SB Nation Minnesota: All Posts by Steve Uhlmannhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48959/mn-fave.png2012-10-15T07:00:52-05:00https://minnesota.sbnation.com/authors/steve-uhlmann/rss2012-10-15T07:00:52-05:002012-10-15T07:00:52-05:00Latest Big 10 standings feature ties for first
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<figcaption>Matthew Holst - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Legends and Leaders divisions of the Big 10 feature two-way ties.</p> <p>Separation is still not present in the latest Big 10 standings, as both the Legends and Leaders divisions feature two-way ties after the latest week of games.</p>
<p>In the Legends Division, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Michigan Wolverines are tied with identical conference records of 2-0 and overall records of 4-2. Following them are the Northwestern Wildcats at 2-1, and then the Nebraska at 1-1, Michigan State at 1-2 and Minnesota at 0-2.</p>
<p>The Leaders division features a pair of undefeated (and ineligible) teams atop the standings with Ohio State at 3-0 while Penn State sits at 2-0 following their bye week. After Wisconsin in third place at 2-1, the rest of the division features teams winless in conference play in Illinois, Indiana and Purdue.</p>
<p>The conference features only two teams with enough overall wins to be bow eligible in Northwestern and Ohio State, but the Buckeyes are still on probation.</p>
<p>A full standings breakdown can be found <a href="http://espn.go.com/ncf/conferences/standings?confId=5&year=2012">here</a>.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/10/15/3503968/big-ten-football-standings-2012Steve Uhlmann2012-10-14T17:12:33-05:002012-10-14T17:12:33-05:00'Bama, Ducks remain atop latest polls
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<p>The Crimson Tide and Ducks don't appear ready to fall any time soon, while Michigan enters as the only Big Ten team in the Top 25.
</p> <p>There aren't many changes in the USA Today Coaches Poll following Saturday's games, as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Oregon Ducks remain in the top two spots. Alabama received 1475 points to Oregon's 1414 to keep the top spot in the polls.</p>
<p>Kansas State now moves into the third spot in the rankings following their win over Iowa State. It is their highest ranking since 2000.</p>
<p>The Big Ten finally saw a team return to the rankings, with Michigan taking the final spot in the polls with 96 points after it smashed Illinois 45-0.</p>
<p>Some teams took a tumble down the rankings, including West Virginia, who fell to No. 15 after its embarrassing loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.</p>
<p>Notre Dame continues to climb the polls, and is fifth after an exciting OT win over Stanford Saturday. The Irish will need some help however if they want to enter the National Championship picture.</p>
<p>The complete USA Today Coaches Poll can be found <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fsports%2Fncaaf%2Fpolls%2Fcoaches-poll%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fminnesota.sbnation.com%2F2012%2F10%2F14%2F3503436%2Fcollege-football-rankings-2012-week-8-coaches-top-25-poll" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/10/14/3503436/college-football-rankings-2012-week-8-coaches-top-25-pollSteve Uhlmann2012-10-07T19:14:23-05:002012-10-07T19:14:23-05:00Big 10 not represented in Coaches Poll
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<figcaption>Jamie Sabau - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>After a crazy Saturday, let's see which teams made the biggest moves in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll. </p> <p>The dust has finally settled on a crazy week of college football, and the latest polls have rewarded those who have survived the upsets.</p>
<p>A down year for the Big 10 is being magnified by the fact that not a single team from the conference is in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll.</p>
<p>Ohio State would have easily made the Top 25, however due to their probation they are excluded from voting. Plenty of teams from the conference are in the "Others Receiving Votes" category. Michigan is ranked 28th with 33 points. Other teams that got votes included Northwestern, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.</p>
<p>Here is the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2012/10/7/3468716/college-football-rankings-2012-week-7-coaches-poll">complete standings</a>.</p>
<table border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="302"><tbody>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20" width="37">Rank</td>
<td width="111">Team</td>
<td width="50">Record</td>
<td width="43">Votes</td>
<td width="61">Previous</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">1</td>
<td>Alabama (58)</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>1,474</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">2</td>
