STrib: If Tanner Morgan can't play, will Gophers go with freshman 'gunslinger' Athan Kaliakmanis at QB?

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BleedGopher

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per Randy:

Saturday night in front of some 107,000 fans during Penn State's "White Out'' game at Beaver Stadium, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck will throw one of three quarterbacks out to the Nittany Lions.

Tanner Morgan presumably would get the nod for his 46th consecutive start if he's first cleared by medical personnel after the sixth-year senior took a shot to the head and left last week's loss at Illinois. Fleck hasn't named a starter, so it likely will be a game-time decision.

If Morgan can't go, then Fleck would choose between Cole Kramer, the fourth-year sophomore from Eden Prairie who's played in 14 career games, and Athan Kaliakmanis, a redshirt freshman who took over for Morgan last week.

Kramer would be the safer, experienced choice to face the 16th-ranked Nittany Lions. Kaliakmanis, who carries the intrigue of being a four-star recruit, would be the bolder call.

“He's got a little bit of [Patrick] Mahomes, Brett Favre, where he thinks he can fit a ball into spots, and you're like, 'No, no, no!' and then you're like, 'Yes!'”
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Athan Kaliakmanis' high school coach

Players weren't tipping their hands this week as to which of the three might start. "I'm very excited,'' tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford said Wednesday with a sly smile.

But if it is Kaliakmanis, Gophers fans will see a player described by his high school coach as a gunslinger with the talent to extend plays with his big right arm and athletic skills.

www.startribune.com

If Tanner Morgan can't play, will Gophers go with freshman 'gunslinger' Athan Kaliakmanis at QB?

Tanner Morgan's injury has left the starting role against Penn State uncertain, with Kaliakmanis and Cole Kramer both in the mix.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
 


Gunslinger in the Otis dictionary - video clip of Brett Farve throwing an interception where running for 6 yards would have resulted in field goal attempt to go to Super Bowl. Also, rifled pass to back of end zone to defeat San Francisco.

Not necessarily a good label.
 

Otis said:
Gunslinger in the Otis dictionary - video clip of Brett Farve throwing an interception where running for 6 yards would have resulted in field goal attempt to go to Super Bowl. Also, rifled pass to back of end zone to defeat San Francisco.

Not necessarily a good label.
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But ultimately won a Super Bowl and is in the HOF.
 



Eventually, it seems almost certain that we'll get many chances to see exactly what Kaliakmanis can do as a starting QB for a B1G team.

Tanner Morgan set the bar for a Minnesota QB in the Fleck era. Athan will have every opportunity to take this team to a new, higher level.

It might not happen this Saturday, though. If Morgan is cleared to play, I would be shocked if Morgan doesn't start.

And, as I've said before: if Morgan can't go, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kramer as the starter vs. Penn State.
 

This game maybe featuring two rookie QBs (Athan K versus Drew Allard) 😆 Sean did practice today but didn’t throw once during practice (resting his right shoulder).
 

mngolf said:
But ultimately won a Super Bowl and is in the HOF.
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His last pass with the Packers, Jets and Vikings were interceptions.

And yes, he was awesome.
 

RememberMurray said:
Eventually, it seems almost certain that we'll get many chances to see exactly what Kaliakmanis can do as a starting QB for a B1G team.

Tanner Morgan set the bar for a Minnesota QB in the Fleck era. Athan will have every opportunity to take this team to a new, higher level.

It might not happen this Saturday, though. If Morgan is cleared to play, I would be shocked if Morgan doesn't start.

And, as I've said before: if Morgan can't go, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kramer as the starter vs. Penn State.
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So you’re saying if no Morgan, Franklin might hold out Clifford? I highly doubt that. Both these coaches want to win! They will start their sixth year QBs if they are healthy.
 



Otis said:
Gunslinger in the Otis dictionary - video clip of Brett Farve throwing an interception where running for 6 yards would have resulted in field goal attempt to go to Super Bowl. Also, rifled pass to back of end zone to defeat San Francisco.

Not necessarily a good label.
Click to expand...
His ankle was too f'd up to run. His problem was he decided he was going to Rice no matter what and missed Berrian wide open. Ultimately, it was on Eric Bienemy for sending out the 12th man
 

Otis said:
So you’re saying if no Morgan, Franklin might hold out Clifford? I highly doubt that. Both these coaches want to win! They will start their sixth year QBs if they are healthy.
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Huh?!?!

How did you get that from what I wrote?
 

Ryan Burns says we should call him the Greek Rifle. Burns is from the PA school of self promotion. ‘It’s the Minneapolis miracle!’
 

Otis said:
Gunslinger in the Otis dictionary - video clip of Brett Farve throwing an interception where running for 6 yards would have resulted in field goal attempt to go to Super Bowl. Also, rifled pass to back of end zone to defeat San Francisco.

Not necessarily a good label.
Click to expand...
That's a pretty narrow definition. Rodgers and Mahomes are definitely gunslingers.
 



PMWinSTP said:
That's a pretty narrow definition. Rodgers and Mahomes are definitely gunslingers.
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It would be great if Kaliakmanis turned out to be like Rodgers and Mahomes.

It would also be unfair to Athan to expect that outcome.

When Kaliakmanis takes over, I hope he out-performs Tanner Morgan's career at Minnesota. That's a bar that's plenty high enough, despite what some Gopher Holers think.
 

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