Morgan now with most QB wins in Gophers history















The conundrum with Morgan is the inconsistency. Is that on him - is it on the OC - or is it on the supporting cast?

If you can filter out the emotion and any feelings about Morgan as a person, I think he will go down as a solid player - but not the type of QB who can elevate a team above its potential.

My test is this - if you take Morgan out of the lineup and insert a different QB, does the team stay the same, get better or get worse? I suspect that the Gophers would have had a very similar record over the last 3+ years whether the QB was Morgan, Annexstad or someone else.

The Gophers under Fleck are just not a QB-driven program. Now, that might change in the future if they bring in a QB with different skills or a higher level of skill - providing that the Head Coach and OC will allow that QB to use those skills.
 

The conundrum with Morgan is the inconsistency. Is that on him - is it on the OC - or is it on the supporting cast?

If you can filter out the emotion and any feelings about Morgan as a person, I think he will go down as a solid player - but not the type of QB who can elevate a team above its potential.

My test is this - if you take Morgan out of the lineup and insert a different QB, does the team stay the same, get better or get worse? I suspect that the Gophers would have had a very similar record over the last 3+ years whether the QB was Morgan, Annexstad or someone else.

The Gophers under Fleck are just not a QB-driven program. Now, that might change in the future if they bring in a QB with different skills or a higher level of skill - providing that the Head Coach and OC will allow that QB to use those skills.
Well people want the program to get to a WI/IA level. We are on track at the QB position.
 





The conundrum with Morgan is the inconsistency. Is that on him - is it on the OC - or is it on the supporting cast?

If you can filter out the emotion and any feelings about Morgan as a person, I think he will go down as a solid player - but not the type of QB who can elevate a team above its potential.

My test is this - if you take Morgan out of the lineup and insert a different QB, does the team stay the same, get better or get worse? I suspect that the Gophers would have had a very similar record over the last 3+ years whether the QB was Morgan, Annexstad or someone else.

The Gophers under Fleck are just not a QB-driven program. Now, that might change in the future if they bring in a QB with different skills or a higher level of skill - providing that the Head Coach and OC will allow that QB to use those skills.
However, you pose questions that can never…could never…should never even be asked. So, since you ask those questions, I’ll see your questions by answering: no. No one but Morgan could have accomplished this during the past 3 seasons, simply because it can only happen the way it happened.

Not to be outdone, I ask you this: could anyone other than Tanner have stayed healthy enough to have never even given any of the other quarterbacks a look at the field due to sickness (Covid 19 pandemic), injury, or by pissing off a coach with play on the field, off-field…out of locker room activity, breaking team rules or academic problems?

Tanner has simply been an iron man in all those regards. He won the job and refused to give it up.
Why try to question a situation which has such a simple answer?

Tanner Morgan is the iron man qb who has refused to let the coach, the opposing teams, the hard hits, the tough losses, the BIG wins, the graduation losses, the season- ending injuries OR the fickle and unappreciative fans get him off the field. This is, has been and must be his time as the quarterback on the U of M Gopher Football Team!

Job well done Tanner Morgan!
 
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However, you pose questions that can never…could never…should never even be asked. So, since you ask those questions, I’ll see your questions by answering: no. No one but Morgan could have accomplished this during the past 3 seasons, simply because it can only happen the way it happened.

Not to be outdone, I ask you this: could anyone other than Tanner have stayed healthy enough to have never even given any of the other quarterbacks a look at the field due to sickness (Covid 19 pandemic), injury BT or by pissing off a coach with play on the field, off-field…out of locker room activity, breaking team rules or academic problems?

Tanner has simply been an iron man in all those regards. He won the job and refused to give it up.
Why try to question a situation which has such a simple answer?

Tanner Morgan is the iron man qb who has refused to let the coach, the opposing teams, the hard hits, the tough losses, the BIG wins, the graduation losses, the season- ending injuries OR the fickle and unappreciative fans get him off the field. This is, has been and must be his time as the quarterback on the U of M Gopher Football Team!

Job well done Tanner Morgan!
well said
 

Geez Wren - I am not knocking the guy.

I'm simply expressing an opinion that Morgan is a good - but not great - QB.

Granted, the Gophers have not had an upper-level QB for a long time, so I think the fans have gotten used to a certain level of play at the position.

just once before I kick the bucket, I would like to see the Gophers land a QB with a higher skill level - just to see what that looks like. Go watch some highlights of the OSU QB and imagine someone like that playing for the Gophers. Wouldn't that be fun?
 

With any luck, that metric will be broken by another Fleck QB sometime in the near future.
 

Geez Wren - I am not knocking the guy.

