ALEX LASSITER: Hello, lovely people! It’s Alex Lassiter with the Minnesota Daily, and you’re listening to In The Know, a podcast dedicated to the University of Minnesota.

As we get closer to the end of the month, one of my favorite things to do after the Thanksgiving parade is done being marched, the feast is tucked away and the game has been played, is to crack open my laptop and start browsing for the best Black Friday deals. Aside from the holidays we talked about in my last episode, Black Friday is the last major event in November that really kicks off the rush of “buy, buy, buy” that takes up most of December.

Now, you may be wondering, “But Alex, you just talked about all of these other holidays in November, why didn’t you do Black Friday in that episode? Make this one about how dolphins are secretly plotting to take over the world like I’ve been emailing you about for the past two weeks!”

And I get it, my dear listener, I really do. But retail and consumer studies lecturer Jaye Thompson says technically, Black Friday isn’t an officially recognized holiday, and y’all know how I love my technicalities.

JAYE THOMPSON: A lot of people have the idea that Black Friday is a national holiday or something of the sort. And just to be clear, as far as I know, as of today, it is not a federal holiday. It is not a bank holiday. It is simply just the day after Thanksgiving that is known for these deep discounts and consumer excitement.

LASSITER: And the reason it’s called Black Friday? It seems to all come down to whether your business had an overall profit or a loss during the year.

THOMPSON: And when it’s profitable, you are in the black. You use black ink and it is just normal. When it is a loss, you write “in the red.” And so you use a red pen to denote that your business achieved a loss this year.

And so that concept of taking a holiday and turning your business around from in the red to in the black is where I’ve always learned as just a human, a student of the industry, my own personal knowledge of the case. That’s what I always thought Black Friday was about, like making sure your business was profitable for the end of the year and you close your books.

LASSITER: But, is that really where the name comes from? According to an article by History.com, in the ’50s in Philadelphia, a huge crowd would come in for the yearly Army vs. Navy college football game. There was lots of shopping that happened the day before the game each year during that crowd surge. 

Cops couldn’t control it, and so they nicknamed the time Black Friday in anticipation of a time of year they dreaded. This is also where the image of consumers trampling each other to be the first to grab a doorbuster deal in pop culture media comes from.

Of course, retailers didn’t exactly want this to be the customer perception of Black Friday. So when a name change to “Big Friday” didn’t work, they instead gave it the whimsical spin of it being about business expenses, and that stuck.

THOMPSON: I was around during the ’80s and the ’90s when all this was a big thing. And, you know, we had the Cabbage Patch Dolls and the Garbage Pail Kids, all the coveted items that you, y’know, we didn’t have the internet to find out where they were.

You just had to go out to the store that day and find them and wait in lines. And like, I do have memories of chasing down the exact item I saw in a catalog and, you know, my parents going in with cash and trying to find it, you know? And it was exciting. It was kind of dangerous.

LASSITER: When I was a kid, I certainly remember seeing Black Friday advertisements popping up and thinking to myself, “Oh man, I wonder how crowded the stores will get this year.”

But after a certain point, I started seeing ads for this weird new day called “Cyber Monday,” where you could shop online and get the same great deals as Black Friday without the hassle of going into the store. Retail and consumer studies professor Hyunjoo Im says once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the shift to online shopping became a mainstay.

HYUNJOO IM: Our audience is familiar with all those Black Friday shopping, staying overnight in the parking lot, waiting in line and stuff like that. That’s kind of craze going on with that doorbuster deal that they want to get into. Online shopping, certainly you can do a lot of those stuff without needing to go through that type of physical environment, which is nice.

Even before the pandemic, we started to see the online sales spiking up because the Cyber Monday deals were coming up and Black Friday deals were also showing up online too, so people were going online. Maybe they pay a little more, maybe they know that, but at the same time, they also pay for that small little difference by not having to go through that ordeal themselves.

LASSITER: Though Black Friday kicks off the shopping spree season pretty late here in the States, the rush to ring in the holiday season overseas has already started.

IM: This is really, like, almost the holiday mood that you go out and buy gifts and buy some things, and here are the best deals of the year. So you get to treat yourself, treat others. It’s a lot of deal-driven excitement plus that mood of holiday. It’s kind of crazy that at least maybe about a decade ago, Black Friday really began on Black Friday, like after Thanksgiving. But I mean, we see Black Friday deals now, it’s Nov. 11, which is actually Singles Day in China.

THOMPSON: In the United States, we participate in Singles Day. It’s a small holiday, three point something billion dollars. But for them, it’s like almost $14 billion a day. And it goes on for 11 days starting today to celebrate gifts to yourself if you’re single.

LASSITER: Even though it takes us a little later than Singles Day to get in gear in America, the holiday shopping season starts off with a pretty big bang. Thanksgiving is Day One, then comes Black Friday, and then Small Business Saturday — a day encouraging consumers to support smaller stores. 

THOMPSON: Then you have what they call Sofa Sunday, and now Cyber Monday, which is Black Friday now trying to become Cyber Week, right? So those five days are huge in the United States, almost 200 million people engage in that. And so it’s a big deal, right?

LASSITER: Thanksgiving for the turkey, Black Friday for the blowouts, Saturday to shop small, Sunday for sectionals (and other furniture) and Cyber Monday to shop from behind your computer monitor. This five-day stretch of buy, buy, buy results in one of the biggest moneymakers for retailers nationwide, all year. Research from Statista projects over $39 billion of revenue during Cyber Week 2024 — two billion dollars more in revenue than last year.

Im says there are actually some psychological reasons behind why the act of buying with a discount catapulted Black Friday into a mainstay holiday.

IM: There’s a classical concept called “deal proneness,” or some kind of an emotional excitement that deals create. It’s not just about me needing this product or wanting this product. Sometimes it’s about getting the best deal and that kind of proves that you are a good shopper. So for a lot of people, it turns into almost like a game, like, “How much of a better deal that I can get?”

LASSITER: So, that’s how you get a holiday that spans generations like Black Friday. By implementing deals that feel special or exclusive, you turn shopping into a game that the whole family can play.

