RandBall: A new QB dilemma brewing: Tanner Morgan and the Gophers

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BleedGopher said:
per RandBall:

It was just one game, and then again it wasn't.

That's how I look at quarterback Tanner Morgan's stat line and performance from the Gophers' stunning 14-10 loss to Bowling Green on Saturday: 5 of 13 for 59 yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble — with those two picks coming on the last two drives of the day when Minnesota had a chance to rescue a victory.

It was a low point in the P.J. Fleck era, much of which has come with Morgan — now a fourth-year starter — as his QB.

But it also was the continuation of a trend of slippage and regression since Morgan's sterling 2019 season when he completed 66% of his passes, threw 30 touchdowns and just seven interceptions as the Gophers went 11-2.

Morgan's passer rating that year? 178.7 (remember, the college passer rating formula is different than the NFL's, leading to much higher numbers). Last year it was 128.1. This year it's 124.0.

It's enough to make you wonder if a quarterback change could be coming if this keeps up.

www.startribune.com

A new QB dilemma brewing: Tanner Morgan and the Gophers

The veteran Gophers quarterback struggled mightily in a loss to Bowling Green and Minnesota seems reluctant to throw the ball in general.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
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Alex Hickey in Saturday Tradition

Minnesota senior quarterback Tanner Morgan has completed 52.8% of his passes. That is 116th in the country.

Again, this is not some true freshman thrown into the fire because the starter was injured the week before the opener. This is a 4-year starter. And his play has been dreadful. Somehow, his 2 worst performances came against MAC opponents.

Morgan looked great as a sophomore, completing 66% of his throws in 2019 for 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. But the past 2 seasons have been nothing but ugly regression, and it’s holding the Gophers back in their attempt to upgrade from rowboat to powerboat.
 




kisarazu said:
If only some kind of passing strategy could work against blitzes...
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The usual remedy, since blitzing leaves a hole in the near defense, is a variety of short passes, like screens, quick slants, passes to tight ends or running backs - though it is a guessing game.
 

btowngopher said:
If the OC can’t figure out how to have success with Morgan I have little faith he can figure it out with a backup. I think we have talented qb options, I just don’t trust the OC at this point.
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It allows OC to claims that the new guy will be much better. We just need one more season. Absolute horse crap. If Mike Sanford can't figure out how to run RPO system where current OL and QB was much better than average, he won't be able to run his convoluted yet anamic system. He took the whole group who is really good at something and completely turn them in to deers in headlights. Plus I haven't seen his system works well throughout his coaching life. Here are some damning comments from WKU.
www.courier-journal.com

WKU AD: 'Accumulation' of issues led to coach Mike Sanford's firing

The replacement for Jeff Brohm, Sanford won only nine games in two seasons with the Hilltoppers, including a 3-9 mark in 2018.
www.courier-journal.com
Very sobering thing to read and feeling like our previous game.
I almost forgot he had Mike White at WKU. Jordan Love and Mike White should have been red flag for PJ from day 0. Now TM. Who else we need to throw into chaos to prove IT IS NOT PLAYERS!
 
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Great Plains Gopher said:
The usual remedy, since blitzing leaves a hole in the near defense, is a variety of short passes, like screens, quick slants, passes to tight ends or running backs - though it is a guessing game.
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Yuppp bliz are not cost free. If it is, every defense will be blitzing at every down. But if you're opponent coaches is as stupid as we have here, blitzing works like wonder weapon.
 




SelectionSunday said:
Initially didn’t Fleck have Annexstad ahead of Morgan and then Annexstad got hurt and it’s been all Morgan since? Personally, I’d like to see either Annexstad or Kramer get a chance to kick-start the offense. Morgan is not all that accurate.
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Who can possibly forget how hard the media tried to force it to be a big talking point about how it was the first time a true freshman had started at QB for P5?
 

btowngopher said:
The season is over if you replace Morgan. Period.
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Interestingly, this post can be taken two different ways.

- you can disagree that replacing Morgan with another QB on the roster means the team would then lose a bunch more games

- or, you realize another way you could have meant this is that Fleck would never replace Morgan, even if that really is what's needed, until it's wayyyyy too late
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I don't know how anyone watches that OL play and thinks the issue is the QB ...
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The OL didn't play well but I don't know how anyone watches that game and doesn't think the QB wasn't a major issue. The truth is, for us to lose 14-10 to Bowling Green it had to be both.

