CBS: What keeps each Big Ten fanbase up at night? Insiders name top concern ahead of 2024 season (MN: P.J. Fleck's passing game.)

[BleedGopher]

Per CBS:

P.J. Fleck's passing game. It's not a secret that the passing game has been an issue for most of Fleck's tenure. The only year you can point to in the last seven that the passing game was efficient and explosive was 2019, when Tanner Morgan exploded for 30 passing touchdowns with two NFL receivers in Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson.

Outside of that, there have been too many Monday news conferences in the past few years when Fleck has talked about inconsistencies with the quarterback's accuracy, drops from the pass catchers, or missed assignments in pass protection.

It all goes hand-in-hand, but the stats haven't been kind with the aerial attack. Minnesota hasn't ranked higher than 122nd in pass attempts in the past three seasons, which is how the Gophers averaged a putrid 143 passing yards a game last year.

There's hope with New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer now taking the snaps, but it's also on Fleck to not pull the plug on the passing game the moment things go poorly.

What keeps each Big Ten fanbase up at night? Insiders name top concern ahead of 2024 season

What keeps your fanbase up at night? The Big Ten Survey asked that question to 247Sports' deep roster of team experts ahead of the new-look conference's 2024 college football season

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[fmlizard]

Different coordinators, different guys, but think of this. Conventional wisdom is that AK stunk and it's on Brosmer if Gophers are going to improve this year.

But Tanner Morgan was notably better as a less experienced QB with future NFL receivers than he was without them in later years.

Is it really on our WRs to change their best if we're to have a big year throwing the ball?

 

[MNVCGUY]

Different coordinators, different guys, but think of this. Conventional wisdom is that AK stunk and it's on Brosmer if Gophers are going to improve this year.

But Tanner Morgan was notably better as a less experienced QB with future NFL receivers than he was without them in later years.

Is it really on our WRs to change their best if we're to have a big year throwing the ball?

It is pretty rare when you see a great QB who doesn't have a great receiver or two.

Our WR group needs to step up their play. Hopefully the development of the guys we have, combined with new faces and more steady play from the QB position will lead to a much more productive passing game.

Some take the attitude here that Fleck won't throw the ball. To me, he will throw if he believes the players can execute. Unfortunately, outside of 2019 the exectution in the passing game has not been great.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

Is it really on our WRs to change their best if we're to have a big year throwing the ball?

Need improvement from both QB and WRs, of course, but we have to get more from our WR group. Last year it sometimes seemed that Jackson was the only one we had (similar to Leidner's last season when it often appeared that Drew Wolitarsky was the only WR). Brockington's injury hurt. Hopefully, Spencer's output increases this season. Maybe Tyler Williams and/or Christian Driver will show us why they were highly rated recruits. And Kenric Lanier was one of our highest rated freshmen recruits last season.

 

[denguegopher]

Per CBS:

P.J. Fleck's passing game.

It all goes hand-in-hand, but the stats haven't been kind with the aerial attack. Minnesota hasn't ranked higher than 122nd in pass attempts in the past three seasons, which is how the Gophers averaged a putrid 143 passing yards a game last year.


Go Gophers!!

I'm sure that this has been posted on here before, but our passing game really stunk last year. The good thing is that there is pretty much no where to go except up. Go Gophers!

 

[PMWinSTP]

Different coordinators, different guys, but think of this. Conventional wisdom is that AK stunk and it's on Brosmer if Gophers are going to improve this year.

But Tanner Morgan was notably better as a less experienced QB with future NFL receivers than he was without them in later years.

Is it really on our WRs to change their best if we're to have a big year throwing the ball?

It's not on Fleck?

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

It's not on Fleck?

Someone said it in a different thread, but player development is more on the player than the coach at this level. If you're talking a 3rd grade flag football team where a parent is coaching just because they love their kid, then yes, I would say a player's development might be hindered by the coach's lack of knowledge. At the B1G level, I guarantee the coaches know what they need to do to improve the players. Are some staffs better than others at developing certain positions? I would definitely say yes (Disclaimer: I've never been on a college coaching staff).

 

[#2Gopher]

While I'm hearing good things at the QB position, I'm just hoping that he will be the guy we've been waiting for to grab a hold of the wheel on the ship. He appears to make sure everyone is in this together and if this happens, we'll be fine. But if he doesn't produce, then we're in a mess.

 

[GopherMarroon]

Per CBS:

P.J. Fleck's passing game. It's not a secret

What keeps each Big Ten fanbase up at night? Insiders name top concern ahead of 2024 season

What keeps your fanbase up at night? The Big Ten Survey asked that question to 247Sports' deep roster of team experts ahead of the new-look conference's 2024 college football season

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

One snippet from the article.

