My Two Cents

Donate To GopherHole
N

ncgo4

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
1,532
Reaction score
7
Points
38
I am very confused and distressed by this game. The mistakes were unending. 12 men on the field? Jeesh! It looked a lot like some bad coaching.

As regards the play calling, I would like to know if those running plays were all called or if MG was checking off to avoid throwing. Clearly the tempo changed when Gray went out...for the better. I'm a huge fan of MG, but either, the coaching staff doesn't trust Gray's passing, or they want to set up the run to a fault. Clearly this OL is a work in progress.

I'll be surprised if Gray is back next week, so we can see what they will do with a week to prepare a passing game. And, if so, who is the back up QB?
 


ncgo4 said:
I am very confused and distressed by this game. The mistakes were unending. 12 men on the field? Jeesh! It looked a lot like some bad coaching.
Click to expand...

Not sure if you're talking about this same point, but on the radio they were saying the Gopher coaches were getting on the officials all game because apparently WMU was subbing really late and if they do that the Gophers are allowed to sub. I don't know all the ins and outs of the rule there but just relaying what the radio guys were saying.

The 12 men call was one where the Gophers coaches felt they should have been able to sub.
 

Fair question: Regardless of the severity of MGs injury, there is a high likelihood that Shortell starts. Who's the backup?

Is there someone between Shortell and Nelson?
 

Word said:
Not sure if you're talking about this same point, but on the radio they were saying the Gopher coaches were getting on the officials all game because apparently WMU was subbing really late and if they do that the Gophers are allowed to sub. I don't know all the ins and outs of the rule there but just relaying what the radio guys were saying.
Click to expand...

that is what I got out of it too, Word.

But you need to keep in mind that the Negative Nancies are gonna find fault with everything that wasn't perfect or pretty and place blame somewhere, when in actuality they do not know what they are talking about. In the words of the great Bob Dylan, "Idiot Wind".
 


No doubt this team is a work in progress but I still liked what I saw today. We have a very well balanced offense with Shortell in there. The defense has stood strong when the game was on the line. When was the last time we saw that? The last time we could depend on the Gopher defense to save the game was back when Tyrone Carter was playing.
 

If Gray is in there, they have to let him be a complete QB. We seem to be using him almost like a Wildcat QB. Throw the ball, if he can't get it done, then Shortell needs to be the QB.
 


GoForGold said:
No doubt this team is a work in progress but I still liked what I saw today. We have a very well balanced offense with Shortell in there. The defense has stood strong when the game was on the line. When was the last time we saw that? The last time we could depend on the Gopher defense to save the game was back when Tyrone Carter was playing.
Click to expand...

Michael Carter had an excellent game today!
 



GophersInIowa said:
If Gray is in there, they have to let him be a complete QB. We seem to be using him almost like a Wildcat QB. Throw the ball, if he can't get it done, then Shortell needs to be the QB.
Click to expand...

If they don't let mg throw the ball but they do max, what does that say?
 

Yup, I agree with what's been said. It almost seems like the coaching staff doesn't trust gray at all. I have all the confidence in the world for gray to make those same exact throws that Shortell made today. Shortell certainly wasn't picking apart the defense. He was simply playing throw and catch with his receivers. The Western Michigan DB's were terrible. Gray never got the chance and now he's sitting in a boot. I'm not happy with Limegrover right now. But 3-0 is 3-0.
 

afurry91 said:
Yup, I agree with what's been said. It almost seems like the coaching staff doesn't trust gray at all. I have all the confidence in the world for gray to make those same exact throws that Shortell made today. I'm not happy with Limegrover right now. But 3-0 is 3-0.
Click to expand...

I don't, and it's obvious the coaches don't either.
 

I think the coaching staff's goal was to win today by a score of 24-21.

Things got a bit out of control and it ended up 28-23.

Seriously, though, they're a smart staff and recognize the need to protect the team's extremely fragile ego.
 



station19 said:
If they don't let mg throw the ball but they do max, what does that say?
Click to expand...

There's two ways to look at it:
1. They don't trust Gray to throw nearly as much as Shortell.
2. Gray is much more of a weapon as a runner, where as Shortell isn't a runner. Therefore, we will run the ball more with Gray, pass more with Shortell.

I think it's somewhere in the middle. They don't trust him as much as a passer, but also want to take advantage of his running skills. Regardless of who you think should be the QB, most everyone has to agree that if Gray is in there, they have to try to pass the ball more for us to be successful in the Big Ten.
 

station19 said:
I don't, and it's obvious the coaches don't either.
Click to expand...