THOMPSON: For me, as a child, like, it was a huge tradition to go with, like, all the generations shopping on Black Friday. Like, my mom, my grandma, my sisters, my aunts. We would all go out as, like, a family event, we would always eat lunch at the Ruby Tuesday. 

It just is what we would do. And so like the tradition element and shopping as a family, I don’t know. I feel like culturally that’s not, I don’t see a ton of that anymore.

LASSITER: If you’re wanting to take the leap and join the herd of mall crowds, Im and Thompson both have advice for any intrepid shoppers looking to gear up and brave the wilderness.

IM: I would say it’s probably better to go to the store that you’re familiar with so that you know the store layouts and where to go and what to pick up. Do your research ahead of time. Have a list of stuff that you want to check for sure so that you don’t just, you know, weave through those crowds and get lost. It’s gonna be a “go in, pick up the stuff, and then get out as soon as possible” type of scenario.

This is not the environment where you can enjoy the shopping environment with your friends and just chat and, you know, look around. This is not a window shopping kind of an environment. It’s more of a very goal-driven environment. So you have to be ready for that. 

THOMPSON: Not only do we have the first mall ever over at Southdale which I encourage people to go check out—they’ve done some remodeling recently. Across the street you have the Galleria and Ridgedale which are two luxury retailer malls. 

You have the other end of the spectrum. We have two outlets in the Twin Cities — Albertville and Eden Prairie. That’s big-time, right? Most cities only have one.

And then we obviously have the flagship Mall of America, you know, the largest mall in America and tons of entertainment to be had there. So I think it’s just, yeah, “Why aren’t you getting out there?” 

Go see what it’s like. Malls have changed. They’re now not just for shopping, they’re for entertaining as well. So we’re lucky to be here in the Twin Cities with all this retail action and so I encourage people to enjoy it. 

LASSITER: Whether you’re staying in-state or traveling, hunting in the wild or surfing the web, Black Friday has evolved to fit any need of any shopper. It’s both interesting and a little bewildering to see. It makes me wonder if in another five years, we’ll be back to fighting each other over which Amazon drone is delivering our package. 

And knowing a little more about why we flock to stores and sites to get a steal on these deals makes me feel a little more confident in my choice to stay snuggled up at home and cracking open my laptop to shop.

This episode was written by Alex Lassiter and produced by Kaylie Sirovy. As always, we appreciate you listening in and feel free to send a message to our email inbox at podcasting@mndaily.com with any questions, comments, concerns or ideas for episodes you’d like to see us produce this season. I’m Alex, and this has been In The Know. Take care, y’all.

In 1899, the Colorado Agricultural College Aggies walked off a live football field with unfinished business.

On Friday, Colorado State football rejoiced, Bronze Boot in hand, on the logo in Canvas Stadium. The Rams claimed victory 24-10 in the 115th Border War against Wyoming for the first time since 2020. Still, the goal for this team has always been bigger than that.

Based solely on the box score, it’s plain to see how this team has operated and how it’s found success in the last five weeks: getting everyone involved. On a much larger scale, it’s a way of life for the Rams.

The team often speaks about the entire organization buying in. A win each week is an amalgamation of effort from an army of Rams. Safety Henry Blackburn has been around the organization long enough to see this effect both in prosperity and in famine.

“There’s amazing people in this building,” Blackburn said. “The janitors and the people who are waking up early to, you know, do our laundry — things like that — and the trainers and all the people that are putting all their best, their best foot forward.”

The culture seems to have extended this season to the fans as well. Canvas Stadium broke another record this fall season with 13,723 students in attendance — the most ever. The Border War brought together all kinds of people despite the cold weather.

There to bask in the glory were the stars of the night. Running backs Justin Marshall and Avery Morrow churned out 104 and 84 rushing yards respectively behind an offensive line that continues to impress. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi benefitted from a night without sacks and posted a passer rating of 196.6 along with 192 passing yards and a touchdown.

“I mean, the amount of depth we have at receiver, running back, O-line, D-line — you’ve seen it all,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “Like we had plenty of backup guys come in tonight. For example, (Trevyn Heil) at center. (Jacob Gardner) went down, and Trevyn came in, and we didn’t miss a beat.”

In an offense that no longer centers around the quarterback, Fowler-Nicolosi has quietly improved. He now shares a glimpse of a similar experience with others on the team, namely the defense. 

Helping hold UW to 237 yards all game, Dom Jones got on the stat sheet with his 10 total tackles. Others like the interior linemen, however, did what they always do: put in the work with little to show for it.

“I mean, there’s guys on the field who, you know — the 3-tech, he’s got to take on a double team,” Blackburn said. “He doesn’t get a stat for that, but he’s got to go do it every single play.”

Staying true to that theme, several offensive players have stepped up to fill voids this season. Scouring the box score, seven athletes garnered one or two touches on the offensive side of the ball; that’s in addition to three running backs, who all received at least nine touches.

Dane Olson has been the big-time playmaker with limited opportunities in past weeks, and he continued that trend with a passing touchdown to Fowler-Nicolosi on a CSU-altered Philly Special. This week, though, true freshman Tommy Maher received his induction into that role on a deep 53-yard catch.

“You know, when (Tory Horton) went down — he used to do a lot of things with Tory — so other players have kind of been auditioning to do a lot of the things we used to do with Tory,” Norvell said. “But boy, was he ready to go. And, you know, I was really proud of that, that’s a huge play.”

The ability to rely on a deep pocket of playmakers has made up for mistakes the Rams have experienced. CSU’s ability to control the time of possession led to a stagnant fourth quarter, preventing a Cowboy comeback. The game didn’t necessarily have to be anywhere as close, though.

The Rams were stripped of touchdowns twice in the first half from both four and one yard out, with the latter a result of a fumble on a jet sweep. They also missed a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 57-yard attempt early in fourth. Additionally, CSU’s defense gave up their only touchdown following a pass-interference call when a red zone stand looked probable.

