Nelson should start instead of Gray

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Actually you're not the first. Someone just recently was saying Gray should move to WR and Nelson start at QB.
 

No longer funny (not a shot at the OP just tired of hearing Gray to WR in any aspect besides maybe a trick play)
 

Start them both. Put two quarterbacks in the backfield at the same time. The defense would never know who is going to get the ball. I think in some of the formations from the really old days, it was never clear who was going to get the snap. Of course, I'm not serious about going THAT old school.
 

W!W? shouldn't be banned.

Not really. Just wanted to be first.
 


RodentRampage said:
Start them both. Put two quarterbacks in the backfield at the same time. The defense would never know who is going to get the ball. I think in some of the formations from the really old days, it was never clear who was going to get the snap. Of course, I'm not serious about going THAT old school.
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Bring back the single wing;)
 

Ski U Mah Gopher said:
Bring back the single wing;)
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How about chicken wings with beer? Oh, I forgot beer is a four letter word to some here. I was really was hoping spring ball would bring some passion and discussion but beer seems to be the ticket.
 

LOL - give it few losses and the Shortell for QB supporters may come out again.
 

Parski1 said:
LOL - give it few losses and the Shortell for QB supporters may come out again.
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Except it will be Nelson. All those people forgot about Shortell once Nelson signed.
 



RodentRampage said:
Start them both. Put two quarterbacks in the backfield at the same time. The defense would never know who is going to get the ball. I think in some of the formations from the really old days, it was never clear who was going to get the snap. Of course, I'm not serious about going THAT old school.
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Why stop at 2? I say we put a QB at every skilled position except for Devon Crawford-Tufts at WR (who would run fly patterns on every play). Think TE end-around option with Alipate. Dexter Foreman working out of the slot. I can see a bunch of lateral/forward pass plays with him. Nelson is big enough and has enough running ability to be the tailback (and think of the option pass plays he could run). That leaves Shortell as the guy under center and Gray at WR (Of course Gray is at WR. It's the obligation of every college team to put a player at the position he would most likely play at the pro level. Didn't Congress pass a law about this?). That would leave Mitch Leidner backing up at all positions.

As Gene Wilder said as Young Frankenstein "This COULD WORK!!!!!"
 

The A-11! Or better yet, the AQ-11... "All Quarterbacks!"
 

Personally, I think we should play 10 games, and only THEN put in Nelson for his first play of the season on a 3rd & long, and he can execute a quick kick.
 

Parski1 said:
LOL - give it few losses and the Shortell for QB supporters may come out again.
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I really don't get the ripping of Shortell. He's a big athletic kid who was thrown in to the fire last year (as a true freshman) when Marqueis was either hurt or not performing well. Max was not at spring practice last year so he did not have that extra experience. He has matured physically this year, gaining strength and size (he has gained 15 lbs from last year, going from 220 to 235). I still contend that he is a much more acurate passer than Marqueis. That being said, I still support MG and hope he has an excellent year, which should lead to more wins. If not, then I want the best person in there who will help the Gophers win.

As for Nelson, I hope he redshirts this season. I think a year's experience, especially at QB, is essential for anyone making the jump from HS to D1 ball.
 



FireDaveLee said:
Personally, I think we should play 10 games, and only THEN put in Nelson for his first play of the season on a 3rd & long, and he can execute a quick kick.
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Well, that would take Brewster off the hook again, by usurping his idiotic use of McKnight in his freshman year, as the dumbest, biggest waste of a season of eligibility in the history of Golden Gopher football.
 

Bisker82 said:
I really don't get the ripping of Shortell. He's a big athletic kid who was thrown in to the fire last year (as a true freshman) when Marqueis was either hurt or not performing well. Max was not at spring practice last year so he did not have that extra experience. He has matured physically this year, gaining strength and size (he has gained 15 lbs from last year, going from 220 to 235). I still contend that he is a much more acurate passer than Marqueis. That being said, I still support MG and hope he has an excellent year, which should lead to more wins. If not, then I want the best person in there who will help the Gophers win.

