What If Just 1/2 The Drops, Or 1/2 Of AKs 1-hops Were Successful?

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Athan looked a lot better in the second half when the staff mixed in the pass more frequently on early downs and gave him some simple reads. He seems like a guy who needs to play with a little pace and not just be called on to make one big throw every 6 plays. I know it goes against every fiber of Fleck’s being, but I really think they just need to take the training wheels off and live or die with like a 60/40 run/pass ratio. The running game is not dominant enough to win the way they wanted to in the first half. And that’ll get even worse if both Taylor and Evans are out.
 

The accuracy issues are there, but for the most part his decision making and ball protection have been decent. I know one or two of his INTs were balls that went off his receivers hands and I know at least one was a deep shot near the end of the half. I’ll be patient with him, let’s keep in mind it’s a new offense this year as well. It’s tough when you don’t have game breakers catching the ball, and seems like close to half a dozen drops almost every game.
 

Yeah, guys like ol' Stonehands BSF. It's tough when the ball hits you right in the mitts.

Needs to just convert to OT now, to salvage any chance of a career in the NFL.
 

forever a gopher said:
Not necessarily. He has a pretty long leash with Coyle. However, if the offense looks as abysmal next year as it does this year, his seat will certainly get warm.

For reference, before the game today, the offense was 108th in scoring offense and 119th in total offense. Those rankings will get worse after today. Is that enough alone to justify a move? No. However, it’s not sustainable to have those rankings and win a bunch of games. Add in the fact that it’s only going to get harder when they play a more “balanced” schedule with no divisions plus the added teams, and it means that either AK8 is going to have to take a big step forward, Viotto/Lindsey is going to have to look way more impressive, or they will need to go portal fishing.
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Dude regularly beats Wisconsin, owns Nebraska, and just beat Iowa in Iowa for the first time in over 20 years. His seat is cold for the foreseeable future unless the wheels fall off via scandal. Qb won't be his downfall, much like shitty qb play wasn't the downfall for any of our previous coaches. It all has to fall apart to get there. He just won himself even more grace after today. And I'm good with that. We were due for a dogshit season, if we can take the pig and the axe in the process, it's all gravy.
 




MGGopher said:
Athan looked a lot better in the second half when the staff mixed in the pass more frequently on early downs and gave him some simple reads. He seems like a guy who needs to play with a little pace and not just be called on to make one big throw every 6 plays. I know it goes against every fiber of Fleck’s being, but I really think they just need to take the training wheels off and live or die with like a 60/40 run/pass ratio. The running game is not dominant enough to win the way they wanted to in the first half. And that’ll get even worse if both Taylor and Evans are out.
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There was a drive that was good in the 2nd half, but I actually thought AK was better in the first half. Crooms just couldn't catch the ball. Then AK started throwing ground ball practice in the 2nd half.
 

They have beaten ILL and now NW the last two weeks, after losing to Gophs and Mich. So sadly, they are right in the thick of it in the West race for now. Could win their next two against Purdue and Mich St, but end with Maryland, Wisc, and Iowa.
 

I think A K can be a good QB ....

IF....

They get him to a QB coach in the off-season. He has talent and you can see the arm strength and ability to keep.plays alive 5 to 6 times a game. But 5-6 times a game it is almost as if he gets the Yips ( think 4 foot putts in golf) and throws into the ground or to a spot that he predetermined before the route was even run.

Mechanics AND mental mistakes NEED to be fixed or his ceiling is what we are seeing right now.
 



In post/game pressers I think either Fleck or AK were also alluding to that the wind played a factor.
 

MplsGopher said:
In post/game pressers I think either Fleck or AK we’re also alluding to that the wind played a factor.
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Sorry, the wind didn't cause 3 or 4 of those 3rd down passes that he short hopped to open WRs for east 1st downs to be incomplete. They were basic 7-10 yard routes that a HS QB needs to complete.
 

Michigan State, Illinois, and Purdue are 3 of the 4 worst pass defenses in the Big Ten. Should be some chances to get AK and his receivers some momentum.

If those go badly I don't know what to say.
 

MplsGopher said:
Spann-Ford ... I mean, what tf happened to you???

I think he was targeted one time, the entire game?? And what do you thing happened? Drop. Awful drop.

Jeez dude ...
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I'm starting to wonder if he even has the capability to catch a pass. He has been absolute stonehands all season.
 



TwistingMyMelon said:
I think on the whole Leidner was better than Athan has been this year. Demry Croft was much worse than Leidner and worse than Athan this season as I remember.
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ATTCOMPCOMP-%INTTDYDSYDS/ATTTD/ 100 ATTINT/100 ATTTD RUSHNCAA Pass Rtng
MORGAN106366162.18%32659,4698.96.13.08151.2
LEIDNER102958056.37%32367,2877.13.53.133121.2
KALIAKMANIS27214653.68%1091,8696.93.33.73115.0
 

If the Gophers can bring in a transfer that is proven and can compete for the starting job, I say bring one in. If we want to win more games, we need better QB play.

I also think we need to bring in a proven OC and QB coach.