For this team, the work clearly isn’t over. The Rams achieved bowl eligibility with their previous win against Nevada and now have won both the Bronze Boot and Ram-Falcon Trophy in the same season for the first time since 2015 — clearly surpassing early-season expectations. Still, the hunt for a Mountain West championship continues as CSU is still tied for first place within their conference with only one more regular season game.

“I mean, we’re in playoff mode,” Norvell said. “I mean, we’re only as good as how we play every Saturday. So, you know, we’re a step closer.”

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.

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UPDATE (2:35 p.m.): The victim — who was taken to a local hospital following the collision — was pronounced deceased, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told the Daily Trojan.

UPDATE (2:35 p.m.): The intersection at McClintock Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard is now open to traffic, according to a TrojansAlert message Friday afternoon.

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Traffic has been rerouted at McClintock Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard due to a collision involving a motorcycle and a car that resulted in a serious injury, Department of Public Safety Assistant Chief David Carlisle told the Daily Trojan. The crash — which took place at 9:10 a.m. — has closed the intersection for around two hours.

The LAPD’s South Traffic Division responded to conduct an investigation on the incident, Carlisle said.

An LAPD spokesperson told the Daily Trojan the victim was transported to a local hospital in a currently unknown condition.

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Metalsmithing student artwork will be displayed at the Hixon Student Gallery until Nov. 20. The exhibition, “meta}L{morphosis,” will showcase works of repurposed jewelry, created in collaboration with Radical Jewelry Makeover.

Radical Jewelry Makeover, an organization dedicated to using art and metalwork in tandem with activism, worked with students at Old Dominion University, Longwood University and Virginia Commonwealth University to repurpose jewelry donated by locals in early September.

“meta}L{morphosis” features works from fourteen artists in the Hampton Roads area, including many students at ODU. The show contains themes of transformation, with white butterflies pinned all over the walls and windows of the gallery, surrounding the art.

The individual pieces explored all kinds of interesting themes such as childhood nostalgia, recycling and ethical metalsmithing. The art spoke to how materials from the past can be reused to create beautiful work.

Emma Goulart created “Generational Adornment,” which utilizes earth tones inspired by everyday jewelry pieces worn by the artist’s mother. ODU graduate Megan Obenaus created “Cat’s Cradle,” a loop of string in the shape of a bolo tie adorned with icons traditionally associated with superstitions of luck, such as a black cat and a road runner. ODU senior Teresa Mitchell used themes of nostalgia to create “Sentimental Journey,” by turning a brooch into a decorated hair stick and a necklace into a hand chain.

Other pieces have themes of activism and environmental awareness, such as Jessica Folck’s “Life in a Plastic World,” which depicts microplastics affecting sea life, and asks in her artist statement, “Is it possible that one day oysters will create pearls with microplastics rather than a grain of sand?”

A favorite of mine was Theo Mayberry’s “Eye of the Beholder,” which depicted a string of pearls, a brooch, and a signet ring that explored themes of history and how time passes. 

“meta}L{morphosis” will be on display until Nov. 20. In the spring, all the pieces will be available to buy, and the proceeds will be donated to Radical Jewelry Makeover. ODU students should take the opportunity to see the unique artistry of the metalsmithing students and faculty while it is here.

Erin Grant & Lilyana Vasquez
Staff Writers

Men’s Basketball kicked off the season with a 91-86 victory against the NCAA DII National Champions, Minnesota State Mavericks, in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic hosted at Florida Southern College. Junior forward Alex Steen paved the way with an explosive performance that played a key role in FSC’s impressive victory.

In their first game of the season, Steen recorded his 17th double-double, ending the game with 27 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, as highlighted by the Florida Southern College Athletics website. He established the tone early in the first quarter, continuously testing Minnesota State’s defense with his scoring, while shutting down their offensive advances with blocks and rebounds. During the weekend, Steen led SSC players with seven blocks, finishing sixth in scoring and fifth in rebounds for the tournament. In recognition of his hard work and defensive skills, the 6’ 8” forward was named the Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week, an honor he’s been awarded five times in his career. 

Steen’s journey to success in basketball is a little different than other FSC players. His story starts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he originally played hockey, among other sports. After moving to Florida in eighth grade, he found his stride on the court, and quickly shifted his focus to basketball.

Basketball became a constant in Steen’s life, providing a challenge and lifetime camaraderie amongst his teammates. With every game, his passion and dedication to the sport has grown stronger. Today, Steen wears No.  25, a number with deep personal significance, to honor his late father’s influence on his game and his character. 

“It’s a reminder of him every time I step out on the court,” Steen said.

Steen credits much of his performance to the relationships he’s made within the team. Steen continuously emphasized that his achievements wouldn’t be possible without the support of his teammates: “It’s not a 1v5 out there. It’s a team sport,” Steen said. 

As a seasoned player nearing the end of his career, Steen shared that he is excited to see the previously developed chemistry grow even more with the team over the season. He noted that unity and cohesiveness is just as important as on-court presence. 

“Those are my brothers, and when you build that bond outside of the court it definitely contributes to the court,” he said.

Looking ahead, Steen has set some ambitious goals for himself. In the off season, he’s dedicated lots of time to become a well rounded player, and improved his ability to stretch the floor. Ultimately, Steen just wants the team to build on the momentum of their first game. 

“I would love to be an All-American this year … but I’d rather win a million games– win the conference–  with this team if I had to choose,” he shared.

Fans who are eager to see what’s next for Steen and FSC’s men’s basketball team can find the schedule online. As Steen himself put it, his focus remains on the team’s success, but his relentless drive is sure to earn him even more individual accolades along the way.

A shift in season has reached Utah, which also means a shift in fashion. However, that doesn’t mean the winter weather has to cramp your style. It can be difficult to find unique pieces of clothing that will also keep you warm, but there are cool options out there. Here’s a guide. 

Graviet

Graviet, a Utah-based company founded by Mada Graviet and Bella Beckstead, has the coolest selection of basics I’ve seen lately. Their simple branding and fun colors make a plain hoodie look like the best thing ever. Last winter I purchased a blue beanie from Graviet that quickly became my most complimented clothing item. The brand has a small selection, so it’s not necessarily a place to look for most of your closet but instead just a few fun pieces. Graviet’s cohesive aesthetic and trendy pieces add to their appeal for an up-and-coming brand. 

