I’ll admit I was totally wrong

One thing about Athan, he's still a true freshman in terms of games played. The guy who came off the bench for IL was a sixth year senior and he threw three perfect (almost uncanny) passes for 85 yards. Athan can't do that. We need a really good QB coach for him or we need to recruit a better passer than he is (50% today after a good start).
Agree. And for better or worse, we all know that PJ is going to stick with AK at least through next year. Not holding my breath that we’ll hire a QB coach. Maybe Tanner Morgan could give it a try?
 

Agree. And for better or worse, we all know that PJ is going to stick with AK at least through next year. Not holding my breath that we’ll hire a QB coach. Maybe Tanner Morgan could give it a try?
Fleck needs to let go of this "The QB coach must be the playcaller" philosophy. It's completely absurd. It's even more absurd when he then hired a playcaller that's never called plays _or_ coached QBs.
 

Fleck needs to let go of this "The QB coach must be the playcaller" philosophy. It's completely absurd. It's even more absurd when he then hired a playcaller that's never called plays _or_ coached QBs.
Maybe.
I don’t think playcalling was the issue today


I wish we had hired a real Oc in the off-season though
 

Maybe.
I don’t think playcalling was the issue today


I wish we had hired a real Oc in the off-season though
My issue is more that they currently have a QB that doesn't know what he's doing working with a QB coach that doesn't know what he's doing in an offense run by a OC that doesn't know what he's doing. And two of those people are the same people so good luck concentrating on figuring out either of those jobs.
 

As bad as Athan is, on the drive following Nubin's INT, he had two chances to ice the game. He whiffed on both. He's not a quick or good decision maker, and he's wildly inaccurate. I don't blame PJ for running a slow developing draw on third and 9 at the end of the half.
 


Tanner was the pits his last year. But with our run run run head coach, what quality q.b. would come here just to hand the ball off? Until he opens it up, we will have poor q.b.'s coming here.
 

My issue is more that they currently have a QB that doesn't know what he's doing working with a QB coach that doesn't know what he's doing in an offense run by a OC that doesn't know what he's doing. And two of those people are the same people so good luck concentrating on figuring out either of those jobs.
Agree with that
Offense has been bad. I’d be all in on a new OC if they promise it isn’t internal hire
 

My issue is more that they currently have a QB that doesn't know what he's doing working with a QB coach that doesn't know what he's doing in an offense run by a OC that doesn't know what he's doing. And two of those people are the same people so good luck concentrating on figuring out either of those jobs.
The kid has raw talent that is being wasted because there's nobody on Fleck's staff who has the experience or success as a QB coach to develop him. Pretty sad.
 

He was 9/11 for 130 with 2 TDs at the half. It's more the offensive gameplan than AK. Plus he has nobody on the staff who has been a successful QB coach. That is on Fleck.
How was he in the 2nd half
 



You clearly did not watch the game. We shouldn't have been playing from behind with two minutes remaining in the game. That was entirely due to the most vanilla gameplan ever concocted.

Yep.
 

Maybe Cole should have been playing a little more this season, so that he could be sent in when an emergency requires it?
 

Is that you
We dont beat Nebraska with Tanner, we dont beat Iowa with Tanner, we still lose today with Tanner. The only game we may have won with Tanner is Northwestern. I think you're forgetting just how bad Tanner had become by 2022.
Alex?
 

He has some really moments where you see the talent
You should see this with any QB that has a scholarship, at any level. But it's obvious AK does not have "it."
 



We dont beat Nebraska with Tanner, we dont beat Iowa with Tanner, we still lose today with Tanner. The only game we may have won with Tanner is Northwestern. I think you're forgetting just how bad Tanner had become by 2022.
We won every one of those games in spite of Athan.
 

Yeah for sure this. Minnesota is currently trotting out:
  • A QB that's playing his first full season
  • A first year QB coach that has never coached QBs before
  • A first year co-offensive coordinator that has never been an offensive coordinator before
  • A first year offensive play caller that has never
  • Oh and the last three are all the same person
Fleck is completely negligent when it comes to hiring. It's absurd.
PJ himself admits he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer and it's apparent he's not an X's and O's guy. He needs good coordinators. Rossi is a good coordinator. Other than Ciorocca, his offensive coordinators have been terrible. Is PJ afraid to hire an experienced, strong coordinator? Why was Ciorocca so anxious to leave, twice? PSU was understandable. Rutgers? Would an experienced, regarded coordinator actually come to work for PJ? Does PJ intentionally hire less experienced, less credentialed coordinators?
 