Their only chance to stop us was to 100% sell out against the run and hope we couldn't pass. Their ability to sell out against the run and stop the run, that's on the OL (and the playcalling). The fact that we couldn't pass to keep them honest, that's on Morgan.

Even Morgan admits it was a terrible game for him. I'm not saying I want him replaced, but I do think he's another dud away from being replaced. You can't play like he did against Bowling Green.
 

To understand Morgan in 2019, you need to understand how good Bateman was. I didn't even fully appreciate it until I watched this video leading up to the draft.


The one handed catches again SDSU and Rutgers - battling for the catch vs. Purdue, etc. He was really special. Most important, you will see on a lot of these plays, he make something out of very little using his athletic ability. Lastly, the number of catches where the D was not within 5 yards of him was shocking - that makes the life of a QB way easier. I don't think we have that WR talent now so more of the load falls on Morgan. He needs to step up.
 



BoatRacer said:
It allows OC to claims that the new guy will be much better. We just need one more season. Absolute horse crap. If Mike Sanford can't figure out how to run RPO system where current OL and QB was much better than average, he won't be able to run his convoluted yet anamic system. He took the whole group who is really good at something and completely turn them in to deers in headlights. Plus I haven't seen his system works well throughout his coaching life. Here are some damning comments from WKU.
www.courier-journal.com

WKU AD: 'Accumulation' of issues led to coach Mike Sanford's firing

The replacement for Jeff Brohm, Sanford won only nine games in two seasons with the Hilltoppers, including a 3-9 mark in 2018.
www.courier-journal.com
Very sobering thing to read and feeling like our previous game.
I almost forgot he had Mike White at WKU. Jordan Love and Mike White should have been red flag for PJ from day 0. Now TM. Who else we need to throw into chaos to prove IT IS NOT PLAYERS!
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The WKU athletic director referred to "energy" multiple times.

"A complete lack of energy."
"As a team, I felt like we lacked energy."
"We need to hire somebody that brings energy and really an infusion of excitement to our program and to our players.”

The pattern seems to fit what my eyes are seeing.
 


bsce97 said:
The WKU athletic director referred to "energy" multiple times.

"A complete lack of energy."
"As a team, I felt like we lacked energy."
"We need to hire somebody that brings energy and really an infusion of excitement to our program and to our players.”

The pattern seems to fit what my eyes are seeing.
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This is Gold Gold Gold!

If PJ gives a crap about his own legacy, he will open up his eyes about stuff like this!
 

csom_1991 said:
To understand Morgan in 2019, you need to understand how good Bateman was. I didn't even fully appreciate it until I watched this video leading up to the draft.


The one handed catches again SDSU and Rutgers - battling for the catch vs. Purdue, etc. He was really special. Most important, you will see on a lot of these plays, he make something out of very little using his athletic ability. Lastly, the number of catches where the D was not within 5 yards of him was shocking - that makes the life of a QB way easier. I don't think we have that WR talent now so more of the load falls on Morgan. He needs to step up.
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This is part of what I mentioned earlier. Morgan does nothing throw a pretty ball with any consistency, in 2019 he was helped by having an amazing WR corp, where they consistently caught difficult balls.

I also blame Sanford, his history shows he has never helped an offense or QB get better, let alone stay the same, they always regress.

I have a feeling this will be like Mo, where he was clearly the best runner when Rodney and Shannon were here, but PJ sticks with his loyalty to certain guys.
Morgan will be replaced by another QB on the roster and we’ll all be like, how come he didn’t start earlier.
If PJ does fail and ever gets fire or if he moves on and anyone asks, what did you learn at MN, it will be, I need to pull guys who aren’t performing on the field, regardless of loyalty
 

csom_1991 said:
To understand Morgan in 2019, you need to understand how good Bateman was. I didn't even fully appreciate it until I watched this video leading up to the draft.


The one handed catches again SDSU and Rutgers - battling for the catch vs. Purdue, etc. He was really special. Most important, you will see on a lot of these plays, he make something out of very little using his athletic ability. Lastly, the number of catches where the D was not within 5 yards of him was shocking - that makes the life of a QB way easier. I don't think we have that WR talent now so more of the load falls on Morgan. He needs to step up.
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Hey, I recognize that QB during the first two minutes! Wears #5. I think his name was Zach something or other. Haven't seen him in a while.
 