Susmie’s 

I came across Susmie’s scrolling on Instagram and became obsessed with their scarves and gloves. I strongly recommend the Kansas Set which includes a beanie, gloves and scarf. Their fun pops of pink, orange and blue can add warmth to a cold, snowy day. Although I’ve been eyeing their products for the past month, I have yet to make a purchase as their products are a little pricey.

Secondhand Options

Colder weather means more clothes which means more money spent. This doesn’t have to be true. About half of my closet as of late has been found from the Goodwill outlet bins. Winter clothes can get very expensive but a lot of perfectly good winter clothing gets donated to the bins. The bins are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The workers rotate bins every hour so don’t worry about getting there at opening.

A puffer jacket and boots are essential for winter, but can also be expensive. Facebook Marketplace is the place to look first before making a purchase. I’ve found a few of my pieces on Facebook in preparation for the cold, such as Blundstone boots and a North Face puffer jacket. Options cycle and become available often so keep an eye out for what you’re looking for. Make use of Facebook this winter to find inexpensive options.

Be a Cold Diva

Don’t brave the cold in just a jacket to reach the warm campus buildings — dress for the weather in style. Check out these options this winter season.

h.edmonds@dailyutahchronicle.com

@haileyedmonds8

The post How To Be Unique & Stylish in a Utah Winter first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Tracktown Exchange is a student-run company on campus for student creatives to use their space free of charge to sell their products.

Started by junior advertising majors Tommy Bowers and Joni Victorino during their sophomore year, Tracktown Exchange is a place for student creatives and entrepreneurs to sell products they’ve made.

“It’s a lot of creative anything. So we do student magazines, newspapers. We do a bunch of clothing companies, a bunch of people make jewelry, people who crochet, or people who sell hats or just any creative who has an idea. If you have something you can sell, we want to work with you,” Bowers said.

Once an abandoned coffee kiosk located on the corner of 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street, Bowers and Victorino renovated the space after getting approval from the owners of Eugene NEST, a vintage clothing store on the same property as the kiosk, and the building landlord.

“We just had an idea, and so we kind of faked [it] until we made it and pitched this whole idea to them about remaking it, and they would let us use it as a space for creatives to sell their stuff for free [and] people who had small companies who couldn’t do their own full pop up,” Bowers said.

Bowers and Victorino said they used their own personal funds to finance the renovation process.

“There was a bunch of dirt [and] a bunch of old leftover stuff from the coffee shack that was in there. The whole thing was graffitied. The ceiling had a leak in it. The whole thing was kind of in shambles,” Bowers said.

The first Tracktown Exchange pop-up event occurred in April and included the entire week of the Associated Students at the University of Oregon Street Faire.

“For the first event we’d hosted, we created posters. We had told a bunch of our friends. We created an Instagram account,” Victorino said.

After the first events, other pop-up events were held during the remainder of the spring 2024 term.

“We plan on doing pop-ups throughout the year at various times, and a bunch of artists…are wanting to sell stuff or have collections that they’re comfortable releasing, and we’re hoping that we’re doing some pop-ups with ASUO and the NEST soon,” Bowers said.

According to Victorino, one goal of Tracktown Exchange is to create an accessible space for student vendors. Vendors are never charged to use the space.

“[Vendors] have so many different barriers, like fears of not having enough stock, the money, like the actual overhead to have a table, the actual scheduling of getting a spot at the EMU, like, there’s all these little things that I don’t think people really consider,” Victorino said. “We just wanted to give students a space where they were able to express themselves and do what they wanted to do without these barriers.”

Currently, Bowers and Victorino work with a team of 15 other people, all volunteering their time to assist vendors and creatives.

“We’re looking for volunteers, always, we’re always looking to grow the team,” Bowers said. “No idea is a bad idea.”

The post Tracktown Exchange offers a space for creatives to grow appeared first on Daily Emerald.

ALEX KARWOWSKI: Hello, hello, and welcome back to The Gold Standard. I’m Alex Karwowski, your Minnesota Daily sports editor. And I’m joined here today with campus activities reporter, Ahmed, and the producer of The Gold Standard, Ceci. What’s up guys? 

CECI HEINEN: Hello. 

AHMED HASSAN: How you doing Alex? 

KARWOWSKI: Oh, I’m so well, I’m so glad you asked, but yeah, it’s been a while. I mean, we’ve been trying to figure out just reevaluating the podcast, figuring some things out, but you know, we’re back, we’re here. The podcast isn’t going anywhere, we just made a couple of tweaks. 

Anyway, yeah, so in that time a lot of Gopher sports have happened. So let’s get right into it. Gopher football lost to Rutgers, but it didn’t seem like the loss affected them all too much. They were ranked number five in the Big Ten going into that game, and I believe they’re still ranked number five. Ahmed, you got any, any thoughts on that game? 

HASSAN: I think the biggest area of concern for me was 35 rushing yards. I mean, you look at this team, you know they’re a running team. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. Classic Gopher football. 

HASSAN: Classic Gopher football, and I mean, you got Darius Taylor, so you expect them to really emphasize on the run game. So seeing that stat is concerning to me. It is, especially in this game against Rutgers that, you know, you’d put the Gophers as favorites in, but it is a typical Minnesota game to lose. 

You know, when, when all the odds are in your favor, you know, Minnesota always tends to, you know, go the other way of the odds and they more so disappoint. But that’s the biggest concern to me. I felt like other than that, it wasn’t a terrible game. I felt they did good in the pass game, but that run game just needs to be better. 

KARWOWSKI: You hit it right on the money, like the Gophers have this tendency to win games that they shouldn’t, and lose games they should win. And it was, it was kind of like a back and forth matchup, but like, it kind of seems like they took Rutgers for granted throughout the entire game. 

HASSAN: I agree. And I mean, I think that’s just in any sport, you can’t take your opponent for, for granted. You just can’t. That’s just, that’s a fact. Like, you gotta play every game like it’s your last game.