<td>Oregon (1)</td>
<td>6-0</td>
<td>1,411</td>
<td>2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">3</td>
<td>South Carolina</td>
<td>6-0</td>
<td>1,345</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">4</td>
<td>West Virginia</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>1,296</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">5</td>
<td>Kansas State</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>1,216</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">6</td>
<td>Florida</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>1,165</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">7</td>
<td>Notre Dame</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>1,152</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">8</td>
<td>LSU</td>
<td>5-1</td>
<td>961</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">9</td>
<td>USC</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>940</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">10</td>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td>3-1</td>
<td>872</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">11</td>
<td>Florida State</td>
<td>5-1</td>
<td>819</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">12</td>
<td>Georgia</td>
<td>5-1</td>
<td>761</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">13</td>
<td>Clemson</td>
<td>5-1</td>
<td>759</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">14</td>
<td>Oregon State</td>
<td>4-0</td>
<td>691</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">15</td>
<td>Texas</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>663</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">16</td>
<td>Louisville</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>628</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">17</td>
<td>Stanford</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>577</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">18</td>
<td>Mississippi State</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>558</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">19</td>
<td>Rutgers</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>410</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">20</td>
<td>Cincinnati</td>
<td>4-0</td>
<td>365</td>
<td>23</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">21</td>
<td>Texas A&M</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>208</td>
<td>NR</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">22</td>
<td>Boise State</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>197</td>
<td>25</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">23</td>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>194</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">24</td>
<td>Louisiana Tech</td>
<td>5-0</td>
<td>131</td>
<td>NR</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20">25</td>
<td>Iowa State</td>
<td>4-1</td>
<td>73</td>
<td>NR</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Others Receiving Votes</b>: Arizona State 61, Baylor 52, Michigan 33, Northwestern 31, Michigan State 27, Ohio 23, Nebraska 18, Texas Tech 11, Duke 10, Wisconsin 8, Western Kentucky 7, North Carolina State 6, Louisiana-Lafayette 6, Oklahoma State 5, San Jose State 4, Louisiana-Monroe 3, Nevada 2, Toledo 2</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/10/7/3471106/ncaa-football-rankings-2012-week-7-coaches-top-25Steve Uhlmann2012-10-07T16:50:27-05:002012-10-07T16:50:27-05:00Lynx heading back to WNBA Finals
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<p>The Minnesota Lynx completed their sweep of the Los Angeles Sparks in the Western Conference finals of the WNBA Playoffs with a close 80-79 win at Staples Center on Sunday.</p>
<p>The Lynx trailed by eight points heading into the fourth quarter, but they made sure the series did not shift back to Minnesota by outscoring Los Angeles 23-14 in the final quarter.</p>
<p>Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore led the charge, with Augustus making 8-of-12 shots to score a team-high 21 points. Moore was right behind with 20 points.</p>
<p>The Sparks' Candace Parker rose to the occasion, scoring 33 points, but the rest of the team couldn't follow her lead down the stretch.</p>
<p>The Lynx are returning to the WNBA Finals where they will have a shot at getting back-to-back titles. They will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever. The Sun lead the best-of-three series 1-0.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/10/7/3470494/lynx-vs-sparks-final-score-minnesota-advances-to-wnba-finals-with-80Steve Uhlmann2012-10-01T07:01:31-05:002012-10-01T07:01:31-05:00Timberwolves open camp this week
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<p>The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking forward to the end of rebuilding during the 2012-2013 season.
