Now that Demry Croft can no longer redshirt, who should start at QB the rest of year?

Now that Demry Croft can no longer redshirt, who should start at QB the rest of year?

  • Play Leidner as he still has experience and gives us best chance to win.

    Votes: 25 15.0%

  • Gotta roll with Croft now. He is the future and gives us best chance to win this year

    Votes: 128 76.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 14 8.4%
  • Total voters
    167
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You have to start Croft next week and hope the offense gets a boost. I fear that at best he's marginally better than Leidner and isn't physically ready to take the punishment he'll be seeing in coming games. Kill is rolling the dice big time and risking the kid's football future recklessly IMO.
 

John Galt said:
A good defense doesn't give up 27 points to that NW offense starting a freshman QB.
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NU returned a fumble for a TD. Defense gave up 20 points. 312 yards--right on our average for the year, 23rd out of 128 teams nationally. I.e., "average."
 

Croft had 38% as many passing yards as Leidner and rushed for more yards than Leidner and played 1/5 as much as Leidner. Oh ya, and no picks or fumbles.


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John Galt said:
Great analysis! Just so you can see them with your own eyes, right?
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No, play Leidner more, we've got a real shot at the Big Ten west with him! A little butt hurt over your ridiculous "average defense statement" Johnny???


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John Galt said:
Some Day...Is Coming! said:
Hey John, the offense and special teams gave up 14 pts. The defense is better than average! If it had an average offense it would look even better. No, I don't count a 5 yd drive after a 3 and out. Time of possession was ridiculous cause our offense sucked.


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NW has a good defense. We have a defense that played good the first 3 games and has become average the last 2. A good defense doesn't give up 27 points to that NW offense starting a freshman QB.
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Johnny, what game were you watching???? What did our D do wrong on that Mitch Leidner glass hands fumble that the Northwestern D returned for a touchdown? Please give me your brilliant analysis and breakdown on that. Ready? Go! Lmao


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RochesterHammy said:
Leidner will remain the starter but now that Croft burned his shirt, the leash will become shorter and shorter. Croft didn't do enough to take the job. Opposing defenses will just blitz him mercilessly. They need to fix the offensive line. It won't matter who the quarterback is until they find five guys who can block.
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Yes I think this is right. Leidner will start but Croft will get some series. Whomever is playing better will get the most action. Similar to 2013.
 

Now that the RS is off, it has to be Croft. I was one of the biggest Leidner backers out there, but you can't play with one hand tied behind your back. And that's what we were doing. If the play selection we say against NW was the best offense we could put on the field with Mitch, something has to change. Leidner threw some truly awful passes yesterday, and it's clear that Limegrover has no clue how to design an offense to work around Mitch's weaknesses. (Though it could be fair to say there are too many weaknesses to work around, especially with Leidner's lack of mobility this year.)

With Croft starting, Limegrover needs to figure out a way to slow down the pass rush. The o-line is much maligned, but I don't think they're particularly bad. Almost every pass we see is a 5-step drop. Whether off a play action or a straight drop, defenses can rely on Mitch being 8 yards in the backfield, directly behind the center. It's easy to design a blitz to get to that point, and DEs pin their ears back and rush straight for that spot. It reflects poorly on the line, but it's just another instance of Limegrover being over-matched by smart D-coordinators. We need to move the pocket, and it doesn't always have to be on roll-outs. Move the pocket off a tackle, rather than directly behind the C every time. Run a draw to stop DEs and edge blitzers from pinning their ears back. Try a shovel pass. Anything but the same exact drop, almost every time.
 

Without opening up some running lanes nothing is going to help this O. I have been loyal to Leidner until yesterday. Play Croft. I can see some platooning between Leidner and Croft (for Croft's sake, he needs some time off the field for coaching and studying the D he is facing).

Fix the OL and get these freshmen RBs a chance. Got to pull OL redshirts if the "seasoned" guys can't get it done.
 



SonOfTheVarsity said:
Now that the RS is off, it has to be Croft. I was one of the biggest Leidner backers out there, but you can't play with one hand tied behind your back. And that's what we were doing. If the play selection we say against NW was the best offense we could put on the field with Mitch, something has to change. Leidner threw some truly awful passes yesterday, and it's clear that Limegrover has no clue how to design an offense to work around Mitch's weaknesses. (Though it could be fair to say there are too many weaknesses to work around, especially with Leidner's lack of mobility this year.)