But I mean, I was impressed with Brosmer. I mean 27 completes for 45 attempts. It wasn’t a bad game. His QB rating was about 88.45, so about 88%. He didn’t have a terrible game, but again, only one touchdown. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. It seems like if you’re, especially if you’re Athan Kaliakmanis, I think he really wanted to win this game. And our football beat reporter, Andrew was saying that like they dodged every single question about Kaliakmanis at the pregame or the midweek press conference. He was asking them about it and they just didn’t want to like address it or acknowledge it at all. Which is kind of typical media and P.J. Fleck and all that jazz, but. 

HASSAN: Yeah, but I mean, you can definitely tell there’s some frustrations and I mean, just to, I don’t think they’re going to think too hardly on this one, but I think they need to reassess some things in my opinion. Because you can’t go from beating all these top teams and going on such a good run to losing to a team like Rutgers when Minnesota is having a really good progressive streak right now.

It’s just it’s not really the best look and it’s not a good consistent factor that you want to build this program off of. Obviously there’s some, you know, things that happen along the way, but if you want to be a top contender, you got to win those games and you got to dominate in those games. Consistency is everything. 

KARWOWSKI: Right. Fortunately for the Gophers, they’ll have this week a bye week. So they don’t have any games this weekend. I guess by the time you’re listening to this, last weekend. They do play Penn State, it’s their next matchup. It’ll be a home matchup. Final home game for the Gophers before going over to Wisconsin for their final game of the season. Which is on Black Friday this year, kind of interesting. It’ll be a new thing, I guess. 

HASSAN: I think Penn State’s going to be a really good game and, Wisconsin, we’re going to have to wait and see what happens.

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. 

HASSAN: But I think Penn State’s really going to be a deciding factor of how they’ll go into that Wisconsin game, in my opinion. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. You know, if you were to ask me as a student of this university, I would hope that the Gophers win every single game, every single year. But, obviously the sports is sports and anything can happen.

But, I don’t think they’ll beat Penn State. But I think it’ll be a pretty close game against Wisconsin. And I think there’s opportunity to beat them there. Especially after losing the Axe last season at home. I think they’re gonna want some revenge. 

HASSAN: I’m just gonna say this, I think the Gophers have too much to prove. I think they have a chip on their shoulder at home in front of their fans after the Rutgers game. I mean when you’re back home after a good away stretch you have something to prove. 

KARWOWSKI: That’s true. 

HASSAN: I think they’re gonna come out and they were gonna do what they should have done. And I think Darius Taylor is gonna have a much better game than he did on against Rutgers.

KARWOWSKI: I believe he’s hurt right now, but he’s got the bye week to kind of recover. 

HASSAN: Exactly, that’s kind of why I’m thinking he’ll be back because if you didn’t have the bye week it’d be a little more questionable. But I think he’ll be back for the Penn State game, and I think he wants to be back for the Penn State game. You know, I call these players dogs, and I think Darius Taylor fits into the category of a dog on this team. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah, no, I 100% agree, but yeah, I guess time will tell. Also, I forgot to mention that Ceci is here, and she’s listening. She’s on the podcast. But she will be strictly speaking about the WNBA. 

HASSAN: She’s our expert. 

KARWOWSKI: So let’s talk about volleyball. They played Washington and Oregon. They were upset by Washington in four sets and then they were swept by Oregon. What do we think?

HASSAN: It’s not fun losing two games in a row. I mean, when this team has had a good home record. They were seven and one going into this game at home. Or into these two matches. And to, you know, lose two in a row, like, at home it’s, it raises some concerns. That’s what I’m gonna say. 

It raises some concerns because they’re a good team. I mean, they’re still above 500. They’re still ranked. They still have a good record, but I mean, at home is just you know, one loss fine, it happens. But I think two losses, and especially, you know three and 0 against Oregon. It raises questions and I think when something’s raising questions, you need to reevaluate what happened. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. And Emmett, our volleyball reporter was saying that Keegan Cook was a little upset after the Oregon match. It’s kind of the time of year where all students are just kind of like going through it right now with finals coming up and it’s kind of the end of the semester, but like not really, we still got quite some time. 

But, he said that I believe, just volleyball is kind of what they have to keep at the forefront and they’re kind of just like didn’t really. It’s hard to focus on volleyball when they’re students.

HASSAN: 100%. I mean, I think people forget, you know on top of being athletes, they are students. They have mental health too. And I think when you’re juggling so many things at once it can get complicated and it can get stressful. But I think it has a bigger effect than we know on it. They’re human too. 

KARWOWSKI: Right. And I think Oregon is just like a, it was a top 15 matchup at home in front of a sold out crowd. And Oregon is just historically like a pretty solid volleyball program. And, you know, they kind of came out swinging.

The Gophers allowed 13 service aces against Oregon. And I think just the serve receive is another issue and point of emphasis for Keegan Cook as they kind of reevaluate and take this next couple days to figure out what to do next. 

They play Nebraska, which as we know was the National runner up last season and kind of the “volleyball capital of the world.” So it’ll be interesting to see how they play them, especially on the road.

HASSAN: But let me tell you this Alex. There are players that step up to the moment.

KARWOWSKI: That’s true.

HASSAN: And all I’m saying is this has the makings of an upset. You know away from home, on a two game losing streak, against a top dog in number two ranked Nebraska. I think if I’m these Gopher volleyball players, they have something to prove. Not just to the fans, but to themselves. And I think you could possibly see an upset against a very, very, very good team 

KARWOWSKI: But yeah, so certainly some, some issues, some things to prove. Play Nebraska, and then they play Michigan at home. Sold out crowd for that one at Maturi Pavilion. 

Speaking of playing games at home, Nov. 15, Gopher soccer hosts the first round of the NCAA Tournament against South Dakota State, Jackrabbits. You looking forward to that game? 

HASSAN: I’m very much looking forward to that game. I think this Gopher team are the real deal. I think, you know, that Penn State game was tough. That Penn State game was tough because, in my opinion, you know, watching the game and everything that goes within it, it’s 90 minutes. 