</p> <p>The Minnesota Timberwolves open training camp for the 2012-2013 season this week, and the team is looking forward to shedding the 'rebuilding' tag and contending for a playoff spot.</p>
<p>The young nucleus of Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic will be supplemented by the additions of Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko to the squad. </p>
<p>The makeup of the team excites Love who <a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/171862611.html">told the Star-Tribune</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I have faith in this team, I have faith in what we've done in this offseason," Love said. "It was definitely a tremendous summer for our team. We have a number of guys who are going to help us ... I do think we have a great shot to make the playoffs."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Timberwolves will begin the pre-season with an October 10 matchup with the Indiana Pacers. The six-game schedule will conclude with a tune-up against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26 at the Bradley Center. </p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/10/1/3435156/timberwolves-training-camp-2012Steve Uhlmann2012-09-30T17:25:30-05:002012-09-30T17:25:30-05:00Mauer chases Cabrera for AL batting title
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<p>After another hot game on Sunday, <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Twins</a> catcher <span>Joe Mauer</span> continues to come closer to to <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> of the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Tigers</a> in the American League batting title race.</p>
<p>Mauer went 3-for-4 against the Tigers, bringing his average on the season up to .323. He is now just two points behind Cabrera, who went 0-for-3 on Sunday.</p>
<p>Mauer's three-hit game Sunday snapped an 0-for-13 string that saw his average drop from .326 to .320. Since Sept. 10, Cabrera has hit safely in all but two games, making it tough for Mauer to spoil his chances at the Triple Crown.</p>
<p>Here are the latest numbers in the AL batting title race.</p>
<p>1. Miguel Cabrera DET - .325<br>2. Joe Mauer MIN - .323<br>3. <span>Mike Trout</span> LAA - .322<br>4. <span>Adrian Beltre</span> TEX - .321<br>5. <span>Derek Jeter</span> NYY - .318<br>6. <span>Billy Butler</span> KC - .312<br>7. <span>Torii Hunter</span> LAA - .309<br>8. Prince Fielder DET - .309<br>9. <span>Robinson Cano</span> NYY - .306<br>10. <span>David Murphy</span> TEX - .304</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-twins/2012/9/30/3434390/al-batting-title-joe-mauer-miguel-cabreraSteve Uhlmann2012-09-09T17:07:45-05:002012-09-09T17:07:45-05:00Indians Vs. Twins Final Score: Justin Morneau Walk-Off Homer Finishes Wild Game
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<p>The <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Twins</a> put a fun exclamation point on the weekend by defeating the <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Indians</a>, 8-7, on Sunday thanks to a walk-off home run by <span>Justin Morneau</span> in the ninth inning.</p>
<p>The afternoon did not get off to a good start for the Twins, with the Indians jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Twins starter Esmerling Vasquez only made it through three innings, allowing four runs on three hits and walking five.</p>
<p>The Twins started to chip away at the deficit, scoring five unanswered runs between the third and fourth innings. Leading the charge was <span>Joe Mauer</span>, who went 3-for-5 on the afternoon and fell just a home run short of the cycle.</p>
<p>The teams would exchange the lead twice in the later innings, with the Twins battling back from a 6-4 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 before blowing a 7-6 lead to the Tribe.</p>
<p>Morneau's walk-off was his 19th home run of the season, with his 18th coming earlier in this same game.</p>
<p><i>Check out <a href="http://www.twinkietown.com/"><b>Twinkie Town</b></a> for more Twins coverage. Head over to </i><a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com/"><b><i>Let's Go Tribe</i></b></a><i> to find more news on the Indians. Be sure to visit <b><a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/">Baseball Nation</a> </b>for more news and analysis from around major league baseball.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-twins/2012/9/9/3306237/indians-vs-twins-final-score-justin-morneau-walk-off-home-runSteve Uhlmann2012-09-02T16:58:27-05:002012-09-02T16:58:27-05:00Minnesota Vs. UNLV: Reaction To MarQueis Gray's Play In Close Win
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<p>It didn't come easy, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/minnesota-golden-gophers">Minnesota Golden Gophers</a> outlasted the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/unlv-rebels">UNLV Rebels</a> 30-27 in triple overtime to begin the season 1-0. </p>