"... plagued Indiana for decades: This is arguably the hardest Power 4 program to win at, for myriad reasons. The Hoosiers' losing history can't be overlooked, and it makes the job even harder no matter..."


Who wants to play there?


Well maybe the new Big Ten won't lift all boats. One may capsize.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Yes, the WR's have to play better. which is......interesting.....because Fleck was a WR coach in college & the NFL, and Matt Simon has been the WR coach for the Gophers for Fleck's entire tenure at MN.
It's on the Coaches to recruit better WR's and provide coaching to help them improve.

But, beyond that, I think the biggest question is whether Fleck will stay with the passing game if it struggles early. We've all seen it - a dropped pass or an interception in the 1st quarter, and Fleck reverts back to 'safe' mode and abandons the passing game. Fleck has to show confidence in his QB and WR's by staying with the pass even if there are a few hiccups.

 

[GopherMarroon]

Yes, the WR's have to play better. which is......interesting.....because Fleck was a WR coach in college & the NFL, and Matt Simon has been the WR coach for the Gophers for Fleck's entire tenure at MN.
It's on the Coaches to recruit better WR's and provide coaching to help them improve.

But, beyond that, I think the biggest question is whether Fleck will stay with the passing game if it struggles early. We've all seen it - a dropped pass or an interception in the 1st quarter, and Fleck reverts back to 'safe' mode and abandons the passing game. Fleck has to show confidence in his QB and WR's by staying with the pass even if there are a few hiccups.

Gophers face a fair test in North Carolina opener. We'll know more then.

Followed by two easier games.

Then Iowa.

 

[fmlizard]

One snippet from the article.

"... plagued Indiana for decades: This is arguably the hardest Power 4 program to win at, for myriad reasons. The Hoosiers' losing history can't be overlooked, and it makes the job even harder no matter..."


Who wants to play there?


Well maybe the new Big Ten won't lift all boats. One may capsize.

Indiana will benefit from not having to play Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State every year, plus a protected game with Purdue. Indiana is perhaps the biggest winner of realignment and expansion.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Someone said it in a different thread, but player development is more on the player than the coach at this level. If you're talking a 3rd grade flag football team where a parent is coaching just because they love their kid, then yes, I would say a player's development might be hindered by the coach's lack of knowledge. At the B1G level, I guarantee the coaches know what they need to do to improve the players. Are some staffs better than others at developing certain positions? I would definitely say yes (Disclaimer: I've never been on a college coaching staff).

Max is in his fifth year (sixth counting 2021) as a college quarterback coming off two very successful seasons.

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

Max is in his fifth year (sixth counting 2021) as a college quarterback coming off two very successful seasons.

I thought we were talking about the improvement of the WRs. If not, my bad

 

[Gopherchase]

Someone said it in a different thread, but player development is more on the player than the coach at this level. If you're talking a 3rd grade flag football team where a parent is coaching just because they love their kid, then yes, I would say a player's development might be hindered by the coach's lack of knowledge. At the B1G level, I guarantee the coaches know what they need to do to improve the players. Are some staffs better than others at developing certain positions? I would definitely say yes (Disclaimer: I've never been on a college coaching staff).

Nonsense.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

You have a good OC, you have a good offense. You have a bad OC, you have a bad offense. It's not that difficult. Yes, you need the players but more importantly you need a good OC. We can bitch about AK all we want but he played much better under Ciarrocca. Morgan played terrible under Sanford and got better when Ciarrocca came back. Unless Harbaugh steps up and grows our offense isn't going to be what it could be. Players can make it better than last year, especially at QB, but it will fall short without a good OC.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

You have a good OC, you have a good offense. You have a bad OC, you have a bad offense. It's not that difficult. Yes, you need the players but more importantly you need a good OC. We can bitch about AK all we want but he played much better under Ciarrocca. Morgan played terrible under Sanford and got better when Ciarrocca came back. Unless Harbaugh steps up and grows our offense isn't going to be what it could be. Players can make it better than last year, especially at QB, but it will fall short without a good OC.

I’d agree an OC is important. Although I think Morgan was about the same outside of 2019

 

[GopherMarroon]

You have a good OC, you have a good offense. You have a bad OC, you have a bad offense. It's not that difficult. Yes, you need the players but more importantly you need a good OC. We can bitch about AK all we want but he played much better under Ciarrocca. Morgan played terrible under Sanford and got better when Ciarrocca came back. Unless Harbaugh steps up and grows our offense isn't going to be what it could be. Players can make it better than last year, especially at QB, but it will fall short without a good OC.

It's hard to know. Who is the one limiting what and why? Who is being limited by whom last season. That's over my skill level.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

A LOT of dropped passes last year. It could be very interesting tell if Kalilmanis becomes an average Big10 QB