Jerry Kill after Northwestern game on KFAN - Won't say what QB they'll go with...

[GopherLady]

said Mitch didn't have a chance half the time.


This is what I got during his interview with Gaardsie, not verbatim, just typing what I can live:

Jerry Kill:
• I told them that we're all disappointed, there shouldn't be anybody saying a whole lot. It's one of those things, don't point fingers, look at yourself. I apologized to them. Not executing, I feel bad, that's all I can say. There's nothing we can do now. We need to get a lot of things fixed, they're a good football team, very good on defense.
• They stiffened up, they got after us, and not so much in the blitz game, just physically. I can't explain it. We're running the ball efficiently, and then all the sudden we miss a block here and there. One person seemed to break down all the time, they played harder than we did. We didn’t' give some of our guys that had skill a chance to execute.
• I think it stung pretty good, we were fighting to keep them in the game, we still have an opportunity - then we just…we give them one on a punt. Doing some things that we had been very good at. I wish I had the answer right now, but we don't. We have been working on it night and day.
• You don't blame one guy, you've got 11 guys out there. You need to keep leverage on the ball. They busted outside, we all got to do our jobs, I've said that the last 2 weeks, including me. We're not getting the job done, and we certainly didn't do it in the kicking game. They picked on our rookie corners. We played hard on defense, but our kicking game and offensively, we're not good enough.
• I'm not going to say right now, we just lost a game. Mitch didn't have a chance half the time. We're going to need Demry down the road, and get him some experience. I've got to look at the film and all that. When we pulled Mitch out 3rd quarter, we told him, I don't know if anyone could perform in that situation. He understood.

 

[Nort73]

And Mitch doesn't give himself a chance half the team...


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[stocker08]

I didn't even bother to read it. That was pitiful.

 

[GophersInIowa]

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[Triple D]

How many weeks in a row now is it that Kill has said we need to get the offense fixed, at least 3 right? Meanwhile Limegrover is in charge of both the worst unit on the team in the O Line and one of the worst offenses in all of major college football. Rebates on raises anyone?

 

[Jeshurun]

How many weeks in a row now is it that Kill has said we need to get the offense fixed, at least 3 right? Meanwhile Limegrover is in charge of both the worst unit on the team in the O Line and one of the worst offenses in all of major college football. Rebates on raises anyone?

But he's trying REALLY hard.

 

[FlaGopher23]

He should. Why in the world did he not start Croft after the half or sooner? Give yourself a chance man. Dang!

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[tjgesquire]

How many weeks in a row now is it that Kill has said we need to get the offense fixed, at least 3 right? Meanwhile Limegrover is in charge of both the worst unit on the team in the O Line and one of the worst offenses in all of major college football. Rebates on raises anyone?

Amen!
Reading the tea leaves, Jerry's uber-loyalty will eventually be his demise. This has to be the one of, if not THE, worst offensive staffs in the country. O-line, QB, WR positions are all cluster-f's.

 

[ruppertflywheel]

He's a stubborn conservative from Kansas. If he doesn't reevaluate his staff he will be fired after next year.Purdue took MSU right to the end of the game. Unless things change up in the box I see us only winning the game against Illinois.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Whoever the next AD is needs to come in and set the record straight. It's great that your staff has been with you for so long. But this is the big time now. Make changes to your staff or take a walk.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Whoever the next AD is needs to come in and set the record straight. It's great that your staff has been with you for so long. But this is the big time now. Make changes to your staff or take a walk.

Has this been the case at other Big Ten schools?


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[mnsportsgeek]

Has this been the case at other Big Ten schools?


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Do other schools have decades of coaching experience together? Jerry is too worried about hurting people's feelings. It's the way it has always been so it's the way it must stay in his world.

 

[GopherOhana]

If Kill thinks he's getting good value for the $550K, he's lost me. reward performance, not continuity. let Limey hit the market and see how close to $550K he gets

 

[Spoofin]

Yeah, hard to believe Kill has stuck with these guys considering they have never had success.

 

[RolGnav]

"Mitch didn't have a chance half the time."

What about the other half of the time where he sails throws over receivers' heads by 10 feet?

Maybe if Leidner was more of a throwing threat, the opposing D-Line may play a bit more reserved and fear our passing game and thus help the run game and thus the O-Line wouldn't feel as much pressure, which would help give the QB more time, which would give the receivers more time to find separation, which would give the QB a better chance, which would prolong drives which would keep our Defense a bit more fresh, which wouldn't bring down our team morale, which wouldn't make Limegrover cover his eyes and hide in a corner, which would keep our offense more unpredictable. So you see, it all goes back to Leidner. Coach Kill is to blame because he lets it happen and can't tell the difference.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

Kill just doesn't seem to see Mitch as others see him; same situation prevailed with Brewster and Webber. I would expect Mitch to start against Purdue and for Kill & Co. not to build a new, more interesting offense around Croft, Jones and other young players. he likes to run, run, w. occasional play action - and that's pretty much it.

 

[Spoofin]

"Mitch didn't have a chance half the time."

What about the other half of the time where he sails throws over receivers' heads by 10 feet?

Maybe if Leidner was more of a throwing threat, the opposing D-Line may play a bit more reserved and fear our passing game and thus help the run game and thus the O-Line wouldn't feel as much pressure, which would help give the QB more time, which would give the receivers more time to find separation, which would give the QB a better chance, which would prolong drives which would keep our Defense a bit more fresh, which wouldn't bring down our team morale, which wouldn't make Limegrover cover his eyes and hide in a corner, which would keep our offense more unpredictable. So you see, it all goes back to Leidner. Coach Kill is to blame because he lets it happen and can't tell the difference.

