and classes, watching film on opposing teams and working on his premedical homework, Dominique Sims goes for a walk. "He'll go by himself or sometimes I'll...

Minnesota's offensive line, which dominated Toledo Sept. 4, struggled against Illinois State on Saturday. Coach Glen Mason said Sunday that the offensive line put forth a lot of effort but wasn't sharp. "Those...

Minnesota's 22nd-ranked football team has shown both sides of its coin in the young 2004 season. On one side, the Gophers dominated a supposedly tough Toledo team, gaining more than 700 yards of offense...

After Minnesota's second-string defense gave up 14 points in the fourth quarter of its 63-21 win over Toledo, Gophers coaches were critical last week of their back up defenders. With heavy underdog Division...