BleedGopher
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per FSN:
2. The Gophers will have a quarterback controversy next spring
Sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson started Friday's bowl game under center, but his day was cut short as he was replaced by redshirt freshman Mitch Leidner late in the first quarter. Nelson was just 2-for-7 passing in the game -- he eventually came back for one series to start the second half -- and struggled with his accuracy. Leidner, meanwhile, led the Gophers to a pair of scoring drives, throwing touchdown passes to tight end Maxx Williams and wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky in the second half. The strike to Wolitarsky went for 55 yards and gave Minnesota a 17-14 lead after a successful two-point conversion. Leidner finished the game 11-for-22 for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Both quarterbacks got plenty of playing time this year, and neither truly established himself as the No. 1 guy. Minnesota will have some decisions to make in terms of its starting quarterback next year, and Leidner made a case to be that guy as a sophomore in 2014.
5. Eight wins is still a success, despite the heartbreaking bowl loss
Sure, a loss to a beatable Syracuse team will sting for Gophers fans for quite some time. But what happened Friday shouldn't take away from the season that Minnesota had under third-year head coach Jerry Kill. In the span of three seasons, the Gophers went from 3-9 to 6-7 to 8-4. A win Friday would have been Minnesota's first nine-win season since 2003 and just the eighth such achievement in school history. Even though the Gophers didn't reach that nine-win plateau, the eight wins are more than most people expected to see from this team in 2013. Minnesota is relatively young, too, with underclassmen at several skill positions. The Gophers will lose several key seniors, especially on the defensive side of the ball with the departures of defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman and defensive back Brock Vereen. But Kill and his staff have shown that they have this program headed in the right direction; a loss in the Texas Bowl doesn't change that.
http://msn.foxsports.com/north/story/five-things-we-learned-gophers-vs-orange-122713
Go Gophers!!
2. The Gophers will have a quarterback controversy next spring
Sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson started Friday's bowl game under center, but his day was cut short as he was replaced by redshirt freshman Mitch Leidner late in the first quarter. Nelson was just 2-for-7 passing in the game -- he eventually came back for one series to start the second half -- and struggled with his accuracy. Leidner, meanwhile, led the Gophers to a pair of scoring drives, throwing touchdown passes to tight end Maxx Williams and wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky in the second half. The strike to Wolitarsky went for 55 yards and gave Minnesota a 17-14 lead after a successful two-point conversion. Leidner finished the game 11-for-22 for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Both quarterbacks got plenty of playing time this year, and neither truly established himself as the No. 1 guy. Minnesota will have some decisions to make in terms of its starting quarterback next year, and Leidner made a case to be that guy as a sophomore in 2014.
5. Eight wins is still a success, despite the heartbreaking bowl loss
Sure, a loss to a beatable Syracuse team will sting for Gophers fans for quite some time. But what happened Friday shouldn't take away from the season that Minnesota had under third-year head coach Jerry Kill. In the span of three seasons, the Gophers went from 3-9 to 6-7 to 8-4. A win Friday would have been Minnesota's first nine-win season since 2003 and just the eighth such achievement in school history. Even though the Gophers didn't reach that nine-win plateau, the eight wins are more than most people expected to see from this team in 2013. Minnesota is relatively young, too, with underclassmen at several skill positions. The Gophers will lose several key seniors, especially on the defensive side of the ball with the departures of defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman and defensive back Brock Vereen. But Kill and his staff have shown that they have this program headed in the right direction; a loss in the Texas Bowl doesn't change that.
http://msn.foxsports.com/north/story/five-things-we-learned-gophers-vs-orange-122713
Go Gophers!!