I also realize everything I said above is easier said than done.
 

hello-world said:
He has the worst arm I've seen from a QB since Mitch Leidner was MN's QB. I get that the coaching staff is all-in on him and I hope they're right, but he is not good.
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He has a stronger arm than any Gopher QB since Adam Weber. His mechanics and accuracy are Leidner-esque
 

Has a great arm. That throw to DJ for that long first down was a beauty.

And how about the long TD throw against Mich???


He can do it ….. just like once every 5-7 throws right now.
 


GopherWeatherGuy said:
There was a drive that was good in the 2nd half, but I actually thought AK was better in the first half. Crooms just couldn't catch the ball. Then AK started throwing ground ball practice in the 2nd half.
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We're gonna have to disagree on that, but it could be splitting hairs. Bottom line was he wasn't good, but I do think throwing more simple passes (not RPO) and keeping him in a rhythm is important.

But in the 2nd half, the 3rd and 16 conversion, the long ball to Jackson, the long ball to Crooms that was overturned (incorrectly, IMO), the drop by BSF, some nice dump offs to Taylor, a couple good rhythm throws on the first drive of the half...I thought the 2nd half was a lot better. You're right he threw some stinkers though...and Crooms didn't help him in the 1st half.
 

Check out the PFF QB passing ratings for Iowa opponents. AK actually possesses the 2nd highest rating so far. I'm guessing the passer doesn't get fully dinged for drops in the PFF rating.

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MplsGopher said:
Yeah, guys like ol' Stonehands BSF. It's tough when the ball hits you right in the mitts.

Needs to just convert to OT now, to salvage any chance of a career in the NFL.
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First he has to learn how to block .
 

We could sure use a QB fixer, as Athan's throwing mechanics appear to be just completely out of whack. On several of his throws yesterday I noticed that rather than exiting on a level or upward plane, the nose of the ball would be pointing downward as it left his hand, and that's aahhh, not at all how it's supposed to be, as barring sone kind of miracle, that ball is either going to be batted down at the line or is going to be driven right into the ground.
 

RememberMurray said:
How many dropped passes were there?

I clearly remember the one, by Spann-Ford.
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Coombs dropped several. Hard to explain since he has been quite reliable previously.

Also the best throw and catch of the day goes in the books as incomplete. That was when Jackson beat LeJean on the sideline and AK threw a good ball. Jackson laid out for a beautiful catch but they ruled that the ball touched ground seconds after he caught it.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
There was a drive that was good in the 2nd half, but I actually thought AK was better in the first half. Crooms just couldn't catch the ball. Then AK started throwing ground ball practice in the 2nd half.
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Our all-time statistical leader Weber threw more one hoppers than Carlos Correa.
 

I wonder if Dino has any shot at getting some playing time. There's got to be some sort of repoire there.
 

Texan Gopher said:
I think A K can be a good QB ....

IF....

They get him to a QB coach in the off-season. He has talent and you can see the arm strength and ability to keep.plays alive 5 to 6 times a game. But 5-6 times a game it is almost as if he gets the Yips ( think 4 foot putts in golf) and throws into the ground or to a spot that he predetermined before the route was even run.

Mechanics AND mental mistakes NEED to be fixed or his ceiling is what we are seeing right now.
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More important than a QB coach would be some strong competition for the job coming out of the portal. Most good teams have two or three guys they look at before the season except when an established guy is returning.

Could be Fleck decides too early and stays committed to build confidence.
 

Dakota2 said:
More important than a QB coach would be some strong competition for the job coming out of the portal. Most good teams have two or three guys they look at before the season except when an established guy is returning.

Could be Fleck decides too early and stays committed to build confidence.
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Good point
 

MGGopher said:
Athan looked a lot better in the second half when the staff mixed in the pass more frequently on early downs and gave him some simple reads. He seems like a guy who needs to play with a little pace and not just be called on to make one big throw every 6 plays. I know it goes against every fiber of Fleck’s being, but I really think they just need to take the training wheels off and live or die with like a 60/40 run/pass ratio. The running game is not dominant enough to win the way they wanted to in the first half. And that’ll get even worse if both Taylor and Evans are out.
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This, and let him throw on first downs more often. That is always going to be the easiest down to throw on as that's the down you'll always see the most basic defensive coverages, and that goes like X 10,000 for us, given Fleck's long established tendencies to ground and pound on early downs. For us, when virtually everyone and their dog's expecting us to run on 1st down? Then why not throw it.

I've been watching a lot of the NY Jets this season, and their increasing willingness to let Zack Wilson throw on first down has made a real difference for him as the season's progressed. He is still very much a work in progress, but that approach has allowed him to get easy completions (AKA confidence-builers) against the most conventional and non-exotic packages as you will ever see in a game. Wilson has improved as a result, because his coaches are doing their damndest to try and set him up for success as much as possible.

Help your QB out. What a concept, no?
 

RememberMurray said:
Spot on. Kaliakmanis needs to play much, much better and the coaches need to help him figure it out. That's what coaches are for.

It's on #8, and it's on the staff too.
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Progressions, footwork. And get rid of the sidearm throwing.
 


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