As for Nelson, I hope he redshirts this season. I think a year's experience, especially at QB, is essential for anyone making the jump from HS to D1 ball.
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I don't think he was ripping on Shortell. I think he was more mocking the "Shortell should start crowd" because that group of people only likes "the next big thing" and Shortell is no longer the "the next big thing".
 

I freely admit I pushed for Shortell to start last year and Gray be moved back to WR because it wasn't a question of whether Shortell was necessarily straight up better than Gray, it was a question of whether Shortell with Gray and McKnight was a better combo than Gray with McKnight and ???. Depending on how much McDonald and Harbison can contribute this year, the argument doesn't have legs anymore because Gray probably isn't a better receiver than them right now, considering he'd be starting over again. However, if Gray had played WR last year I think we'd be talking about redshirting both McDonald and Harbison.
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
I freely admit I pushed for Shortell to start last year and Gray be moved back to WR because it wasn't a question of whether Shortell was necessarily straight up better than Gray, it was a question of whether Shortell with Gray and McKnight was a better combo than Gray with McKnight and ???. Depending on how much McDonald and Harbison can contribute this year, the argument doesn't have legs anymore because Gray probably isn't a better receiver than them right now, considering he'd be starting over again. However, if Gray had played WR last year I think we'd be talking about redshirting both McDonald and Harbison.
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Gray's improvement from start to end of the year was drastic. I expect goods things from him this year!
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
I freely admit I pushed for Shortell to start last year and Gray be moved back to WR because it wasn't a question of whether Shortell was necessarily straight up better than Gray, it was a question of whether Shortell with Gray and McKnight was a better combo than Gray with McKnight and ???. Depending on how much McDonald and Harbison can contribute this year, the argument doesn't have legs anymore because Gray probably isn't a better receiver than them right now, considering he'd be starting over again. However, if Gray had played WR last year I think we'd be talking about redshirting both McDonald and Harbison.
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oh o! Gray isn't a better WR than what we have? There goes his pro shot - darn it! Wasted in on playing QB.
 

MNGopher3409 said:
oh o! Gray isn't a better WR than what we have? There goes his pro shot - darn it! Wasted in on playing QB.
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I'd like to add to this for those that think that in order for Gray to make it to the League he has to play WR in college.

Off the top of my head, these NFL players all played QB in college and now play/played a different position:

Michael Robinson - Penn State - RB/FB
Michael Spurlock - Ole Miss - WR/KR
Matt Jones - Arkansas - WR First round even!
Julian Edelman - Kent State - WR/DB
Josh Cribbs - Kent State - WR/KR
Antwan Randel-El - Indiana - WR
Brad Smith - Missouri - WR/KR

Also, former Vikings Safety Bryan Russell was a QB at San Diego State and led or tied (can't remember) the NFL in Interceptions for the Vikes back in 2003. Joe Webb, a QB at UAB, went to to the combine as a WR and was drafted as one before Childress decided to give him a shot at QB. The point is that no matter what position you play, if you are good enough to play in the league, you will play in the league. Period. It doesn't matter what you played in college or even what school you went to. If you are good enough they will find a spot for you.

Also Gray gives us the best chance to win and as a Gopher fan that's all I really care about.
 

goldengophers said:
Gray's improvement from start to end of the year was drastic. I expect goods things from him this year!
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I don't think the numbers really bear that out. His averages, splitting up the games into sets of 3:

1st 3 - 123.63 Rtg, 5.66 ypc
2nd 3 - 67.9 Rtg, 2.26 ypc
3rd 3 - 147.23 Rtg, 4.08 ypc
4th 3 - 88.9 Rtg, 5.41 ypc
 

justthefacts said:
I don't think the numbers really bear that out. His averages, splitting up the games into sets of 3:

