Love watching Shortell throw!

[MinneStoa]

Next year is his spot to lose in my opinion.

Of course it is. He has the most experience and is the older candidate. It should be his to lose. With that said, next season is a long way away, and anything could happen between now and then. I wouldn't count Nelson out with almost a year to go until next season.

 

[Go4Broke]

Would 't blame him for transferring. Will only mop up or be injury replacement this year. Next year he is likely to fill the same roll.

Based on what we have seen of Shortell and Nelson in Spring and Fall practice and the game today there is no way you can reasonably project anyone else but Shortell as the starter next year. He has all the tools Nelson has and maybe then some because he is four inches taller and probably has a stronger arm. Next years starter will be the guy with the best understanding of what Kill and his staff want to do with the offense, and the guy who can best recognize defenses and throw to the right receiver at the right time.

 

[stocker08]

Shortell played well in his limited time today. As others have said, I believe it is his job to lose next year. It is pointless to try and project our starter next year, but it is certainly a good problem to have.

 

[Doc1001]

Shortell is a deceptively good runner.

 

[station19]

Of course it is. He has the most experience and is the older candidate. It should be his to lose. With that said, next season is a long way away, and anything could happen between now and then. I wouldn't count Nelson out with almost a year to go until next season.

Huh? I would say he's the favorite to start next year for sure.

Based on what we have seen of Shortell and Nelson in Spring and Fall practice and the game today there is no way you can reasonably project anyone else but Shortell as the starter next year. He has all the tools Nelson has and maybe then some because he is four inches taller and probably has a stronger arm. Next years starter will be the guy with the best understanding of what Kill and his staff want to do with the offense, and the guy who can best recognize defenses and throw to the right receiver at the right time.

I agree with you guys.

Hopefully all the #2 qb's in the country don't transfer. That would be ugly. Anything can happen.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Many of mg's runs came on what looked like a pass play but he 'tucked it and ran'. How many of those was there a receiver to throw to and would max have completed passes on those?

Something we won't know, but maybe the coaches know after watching game film. Just curiosity on my part.

Maybe a lot of his runs but the vast majority of his yards and both TD's came on designed runs.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Ok expert guy, you know. Why even post that?

Any rube watching the game should have been able to see that on that particular throw. Just pointing out that Shortell was not some sort of world beater today.

To Ogee, I am sorry but I still have the Michigan game and the start of the Purdue game burned in my brain from last year. Shortell completed 48% of his passes last year. Let's not get all excited about some mop up duty against an FCS team.

FYI, Mason was all over Shortell during the broadcast. He was basically creating a QB controversially. It was odd.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Gray made one play today as a QB that REALLY made me smile and take notice. On the long completion to Rabe, just before the TD pass to Rabe, Gray actually stood in the pocket, felt a little pressure, and then slid laterally a few steps before finding a wide open Rabe for a long completion.

49 times out of 50, Gray just tucks it and runs in that situation. It was honestly the first time I can recall him doing that. He just doesn't seem to have any pocket awareness or pocket presence, or really seem very comfortable in the pocket at all. I think it was the first pass play of the game, he stood in the pocket, where there was protection if he just steps up, and instead he ran himself right into the pass rush. That seems to be the norm.

Not worth complaining about today. Big win for the Gophers!!! Huge win against a team that could have given them some fits. The defense gets the credit for this one, they played really really well, gave the Gophers good field position, put the offense in great positions to score!!! Sooooooo awesome to finally be excited about the defensive side of the ball!!!

Definitely a good one to build on!!!

Wow. . .I didn't think anyone would be able to walk away from the game today and say anything negative about Gray. The guy was 6 - 8 100 yards and 2 TDs.

Shortell looked really good and I have complete confidence in him as Gray's heir apparent, but there is absolutely nothing to complain about as far as Gray's play today.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

FYI, Mason was all over Shortell during the broadcast. He was basically creating a QB controversially. It was odd.

That's what someone else told me who didn't go to the game. That's so peculiar because we scored 30 points in the first half and then went to a vanilla scheme in the 3rd quarter (scored another TD).

Shortell looked great, but he took over after Gray led us to a 37-7 lead.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I love Gray.

But his running style does not help our o-line get into a good rhythm and tempo when somebody else is running the ball.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but what do you mean?

I don't think he reads the option particularily well (did a better job today), is that what you meant?

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

That's what someone else told me who didn't go to the game. That's so peculiar because we scored 30 points in the first half and then went to a vanilla scheme in the 3rd quarter (scored another TD).

Shortell looked great, but he took over after Gray led us to a 37-7 lead.

I think Mason's thought is that Gray should have thrown a few 1st down passes.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Wow. . .I didn't think anyone would be able to walk away from the game today and say anything negative about Gray. The guy was 6 - 8 100 yards and 2 TDs.

Shortell looked really good and I have complete confidence in him as Gray's heir apparent, but there is absolutely nothing to complain about as far as Gray's play today.

