MplsGopher
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https://247sports.com/college/minne...eyes-PJ-Fleck-five-takeaways-recap-154501477/
1) Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford has a lot of explaining to do
Without question the number one question I have is what was Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Sanford's game plan for the offense tonight? Because whatever that was, it was executed at an incredibly low level.
- First and foremost, there was absolutely no rhythm for the play calling tonight. Iowa had the top run defense in the Big Ten, and the Gophers decided to run the ball early and often and put themselves in tough situations on third down. Minnesota's offense was just 3/11 on third down through three quarters, with an average distance of over seven yards.
Minnesota's offense just didn't have anything sustainable all night. Too many empty possessions that didn't go anywhere. But it all culminated with that tedious three-quarter drive that last 16 plays and didn't end in any points. The Gophers are down two touchdowns when they take control of the ball with over 11 minutes left in the third quarter and they grind their way down the field. Eating a lot of time off the clock down 14 points.
They get all the way inside of the Iowa 25 after converting on fourth down, and then it gets head-scratching. Minnesota runs it twice at that stout Iowa front and it goes nowhere, but four yards are gained. Fleck then calls a timeout as it's the play of the game for the Gopher offense. They need to convert a first down to have this drive end in a touchdown to make it competitive. And Mike Sanford, on 3rd and 6, calls an outside zone to the right that ends in a tackle for loss and the Gophers end up kicking a field goal that is blocked.
What are we doing here? I can tell you what Minnesota wasn't doing, and that was playing to win on that play call. You work so hard to grind it down the field, and then call that play? The field goal is blocked and it's a gigantic empty possession.
There were also far too many times tonight when quarterback Tanner Morgan would get to the top of his five-step drop, and there would be no one open down the field. There absolutely needs to be discussion about the route designs and passing play concepts, because it was not working tonight.
I also get that the offense wasn't helped out any by their return units, including Howard fielding a punt at the five-yard line to start Minnesota's first offensive drive, but the point remains.
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It's only four games, but if you're not at least a little skeptical of Mike Sanford as Minnesota's offensive coordinator considering all of the talent that was back after 2019, I'm not sure what you're thinking. Sanford and the offensive staff need to develop a better game plan and they need to have their players execute it at a lot higher level than what we saw tonight.
2) QB Tanner Morgan is broken and Sanford needs to fix it
This is the most concerning thing from tonight, and it's that quarterback Tanner Morgan is officially broken. And it all happened so quickly. Morgan went from having one of the best passing seasons that a Minnesota quarterback has ever had in 2019, to four games into his 2020 season, he's been incredibly average at best.
Tonight against Iowa, he just looked lost. He ends the night 16/33 for 167 yards and two interceptions to go with a late garbage time touchdown. But all of the progress that Morgan made from game to game last year, seemed to be missing in a large way tonight.
Morgan had already been staring down Rashod Bateman through the first three games, but tonight it was taken to a whole new level. I understand that Rashod Bateman is a very talented receiver, and arguably the most talented to wear the Minnesota uniform, but Sanford's need to have Morgan force feed him the ball constantly isn't working for this offense. There isn't much, if any, reading of the opposing defense's going on right now from Morgan. He's just locking onto his first read, who more times than not is Bateman, and he's forcing the throw.
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We also had the issue of Morgan's ball floating tonight when he was attempting to either make down the field or sideline-to-sideline throws, and that's not ideal. The Hail Mary at the end of half also didn't make it to the end zone. We knew that Morgan didn't have the best arm strength of the Gopher quarterbacks. But when the "plus" throws from Morgan's 2019 campaign aren't working, aka the throws into tight coverage in the short to intermediate game, or his deep ball along the sideline, what kind of an asset is Morgan if he's also not going go through his progressions?
And if you're looking for the variable that has changed that most, that'd be Morgan's quarterbacks coach, who is also the offensive coordinator in Mike Sanford. The junior quarterback, who just one season ago was a second-team All-Big Ten performer, looked completely helpless tonight, and hasn't looked like his former self all season long.
And the question is why?
What changed from Kirk Ciarrocca to Mike Sanford that has Morgan playing at a level that many Gopher fans are not accustomed to and frankly a level that isn't going to win Minnesota a lot of games considering the state of the Gophers defense and special teams. It's an answer that PJ Fleck and Mike Sanford are going to have to find soon because it doesn't get any easier with Purdue, Wisconsin and Northwestern coming up in the next three games.
I still believe that the 2019 version of Tanner Morgan is still there somewhere, but Mike Sanford has to find it, and get him playing like that soon.
1) Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford has a lot of explaining to do
Without question the number one question I have is what was Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Sanford's game plan for the offense tonight? Because whatever that was, it was executed at an incredibly low level.
- First and foremost, there was absolutely no rhythm for the play calling tonight. Iowa had the top run defense in the Big Ten, and the Gophers decided to run the ball early and often and put themselves in tough situations on third down. Minnesota's offense was just 3/11 on third down through three quarters, with an average distance of over seven yards.
Minnesota's offense just didn't have anything sustainable all night. Too many empty possessions that didn't go anywhere. But it all culminated with that tedious three-quarter drive that last 16 plays and didn't end in any points. The Gophers are down two touchdowns when they take control of the ball with over 11 minutes left in the third quarter and they grind their way down the field. Eating a lot of time off the clock down 14 points.
They get all the way inside of the Iowa 25 after converting on fourth down, and then it gets head-scratching. Minnesota runs it twice at that stout Iowa front and it goes nowhere, but four yards are gained. Fleck then calls a timeout as it's the play of the game for the Gopher offense. They need to convert a first down to have this drive end in a touchdown to make it competitive. And Mike Sanford, on 3rd and 6, calls an outside zone to the right that ends in a tackle for loss and the Gophers end up kicking a field goal that is blocked.
What are we doing here? I can tell you what Minnesota wasn't doing, and that was playing to win on that play call. You work so hard to grind it down the field, and then call that play? The field goal is blocked and it's a gigantic empty possession.
There were also far too many times tonight when quarterback Tanner Morgan would get to the top of his five-step drop, and there would be no one open down the field. There absolutely needs to be discussion about the route designs and passing play concepts, because it was not working tonight.
I also get that the offense wasn't helped out any by their return units, including Howard fielding a punt at the five-yard line to start Minnesota's first offensive drive, but the point remains.
---
It's only four games, but if you're not at least a little skeptical of Mike Sanford as Minnesota's offensive coordinator considering all of the talent that was back after 2019, I'm not sure what you're thinking. Sanford and the offensive staff need to develop a better game plan and they need to have their players execute it at a lot higher level than what we saw tonight.
2) QB Tanner Morgan is broken and Sanford needs to fix it
This is the most concerning thing from tonight, and it's that quarterback Tanner Morgan is officially broken. And it all happened so quickly. Morgan went from having one of the best passing seasons that a Minnesota quarterback has ever had in 2019, to four games into his 2020 season, he's been incredibly average at best.
Tonight against Iowa, he just looked lost. He ends the night 16/33 for 167 yards and two interceptions to go with a late garbage time touchdown. But all of the progress that Morgan made from game to game last year, seemed to be missing in a large way tonight.
Morgan had already been staring down Rashod Bateman through the first three games, but tonight it was taken to a whole new level. I understand that Rashod Bateman is a very talented receiver, and arguably the most talented to wear the Minnesota uniform, but Sanford's need to have Morgan force feed him the ball constantly isn't working for this offense. There isn't much, if any, reading of the opposing defense's going on right now from Morgan. He's just locking onto his first read, who more times than not is Bateman, and he's forcing the throw.
---
We also had the issue of Morgan's ball floating tonight when he was attempting to either make down the field or sideline-to-sideline throws, and that's not ideal. The Hail Mary at the end of half also didn't make it to the end zone. We knew that Morgan didn't have the best arm strength of the Gopher quarterbacks. But when the "plus" throws from Morgan's 2019 campaign aren't working, aka the throws into tight coverage in the short to intermediate game, or his deep ball along the sideline, what kind of an asset is Morgan if he's also not going go through his progressions?
And if you're looking for the variable that has changed that most, that'd be Morgan's quarterbacks coach, who is also the offensive coordinator in Mike Sanford. The junior quarterback, who just one season ago was a second-team All-Big Ten performer, looked completely helpless tonight, and hasn't looked like his former self all season long.
And the question is why?
What changed from Kirk Ciarrocca to Mike Sanford that has Morgan playing at a level that many Gopher fans are not accustomed to and frankly a level that isn't going to win Minnesota a lot of games considering the state of the Gophers defense and special teams. It's an answer that PJ Fleck and Mike Sanford are going to have to find soon because it doesn't get any easier with Purdue, Wisconsin and Northwestern coming up in the next three games.
I still believe that the 2019 version of Tanner Morgan is still there somewhere, but Mike Sanford has to find it, and get him playing like that soon.