With Croft starting, Limegrover needs to figure out a way to slow down the pass rush. The o-line is much maligned, but I don't think they're particularly bad. Almost every pass we see is a 5-step drop. Whether off a play action or a straight drop, defenses can rely on Mitch being 8 yards in the backfield, directly behind the center. It's easy to design a blitz to get to that point, and DEs pin their ears back and rush straight for that spot. It reflects poorly on the line, but it's just another instance of Limegrover being over-matched by smart D-coordinators. We need to move the pocket, and it doesn't always have to be on roll-outs. Move the pocket off a tackle, rather than directly behind the C every time. Run a draw to stop DEs and edge blitzers from pinning their ears back. Try a shovel pass. Anything but the same exact drop, almost every time.
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With the reduction in his ability to run, far and away the best part of his game, there is really no reason to stick with Leidner. It's time to evaluate Croft and see if we can ride with him next year or need to look elsewhere.
 

diehard said:
Without opening up some running lanes nothing is going to help this O. I have been loyal to Leidner until yesterday. Play Croft. I can see some platooning between Leidner and Croft (for Croft's sake, he needs some time off the field for coaching and studying the D he is facing).

Fix the OL and get these freshmen RBs a chance. Got to pull OL redshirts if the "seasoned" guys can't get it done.
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Agreed. I'd add playing the younger WRs who will be with Croft the next three or four years.
 

Kill just told Sid and Dave that he told Mitch they took him out because they needed to get someone else reps in case something happened to Mitch.
 

Dienhart chimes in:

Looks like it’s Demry Croft time in Minnesota. The heralded freshman replaced Mitch Leidner, and the staff really had no choice. Leidner has been largely ineffective most of this season. Saturday, he really looked bad in completing just 10-of-21 passes for 72 yards with an interception and lost fumble that was returned for a TD. Yes, Croft lacks Leidner’s experience. But he is much more talented and offers much-needed promise and hope for a moribund offense.

http://btn.com/2015/10/04/what-did-tom-dienhart-learn-about-big-ten-in-week-5-find-out-here/

Go Gophers!!
 



I voted Croft but just watched the 4th quarter and would change my vote if I could. DC is not better than ML. This whole offense sucks right now.
 


badgergopher said:
I voted Croft but just watched the 4th quarter and would change my vote if I could. DC is not better than ML. This whole offense sucks right now.
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The kid had no reps and gets put in for the second half of game you are getting dominated in and you expect what?
 

badgergopher said:
I voted Croft but just watched the 4th quarter and would change my vote if I could. DC is not better than ML. This whole offense sucks right now.
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Things I saw: he throws a nice ball with touch or mustard as necessary. His first pass looked like it was tipped at the line. The deep pass could have been caught by a taller receiver. Not a terrible throw. Overall he looks to be a much more polished passer. He will need to adjust to the coverage speed of Big Ten DBs.

They were blitzing 6 on several plays, and it wasn't clear to me they were giving him a hot read. Will have to go back and look. He did take the bad sack but in the heat of battle with a true freshman that will happen. He did throw another away in the same situation which was nice to see.

He runs at least as well as Leidner although he's no Michael Vick or Chris Streveler at this point. He will get stronger.
 

badgergopher said:
I voted Croft but just watched the 4th quarter and would change my vote if I could. DC is not better than ML. This whole offense sucks right now.
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Well, at least you have him a chance before writing him off. How about we just move to Perra? smh
 

Some Day...Is Coming! said:
John Galt said:
Johnny, what game were you watching???? What did our D do wrong on that Mitch Leidner glass hands fumble that the Northwestern D returned for a touchdown? Please give me your brilliant analysis and breakdown on that. Ready? Go! Lmao


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The Gophers defense is worse than NW's, Wisky's, and Iowa's. 4th best in the west. Average.

No one is defending the offense. Just point out that your simple minded take of offense-bad, defense-superb doesn't hold water.
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John Galt said:
Some Day...Is Coming! said:
The Gophers defense is worse than NW's, Wisky's, and Iowa's. 4th best in the west. Average.
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Possibly right and it could be no better than 8th in the conference overall behind those three and OSU, PSU, Michigan, and Michigan State. We'll see if things get better for the defense if the offense improves and some players get healthy again, but so far the heralded seniors, except for Antonio Johnson perhaps, seem to have played below their rankings.
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I find it curious that Kill is going out of his way to let Leidner know he was taken out just to give Croft some experience, yet won't say that Leidner is the outright starter, at least until he addresses it on Tuesday.
 


Sid Hartman is up to his old tricks again. Everyone on the team sucks except for Leidner. Croft is no Tom Brady (who said he was?). Leidner couldn't pass because he had guys in his face all day and no time to throw. That night school high school diploma really helps him see things clearly.
 

DC needs more zip on the ball for the sideline routes. He'll be picked off if not.
 

I want Croft to play but I'm also worried about his health. Our OL is in shambles. Our best blocking TE is out for the year.
 

