ESPN: Accuracy is final puzzle piece for Minnesota's Mitch Leidner

[BleedGopher]

per ESPN:

There was a gap last season between what Mitch Leidner arm was capable of doing and how much Minnesota's coaches asked him to do.

Questions about the junior's accuracy will no doubt continue throughout the offseason until Leidner has a chance to put them to rest. Leidner's 51.9 percent completion percentage was last among Big Ten starters who attempted at least 200 passes last season. But at this point he's given no reason to doubt that he at least has every other tool needed to help the Gophers take the next step in the West Division.

There's room for improvement, which the junior quarterback is quick to point out on his own. At the same time, the coaching staff stresses that he has no reason to apologize for it as the Gophers could easily have tacked on a few pop passes or jet sweeps if they just wanted to boost his completion rate.

Both sides of the argument are strong, and the truth about Leidner's potential to stamp himself among the best quarterbacks in a bumper crop in the Big Ten surely settles somewhere in between them.

"I think completion percentage is really the only statistic that matters when you look at quarterback play, and obviously you want to get that up to the 65 percent or 70 percent range," Leidner said. "When you look at last season, a lot of throws were being made deep down the field and we're not getting the easy pitches or things like that.

"But I feel really confident in my arm, and I feel like I can make all the throws."

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...nal-puzzle-piece-for-minnesotas-mitch-leidner

Go Gophers!!

 

[stocker08]

Mitch Leidner is the whole package. He just needs some accuracy.

 

[t-docious]

nm

 

[Pompous Elitist]

"Look at us, you're not going to be an extremely high-percentage team when you don't have a lot of screens or bubbles or stuff like that," quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski said.

I don't know, maybe try some of that. Too easy?

 

[Spoofin]

"Look at us, you're not going to be an extremely high-percentage team when you don't have a lot of screens or bubbles or stuff like that," quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski said.

<b>I don't know, maybe try some of that</b>. Too easy?

LOL. +1


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[bottlebass]

"Look at us, you're not going to be an extremely high-percentage team when you don't have a lot of screens or bubbles or stuff like that," quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski said.

I don't know, maybe try some of that. Too easy?

Did you go to spring practices this year? Seemed like they were really working on these. Should really help ML7 out.

 

[station19]

There is always the other option.

 

[bottlebass]

There is always the other option.

Just run the ball?

 

[Rodney's Open]

Did you go to spring practices this year? Seemed like they were really working on these. Should really help ML7 out.

The obviously question is what took so long? Leidner has a horrible arm. What took so long to throw some easy stuff in to help him?

 

[e.bigelow]

Just run the ball?

"Only three things can happen when you throw the football, and, two of them are bad." - Woody Hayes

 

[Old Goph]

The obviously question is what took so long? Leidner has a horrible arm. What took so long to throw some easy stuff in to help him?

This is a horrible post.

 

[station19]

Just run the ball?

No, just throw the ball more accurately.

It's like the golfer that changes clubs every year(and putters every month). It just might be the swing and not the clubs.

 

[MNVCGUY]

No, just throw the ball more accurately.

It's like the golfer that changes clubs every year(and putters every month). It just might be the swing and not the clubs.

Agree that Mitch is probably never going to be a great passing QB. In his defense though he has been working with a pretty pathetic set of clubs for a while now and his best club from last season is no longer in his bag. He has some shiny new ones with potential but until he gets out on the course it is tough to say if the new clubs will be any better than the old ones were.

 

[wait!what?]

run the ball is the correct answer. mitch plays his role well of running a run first offense. they workout/study/get injured...they are M men.

 

[goofinSF]

The obviously question is what took so long? Leidner has a horrible arm. What took so long to throw some easy stuff in to help him?

Sorry man, but his arm is definitely not the problem.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

The obviously question is what took so long? Leidner has a horrible arm. What took so long to throw some easy stuff in to help him?

It never takes long for the Philip Nelson fan boys to crawl out from under their rocks. They have never forgiven Leidner for running their boy off the team and out of town.

 

[Rog]

I have watched, many times, reruns of last years games and this stands out. He has trouble "leading" a receiver. If he is running latterly in the same direction and at the same speed as the receiver he puts it on the mark. (I have seen him doing this with Williams, often). When he passes in the "Pocket" if the receiver is running straight down the field he isn't so bad, but crossing patterns is where he lacks consistency. An old pheasant hunter like me notices thing like that.

