A lot of Gophers fans assumed head coach Glen Mason would have left for greener pastures by now.

	Related Links: Oregon bowl report Minnesota season results Minnesota bowl history Sun Bowl coverage Sun Bowl results Bowl matchups Forum: Can the Gophers handle Oregon's Rueben Droughns?
	T O P   N E W S

But after being courted by LSU and Michigan State, Mason remains the boss at Minnesota, which has made things decidedly sunny in Minneapolis as the Gophers prepare for the Sun Bowl.

By all accounts, practices for the game against Oregon have been brisk and fruitful, though senior defensive back Tyrone Carter missed some time because he had to be in Orlando to accept the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's premier defensive back.

Not one player on the two-deep chart has suffered an injury that will carry over to the Sun Bowl. Better yet, linebacker Austin Osei has recovered from the knee injury that crippled him at regular season's end.

Oregon hasn't been as lucky as Minnesota. Each of the Ducks' fullbacks are banged up -- crucial to the success of star tailback Rueben Droughns. And one of the Ducks' top five defensive backs has been booted from the team -- nickel back Tamoni Joiner.

The Personnel File

RECRUITING NEVER STOPS: Though most Big Ten teams have secured more verbal commitments, Minnesota's sitting pretty with 14 commitments of its own.

The Gophers have been particularly successful with offensive linemen. Five have sworn to become Gophers, including a pair of monstrous tackles from Ohio. Westerville's Ricky Wymer checks in at 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds while Columbus' Art Smith possesses a 6-8, 323-pound frame.

And, though he won't count as a member of this recruiting class, the Gophers also will gain the services of All-American tailback Thomas Tapeh next year. Tapeh, who didn't clear the NCAA Clearinghouse this year, is expected to post a solid freshman year academically and then take over at tailback for the soon-to-be-graduated Thomas Hamner.

PAIR OF ALL-AMERICANS: Another sure sign the Gophers are mingling with the nation's best? Minnesota produced 2 of the 24 players on the Associated Press All-America team -- the first time the school has accomplished the feat since Sandy Stephens and Bobby Bell made the cut in 1961.

While center Ben Hamilton's selection was a pleasant surprise, defensive back Tyrone Carter's inclusion was a foregone conclusion.

Carter needs just 5 solo tackles against Oregon to become the No. 1 solo tackler in NCAA history. He owns 397 stops. Toledo linebacker Greg Garnica piled up 401 from 1986-89.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Thomas Hamner, senior tailback. Quarterback Billy Cockerham improved more and center Ben Hamilton received more national accolades (including being the center on the SportsLine All-American team), but Hamner was the man when it mattered. He rolled up 1,362 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground while carrying the ball as many times as Mason needed him to. He also caught three touchdown passes.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tyrone Carter, senior safety. Carter's incredible tackling skills and competent coverage skills allowed the Gophers to play a million different schemes that shared a common thread: Aggression. Carter wound up breaking the NCAA's career record for tackles by a defensive back. He finished 1999 with a team-high 127 stops, including 99 solos. He made four tackles for loss and forced two fumbles. Defensive end Karon Riley (16 sacks) gets honorable mention.

COACH UPDATE: Glen Mason (16-17 in 3 years; 75-82-1 in 14 years overall). The Gophers hung on to Mason as more high-profile jobs became vacant. He probably can't win a national title at Minnesota with its inconsistent recruiting bases, so he might have to go elsewhere if that's his career goal.

STRENGTHS: Minnesota's rock-solid defense allows its offense to take its time to find its rhythm. The Gophers piled up 42 sacks and limited teams to a little over 100 rushing yards per game. Minnesota also averaged more than 60 penalty yards per game. Those can haunt a team in big games.

CONCERNS: The Gophers didn't win against Purdue and Drew Brees. Oregon loves to throw (2,930 passing yards) almost as much as the Boilers do, plus the Ducks have an excellent runner (Reuben Droughns) to keep them honest.

Noteworthy

THE KING OF COACHES: Glen Mason continues to rack up big-time kudos from those who vote for prestigious awards.

Mason won the Football News' coach of the year honor and the Dave McClain Big Ten coach of the year award and was a finalist for the Bear Bryant national award.

Mason also is one of three finalists for the Eddie Robinson coach of the year award, which will be presented on Jan. 13. Should he win the award over Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer and Hawaii's June Jones -- the two coaches who finished ahead of him in the Associated Press' coach of the year balloting -- expect his acceptance speech to include a passage such as this:

"It's a collective effort," Mason said. "It should be called 'Coaching Staff of the Year Award.' This is my 14th year as a head coach and about the middle part of this season, I really started to feel that my coaching staff was doing the best job of any I've been around."