<p>While the win was nice, many fans were expecting big things out of the Gophers and were disappointed with the play of some including quarterback MarQueis Gray. The folks over at The Daily Gopher <a href="http://www.thedailygopher.com/2012/9/2/3287431/minnesota-football-a-college-football-hangover-areas-of-adjustment">broke down</a> the play of the signal-caller that had a less-than-stellar day. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Everybody was unhappy with Q's overall performance, but he didn't back down from the challenge and in the end made the plays we needed to win in OT. But early in the game he was inaccurate and jumpy. He didn't look like the Senior leader her is supposed to be." </p>
</blockquote>
<p>As for positives, they give kudos to the wide receiving unit, that showed up in a big way in the win.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Even with the unfortunate injury of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159867/jamel-harbison">Jamel Harbison</a> there are a lot of weapons and depth in this group. 8 different (non-RB) receivers had at least 1 catch, led by DCT with 4. AJ Barker? That's an exciting development. 3 catches for 101 yards. And KJ Maye? I can't wait to watch this guy for the next 4 years." </p>
</blockquote>
<p>All in all, the game was a learning experience that should help the Golden Gophers get their act together before conference play begins. </p>
<p><i>For more on the Golden Gophers, visit </i><a href="http://www.thedailygopher.com">The Daily Gopher.</a><i> </i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/9/2/3287701/minnesota-vs-unlv-reaction-to-marqueis-grays-playSteve Uhlmann2012-09-02T16:28:50-05:002012-09-02T16:28:50-05:00Twins Vs. Royals Final Score: Kansas City Squeaks Out 6-4 Win
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> could not complete a sweep of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a>, as they fell 6-4 at Kauffman Stadium Sunday.</p>
<p>The Twins jumped out two a 2-0 lead after the top of the second, as <span>Justin Morneau</span> hit an RBI groundout while Chris Parmlee added a solo home run.</p>
<p>The Royals would fight back, however, adding three runs in the bottom of the second and one in the fifth to go up 4-2. Twins starter Esmerling Vazquez struggled in his start, going just 5.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out two.</p>
<p>The Twins tied the game at four when <span>Alexi Casilla</span> hit a two-run single, however the Royals took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth when <span>Tony Abreu</span> hit an RBI single. KC added a run of insurance in the bottom of the eighth when <span>Lorenzo Cain</span> hit an RBI double.</p>
<p>Despite the loss, <span>Joe Mauer</span> was solid at the dish, going 3-for-4 with a double. Parmlee was the other Twin with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with the home run. </p>
<p><i>Read more on the Twins at <a href="http://twinkietown.com/">Twinkie Town</a> and <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Minnesota</a>. Head over to<a href="http://royalsreview.com/">Royals Review</a> and <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Kansas City</a> for more on the Royals. <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/">Baseball Nation</a> is your source for news and analysis around Major League Baseball.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-twins/2012/9/2/3287649/twins-vs-royals-final-score-kansas-city-squeaks-out-6-4-winSteve Uhlmann2012-08-26T18:44:43-05:002012-08-26T18:44:43-05:00Vikings Training Camp News: Christian Ponder Learning From Mistakes
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<p><span>Christian Ponder</span> took a beating in the Minnesota Vikings' game against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers" class="sbn-auto-link">San Diego Chargers</a> on Friday, so <a href="http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Notebook_Vikings_want_to_make_sure_Christian_Ponder_is_stepping_up082612">Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities writes</a> that on Sunday, Ponder spent much of practice trying to learn from the game, so he wouldn't be taking as many sacks.</p>
<p>Ponder said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"A couple of times, I tried to escape outward rather than moving forward, and that hurt me. Something easily correctable, though, and something that I've been in the habit of doing all camp until Friday."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ponder was taken down five times during his stint in the game, with four of them being avoidable in his opinion. He says he will continue to work on these improvements to have them down going into the regular season.</p>
<p><i>For all news and information regarding the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a>, please visit the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dailynorseman.com/">Daily Norseman</a> or check out <a target="_blank" href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Minnesota</a>.</i><i> For complete coverage of all things football, stay tuned to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl">SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub</a> for the latest on all 32 NFL teams.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2012/8/26/3270345/vikings-training-camp-news-christian-ponderSteve Uhlmann