There are multiple moving parts here and it is difficult to troubleshoot which one is at fault, as a fan.

Tanner Morgan got better as the season went on in 2018 and his successes in 2019 are well documented. Was it due to him or his talented receivers? I’m not sure.

Insert Sanford. Morgan backslid in covid season and now looks worse than that.

If Sanford is the problem, the Gophers could cycle through every QB on the roster and it wouldn’t make any difference.

Considering Fleck has hired both a D coordinator and now an O coordinator with histories of making the teams they coach worse, only to have the same thing happen here (surprise!), I fear the problem is Sanford. If so, this won’t get better regardless who is under center.
 

SanDiegoGopherFan said:
This is part of what I mentioned earlier. Morgan does nothing throw a pretty ball with any consistency, in 2019 he was helped by having an amazing WR corp, where they consistently caught difficult balls.

I also blame Sanford, his history shows he has never helped an offense or QB get better, let alone stay the same, they always regress.

I have a feeling this will be like Mo, where he was clearly the best runner when Rodney and Shannon were here, but PJ sticks with his loyalty to certain guys.
Morgan will be replaced by another QB on the roster and we’ll all be like, how come he didn’t start earlier.
If PJ does fail and ever gets fire or if he moves on and anyone asks, what did you learn at MN, it will be, I need to pull guys who aren’t performing on the field, regardless of loyalty
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The consensus on gopher hole was that Rodney was better than Mo.
 

MplsGopher said:
Was with you until here.

You don't know PJ Fleck.
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What players are you referring to when saying Fleck is too loyal? I don’t feel like there has been many examples where we found out the backup was clearly better, could be wrong though. I get being frustrated with struggling players, but are we just assuming there is a better player on the bench?
 

btowngopher said:
What players are you referring to when saying Fleck is too loyal? I don’t feel like there has been many examples where we found out the backup was clearly better, could be wrong though. I get being frustrated with struggling players, but are we just assuming there is a better player on the bench?
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QB, Zach Annexstad. Should've been taken out in 2018, mainly because of injury/being hurt, wayyyyyy before he actually was. That is mainly what I'm referencing.

Clearly, he (Fleck) did not trust that Tanner would be a solid QB, and it was a last resort move.
 

btowngopher said:
The consensus on gopher hole was that Rodney was better than Mo.
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Yeah. I think fans are often too quick too assume that there is a magic bullet sitting on the bench behind whatever starter is struggling. But, it does happen. It also is not accurate to say "of course the starter is better, the coach's see him at practice the other day," because sometimes the coach is wrong. Otherwise, the 2001 Patriots would have seen a big drop off when starter Drew Bledsoe went down and was replaced with Tom Brady. More often than not, the backup would be a drop off, but sometimes there is a diamond in the rough who would excel if given the chance.

Not opining on which is the case here.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
The OL didn't play well but I don't know how anyone watches that game and doesn't think the QB wasn't a major issue. The truth is, for us to lose 14-10 to Bowling Green it had to be both.

Their only chance to stop us was to 100% sell out against the run and hope we couldn't pass. Their ability to sell out against the run and stop the run, that's on the OL (and the playcalling). The fact that we couldn't pass to keep them honest, that's on Morgan.

Even Morgan admits it was a terrible game for him. I'm not saying I want him replaced, but I do think he's another dud away from being replaced. You can't play like he did against Bowling Green.
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I haven't read all the posts on this; but I'm going to chime in anyway. This is purely speculative, but I believe there is something going on much deeper than the OL or QB situation. My guess is it will be brought to light in the next few weeks. Seeing posts and measuring the trajectory of the program, something is up.
 




Dakota2 said:
Disagree on Jackson. He has been solid when thrown a decent ball.
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Solid... nothing wrong with solid. Might even turn into a pretty decent target. The decent ball is the problem, though. He hasn't displayed the ability to go out and bring in those errant throws like Johnson, Bateman and CrAB have done in the past (and like Wright has shown he can do... provided he can keep himself on the field.) The difference between success and failure for Tanner Morgan rides on this... he needs receivers to help him. He got it in the past... and except for a few brief moments, he hasn't gotten any help this season.

Who knows, maybe against Purdue we will see Tanner slingin' passes all over the place to CrAB and Wright (as well as to Jackson and MBS... and hopefully Boyd.)
 

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