I'm simply expressing an opinion that Morgan is a good - but not great - QB.

Granted, the Gophers have not had an upper-level QB for a long time, so I think the fans have gotten used to a certain level of play at the position.

just once before I kick the bucket, I would like to see the Gophers land a QB with a higher skill level - just to see what that looks like. Go watch some highlights of the OSU QB and imagine someone like that playing for the Gophers. Wouldn't that be fun?
I agree with your sentiment. I don't feel like Fleck wants anyone to see what is behind Door #2 or Door #3 which is why he never gives anyone else any meaningful snaps. He doesn't need anyone questioning his judgement more than they already are.
 

Geez Wren - I am not knocking the guy.

I'm simply expressing an opinion that Morgan is a good - but not great - QB.

Granted, the Gophers have not had an upper-level QB for a long time, so I think the fans have gotten used to a certain level of play at the position.

just once before I kick the bucket, I would like to see the Gophers land a QB with a higher skill level - just to see what that looks like. Go watch some highlights of the OSU QB and imagine someone like that playing for the Gophers. Wouldn't that be fun?
The Ohio St QB is aided by their WRs, RBs, OL, Defense and special teams. Give the Gophers all that and their QB and we are ohio st.
 

Geez Wren - I am not knocking the guy.

I'm simply expressing an opinion that Morgan is a good - but not great - QB.

Granted, the Gophers have not had an upper-level QB for a long time, so I think the fans have gotten used to a certain level of play at the position.

just once before I kick the bucket, I would like to see the Gophers land a QB with a higher skill level - just to see what that looks like. Go watch some highlights of the OSU QB and imagine someone like that playing for the Gophers. Wouldn't that be fun?
Something I'm hoping for too. We've seen teams that aren't the traditional Blue Bloods find those quarterback gems who've taken their teams to a higher level.

Lamar Jackson at Louisville, RGIII at Baylor, Matt Ryan at Boston College. Even Purdue found Drew Brees.
 

The Ohio St QB is aided by their WRs, RBs, OL, Defense and special teams. Give the Gophers all that and their QB and we are ohio st.
Agree. OSU QBs benefit greatly from their supporting cast. The list of Buckeye signal-callers fizzling out quickly in the NFL is not a short one.
 

Congrats to Morgan, but I'm ready to move on next year. Unfortunately, he will be back.
 


Morgan finished #7 in the nation in QBR in 2019 and #5 in overall rating. It was a superlative year full of great passes, probably not to be exceeded for some time.

His play has declined considerably behind the new coaching regime and probably a few other factors but there are still flashes here and there.

Congratulations on hitting another record.
 

Something I'm hoping for too. We've seen teams that aren't the traditional Blue Bloods find those quarterback gems who've taken their teams to a higher level.

Lamar Jackson at Louisville, RGIII at Baylor, Matt Ryan at Boston College. Even Purdue found Drew Brees.
So just need to go find a high level NFL guy or freak of nature athlete and we should be good to go.....nothing to it.... :)

I fully get the desire for more from the QB position and if we are able to find/develop a great QB then we will have the potential to be a scary good team. Morgan looked like he might be one of those guys in 2019 but hasn't been able to duplicate that success since that point.

The QB gets all the credit or all the blame but they can't do it alone. Takes a great supporting cast as well to really elevate a team to the next level. Morgan will go down as one of the best QBs ever at the U of M, hopefully in the very near future we find the guy that can surpass what Morgan was able to accomplish during his time here.
 

So just need to go find a high level NFL guy or freak of nature athlete and we should be good to go.....nothing to it.... :)

I fully get the desire for more from the QB position and if we are able to find/develop a great QB then we will have the potential to be a scary good team. Morgan looked like he might be one of those guys in 2019 but hasn't been able to duplicate that success since that point.

The QB gets all the credit or all the blame but they can't do it alone. Takes a great supporting cast as well to really elevate a team to the next level. Morgan will go down as one of the best QBs ever at the U of M, hopefully in the very near future we find the guy that can surpass what Morgan was able to accomplish during his time here.
Who on the current Gophers staff would you consider a good developer of QBs?

In 2019, our offense did more to take advantage of Tanner's skill set (quick reads/quick strikes) than "develop" him into an all-around QB.

Sanford, Jr was supposed to be that guy. But a "developer" he is not.
 


Fleck with this quote from his Monday presser regarding Morgan's career win record.

"It's a credit to Tanner because he is the all time winningest quarterback in the history of our school and hopefully he wins a lot more games for us at the quarterback position."

A lot more games? There are only 2 (max 3) games left this season. Looks like Fleck is laying easter eggs for the fans.
 




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