Tanner Morgan has never looked like this.

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hello-world said:
Okay, yup you got me, Rashod Bateman's name was added to a list of 73 other receivers after he caught 6 passes for 177 yards and 2 TDs against Purdue. That did in fact happen after week four.

That doesn't mean that the Gophers don't have NFL-caliber receivers on the roster right now, which was, and still is, the original point of my post.
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And 1 of 12 finalists just a month later.
Yes, I did get you. Plenty of people were talking about Bateman as an NFL receiver 4-games into 2019 (and before that too). However, when I pointed that out you acted like a pouty 12-year old.

If your original point wasn’t that no one was talking about Bateman as an NFL WR 4-games into 2019 then you probably shouldn’t have said that no one was talking about Bateman as an NFL WR 4-games into 2019. 🤷‍♂️ On the other hand, I was crystal clear with my point and it had nothing to do with any WR on the current team. As I said, an odd response from you.
 

Spoofin said:
And 1 of 12 finalists just a month later.
Yes, I did get you. Plenty of people were talking about Bateman as an NFL receiver 4-games into 2019 (and before that too). However, when I pointed that out you acted like a pouty 12-year old.

If your original point wasn’t that no one was talking about Bateman as an NFL WR 4-games into 2019 then you probably shouldn’t have said that no one was talking about Bateman as an NFL WR 4-games into 2019. 🤷‍♂️ On the other hand, I was crystal clear with my point and it had nothing to do with any WR on the current team. As I said, an odd response from you.
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Fixed the glitch so we won't have this issue anymore.
 


watertown 1987 guy n said:
We will not be favored against Penn St and I think Illinois will be a pick ‘em.
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Agree about Penn State, disagree about Illinois. If we keep doing what we are doing we will be favored against Illinois. I know they beat us last year and they look decent this year but I think some are getting a little carried away with just how good they think Illinois is.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Not sure I totally agree with the premise that Tanner has never looked like this but I get where you are coming from.

Fun exercise - put yourself in the opposing DC's shoes and come up with a defense to stop our offense right now. #1 priority has to be stopping our run game because if you can't do that we will never throw. But if you bring up extra players to stop the run our OC and QB are very good at reading that and exploiting the 1 on 1 matchups in the secondary.

Adding to your issues as a DC is that you have to contend with a WR corps without a true #1 guy but a whole bunch of very good receivers. There is nobody to key on. Oh and just for fun you also have a giant of a TE with great hands.

Maybe Iowa has the kind of defensive talent that could give us some fits, possibly Penn State as well but honestly I haven't seen anyone on our schedule that I think can stop our offense if we continue to execute at the current level.

In 2019 our offense was special, this group has a chance to be as good or possibly even better.

Combine that with what is looking more and more each week like a truly elite defense and look out.
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GophersInIowa said:
I posted this in another thread but Derek Burns tweeted that Morgan completed a pass to the 4th read on several plays. That’s certainly not something we’ve seen a lot of in the past.
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His read progression has been noticeable and really great this year. It seemed like a struggle in the past. In 2019, it seemed like this was overcome with so many of the plays relying on the 1st or 2nd read. In 2020, it seemed like his 1st read was typically slow developing which caused issues.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Agree that KC's system is the key but he and Morgan also have a special connection that just works. The two are definitely in sync as that is the only real explanation for Morgan reverting back to the form he showed in 2019 when he was last paired with KC.

Good lord you would think someone at Colorado would look at what happened here and just fire Sandford now on principal before he has time to make their terrible offense even worse.
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Don't disagree that the two of them have a special relationship. KC has said as much, saying he and Tanner talk together during the week the way two coaches might go over things.

But my contention is KC brings that. Tanner didn't change. None of that was available with Sanford. He had poor game plans, poor schemes, and poor and late play calls. I doubt Morgan's opinion was ever sought or heard.

Under KC's style, the next QB can grow into the same special relationship with his OC.
 

Dakota2 said:
Don't disagree that the two of them have a special relationship. KC has said as much, saying he and Tanner talk together during the week the way two coaches might go over things.

But my contention is KC brings that. Tanner didn't change. None of that was available with Sanford. He had poor game plans, poor schemes, and poor and late play calls. I doubt Morgan's opinion was ever sought or heard.

Under KC's style, the next QB can grow into the same special relationship with his OC.
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I truly think Kirk and Joe are both top 10 coordinators. I don’t think Kirk will get the media/public credit he deserves since he’s a bit low key and not much of a smooth talker. Joe, however, is probably a top 5 coordinator, and I think he will get acknowledged as such by the end of the year. I am very grateful Joe is still here, and every additional year he is here is a gift. Hopefully the department can open up the piggy bank and make it difficult for him to leave.
 



matt said:
His read progression has been noticeable and really great this year. It seemed like a struggle in the past. In 2019, it seemed like this was overcome with so many of the plays relying on the 1st or 2nd read. In 2020, it seemed like his 1st read was typically slow developing which caused issues.
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Just try to imagine you're running up and down the LOS shouting changes and worried frazzled the play clock would run down -- which it often did if time out was not called. But if you get the bloody ball in time your whole team is twitching like they're strapped in the electric chair.

It's complete chaos. A dumpster fire. And you now have receivers running in all directions and nobody can remember the play. Good luck checking down your reads.
 