I don't know that I would say anything negative about Gray's play today specifically. I was noting some general comments about how he looks in the pocket. In two games, I don't know that Gray has completed more than one or two balls that wouldn't have been completed by a HS QB.

I'm just worried about playing against BT caliber players. Against a BT defense today, I think Gray has about 35 yards rushing in those 17 carries. He's a tremendous athlete, no doubt about it, nobody's questioning that. I'm just worried that he makes the Gophers really easy to defend by a defense with some BCS caliber players.

Today I blame the play-calling. 8 pass attempts for MG in a game like this is just inexcusable. Yes, he would have had a few more attempts had he stayed in the pocket but still; this was a game he should have thrown it 20+ times.

The next two weeks will definitely be steps up in the talent of the competition so I think we'll know a lot more about the team in general by the time they head into BT play. I'm pulling for Gray to continue to grow every week. I will say though, that I didn't see anything from either Gray or Shortell to change my opinion about either of them, for whatever that's worth.

Great win!!! Let's keep building on it!!!

 

[Stan The Caddy]

That's what someone else told me who didn't go to the game. That's so peculiar because we scored 30 points in the first half and then went to a vanilla scheme in the 3rd quarter (scored another TD).

Shortell looked great, but he took over after Gray led us to a 37-7 lead.

Bob- I was there for the first half, but had to leave at the half. I was shocked at what Mason was saying / doing when I tuned in.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

I don't know that I would say anything negative about Gray's play today specifically. I was noting some general comments about how he looks in the pocket. In two games, I don't know that Gray has completed more than one or two balls that wouldn't have been completed by a HS QB.

I'm just worried about playing against BT caliber players. Against a BT defense today, I think Gray has about 35 yards rushing in those 17 carries. He's a tremendous athlete, no doubt about it, nobody's questioning that. I'm just worried that he makes the Gophers really easy to defend by a defense with some BCS caliber players.

Today I blame the play-calling. 8 pass attempts for MG in a game like this is just inexcusable. Yes, he would have had a few more attempts had he stayed in the pocket but still; this was a game he should have thrown it 20+ times.

The next two weeks will definitely be steps up in the talent of the competition so I think we'll know a lot more about the team in general by the time they head into BT play. I'm pulling for Gray to continue to grow every week. I will say though, that I didn't see anything from either Gray or Shortell to change my opinion about either of them, for whatever that's worth.

Great win!!! Let's keep building on it!!!

I agree that they should have thrown a few more times with Gray and Mason made that point. But he also went on and on about Shortell vs. Gray and how if he was the coach and a team could contain a running QB, he would play Shortell "without a second thought."

 

[nc2mn]

Seemed like Mason contradicted himself. In response to a q from the field reporter, Mason said he would take shortell in an end-of-game situation where you had < 2 mins and had to have a td. Then he said a little later in the conversation that if he were the opposing coach he would be delighted if the Gophers EVER took Q out of the game.

 

[station19]

I agree that they should have thrown a few more times with Gray and Mason made that point. But he also went on and on about Shortell vs. Gray and how if he was the coach and a team could contain a running QB, he would play Shortell "without a second thought."

In a two minute situation.

 

[GopherGack]

I agree that they should have thrown a few more times with Gray and Mason made that point. But he also went on and on about Shortell vs. Gray and how if he was the coach and a team could contain a running QB, he would play Shortell "without a second thought."

Just to reiterate what others have said. Mason was asked a direct question about who he would play IF the Gophers were down with under 2 min. to play and didn't have any timeouts. To which he replied he would play Shortell without a question because he is a better passer. Shortly there after hyped Marquis as the best player on the field and the guy who makes the Gophers offense go. I don't think he was trying to make any QB controversy. Later on in the broadcast another member of the broadcast team mentioned going with a 2 QB system to which Mason responded with something along the lines of, "Yeah....some people think that is a good idea....", basically implying he wouldn't go that route.

On a separate note I'd just like to jump in and say I too thought Gray played a very good game today. Amazingly enough though no YAC from the stop route today.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Re-reading this thread is fun...

 

[SonOfTheVarsity]

Re-reading this thread is fun...

Especially looking at the guy who started it--just started a new thread about how Shortell isn't a D1 QB.

 

[Formo]

Especially looking at the guy who started it--just started a new thread about how Shortell isn't a D1 QB.

lol

I wouldn't say he's not a D1 QB.. but not B1G starting QB. Not with how he's playing now. Of course, continuity on the OLine would probably help, but until he fixes his game, I'm not impressed.

 

[50PoundHead]

Re-reading this thread is fun...

It was interesting reading the initial post. If one thing Shortell does not do well at this point it's anticipating his receievers' moves and delivering the ball in a catchable "box". After watching him again today, I can imagine the families of the Gopher wide receivers are taking out life insurance policies for their kids. Shortell is going to get someone killed if he continues to trust his arm instead of stepping into his throws more.

 

[tikited]

Shortell should only be considered a back-up going from this point forward. If he starts any games next year = we are in trouble. No offense Max-you are a fine young man, but Nelson better be ready.