QB Controversy?

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Stan The Caddy said:
Those of you on here who are worried about injuries because our QB's "run too much" crack me up. It is part of the offense. It requires the defense to account for 1 more player. Does Manziel run too much? How about Mariota? Brett Hundley? I could go on and on and on...
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Having your QB get tackled by safeties and corners is a lot different than getting taken down by linemen or LBs.
 

Phillip should start if he is healthy and ready to go. End of story.
 

station19 said:
Somewhere somehow we have to find a passing game. If Leidner is the man great.

We need to go with our 3 TE set. We have no WRs.
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I cannot believe that our receivers have not made a bigger impact on all of those designed draw plays. I'm still trying to figure out how/why we we had two incompletions all game.
 

e.bigelow said:
Phillip should start if he is healthy and ready to go. End of story.
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Why? Honestly, has Philip earned the starting job at this point?

I'll put the faith in the coaching staff, obviously, since they see them every day. But based on what we've seen on the field? Why exactly is it such a lock that Philip is the guy?
 

jaymil said:
No controversy. Phil starts if healthy.
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This. But as much as we're running him, he can't go out there with a bad hamstring. I predict we don't see him again until after bye.
 


Gopherprof said:
Why? Honestly, has Philip earned the starting job at this point?

I'll put the faith in the coaching staff, obviously, since they see them every day. But based on what we've seen on the field? Why exactly is it such a lock that Philip is the guy?
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Purdue and Texas Tech last season.
 

howeda7 said:
This. But as much as we're running him, he can't go out there with a bad hamstring. I predict we don't see him again until after bye.
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That would mean 4 different starting QB's in less than a year and a half.
 

Did we call any actual drop back throw from the pocket plays today? I remember mostly play action & run option passes. If we never drop back how do we ever find out if a receiver or two can actually go deep? The entire offense seem based on fear and seeing our offensive line so far, that may be a realistic & smart thing.
 

Liedner looked "shakey" if shakey is his heart beat. I thought he had good judgement. Decent vision and had enough adrenaline sweat to pool large enough for a coy. I think he did great for his first real long stretch of college play. He led the team to a come from behind victory. What is not to like about that performance. In a large sense, he looked more the part of a major college qb than Nelson. I think we may see more of him next week against and can't wait to read the trash by Rittenberg on our cupcake schedule.
 



Dozens of running/dual-threat QBs run more than our guys every year. Why are ours suddenly so fragile and in need of being protected? If the running QB works, you keep doing it as long as they can walk.
 

I have to go with the guy Tom Lemming called the nation's top sleeper. Phil Nelson is going to revolutionize Minnesota QBs. We just have to believe.
 

John Galt said:
Purdue and Texas Tech last season.
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The Texas Tech game he threw under 50%, threw two interceptions (including the one that ended up losing the game), and only threw for 138 yards. If that's the reason why Philip is "the guy", well, it's a stupid one.

As a passer, Philip has had one good game (Purdue) out of 9. Mitch played better as a passer in one half than Philip has at almost any point outside of that Purdue game.
 

In my opinion there isn't a controversy. Phil is the starter if healthy. Leidner played better today, but that also correlated with better line play and a better running game. When Phil was in there the OL was absolutely brutal. They can't come out flat and expect to win many more games.
 



Gopherprof said:
The Texas Tech game he threw under 50%, threw two interceptions (including the one that ended up losing the game), and only threw for 138 yards. If that's the reason why Philip is "the guy", well, it's a stupid one.
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Agree. One good game so far = not sold. He's our starter but it's not because he's playing great.
 

It didn't help Nelson that our receivers dropped some balls in the first two games. It also isn't fair to judge Leidner after what amounts to his first game. Kill said we'd need both of them and that proved true today. All I know is that both of them have room for improvement and it is good we have at least two qbs who appear to have potential to lead this team. I'm guessing the coaching staff will have a better handle on who should start but I'm sure they appreciate the insights of us GH's.
 

Gopherprof said:
The Texas Tech game he threw under 50%, threw two interceptions (including the one that ended up losing the game), and only threw for 138 yards. If that's the reason why Philip is "the guy", well, it's a stupid one.

As a passer, Philip has had one good game (Purdue) out of 9. Mitch played better as a passer in one half than Philip has at almost any point outside of that Purdue game.
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Well said.
 

I really haven't seen anything in Nelson yet that would make me think he has a hold on the starting job. Leidner did ok today, but the sample size was too small. But he'll have his chance next week as I'm sure Nelson, with his injury, won't be asked to start.
 

I really like the passing packages with Maxx on the same side as Engel and The ability to hit them deep. Those two are running great routes when there together and have really come on the last two games? Zero drops and good routes. Engel beat his guy bad in the 4th quarter that would have been a huges gain but Mitch was hit from the backside. If we can get some good routes from Fruchete,May and Harbison are passing game will improve. I think the coach's are establishing the run and setting up more passes in the big ten. We have not really opened up the offense in the preseason this year. With Max playing them last year he passed more and did run much. We have two young Qb's that are running more than passing but are capable as they gain experience. Let not get down on the WR and let the Qb's get more comfortable in the offense. I think we will get some big plays like the bowl game. Our offense line has to establish itself for anything to work.
 

Gopherprof said:
The Texas Tech game he threw under 50%, threw two interceptions (including the one that ended up losing the game), and only threw for 138 yards. If that's the reason why Philip is "the guy", well, it's a stupid one.