What I don't understand is if Fleck's teams are going to be a suicide cult of run dedication, why is he recruiting and playing statuesque quarterbacks? There has to be more than a few dual- threats out there in the portal in the off-season that are at least as bad of passers as AK. Go out and find them and add at least half a wrinkle to this offense.
 

You should see this with any QB that has a scholarship, at any level. But it's obvious AK does not have "it."
Yup. I’ve been as critical of him as anyone.
I was one who wanted Morgan to play last year
 

The big problem with this whole thread is one man: Kirk Ciarrocca.

The best TM ever played .... was when KC was OC.

The best AK ever played .......... was when KC was OC.


Both I would say fairly equally regressed in the two (non-covid) seasons we've known in Fleck regime where KC was not the OC.


I don't see how you can tease a reasonable, valid comparison out of that.


We don't know what offensive success looks like, with anyone other than KC (or Simon).
 

Tanner was the pits his last year. But with our run run run head coach, what quality q.b. would come here just to hand the ball off? Until he opens it up, we will have poor q.b.'s coming here.
Morgan was the pits in 2022? He had a 67% completion rate and 151 QB rating. We would dream of having a QB with those stats again.
 

What about Morgan in 2021?

That's the most valid comparison to AK in 2023.

Wonder what the connection is .................. ??
 

AK doesn't know how to set his feet so his accuracy is inconsistent
 



PJ himself admits he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer and it's apparent he's not an X's and O's guy.
You just made that up. He has never said that.
He needs good coordinators. Rossi is a good coordinator. Other than Ciorocca, his offensive coordinators have been terrible. Is PJ afraid to hire an experienced, strong coordinator? Why was Ciorocca so anxious to leave, twice? PSU was understandable. Rutgers? Would an experienced, regarded coordinator actually come to work for PJ? Does PJ intentionally hire less experienced, less credentialed coordinators?
I agree with this and was really confused by our hire this year
 

You just made that up. He has never said that.

I agree with this and was really confused by our hire this year
He repeatedly points out how smart his players are by bringing up his 18 ACT score. lI suppose he could be a poor test taker, was sick, was drunk, or any number of excuses but I haven't seen anything to suggest that PJ has an intelligence for anything other than slinging BS.
 

AK is the only QB I’ve ever seen where every throw comes out of his hand nose down. Even in warm ups. They only way it gets to the receiver is if he throws it as hard as he can
I've wondered about this too. Is his shoulder injured?
 

AK is the only QB I’ve ever seen where every throw comes out of his hand nose down. Even in warm ups. They only way it gets to the receiver is if he throws it as hard as he can

Could be due to the wacky sidearm delivery that he has.
 

He repeatedly points out how smart his players are by bringing up his 18 ACT score. lI suppose he could be a poor test taker, was sick, was drunk, or any number of excuses but I haven't seen anything to suggest that PJ has an intelligence for anything other than slinging BS.
I don’t care.
I’m simply saying he has never said he doesn’t know X’s and O’s
That’s a fake narrative that never occurred.

If he had said it someone would be able to pull up an article with a quote of him saying that.
 

It's interesting how cyclical this quarterback conversation has been for the Gophers over the years.
Going back more than a decade:
  • Adam Weber is struggling, put in MarQueis Gray
  • MarQueis Gray isn't getting it done, start Philip Nelson
  • Philip Nelson is bad, start Mitch Leidner
  • Mitch Leidner isn't doing the job, put in Conor Rhoda
  • Conor Rhoda isn't any good, start Demry Croft
  • Tanner Morgan doesn't have it anymore, put Athan Kaliakmanis in.
  • Athan Kaliakmanis isn't working out, we need to go to the transfer portal
Morgan broke the cycle for a bit with some consistency but for the most part, the QB play has been unsatisfying in a lot of seasons and it always has us looking for the next passer.
 




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