PiPress: Mitch Leidner has shot at starting QB

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

Nelson's injury doesn't appear to be serious, but the Gophers aren't sure which quarterback will start against San Jose State on Saturday.

"Those kids know in our player policy manual that if you get injured and somebody replaces you, and they're playing better than you when you get healthy, then you got to beat them back out," Claeys said. "Whoever is the quarterback, if it's Mitch, and he's playing so much better than what Philip was playing at the time, then I think (the coaches are) right."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

Fuller has been salivating for a QB controversy. He wasn't really able to manufacture one until now. He will take this chance and run with it.

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

I'm impressed with both Leidner and Nelson. I hope they are both successful regulars in the Gopher lineup for the next several seasons.

Maybe we'll see them on the field simultaneously a few times this year. Would be fun.

 

[wait!what?]

I'm impressed with both Leidner and Nelson. I hope they are both successful regulars in the Gopher lineup for the next several seasons.

Maybe we'll see them on the field simultaneously a few times this year. Would be fun.

Leidner's play on the field was uninspiring. now don't get all hurt and start name calling. If that is the same type of play we see from the QB this season then 4-8 is pretty much scripted.

 

[Iceland12]

Limegrover on Mitch, from today's Jerry Kill Show. Courtesy of DL65.

2) Sid asked about the play of Mitch Leidner: "It's a nice issue to have (having two quality quarterbacks) . . . Leidner is a capable quarterback . . . Nelson separated himself during fall practice (talking about the QB competition) . . . Mitch didn't miss a beat." Matt sounded pleased with Mitch Leidner's play and being ready to play when Nelson was injured.

Mitch didn't look great, but he didn't hang his receivers out to dry as much as Nelson does either. He may even be able to complete a pass more than 20 yards downfield.

 

[Governor Sibley]

Four starting quarterbacks in the last 14 games?

Serenity now!

 

[lexicalNinja]

Leidner's play on the field was uninspiring. now don't get all hurt and start name calling. If that is the same type of play we see from the QB this season then 4-8 is pretty much scripted.

7/8 for 105 off the bench is bad? along with 64 rushing yards? I'm not name calling, I just want to know what you want from the kid. He went 7/8 on the passes called and had some key runs that exended drives. Not sure what else we need from a QB. Other than a little better ball control near the goal line, I think it was a good performace and it conributed to the win. Not bad for his first meaningful action.

Would it be nice if the team passed more than 12 times in a game? Yep. But calling Leider's performance uninspiring becuse Limegrover wanted to run the ball is a bit unfair.

 

[DMB123]

Leidner's play on the field was uninspiring. now don't get all hurt and start name calling. If that is the same type of play we see from the QB this season then 4-8 is pretty much scripted.

7/8 for 105 yards off the bench is uninspiring?

 

[Iceland12]

Four starting quarterbacks in the last 14 games?

Serenity now!

True but, looking at history, that's what you'll get from Kill; particularly when no QB has separated himself "from the pack". If they both stay healthy, they're both going to play.

Now, it sounds as if the Gophers are determined to use both quarterbacks, moving forward. Nelson still leads the team with 221 rushing yards, but his completion percentage is 51.2, compared to 87.5 for Leidner.

“I mean, we really didn’t skip a beat [with Leidner],” offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said. “That’s nice going forward because now you can get him in there, and the kids have confidence in Mitch, and he can take some of that pressure off Philip, and you can play two kids that run your offense.”

Limegrover said he planned to mix Leidner into Saturday’s game even before Nelson got injured. Nelson’s injury isn’t expected to keep him out for long, so the question now is who will start once he’s back?

That’s to be determined. Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said any time one of the team’s players returns from an injury, he needs to prove he can perform better than his replacement. This is laid out in the team’s player policy manual.


http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/223854511.html

 

[jaymil]

I wasn't overly impressed with Leidner but the fact is that Nelson wasn't setting the world on fire either so I'm fine with it being a competition and both of them playing. If we're going to keep running the QB's so much, we pretty much have to play 2 QB's anyways. Whoever starts shouldn't matter that much, although if Nelson is healthy I think he still deserves the nod for now.

 

[mnsports1]

Of course he has a shot, they are the same age and have been in the system an equal amount of time. Hopefully people don't turn this into taking sides, and fall into a camp with only one or the other. Chances are we will need both QB's and I am comfortable we can run our offense with both. Good time to be a Gopher FB fan!