As a passer, Philip has had one good game (Purdue) out of 9. Mitch played better as a passer in one half than Philip has at almost any point outside of that Purdue game.
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No one has said that Nelson is lighting the world on fire. The point is, even Nelson's limited accomplishments on the field far surpass anyone else on the roster with Shortell gone. Nelson managed the Texas Tech game well and made some big-time, clutch throws against a quality opponent. No other QB on the roster has that on their resume.

That said, this staff has made it clear they have no favorite sons. If Leidner or even Streveler gives them the best chance to win, they will start.
 

Both are mediocre QB's... I don't think it really matters who starts come Big10 Season...
 

John Galt said:
No one has said that Nelson is lighting the world on fire. The point is, even Nelson's limited accomplishments on the field far surpass anyone else on the roster with Shortell gone. Nelson managed the Texas Tech game well and made some big-time, clutch throws against a quality opponent. No other QB on the roster has that on their resume.
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Throwing a sub 50% rating and two picks, including the one that lost the game, is not managing the game. Managing the game is being efficient and not turning the ball over, something Nelson has struggled to do. I asked what Nelson has proved to be considered locked into the starting position and you named two games, both last year, one in which he really didn't play that well at all. If that doesn't speak volumes I don't know what does.

It sounds as if the staff is going to stick with Nelson going forward. More power to them, as they see them on a daily basis, but I would assume nothing with Nelson at this point. He's had plenty of opportunities to earn the position and he has yet to do that so far.
 



Pnelson played poorly enough last year for Shortell to get playing time. Coach decided not to play Shorty and Shorty left.
 

The coaching staff does not have a lot of patience with mediocrity at any position. Shorty had the Iowa and Northwestern games last year to claim the position and he didn't secure it. I think Phil and Mitch both have a lot of talent, but the Oline is the key for this offense to take off. If we can get big production from the RBs, we should see the passing game open up and the QBs will not have to take as many hits.
 



Sparlimb said:
Leidner looks like the better pure passer to my eye. But I don't get to see them in practice. I thought his passes gave our receivers a lot more chances to make plays than the passes from Nelson normally do. Leidner make poorer decisions on the option read all day though. He kept the ball too much and didn't secure it in the red zone. Those are big mistakes, but he is only a RF.
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I agree. Only saw the first half but Leidner looks to be a more instinctive passer who reads (and leads) the receivers better. It is really hard to tell because the receiving corps just isn't stepping up right now.

PS: (1) Shortell has an amazing arm, but trusted it too much. Leidner has a very nice touch that showed up on a couple of passes. (2) Maxx Williams could end up being a real stud before he is through.
 

Yeah Shortell had the best arm of the bunch and it's not even close. There's no way you could watch them and come to any other opinion.

The problem is that he made poor decisions and didn't fit the offense, but I expect him to do very well in the FCS where the margin for error is much greater.
 

afurry91 said:
I simply think whoever is back there needs to focus on being a QB first and a runner 2nd. Watch Johnny Manziel. He stays in the pocket and reads his options. Then he runs. Nelson looks at the first option and if it isn't there then he takes off.
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Well, here we go again. Now the sides are being picked...the lines are being drawn and a couple of young kids are being bashed by one side or the other. Let me fill you Gopher Hole poster boys and girls in on the situation here. What is currently being established is EXACTLY what the Kill Coaching Staff WANTS to happen. They WANT 2 fully functioning quarterbacks who will learn to read and ESPECIALLY run. You said Nelson looks at the first option and if it isn't there then he takes off. I'm not even quite sure if Mitch even read the first option all the time last Saturday. Didn't he have something like 17 carries?

And, in my book: IF that's the way the Kill Coaching Staff want their TWO quarterbacks to "run" their offense, that is exactly the way it will be. BOTH will get playing time because ad different times (hopefully) BOTH will be banged up and will need some bench time to heal up. But it gives so many OPTIONS! It WILL spice up the running game. And with the full utilization of the tight ends as well as the wide-outs, IF the run is working, there will be mostly a short to medium range passing game going with a bomb every now and then.

The Kill Coaching Staff has been talking at least TWO quarterbacks that are both fully versed in the offense ever since the day they arrived. That was the story at N. Illinois. THAT will be the situation here at Minnesota. There is NO quarterback controversy, because the coaching staff doesn't have a favorite individual quarterback...they merely have a FAVORITE pair of quarterbacks (or more, if possible) who will be KEY to the running game that they want to establish so that they will have the option of the pass. And Tight Ends are GREAT in this system...they can catch the ball, but, even more importantly they can BLOCK.

So, Gopherholers, you can pick your favorite and make all the cases for your favorite that you want and you can slam the OTHER one of the pair all you want: but it will be the Kill Coaching Staff who will insert either your personal favorite...OR...the "other one..." into game situations or to spell the one who is beaten up or banged up from the 10 to 20 carries that will be accounted for by the "read-run" reads that the young qurterbacks decide to do in game setting situations. Mitch read run a WHOLE LOT last Saturday. And, then later in the game, the offensive line and the traditional running backs started making hay and busting a few, including William's trip to the "house..." I love it! Maybe it would be a good idea to dust off some of the old "Single-Wing" formations...and I'm really not just kidding! (Well....MAYBE I'm kidding a little...) ; 0 )

But, this is the Kill Coaching Staff's goal and dream come true...there is NOT a quarterback controversy around here. If ONE qb is good...TWO would be even BETTER! Get used to the "two quarterback" system that our coaches have been setting up since day one. Personally, I'm cheering hard for BOTH...because I am certain that there may be some games in the Big Ten when our "read-run" offense invites our young quarterbacks to run early and OFTEN....Go Gophers. Just get the WIN!
 

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