Leidner - The Key to 2014

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He was offered a scholarship as a QB. It's been widely reported.

I'm encouraged that he doesn't have a tendency to fold under pressure. One thing is for sure, he's going to give us 100%, heart and soul. Kill loves that. Leidner's track record is that of someone continually improving himself. Lets see what happens this year.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/128850303.html?page=1&c=y
 

If the quarterback who plays the majority of the time avoids violent collisions, sacks, hits while running off-tackle, sees receivers with separation, decides to throw the ball and is not the second or third leading ball carrier on the team, the quarterback may be able to stay healthy enough to start four Big Ten Games in succession during this 2014 Conference Season. The quarterback will need to be able to play in four conference games in succession to have a chance to lead my Gophers to four successive conference wins in succession. (That will be the height the bar is set at for this 2014 Conference Season.) It will most likely have to happen earlier in the Conference Schedule than later in 2014.) However, while a 4 game conference winning streak is a nice goal, in 2014, there are two KEY games to judge the progress of my Golden Gophers. The BORDER BATTLES will let us know just where this program is. They have been pounding the rock on my Gophers in iowa city and in Madison. That has GOT to stop before this program will really be a different program. Be physical enough to compete at the borders and suddenly, this program will compete better in Evanston, Champaign, West Laf., Lincoln, and even in places such as Ann Arbor, Columbus, East Lan., State College and other places.

Now, the offensive philosophy and play calling tendencies of the offensive coordinator and the old ball coach, himself will also hugely impact the physical health of the team's quarterback situation. It is my impression that any of you who expect an emergence of "AIR" Minnesota in 2014 will quite possibly have your expectations "Killed" by the first conference game's offensive game plan.
"Pound the rock.." will be the general theme in 2014, and beyond for my Golden Gophers. Call the games to Smash the other team and be MORE physical than that team.

This staff is not, and should not be committed to very much that takes the offensive theme too far from the "pound the..." philosophy that will eventually make my Golden Gophers rough enough...tough enough...physical enough...strong enough to play "Murray Warmath Philosophy of offense AND defense well enough to beat iowa and wisky. When the madness has been ended and the stinking badger has once again been defeated by my Gophers, SMASH-MOUTH-FOOTBALL will be featured in TCF BANK STADIUM when ever Big Ten Games are played there.

Coach will call the quarterback's number. Coach Kill will continue to build physicality in offensive philosophy AND in defensive philosophy in the MSU school of football philosophy. MSU is taking on Michigan and the OSU and the only chance they had to catch those programs was to SMASH them in the mouth and play more physically.

THAT is the way Coach Kill will catch and compete year in and year out with our KEY foes: iowa and wisky

Beat the stinking badger! End the madness. Smash the badger in the mouth in 2014. It will be a start. Becoming a Big Ten Football team starts by becoming JUST AS PHYSICAL as your border-battle foes.

Playing with "heart and soul" only takes you part way there. The borders can only be lost by NOT being as physical as the border foes consistently and at EVERY position. The quarterback position is NO exception.

POUND the rock or make the badger or the hawkeye believe you can and will POUND them and the rock!
 

imthewalrus said:
The quarterback will need to be able to play in four conference games in succession to have a chance to lead my Gophers to four successive conference wins in succession.
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This might be the "most wren" sentence ever.
 


Studwell55 said:
Warning: this thread is still absurd.

If I could push a button that made Mitch an average B10 QB for the rest of his career, I would push that button.

Make me look like an idiot, Mitch!
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Great plan! I second it.
 


Our pass blocking at times left a lot to be desired last year. That needs improve as well as our WR play. It's not all on Mitch. If Mitch stops fumbling the ball and hits open WR's instead of short-hopping throws like we saw in the bowl game, our offense will be quite a bit better. And yeah, I'm not sold that Mitch will run the ball a lot less this year. The good thing is he's a tough SOB and big kid, so he can take a lot more hits than someone like Nelson.
 

I was probably one of the biggest PN9 fans on GH until his utter implosion during the off season. During last season, I had a general distaste for how Mitch played while in the game. I.E., poor decision making, awful accuracy, WAY too many sacks and so on. Some of that could be play calling, some could be lack of confidence and so on. The same could be said for PN9's play during the season last year.