It’s 90 minutes for a reason. That means you can’t lose your focus for one minute, because that one minute you lose your focus is the minute that they’ll score on you.

KARWOWSKI: And that they did. 

HASSAN: And that they did. And I mean, it was, it’s heartbreaking, but, you know, their season isn’t over. They have the NCAA tournament, and I think this is everything to play for. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah, and especially so before that Penn State game the Gophers were undefeated at home until, of course, they lost to Penn State. But, with that record I feel like you know, they got that like behind them. To be like, “Yeah we haven’t lost a game at home except for the one Penn State game.” But like let’s just forget about that and you know, I’m sure Gopher fans will show out. 

HASSAN: It’s a new season. It’s just, it’s plain and simple like that. You know, this is their first NCAA bid since 2018. They’re at home with a very very very good home record. I mean it’s moments like these, you know when you’re in these tournaments, nothing else that happened prior to the season happens, you’re just in that moment. It really doesn’t matter. It’s a 90 minute game. Eleven players on each side, unless somebody gets a red card. It’s everything to play for.

It doesn’t matter what the tactics are. It doesn’t matter what you do. All that matters is that they win. And I think this Gopher team has everything it takes to win. It’s just, will they step up to the moment, and can they keep their focus for 90 minutes?

KARWOWSKI: Well, let’s talk about Khyah Harper for a minute. This is her first full season where she’s been healthy. I think she was the Big Ten Forward of the Year. She’s had quite a dominant season. 

HASSAN: When you’re a player, you know, when this is your first full season, and again, I go back to this, but, cause it’s true, but people have stuff to play for. In Harper, 17 goals. Like she was first in game winning goals and fifth in points. 

I mean, that alone tells you the story of, you know, these quality players when they’re playing, when they’re healthy, you’re gonna see a whole different ball game. And, and, she’s the first Gopher to win this since April Bockin in 2018.

It says a lot about her, and I’m very high up on her, but now it’s the question of playoffs, you know, like the tournament. What are you gonna do that you didn’t do already in the regular season? Can you show us something different now? 

Because she’s obviously proven, when it comes to pressure, She’s done it six times, she’s shown, “Hey, I’m gonna go get you that game winning goal. Hey, I’m gonna score seventeen goals in this season. And I’m gonna be the Big Ten Forward of the Year.” 

But now, can you do it on the biggest stage? And so that’s my question to her. Can you, are you gonna fold under pressure, or are you gonna be the star?

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. No, that’ll be interesting to see. But you know, Gophers Women’s Basketball plays UMass Lowell tonight. They’ve won their first two games of the season. Both were relatively solid wins. It’s been great to see Mara Braun, Amaya Battle and all these new players kind of contribute. 

I know Annika Stewart led the game in points in the first game. 18 over Mara Braun 17, which I thought was pretty interesting. I mean, she’s a transfer. I mean, yes, she’s got four years of experience playing college ball over in Nebraska, transferred to her home state, Minnesota. She went to Wayzata, so she knew Mara Braun. She knew Brynn Senden, both Wayzata teammates.

HASSAN: You know, when you think about it, these are all stuff that really speak loud to players. I mean, when you’re back in your hometown, I mean, it’s been, what, four years she’s playing in Nebraska? 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. 

HASSAN: She’s probably now seeing her family, especially if she’s from Wayzata, more times than none. She already has chemistry with these other players. I think we’re gonna see a lot of experience, maturity and comfortability.

KARWOWSKI: And it’s not only her that’s returning to her home state, but Taylor Woodson, former Hopkins player, played with the Amaya Battle at Hopkins. Returning home after a season at over at Michigan, playing for the Gophers and was also another very dominant figure in that first game against Central Connecticut State. 

HASSAN: Two dominant wins to start this season. But I think now the test is, can you keep that up? Are you gonna keep dominating? Because if you dominate these, you know, these little smaller games, that’ll kind of tell the tale of what you can do in the against the bigger teams.

HEINEN: When you have the good team chemistry, you can really like pull together and get tough wins, especially in the Big Ten. Now that the U is going to be facing USC, JuJu Watkins, UCLA. Like they’re going to have a much tougher season in my opinion, but I could see them going to the tournament. 

KARWOWSKI: Yeah. I think that’s going to be the big story of the season — is this an NCAA tournament team? And I think it’s been really cool to see Mara Braun develop her game.

I think we saw last season she was really working on the step back threes, which is really cool to see. Definitely a shooter, but now it seems like she’s been more aggressive on the ball. I think she had eight steals in the last game, which was a new record for a single game in Minnesota history. So it’s been really cool to see her develop that element of her game. 

But yeah, I think her being kind of one of the solid leaders on the team, along with Amaya Battle, Niamya Holloway, and then Mallory Heyer, it’s just going to do wonders for the recruiting team. Do you want to talk about WNBA? 

HEINEN: Yeah, I mean, so it is a bit in our past now. And I will say that after all this time I have gotten over the Minnesota Lynx losing in the championship. 

KARWOWSKI: I haven’t. 

HEINEN: It took me a while. Yeah, I’m better now and you know what will be, we lost. Congrats to the Liberty. All I can say is it was a great final. It was a great five game series. And I’m really looking forward to the WNBA next year, especially with the addition of a new team coming out of Golden State, the Golden State Valkyries. That will be very interesting. 

KARWOWSKI: Isn’t Portland getting a new team as well? 

HEINEN: Yes, Portland, Toronto and Golden State officially, I believe, have teams lined up. And it just makes my heart happy because I think the WNBA is just. 

KARWOWSKI: They’re ballers. 

HEINEN: They are and I love them. But yeah, I just think that this next season of the WNBA is going to be even better. We’re gonna have a seven game final. They just made that change. 

KARWOWSKI: They could probably use that this year.

HASSAN: I felt like this finals, I felt like I was robbed of more because we had, we got so much and I’m just sitting there like, wow. 

HEINEN: You know, you wouldn’t think that the two star players on those teams, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, you would not think they were friends after that. But, they actually co-own a new women’s basketball league that is going to be starting January 2025.