They benched Leidner and brought in Croft. A true Freshman. Why write a page about how Leidner played bad. We all saw it. The coaches acted. What do you want?

 

[MNGoldenGophers1]

It was a terrible policy to pay assistant coaches at least the average of other B1G coaches. They should be paid based on their performance. If this were the case, Claeys is probably at or near the top of the B1G. And Limey, well, let's just say he'd probably be middle of the pack or lower in the MAC.

 

[RolGnav]

They benched Leidner and brought in Croft. A true Freshman. Why write a page about how Leidner played bad. We all saw it. The coaches acted. What do you want?

Sorry, was I not supposed to write/express anything on forum? What do you want?

What I want is Coach Kill to realize that it could be the QB also, and not every thing else he's used as an excuse.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Kill just doesn't seem to see Mitch as others see him; same situation prevailed with Brewster and Webber. I would expect Mitch to start against Purdue and for Kill & Co. not to build a new, more interesting offense around Croft, Jones and other young players. he likes to run, run, w. occasional play action - and that's pretty much it.

Webber was Tom Brady compared to Mitch.

 

[RolGnav]

Yeah, hard to believe Kill has stuck with these guys considering they have never had success.

You are so smart with your replays. Hidden sarcasm. You're smart. What do you want? A medal for being so smart and sarcastic?

 

[Spoofin]

You are so smart with your replays. Hidden sarcasm. You're smart. What do you want? A medal for being so smart and sarcastic?

No. Your acknowledgement that I am smart is all I wanted.

 

[Spoofin]

Sorry, was I not supposed to write/express anything on forum? What do you want?

What I want is Coach Kill to realize that it could be the QB also, and not every thing else he's used as an excuse.

He benched his QB. That doesn't show Kill realizes that ML7 is also an issue?

 

[GopherOhana]

Yeah, hard to believe Kill has stuck with these guys considering they have never had success.

right there with you. 0-5 as a group in bowl games

 

[AsaadAhdoolKahlee]

There's so much pressure on the QB that's it's somewhat admirable for Kill to have shown faith in Leidner and had his back. That's part of what he has to do as a college HC. You don't trash your QB--but you pull him when need be. He did what had to be done. Burning Croft's redshirt while Leidner stands healthy on the sidelines is as big of an indictment as you can, or should, get.

 

[RolGnav]

He benched his QB. That doesn't show Kill realizes that ML7 is also an issue?

You and Coach Kill must have missed the previous few games where ML7 has played terrible also.

 

[GophersInIowa]

You and Coach Kill must have missed the previous few games where ML7 has played terrible also.

If Leidner played terrible against Ohio in your opinion, then I don't think you are ever going to be happy with our QB play.

 

[RolGnav]

If Leidner played terrible against Ohio in your opinion, then I don't think you are ever going to be happy with our QB play.

I'm not even going to defend my statement because some of you obviously like to ignore the point of a post and find anything to retort.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

This team will not win another game unless they can use play action and run.

Honestly I'm going to get ripped for this, but the play calling by the Gophers wasn't that bad and Northwestern is going to find out that there front seven is not as good as the game announcers made it out to be next week in Michigan.
Brooks #27 should be the starter he gives the offense the best chance to sustain drives on offense at tailback.

There were two plays that really turned the game in to a route in second half the offsides by #55 on first series that turned that in to an 8 minute drive, and it goes without saying that the fumble that led to a touchdown after a near miss interception sealed the Gophers fate toady. The play calling was not that bad but when you keep having execution errors where full-backs and tight ends completely whiff on blocks or one of the lineman completely whiffs on blocks things are going to be really difficult. That isn't going to prevent poor QB play but when your margin for error is that you need to run the ball and can barely pass, those things really exacerbate your ability to convert first downs and score.
The other turning point play for me was on second down offensive play, #24 Smith got an inside zone hand off where if he cuts-back the opposite way that he did, if he bounces outside had not run inside, if he read the devloping hole correct, and ran towards his right on a cutback and used the momentum of the pursuing tackler diving back inside that if he would have spun that to the outside not only was there nobody outside he would have had the angle to run the football to the house. That was a pivotal play because, the next play we run a jet sweep and #41 Thomas completely misses his block, he not whiffed and Smith avoids the tackle instead of getting stuffed for fourth down that drive changes. Next play the Mortell line drive punt that was about 2 seconds in the air that he had to tackle the return man inside the ten. That line drive punt changed all momentum.

That's not to excuse Mitch Leidner's poor play because, I cannot explain why he missle throws an inside middle screen would have been a wide open play, like a rocket or lofts a ball over a wide open tight ends head, other than it goes back poor fundamentals and bad feet. It's not just lack of time or poor blocking, coaches need to stop making excuses for Leidners poor play.
For whatever reason, Mitch hasn't figured out that he doesn't have the arm strength to constantly throw off his back foot, throw when he is bouncing and chopping both feet, or that if he doesn't throw the ball before the receiver comes out of his break on boundry throws that it is an easy pick for the defense. That throw if it is flat has to be driven to the receiver before the break when the window is open otherwise even inexperienced corners will pick it. There going to have to find a way to execute some wide receiver screens and some quick outs off play action otherwise it's 8 or 9 in the box all day.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I'm not even going to defend my statement because some of you obviously like to ignore the point of a post and find anything to retort.

Sorry, I guess I don't understand. I thought you were saying Leidner has been terrible all year, and that Kill just finally realized it when he should have realized it long ago.