1st 3 - 123.63 Rtg, 5.66 ypc
2nd 3 - 67.9 Rtg, 2.26 ypc
3rd 3 - 147.23 Rtg, 4.08 ypc
4th 3 - 88.9 Rtg, 5.41 ypc
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Interesting #'s. However, I also think it would be intersting to look at his stats minus the Miami game, which I think kind of skews his 1st 3 rating. The next 3 categories can probably be attributed to getting into Big Ten play. Although the Gophs played USC, I'd still consider the 2nd 3 (NDSU, Michigan & Purdue) a tougher 3 than the 1st 3 (USC, NMSU & Miami). Looking at these #'s, I think it's fair to say that he did improve from the start of the Big Ten season to the end with the only real disappointing performance in the last 6 being the Wisconsin game.
 

I started this thread goofing off with fellow posters who have been around here for at least 2 yrs.
 

goldengophers said:
Gray's improvement from start to end of the year was drastic. I expect goods things from him this year!
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justthefacts said:
I don't think the numbers really bear that out. His averages, splitting up the games into sets of 3:

1st 3 - 123.63 Rtg, 5.66 ypc
2nd 3 - 67.9 Rtg, 2.26 ypc
3rd 3 - 147.23 Rtg, 4.08 ypc
4th 3 - 88.9 Rtg, 5.41 ypc
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I think gg meant "as a quarterback". He was far more confident, showed flashes of massive abilities, and took control of the offense. You have to sort of throw out the Wisconsin passing game statistically. He had 400 yards rushing the last three games. Starting with the Nebraska game, he was the straw that stirs the drink, baby.
 

Once the defense gained held up in the 2nd half of the NE game you could see the team begin to solidfy via play calling and playmakers. On paper the NE game may have looked like a typical loss but for those of us there we saw it different. NE coaches/players and fans were screaming to run it up to 77 points.
 

justthefacts said:
I don't think the numbers really bear that out. His averages, splitting up the games into sets of 3:

1st 3 - 123.63 Rtg, 5.66 ypc
2nd 3 - 67.9 Rtg, 2.26 ypc
3rd 3 - 147.23 Rtg, 4.08 ypc
4th 3 - 88.9 Rtg, 5.41 ypc
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Obviously the numbers bear that out.

First off, his QTB rating is considerably better in the last 6 than it is in the first 6, against way better competition.

Now, I assume that your point is that his QB rating in the last 3 games was worse than the 3 games prior, however, that is really not telling the entire story. In Gray's last 3 games, he ran for 395 yards (132 yards per) and 3 TDs. His overrall production in those last 3 games was really high. If you only look at QB rating, Gray's game against Purdue was about as good as his game against NW (that's not reality).

When you look at his production at the QB, he was greatly improved from the begining of the season THROUGH the end of the season.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Obviously the numbers bear that out.

First off, his QTB rating is considerably better in the last 6 than it is in the first 6, against way better competition.

Now, I assume that your point is that his QB rating in the last 3 games was worse than the 3 games prior, however, that is really not telling the entire story. In Gray's last 3 games, he ran for 395 yards (132 yards per) and 3 TDs. His overrall production in those last 3 games was really high. If you only look at QB rating, Gray's game against Purdue was about as good as his game against NW (that's not reality).

When you look at his production at the QB, he was greatly improved from the begining of the season THROUGH the end of the season.
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And if you ignore the statistics altogether, we lost to a vastly inferior opponent (and one somewhat-inferior opponent) in the first third of the season, while we defeated one vastly superior opponent (and one somewhat-superior opponent) in the final third of the season. It is a team game, no doubt, but the QB (especially in Kill's offense) is a disproportionately large part of that team.
 

dpodoll68 said:
And if you ignore the statistics altogether, we lost to a vastly inferior opponent (and one somewhat-inferior opponent) in the first third of the season, while we defeated one vastly superior opponent (and one somewhat-superior opponent) in the final third of the season. It is a team game, no doubt, but the QB (especially in Kill's offense) is a disproportionately large part of that team.
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Absolutely Plus 1.
 


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