It’s called Unrivaled and it’s a 3v3 league, which will feature 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the game. Some Minnesota favorites will have Courtney Williams out there, Kayla McBride, obviously Napheesa, and then you’ll also have Angel Reese. You’ll have Kahleah Copper, Jewell Loyd, like it’s absolutely stacked. 

And, I think this 3v3 league is a great thing for women’s basketball, especially because we’re currently in the WNBA offseason and typically at this time, and currently, you’ll see a lot of players going overseas to play for kind of random teams. Because, I mean, they don’t make enough money in the regular season, I think to you know, keep themselves afloat in the offseason.

And so yeah, I bet many of you heard about what happened with Brittney Griner. She currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury, and last winter she was detained in Russia.

KARWOWSKI: In Russia, yeah.

HEINEN: And she was there for a year and it took like diplomatic relations to get her back. Which I think is just absurd. Like I think it shook a lot of people up in the WNBA, and it made a lot of people not want to travel abroad to play anymore and so I think that that was like the seed that planted this 3v3 league. 

And it is already setting records for providing some of the highest salaries women have ever received in sports. All 36 initial players are going to receive equity ownership. It’ll be eight weeks long, 3v3 full court, six different teams. And then obviously we’ll get a playoffs. We’ll get a championship. And then special thing that they’re doing which I am. 

KARWOWSKI: But wait there’s more. 

HEINEN: I’m so excited for this and I think this is going to be big. They are having a one on one single elimination tournament in February to determine the best one on one player in the world.

HASSAN: There’s the difference between you know, basketball and hooping. But what I think you’re gonna see here is a bunch of hoopers, you know, just yeah just hooping. And that’s kind of what the basketball culture is. That’s what a lot of, you know, hoopers on the streets, you know, young kids watching relate to. 

HEINEN: Yeah. And I think these players are going to love that as well, because when you’re playing 3v3 and when you’re playing one on one, like you can really like put yourself out there and show what you’re good at and like be cocky. And I think almost all of these players want to be doing that. 

HASSAN: I think it’s definitely amazing for the league. I love the trajectory its going in. 

KARWOWSKI: Thanks again for listening. Really appreciate it. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, hot takes, disagreements, whatever it is. Just feel free to send me an email at akarwowski@mndaily.com.

But yeah, this podcast, The Gold Standard, was recorded by Alex Karwowski, Ahmed Hassan and Ceci Heinen, and it was produced by Ceci Heinen as well. So shout out Ceci. Thanks again for listening and I hope to see you next time on the Gold Standard. 

Jamal Morris (25) embraces Donovan Smith (1) during a NCAA football game against Iowa State on Sept. 28, 2024 in Houston Texas. | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar

Houston football, who is 4-5 looks to win three games in a row and bring their record back to .500 with a Friday night matchup against the Arizona Wildcats, who are 3-6 on the road in Tucson, Ariz. after a bye week. 

Cougars on a roll

After their second bye week, UH looks to pick up where they left off with victories in back-to-back games.

Quarterback Zeon Chriss had a big game vs No. 17 Kansas State and finished 11/11 passing to become the first Houston quarterback in school history to have a perfect completion percentage with 10 or more attempts.

Chriss was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his winning effort. The Cougars had their highest-ranked win in seven seasons since beating No. 17 South Florida in 2017 with the 24-19 win over Kansas State.

Houston’s defense has stood out throughout the year, ranked 24th nationally after being 104th last season.

The team is making strides on special teams, with freshman punter Liam Dougherty earning special teams player of the week for his performance vs Kansas State.

Houston has also improved their running game with two rushing touchdowns in the last two games. UH has run for 1208 yards over the last seven games and ranks 23rd in rushing among Power Four schools, even with a trio of freshman running backs.

“I think they can all play at his level, and they’re doing a great job,” coach Willie Fritz said. 

A winnable game

Houston leads the all-time series vs Arizona 3-1. The teams’ last matchup came in 2018 in the form of a 45-18 win at TDECU Stadium.

The Wildcats have not won a game since Sept.28 vs Utah and are on a five-game losing streak.

Arizona is currently 2-4 at home and coming off a 56-12 beating at UCF. This game offers a great opportunity for the Cougars to make a statement win on the road.

Arizona ranks 14th in the Big 12 in total offense and defense and 13th in both rushing offense and defense.

Arizona sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita currently ranks fifth in passing in the conference, but Houston has the potential to limit them and take on a weak Wildcats defense. 

“They’ve got a super experienced quarterback and one of the best wide receivers in the country,” Fritz said. “They got multiple defensive packages, so we’ve got to do a good job of looking at our keys and clues to predetermine what we’re going to do.”

Rising expectations

The Cougars beat the top two preseason favorites of the Big 12 in the last two weeks in Utah and Kansas State.

A victory vs Arizona would propel Houston one win away from bowl eligibility with two more games left. This potential three-game win streak would also be their longest since Oct. 7-29, 2022.

With momentum on their side after two huge wins, Houston’s chances to play meaningful football in the last few weeks are legit.

Fritz has this team in a position many did not think possible at the start of the year. Houston was projected to finish 15th in the Big 12 standings out of 16 and what was rated the hardest schedule in the conference.

Currently, the Cougars are 11th and can continue to rise if they have their fourth Big 12 win in the last five games.

Their bowl hopes are still alive, needing six wins to clinch a bid. A win against Arizona is vital since they will round out their season with a matchup against another ranked and currently undefeated opponent BYU.

“Our morale was down, so we got that win against Utah, that boosted our morale. Then we came together and said we can do this,” senior linebacker Jamal Morris said. “I’m proud of the guys for the way we stuck together and understood the assignment and knowing the season is not over.”

The game will kick of at 9:15 p.m. at Arizona Stadium and will be streamed on FS1.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Week 12 preview: Houston football strives for three game win streak” was originally posted on The Cougar

Last season, Tech made one of the most improbable comebacks in program history by beating the undefeated No. 17 Hurricanes in a 23-20 shocker. The sequel was even better.