RememberMurray said:
I agree. Tanner was throwing the ball really well, but some passes were slightly high, or behind the receiver, or both — yet our receivers made the play anyway. That is so, so crucial; pass catchers have to make big plays at key moments.
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Yes, the one that Brown-Stevens high-pointed over the middle could easily have been a tipped-pass interception on a different day.
 

RememberMurray said:
I agree. Tanner was throwing the ball really well, but some passes were slightly high, or behind the receiver, or both — yet our receivers made the play anyway. That is so, so crucial; pass catchers have to make big plays at key moments.
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Pass catchers (and thrower for that matter) need to be engaged to stay sharp. This is one reason I hated the very high percentage of run mix the Gophs used early in the season last year even if it was working well. The predictable 3rd and long pass/catch was often not sharp.
 




matt said:
His read progression has been noticeable and really great this year. It seemed like a struggle in the past. In 2019, it seemed like this was overcome with so many of the plays relying on the 1st or 2nd read. In 2020, it seemed like his 1st read was typically slow developing which caused issues.
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There's a sports cliche you've probably heard before: "the game has slowed down" for him.

Some insights about that phenomena:

Physiologically, this phenomenon exists. The game appears slower due to the amount of information being processed by the brain at an enhanced rate. It’s speculated by researchers at University College London that the sensation of time slowing, or enhanced reaction time, is felt even more so with elite athletes.

Researchers call it “flow.” Flow is an optimal psychological state that typically occurs when there is a balance between the perceived challenges of a situation and a person’s skills or capabilities for action. Flow experiences are accompanied by an order in consciousness, whereby the athlete has clear goals, concentrates on the task, receives unambiguous feedback and feels in control of the performance.

As good as Tanner was in 2019, you could see that he was stressed on occasion even during that year. We're not seeing much of that this season so far. While some of that can be attributed to better scheming and greater confidence in the team's depth of capable receivers, I think a lot of it has to do with Tanner's experiential maturity and development.
 

There's a few QB's in a similar situation as Morgan.
Hendon Hooker-Tennessee
Sam Hartman-Wake Forest
Of course Sean Clifford-Penn State
Phil Jurkovec-Boston College
Jake Haener-Fresno State
All seem to be having at the least a decent year.
Now we have tapped into the Mormon advantage.
 
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Interesting to compare Tanner Morgan career college stats with those of former Big Ten Quarterback - Kirk Cousins.

Passing
G Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A AY/A TD Int Rate
46 615 982 62.6 8958 9.1 9.1 63 28 154.7
45 723 1128 64.1 9131 8.1 8.1 66 30 146.1
 

Panthadad2 said:
Pass catchers (and thrower for that matter) need to be engaged to stay sharp. This is one reason I hated the very high percentage of run mix the Gophs used early in the season last year even if it was working well. The predictable 3rd and long pass/catch was often not sharp.
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Agree. Use or lose it.
 

He looked like this in 2019, he just got his guy back!
 

Dakota2 said:
Ciraccas's system is the magic. Set up running game with tha pass, RPO, and make the defense cover the field. It will work next year and beyond.
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Let's hope so, but this program has had one guy running this offense for a long time. Hoping there is someone in the hopper that can be close to as good as Tanner has been.
 

I am certain having his OC back is a large part of it. Either way, he is playing with LOADS of confidence right now, similar to how he looked in 2019. He is the key in being more than just "close" and an actual BT west champ and CFP contender.
 

Go Gophs said:
Let's hope so, but this program has had one guy running this offense for a long time. Hoping there is someone in the hopper that can be close to as good as Tanner has been.
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AK looks like the real deal and Knuth is a promising prospect too.
 

Dakota2 said:
Just try to imagine you're running up and down the LOS shouting changes and worried frazzled the play clock would run down -- which it often did if time out was not called. But if you get the bloody ball in time your whole team is twitching like they're strapped in the electric chair.

It's complete chaos. A dumpster fire. And you now have receivers running in all directions and nobody can remember the play. Good luck checking down your reads.
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In retrospect, Sanford seems like the Rob Smith of OCs (and KC is the Rossi of OCs). By apparently trying to always grasp a theoretical, last-second advantage, Sanford may have made things too time-complicated, too difficult to communicate to all 11. His style gave players only a few critical seconds, as the play clock ticks down to zero, to readjust their individual assignments in their heads ... even if they've heard and processed the frantic change. I suspect this leads to blown assignments, because not all 11 individuals might be able to hear, or timely process, or fully appreciate their changed role dictated by the last second change.

Repeated, last second, hyperactive changes-in-course are how crazy people zig-zag through life. It actually works for a few, but more often makes for a chaotic mess. KC has kept the offense vibrant and flexible while removing the crazy--moving play calling forward in a much more decisive, determined straight line. Tanner's audible choices appear simpler and less time-challenged ... which to me means they are more likely to be successfully communicated, processed and executed by all 11 participants in the play. Also, Tanner seems empowered to make some audible calls himself, and is again making simple "a or b" RPO reads after the snap, based on what he sees right in front of him. Much less frantically waiting for the OC to make the "real" call with the play clock at 4 or 5 seconds. And the offense is better off for it.
 

fair said:
The misery of the Mike Sanford offense caused a lot of people to forget how good Tanner is. He had legitimate draft prospects after 2019 and was making some NFL-caliber throws. Sanford has left behind a trail of underachieving quarterbacks at every stop he’s made.
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I remember that being the warning from fans at his previous stops…. they were right.
 



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