Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 10.3.25

VikingsLynxLoons

Oct 3

Happy Twin Cities Marathon weekend to those who celebrate. Or watch.

If you like soccer and good weather, hit up tonight’s Saint Paul Cup at Allianz Field, a doubleheader between Como Park Senior High and Humboldt Senior High.

My team won and I still don’t like the Wild Card series. Although it does set up the top two division teams nicely…ALDS should be best-of-seven, too.

Celebrating a wild card win with champagne and plastic wrap all over the locker room isn’t as bad as doing it when you clinch a post-season berth but it’s close.

Dillon Gabriel replaces Joe Flacco as the Browns’ quarterback heading into Sunday’s London game against the Vikings. Minnesota would benefit if the Browns could start two or three backups on the defensive line too. A bye next week followed by J.J. McCarthy’s likely return against the Eagles. Minnesota is a 3.5 point favorite.

The Gophers are an overwhelming 24-point underdog heading to Columbus to tackle No. 1 Ohio State Saturday night in a nationally televised game on NBC. I hope P.J. just let’s Drake Lindsey throw the ball. In these high profile games with young QB’s, P.J. has a tendency to run the ball (unsuccessfuly) and not take the training wheels off. See, Athan Kaliakmanis in Penn State a couple years ago. Lindsey has the potential to be the Gophers’ best QB in quite some time, you’re probably not going to win this game, let’s see it.

Loons host Sporting KC in penultimate game this Saturday - then another two weeks till the final home game. Minnesota could still finish anywhere between first and fourth in the West.

Wild at Blackhawks tonight in the last pre-season game. Regular season opens next Thursday in St. Louis, followed by the home opener next Saturday against Columbus.

Wolves pre-season officially begins Saturday night in San Diego against the Denver Nuggets.

Gopher men’s hockey opens up the season at home with two games against MIchigan Tech. Fairly high expectations for the Gophers, who are ranked eighth.

The Gopher women, ranked No. 3 with a 2-0 mark, visit No. 13 Boston University for two.

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