If you were to ask me at the end of last season, based on potential, there was not a heck of a lot that I saw from ML7 to convince me he should be our starter, if PN9 were still here, just IMO. Still was not impressed with ML7's lackluster preformnace in the spring game. BUT, for the what we need this team to be, we certainly are now reliant upon ML7 to provide leadership and consistent QB play from which we lacked so much last season. This year's squad will only go as far as ML7 takes us. I am certainly hopeful he can prove me wrong from what I thought of his play last season and prove that he can be the QB that we need. I will be rooting for him to play well (we certainly need it) and would love for him to turn me into one of his biggest fans.

EDIT: I meant "play calling" instead of "playing"
 

e.bigelow said:
I was probably one of the biggest PN9 fans on GH until his utter implosion during the off season. During last season, I had a general distaste for how Mitch played while in the game. I.E., poor decision making, awful accuracy, WAY too many sacks and so on. Some of that could be playing, some could be lack of confidence and so on. The same could be said for PN9's play during the season last year.

If you were to ask me at the end of last season, based on potential, there was not a heck of a lot that I saw from ML7 to convince me he should be our starter, if PN9 were still here, just IMO. Still was not impressed with ML7's lackluster preformnace in the spring game. BUT, for the what we need this team to be, we certainly are now reliant upon ML7 to provide leadership and consistent QB play from which we lacked so much last season. This year's squad will only go as far as ML7 takes us. I am certainly hopeful he can prove me wrong from what I thought of his play last season and prove that he can be the QB that we need. I will be rooting for him to play well (we certainly need it) and would love for him to turn me into one of his biggest fans.
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I love this post. It is spot on. 100% correct. Nothing but fact. Last year virtually no one on this board liked ML7s play. There wasn't much to like. He has a chance to improve, but 50% of the folks on here are now looking back saying they liked how ML7 played last year and feel it showed great potential for this year. It is no different than how folks on this board look back at past players (AW & DCT, for example) and remember them far better than they were AND that they thought they were at the time. You know who you are.

I hope ML7 has a great year. I think he could. However, many of the expectations posted for him in this thread are, well, absurd.
 

My only hope for Leidner is that he improves more than Nelson did as a sophomore.
 



Did any of you fools consider the fact that it may not matter too much which kid plays quarterback during this 2014 Conference season? The coaches can NOT call a game that is insured to protect any individual player. So, one of the kids who play qb might be injured at any time. IF, and WHEN that happens, the NEXT qb has to become the NOW qb. Don't make such absurd statements as: "...the entire season rests on Leidner's shoulders.." IF that were really the case, my Gophers are in real trouble. Not because Leidner isn't a decent player...rather because NO football team can rely only on one player.

So, based upon all the years of rooting for my Golden Gopher Football team, I honestly have to say less rides on the shoulders of ANY of the quarterbacks in this 2014 season than at any point in quite a while. At least, the building blocks are in place for a semblance of a running game in 2014 and THAT will be the identy of this team, this coaching staff and this football program. And that is a start!

So, good luck to all the quarterbacks. Be ready for your call. Make the most of any...and every opportunity. And when your name and number is called: Make this team YOUR team...
 

imthewalrus said:
Did any of you fools consider the fact that it may not matter too much which kid plays quarterback during this 2014 Conference season? The coaches can NOT call a game that is insured to protect any individual player. So, one of the kids who play qb might be injured at any time. IF, and WHEN that happens, the NEXT qb has to become the NOW qb. Don't make such absurd statements as: "...the entire season rests on Leidner's shoulders.." IF that were really the case, my Gophers are in real trouble. Not because Leidner isn't a decent player...rather because NO football team can rely only on one player.

So, based upon all the years of rooting for my Golden Gopher Football team, I honestly have to say less rides on the shoulders of ANY of the quarterbacks in this 2014 season than at any point in quite a while. At least, the building blocks are in place for a semblance of a running game in 2014 and THAT will be the identy of this team, this coaching staff and this football program. And that is a start!

So, good luck to all the quarterbacks. Be ready for your call. Make the most of any...and every opportunity. And when your name and number is called: Make this team YOUR team...
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WAL- every Aug my desire to pimp this team lags but your ardor never wanes. kudos to you for always staying the course. i happen to think Leidner is the worst starting QB in the BT (IDK about rut and mary). Im not calling for the backup just stating the fact that the coaching staff is behind the eightball in qb staffing-
 

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