 

[station19]

I have watched, many times, reruns of last years games and this stands out. He has trouble "leading" a receiver. If he is running latterly in the same direction and at the same speed as the receiver he puts it on the mark. (I have seen him doing this with Williams, often). When he passes in the "Pocket" if the receiver is running straight down the field he isn't so bad, but crossing patterns is where he lacks consistency. An old pheasant hunter like me notices thing like that.

How do you explain the misses to receivers that are standing still?

 

[Rog]

How do you explain the misses to receivers that are standing still?

I have seen this but in most cases the receiver is well covered and I think he has thrown at the receivers feet to prevent an interception and before he gets sacked.

I will say it again, He has trouble "leading" a fast running receiver.

 

[husker70]

Its not accuracy, its completion percentage. And he can make all the throws, the problem is the correct throw. One of the best throws he made was at Michigan, when he used a push pass to Williams for the TD. It was the only pass that would have worked. If he stopped set his feet, and threw either the defense could have responded or his throw would have lead Williams out of bounds. Where he has trouble is those throws that demand a direct rope to the sidelines, and those that need a little air under the ball. Those throws over the linebackers in front of the safeties. A throw to the back out of the backfield, And especially a receiver running free. He will be a junior this year with one full season that went pretty well. If he can complete those finesse passes he surely can look to complete 12-14 of 18 throws a game. If he can do that, the running game will take care of the other 40-50 carries.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

I have seen this but in most cases the receiver is well covered and I think he has thrown at the receivers feet to prevent an interception and before he gets sacked.

I will say it again, He has trouble "leading" a fast running receiver.

I have head Kill say more than once that he recruited Leidner because of his ability to make throws down field. I have heard both Kill and Limegrover say that there is more wrong with the Gopher's passing game than the QB. For two years Leidner has been throwing to below average receivers who don't get open and who drop the football far too often. Unlike many teams, the Gophers have a run oriented offense with a passing game that doesn't allow the QB to establish a passing rhythm and requires him to make more difficult passes. That is going to change this year. Unlike many other coaching staffs this one has the ability to learn from their mistakes and make the necessary adjustments.

 

[bemidjigopher]

I have head Kill say more than once that he recruited Leidner because of his ability to make throws down field. I have heard both Kill and Limegrover say that there is more wrong with the Gopher's passing game than the QB. For two years Leidner has been throwing to below average receivers who don't get open and who drop the football far too often. Unlike many teams, the Gophers have a run oriented offense with a passing game that doesn't allow the QB to establish a passing rhythm and requires him to make more difficult passes. That is going to change this year. Unlike many other coaching staffs this one has the ability to learn from their mistakes and make the necessary adjustments.

Agreed. When I watch sec or acc teams they seem to gave wide outs who go up and try to make the play. It seems like since decker left if the ball isn't thrown perfectly our receivers won't make a play to go get it.

 

[wait!what?]

Agreed. When I watch sec or acc teams they seem to gave wide outs who go up and try to make the play. It seems like since decker left if the ball isn't thrown perfectly our receivers won't make a play to go get it.

No reason to shift blame off of Leidner for the Big Ten's poorest passing offense. JK and Mitcheroo would both tell you the kid needs to improve.

 

[Rodney's Open]

It never takes long for the Philip Nelson fan boys to crawl out from under their rocks. They have never forgiven Leidner for running their boy off the team and out of town.

Nah, they both aren't very good. He was at 51.5% completion last year. Even quite a few of his completions aren't put at a good spot.

He does make plenty of good/great throws, but too many bad ones.

 

[BarnBoy]

Its not accuracy, its completion percentage.

Agreed. And play/pass selection is a big part of completion percentage.

Seem like we went run, run, deep incomplete quite a few times last year.

 

[oleboy41]

Mitch's issues are consistency and comfort. He has made some beautiful throws and some very tough throws so he's shown the ability to make the needed throws. He's obviously has plenty of bad misses as well. If he can increase the percentage of throws in which he is comfortable he'll play better. Pretty simple but it's true.

 

[Spoofin]

Mitch's issues are consistency and comfort. He has made some beautiful throws and some very tough throws so he's shown the ability to make the needed throws. He's obviously has plenty of bad misses as well. If he can increase the percentage of throws in which he is comfortable he'll play better. Pretty simple but it's true.

Consistency. That is at the root of all/any ML7's issues. Could not agree more. It has impacted comfort, play calling, confidence, etc., etc.


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