Hole Poll: What grade would you give the Gophers QBs in the Michigan State game?

Hole Poll: What grade would you give the Gophers QBs in the Michigan State game?

F

I gave them a C. Listen, we have no receivers (only 2 worth half a crap are true freshman). You're playing the top defense in the nation with very good corners. We made more plays than I thought we would and had enough chances to score that we could have won. Now don't let that confuse the fact our QBs have a LONG way to go to lead us anyplace special.

was thinking if Jordan Lynch had followed Kill here, we'd be undefeated right now

Halsey Hall said:

was thinking if Jordan Lynch had followed Kill here, we'd be undefeated right now

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. D for today's QBs - sacked, fumbled, very low completion percentage.

Sparlimb said:

I gave them a C. Listen, we have no receivers (only 2 worth half a crap are true freshman). You're playing the top defense in the nation with very good corners. We made more plays than I thought we would and had enough chances to score that we could have won. Now don't let that confuse the fact our QBs have a LONG way to go to lead us anyplace special.

Click to expand...

+1. I agree with all of this, Sparlimb.

As somebody else on this board has repeatedly pointed out already, our time of possession was 38:41 vs. MSU's 21:19. So our QBs managed the offense well. This also kept our defense fresh. We had trouble punching it into the end zone inside the red zone on the road against the #1 defense in the NCAA. A disappointment, but the QBs ran the offense well. This might not have been their best day as artillery officers (passing), but they were good field generals, and I think we tend to overlook this important factor. Maybe they even deserve a B+.

F

QB play today was horrible. Managing the game well means nothing when you go 2 straight games without an offensive touchdown. Most of the throws weren't even close. QB's need to play better if the Gophers are to take the next step up.

I'll give an F to the play calling before the half and in the red zone. A to the defense...

To ANONE who tries to give our quarterbacks a D or lower, I say: screw that NONSENSE. I gave the quarterbacks a C. I gave our offensive line a C. I gave the running backs a C. I gave the receivers a C. It's a damn TEAM game. Period. The offensive UNIT was going up against the TOP RANKED defensive unit in the nation. Quite frankly, the offense did BETTER than I was expecting them to do. I still recall that game against MSU in TCF BANK STADIUM last season. My Gophers offense last season could not MOVE the ball against that MSU defensive unit last season. Hill scored on a pick-6 to give us a little life in the first half last year. It was TOTALLY men against boys last year. I give the entire offensive UNIT a good, solid C for their effort against this GREAT defensive unit in East Lansing today. I thought they kept this game pretty damn interesting. And, as has been stated: they DID control the clock and keep our defenders off the field for long periods of time.

Running backs NEED to do more than just run the ball to make the passing game work. The offensive line NEEDS to buy the quarterback more time and space to make the passing game work. The receivers NEED to do LOTS of things to make the passing game work. And, the quarterbacks need to take the contributions of all the other offensive positions, put it all together and make the WHOLE THING work.

To tell you hyper-critical graders the truth, I was damn impressed overall with what the entire offensive unit did to control the clock as much as they did...but...I thought ALL the offensive players did NOT grade out to more than a good, solid C, but certainly were WAY better than your stinking D's and F's IF the offense would have played worse than a solid C, there would have been a heck of a lot of 3 and outs and the Gophers wouldn't have possessed the ball for as long as they did. IF the offense had truly played D or F football, the defensive UNIT would have been eaten up alive...Ironically, it was the opening drive of the game and the opening drive of the 2nd half in which our defensive UNIT did not grade out so well, but, they still came out with a good, solid C PLUS average for the entire game...thanks in LARGE part to the good Solid C average for the quarterbacks, the offensive line, the receivers AND the running backs.

I was pretty damn proud of the way my Golden Gophers played in East Lansing today when they took on the UNDEFEATED, in Conference play Michigan State Spartans...the MOST highly regarded defensive team in the Conference and statistically in the nation. I TOTALLY disagree with EACH and EVERY one of you posters who gave my Golden Gopher Quarterbacks a D or lower.

This is TOTALLY a team game people. I thought my Golden Gopher Team played the Spartans pretty tough today. PROGRESS...that is what we are seeing...even if it is NOT perfection.

I thought I heard them say that something like five out of the last 6 teams to play MSU not only had GREAT difficulty rushing the ball and moving the ball against MSU, but ALSO had great difficulty scoring touchdowns against MSU's defense. While my Golden Gopher's defense played a pretty strong game, to score on MSU you NEED to have your defense come up with turn-overs and maybe even a defensive score or two based upon great field position caused by some of those take-away possessions and turn-overs caused by your defense. The offensive unit of MSU is not known as an especially strong unit even if they are getting better. Their defense has set them up a time or two with providing great field position and/or take away possessions for them...if not actual scores by the defense. All in all, my Golden Gopher Football TEAM (Offense and defense) played a good, solid C game today against a very physical, strong and defensively magnificent Divisional Champion and undefeated in the conference 11-1 Football Program. All in all, not a bad showing for my Golden Gopher Football Team!

It is a team game imthewalrus but the QB position is the most important position on the field. Good QB play will mask a lot of shortcomings. Take a look at the Packers with and without Aaron Rodgers as a prime example. 9 for 25 with 2 int's and 0 TD's is not going to get it done.

mkAz said:

It is a team game imthewalrus but the QB position is the most important position on the field. Good QB play will mask a lot of shortcomings. Take a look at the Packers with and without Aaron Rodgers as a prime example. 9 for 25 with 2 int's and 0 TD's is not going to get it done.

Click to expand...

My Golden Gopher Football Team has a LOT of work to do in a LOT of areas. My team is NEVER going to be some stinking nfl team. My team is my Golden Gopher Football Team. How many recruiting stars does this aaron Rodgers character have any way? What kind of competition has he played against at his school? Does he have any heart? Refer him to the fantasy football recruiting addicts if you want.
The packers? Is he from South St. Paul? Just because he has some "stars" assigned by some fantasy recruiter doesn't mean he will be able to play so well with the Gophers offensive line, running game and receiving corps. And how well will he hold up when he starts getting hit...or tries to run the read option against the BEST damn defensive team in the courntry?

But, my Golden Gopher Football Team is making some progress...even though it still has a long way to go. They played MSU a LOT tougher than they did last season at TCF BANK STADIUM and that is a very good thing!

Sparlimb said:

I gave them a C. Listen, we have no receivers (only 2 worth half a crap are true freshman). You're playing the top defense in the nation with very good corners. We made more plays than I thought we would and had enough chances to score that we could have won. Now don't let that confuse the fact our QBs have a LONG way to go to lead us anyplace special.

Click to expand...

+1.

Even if Nelson doesn't improve next year, we will have a better passing game because the receivers should be -- at a minimum -- decent.

If Leidner improves his ball control, we'll have two good quarterbacks. If he doesn't, he won't see the field.

imthewalrus said:

To ANONE who tries to give our quarterbacks a D or lower, I say: screw that NONSENSE.

Running backs NEED to do more than just run the ball to make the passing game work. The offensive line NEEDS to buy the quarterback more time and space to make the passing game work. The receivers NEED to do LOTS of things to make the passing game work. And, the quarterbacks need to take the contributions of all the other offensive positions, put it all together and make the WHOLE THING work.

This is TOTALLY a team game people.

All in all, not a bad showing for my Golden Gopher Football Team!

Click to expand...

Well, after watching the game-film (DVR) what I saw at the game live was confirmed: the Gophers have no shame for this loss. But, those poor seniors are going to look back at this season as one they let get away. We’re better than our 8-4 mark, and I’ll argue the four losses were winnable.

To beat a top-ranked team, quarterback play needs to improve. Three more turnovers and a handful of missed opportunities bogged down the offense. I concede Wisc and Sparty defenses are tough for everyone, but there were plays to be made.

The vaunted Sparty D is good, no doubt. Our OL played well, and we had some success moving the ball on the ground, but six relatively easy missed throws just can’t be overcome. Missing Goodger was big. Leading him a yard more prevents the pass being batted down. The screen to Cobb was another big miss. He might still be running. Two misses to Maxx and wide-open Fruechte might have been a spark. Nelson had plenty of time to throw on all four of those.

Leidner has put the ball on the ground way too much, more than half the team fumbles. That’s a killer in this offense and needs to be cleaned up. I was going to give a C grade, but the 3 TOs dropped my grade to D. Both QBs have talent and now experience. I expect that to be a strength of the team next year.

After seeing the replay a few times, I still don’t think Langford scored. In the “defend every inch” philosophy, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hold them there. Remember Shede’s stop on 4th down?

When Brock went out at the end of the first half, that meant our two best DBs, best receiver, and two OL starters were out. Still we hung in there. The defense is stout.