Instead of relying on good fortune, the Jackets were in control from the jump. Miami scrambled to get back in the game, but Tech continued to execute and keep the Hurricanes at arms reach. Although Miami has played plenty of close games this season where opponents faltered down the stretch, the Jackets held onto their lead and delivered the Hurricanes their first loss of the season. Poetically, redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King kneeled out the game to secure the victory, reminding Miami of the lack of kneeling that cost them last year’s game. The win was Tech’s first win against a top-five opponent since their win over No. 4 Virginia on Oct. 17, 2009. 

A major storyline going into the game was the status of King. Despite being labeled as questionable going into the game, it seemed to be inevitable that King was going to take part in the biggest game of the season so far. To the glee of the Jackets faithful, King took the field for the first offensive snap of the game.

Tech started the game on offense. Urged on by 47,358 roaring Tech fans, the largest at an ACC home game for the Jackets since 2018, their offense made a statement that they would not let the Hurricanes roll through. Redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes rushed for 65 yards on the second play of the game to set the Jackets up inside Miami territory. Haynes finished the drive himself by running in for the touchdown while juking out a formidable Hurricanes rush defense, ranked fifth in the ACC for rush yards per game..

Miami responded immediately. Senior quarterback Cam Ward found redshirt junior tight end Elijah Arroyo to score a 74-yard touchdown on Miami’s second play of the game. On their second drive, Tech implemented a unique, but risky gameplan of playing freshman quarterback Aaron Philo alongside King. The early results could have been better — Tech punted  after a three-and-out. However, over the course of the game, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner used Philo in more obvious passing situations and put King in when the team needed to run the ball. 

Miami responded to Tech stalling out with a short drive of their own and kicked a 41-yard field goal, to take a 10-7 lead. Fortunately, the Jackets answered back with a nearly  11-minute touchdown drive of their own that revealed their gameplan: run the ball over the Hurricanes’ defense. Their methodical drive was proof of concept. Of the 80 yards that the Jackets gained on the drive, they picked up 64 by running largely through the legs of King. Despite Tech doing most of their work on the ground, they switched things up in the red zone. King capped off the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Malik Rutherford, to give Tech a 14-10 lead. The lead was one that the Jackets did not relinquish.

In a half of largely excellent defense, the Jackets’ defense set itself apart on two distinct plays. The first came after Miami marched down the field to the Tech 23-yard line and decided to go for it on fourth and three. Redshirt junior defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen rushed Ward and forced him into an incomplete pass, thus forcing a turnover on downs. The defense shined again when the  Hurricanes were near midfield and needed nine yards to convert a pivotal third down. Redshirt junior defensive back Omar Daniels got in between Ward’s pass to break it up and  force Miami to punt. It “We went over [that play] many times, so [senior safety LaMiles Brooks] told me what to do. I can’t thank him enough. That’s a great teammate right there.” Daniels said, on how he made the pivotal pass breakup and how Brooks helped him make the play.

The first half was a dominant display from the Jackets on both sides of the ball. The defense forced Ward to complete just 50% of his passes and 133 yards passing. They complemented an excellent pass defense with  Tech allowing just 65 yards on the ground. On offense, the Jackets churned out 189 yards rushing while dominating the time of possession, holding the ball for 18 minutes and 17 seconds. Tech hoped to expand on their 14-10 lead in the second half. 

The Jackets defense continued their dominant performance in the second half. Tech forced a turnover on downs on Miami’s first drive of the half. The Jackets took advantage of the turnover and marched down the field, capping it off with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Philo to redshirt senior Chase Lane on third down. The touchdown pass was Philo’s first as a Jacket and extended Tech’s lead to 21-10.

Miami responded once again on the arm of  Ward. The Hurricanes went 83 yards in nine plays to score the touchdown. Miami elected to go for a two-point conversion but the swarming Jackets defense forced a fumble to limit the score to 21-16. 

After the Miami touchdown, King stepped up. He led the offense on a 75 yard drive down the field and capitalized on the momentum from the defense with a five-yard King run into the end zone. It extended the score to 28-16 and put the Jackets in firm control of the game. For the Jackets to win this game, they needed to show up in the fourth quarter. In Miami’s previous games, the Hurricanes made big fourth quarter comebacks, overcoming deficits to Duke and Cal. It was up to the Jackets defense to stifle their hopes. On Miami’s three offensive drives in the quarter,  the Jackets forced turnovers on two of them. The first came on a fourth-and-16 attempt that Miami desperately needed to get back into the game. The Jackets put a stop to it by driving Ward into the ground on the sack. Still, the Hurricanes cut the lead to 23-28 on a clutch throw by Ward. With the game hanging in the balance, redshirt junior defensive end Romello Height beat the Miami tackle, mauled Ward and ripped the ball away from the Heisman hopeful. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Jordan Van Den Berg recovered the ball and held onto it with all of his might. “I watched a war movie last night. I was digging in the trenches for the ball.” Van Den Berg said jokingly about securing the fumble for the Jackets. 

After the fumble recovery, the Jackets offense needed one first down to secure the victory. Tech ran the ball up the middle on first and second down but they fell short of the first-down marker. Tech needed an offensive spark and turned to the player with lightning in his veins — sophomore wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr.  Singleton took the shovel pass from King, outran Miami’s defense and picked up the first down before sliding down to ice the game. In just two successive kneel-downs from King, the Jackets upset No. 4 Miami, 28-23.

In their most impressive display of run-game execution this year, the Jackets ran for 271 yards and Kingled the team with 93 yards.  In the trenches, Tech’s run defense held up their end of the bargain by limiting the Hurricanes to 88 rushing yards. The game was a prime example of the complimentary football that Key strives for Tech to play. 

Tech fans stormed the field in exuberant celebration once the game was officially over. Despite the attempts of security to protect the goal posts, students unsurprisingly engineered a way to dislodge the posts and brought them to President Angel Cabrera’s house.“You saw the students. You saw the fans. That’s what it’s special for…That’s what we are, just nerds and prideful of it,” Key said after the game in reference to what the victory means. It may not be 1984, but years of misplaced hope and miserable losses culminated in a revenge of the nerds.

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