We learned lots of things today but 2 of them are unmistakable. First, it is no longer possible for the coaching staff to believe that Mitch is capable of playing at the level needed by a B1G team hoping to win their division. Second, our game plan is inadequate to produce an adequate offense.
We have our 2 weakest opponents coming up which means we have the opportunity to install a new QB with new wrinkles in the O game plan without worry of dropping a game. Our defense can carry us through the next 2 weeks. Coach K needs to decide between Perra and Croft and get real darned busy.[/QUOTE
Install a new QB, new wrinkles? just go for a new coach and a new stadium too. new campus and new colors, new fight song while we are at it. we just had back to back 8 win seasons and played Jan 1 bowl game that impressed the bowl folks with our traveling fans. My god people, we just played #2 and a competent Colorado state team that was looking at the game as a program changer. typical Minnesota attitude....
This coming from someone that said we will tear CSU a new asshole and win easily. No wins are ever easy on the road, as the Gophers found out against Illinois last year. I'm not expecting them to install a new QB, that would be dumb, but what the coaching staff should do is develop someone better than Strevlar that can complete more passes as the back up QB. If Leidner get's hurt they really don't have an established back up that can present any kind of passing threat. Not having a back up that can push your starter or even develop in the non-conference shouldn't happen. It is year three of Mitch getting most of the snaps as the starter, he should be a little better than a developing QB at this point. The guy is not void of talent, he needs to repeat his fundamentals and stop throwing off his back foot, to much of that non-sense.
This team will go only so far, and that is as far as Mitch Leidner leads the team and can make a few passes and the teams ability to establish the running game. Leidner should expect more of himself and play better.
I'm under no delusions that Leidner will be all Big 10 or even an above average Big 10 Quarterback. What he has to be is one that doesn't turn the ball over and can pass at a better than 60% rate so that the running game opens up even for him. The only way Mitch is going to get those great runs he can produce is to present a threat of the ability to complete more passes. Without having more accurate passing this team will see 8 and 9 man fronts all season and will not establish the run the way it is used to doing. A lot of Big 10 teams are improving, Gophers play great defense but they will need the offense to step up in class and play a lot better to achieve even at the previous two seasons levels. Even great defenses wear down and tire, the Gophers cannot rely on the defense to win all the games this season. As everyone knows the offense has to be better.