Gray has not done anything for him to lose his job over. He had a bad game at UNLV. He played great against NH, and he was throwing the ball fine in the few chances the coaches actually gave him. If the coaches want Shortell to play, then make him the freaking starter. It's obvious that the coaches like Gray better, but for some reason they are milking his "dual-threat" attribute. Throw the ball Jerry. Throw the ball.
 

GophersInIowa said:
There's two ways to look at it:
1. They don't trust Gray to throw nearly as much as Shortell.
2. Gray is much more of a weapon as a runner, where as Shortell isn't a runner. Therefore, we will run the ball more with Gray, pass more with Shortell.

I think it's somewhere in the middle. They don't trust him as much as a passer, but also want to take advantage of his running skills. Regardless of who you think should be the QB, most everyone has to agree that if Gray is in there, they have to try to pass the ball more for us to be successful in the Big Ten.
Click to expand...

I would lean more to 2, but not totally ignore the 1st one. That said, using a duel threat QB is different then Pro-set.
 



Gray hasn't had the opportunity. He hasn't played poorly. He hasn't been throwing interceptions. His completion percentage is high. This is ALL on the coaches. Open up the playbook. The coaches have just created a QB controversy because of their conservative BS play calls when gray is in there.
 

afurry91 said:
Gray hasn't had the opportunity. He hasn't played poorly. He hasn't been throwing interceptions. His completion percentage is high. This is ALL on the coaches. Open up the playbook. The coaches have just created a QB controversy because of their conservative BS play calls when gray is in there.
Click to expand...

Yeh, but coaches have a better feel for what Gray is and is not capable of...just saying.
 

calminnfan said:
Yeh, but coaches have a better feel for what Gray is and is not capable of...just saying.
Click to expand...

That's not what the numbers say. The numbers say he has been very efficient if you ignore the UNLV game (which I don't think is being unreasonable seeing as how it was the first game). His passes were on the money against NH and he was throwing the ball really well in the limited opportunities he got today.
 

afurry91 said:
Gray hasn't had the opportunity. He hasn't played poorly. He hasn't been throwing interceptions. His completion percentage is high. This is ALL on the coaches. Open up the playbook. The coaches have just created a QB controversy because of their conservative BS play calls when gray is in there.
Click to expand...

And why would that be?
 

afurry91 said:
Gray hasn't had the opportunity. He hasn't played poorly. He hasn't been throwing interceptions. His completion percentage is high. This is ALL on the coaches. Open up the playbook. The coaches have just created a QB controversy because of their conservative BS play calls when gray is in there.
Click to expand...

If Shortell continues his good play while Q is hurt and the coaches decide to replace Max with Q when he is healthy, the coaches are going to get an earful from the fans if the coaches revert back to the qb option with Q if it fails to put points on the board.
 


afurry91 said:
That's not what the numbers say. The numbers say he has been very efficient if you ignore the UNLV game (which I don't think is being unreasonable seeing as how it was the first game). His passes were on the money against NH and he was throwing the ball really well in the limited opportunities he got today.
Click to expand...

And clearly you are more informed on this than the coaches.
 


GO4INLALALAND said:
If Shortell continues his good play while Q is hurt and the coaches decide to replace Max with Q when he is healthy, the coaches are going to get an earful from the fans if the coaches revert back to the qb option with Q if it fails to put points on the board.
Click to expand...

That's why I say you see what Gray can do. If he can't cut it. See what he can do in a game. It's too late now though as the games are getting tougher. The coaches missed the boat.
 


afurry91 said:
Gray hasn't had the opportunity. He hasn't played poorly. He hasn't been throwing interceptions. His completion percentage is high. This is ALL on the coaches. Open up the playbook. The coaches have just created a QB controversy because of their conservative BS play calls when gray is in there.
Click to expand...

Gray was in for 5 possessions; 1 td drive of 8 yds.

Max first two possessions 2 tds. 75 yds and 45 yds...followed by one more td drive.
 

afurry91 said:
Okay, so if the coaches are so amazing. Why aren't they starting Shortell? He's clearly an NFL QB right? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

If the coaches change play styles from one quarterback to another, I would imagine that the decision-making is based upon the players' strengths and weaknesses. Simply concluding that one can do just as well as another based upon stats as opposed to coaching them, studying the film, and knowing them personally is outright armchair coach. I cannot conclude that Gray would fare as well as Shortell if he was given the same playcalling, because all I have done is watched the games and seen the stats.

Edited: I think the reason why the coaches have gone with Gray is simply because they believe he gives them the best opportunity to win.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom