Iceland12
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 24,758
- Reaction score
- 2,421
- Points
- 113
http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2015/11/12/9720276/the-big-units-minnesota
On Defense: Linebacker vs. Quarterback
For better or for worse: Minnesota's offense goes at Mitch Leidner goes. Of the 359 yards per game that the Gophers average per game (they rank 102nd in the nation in total offense), Leidner is responsible for 228 of them. He also averages 9.6 of the Minnesota's 20.3 points per game (worst in the Big Ten in PPG). So it shouldn't come as any surprise when you look back at their prior three games and see that Leidner has thrown/ran for five of the six Gopher touchdowns. This probably comes as a surprise to a lot of people, including yours truly, who watched Leidner play some truly awful football the first half of the season.
So how did he turn it around? To start, he stopped making love to wide receivers with his eyes and started getting the ball out sooner. This may be schematic or it may be Leidner making great adjustments. Either way, it's working.
The thing about Leidner is that his arm isn't what concerns me. It's his legs. For a guy that stands 6'4 and weighs just under 240 pounds, he can move pretty well. Not only can he keep it on the zone read but he can use his feet to keep the play alive. See here:.
That's where the linebackers come in. Last week against Indiana the Hawkeyes struggled to get to Sudfeld without help from Niemann, Jewell or Fisher. Admittedly, Indiana's offensive line is probably better than Minnesota's (especially with injuries), but if Iowa is going to bring pressure with their linebackers they best not miss. The last thing we want is Mitch Leidner out there wheeling and dealing because Iowa lost contain and their linebackers are 15 yards up the field focusing on the receivers.
On Defense: Linebacker vs. Quarterback
For better or for worse: Minnesota's offense goes at Mitch Leidner goes. Of the 359 yards per game that the Gophers average per game (they rank 102nd in the nation in total offense), Leidner is responsible for 228 of them. He also averages 9.6 of the Minnesota's 20.3 points per game (worst in the Big Ten in PPG). So it shouldn't come as any surprise when you look back at their prior three games and see that Leidner has thrown/ran for five of the six Gopher touchdowns. This probably comes as a surprise to a lot of people, including yours truly, who watched Leidner play some truly awful football the first half of the season.
So how did he turn it around? To start, he stopped making love to wide receivers with his eyes and started getting the ball out sooner. This may be schematic or it may be Leidner making great adjustments. Either way, it's working.
The thing about Leidner is that his arm isn't what concerns me. It's his legs. For a guy that stands 6'4 and weighs just under 240 pounds, he can move pretty well. Not only can he keep it on the zone read but he can use his feet to keep the play alive. See here:.
That's where the linebackers come in. Last week against Indiana the Hawkeyes struggled to get to Sudfeld without help from Niemann, Jewell or Fisher. Admittedly, Indiana's offensive line is probably better than Minnesota's (especially with injuries), but if Iowa is going to bring pressure with their linebackers they best not miss. The last thing we want is Mitch Leidner out there wheeling and dealing because Iowa lost contain and their linebackers are 15 yards up the field focusing on the receivers.