I think the staff, Limey specifically, really screwed the pooch going all-in with Leidner. After playing revolving QB's (Q, Shortell, Nelson, Leidner) they felt they had to pick a horse. Nelson was the shining star of their recruiting class & was going to be the face of the program for the next four years. Nelson was recruited to run a spread option, similar to the one he ran at Mankato West. That's why he came here. He worked out of the shotgun exclusively, which at 6'1" and being very mobile, was perfect for him. When the staff realized they didn't have any play makers, they decided to go to a slow, plodding, power offense with two TE's & a game manager type QB lining up under center. Not Nelson's game at all. It fit Leidner much better. Everything I've heard says most of the staff was still on board with Nelson, but Limey pulled the trump card & decided Leidner was his guy. Some people hate Nelson so badly that they're blinded to the realities of college football & forget that every story has two sides, but they've only heard the staff's. There is every reason to believe the staff made some promises to Nelson during his recruitment. They absolutely HAD to have Nelson. His signing was a huge statement. He turned down his Dad's alma mater & a much better football program in Wisconsin. It said that Minnesota was for real & it said to skill position players, we've got our QB! Could Nelson have handled the situation better? Undoubtedly, but so too could the staff & they're the adults. If you were recruited as the savior of the program, only to have the promised offense changed on you, then have the OC decide Leidner was his guy, I can see why nelson felt it was time to look elsewhere. People love to point the finger at Nelson and say "He didn't want to compete", but there are times in life, on a team, at work, etc. when the decision has already been made & everyone knows it. Funny how the staff stressed competition & the moment they let Nelson go, they preached how great this would be for Leidner, because now he wouldn't have to compete & look over his shoulder all the time. It was his team, period.

I never thought Nelson was a superstar. He was just an underclassman, but he showed nice potential & I always thought he was better than Leidner. When he left, there were many posters here who sort of celebrated it. They felt it gave them some e-cred and confirmed their assertions that he sucked all along, etc. My assertion was always that while Nelson was a flawed player, he was better than Leidner & that we would regret letting him leave so easily. Well, here we are. Limey made this bed, now we all have to sleep in it.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
I think the staff, Limey specifically, really screwed the pooch going all-in with Leidner. After playing revolving QB's (Q, Shortell, Nelson, Leidner) they felt they had to pick a horse. Nelson was the shining star of their recruiting class & was going to be the face of the program for the next four years. Nelson was recruited to run a spread option, similar to the one he ran at Mankato West. That's why he came here. He worked out of the shotgun exclusively, which at 6'1" and being very mobile, was perfect for him. When the staff realized they didn't have any play makers, they decided to go to a slow, plodding, power offense with two TE's & a game manager type QB lining up under center. Not Nelson's game at all. It fit Leidner much better. Everything I've heard says most of the staff was still on board with Nelson, but Limey pulled the trump card & decided Leidner was his guy. Some people hate Nelson so badly that they're blinded to the realities of college football & forget that every story has two sides, but they've only heard the staff's. There is every reason to believe the staff made some promises to Nelson during his recruitment. They absolutely HAD to have Nelson. His signing was a huge statement. He turned down his Dad's alma mater & a much better football program in Wisconsin. It said that Minnesota was for real & it said to skill position players, we've got our QB! Could Nelson have handled the situation better? Undoubtedly, but so too could the staff & they're the adults. If you were recruited as the savior of the program, only to have the promised offense changed on you, then have the OC decide Leidner was his guy, I can see why nelson felt it was time to look elsewhere. People love to point the finger at Nelson and say "He didn't want to compete", but there are times in life, on a team, at work, etc. when the decision has already been made & everyone knows it. Funny how the staff stressed competition & the moment they let Nelson go, they preached how great this would be for Leidner, because now he wouldn't have to compete & look over his shoulder all the time. It was his team, period.

I never thought Nelson was a superstar. He was just an underclassman, but he showed nice potential & I always thought he was better than Leidner. When he left, there were many posters here who sort of celebrated it. They felt it gave them some e-cred and confirmed their assertions that he sucked all along, etc. My assertion was always that while Nelson was a flawed player, he was better than Leidner & that we would regret letting him leave so easily. Well, here we are. Limey made this bed, now we all have to sleep in it.
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I'm just not buying the thought that the staff made promises to Nelson. He DID NOT have a Wisconsin offer. For all the talk about how "needed" Nelson was, Minnesota was his only big offer.
 

I don't care for Mitch ...but he should still start and every game croft should get a few possessions each quarter just like I been saying since game 2. This is the problem again Backu QB s not ready to play in big ten because zero work in non conference get his feet wet.

It is nice seeing a spiral coming out quick f his hand.
 

Why do people continue to bring up Nelson? He's been gone for 2 years. He's not coming back. Get over it.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
Nelson was recruited to run a spread option, similar to the one he ran at Mankato West. That's why he came here. He worked out of the shotgun exclusively, which at 6'1" and being very mobile, was perfect for him. When the staff realized they didn't have any play makers, they decided to go to a slow, plodding, power offense with two TE's & a game manager type QB lining up under center. Not Nelson's game at all.
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So then why did he transfer to Rutgers?
 

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