Gophers played some fine defenses the last two weeks, senior laden defenses that put a lot of pressure on your quarterback in a drop back situation. That said, both of our quarterbacks
could benefit from a boost of poise from experience. The biggest compliment that you can pay Nelson and Leidner is they are Freshman and Sophmores and can get better.
Nelson needs to be able to compose himself and set his feet when he is under duress, far to often he just relies on his arm, there were a couple throws yesterday that were inaccurate because he threw off his back foot and tried to guide a ball to a spot when he was on the move. Nelsons timing has to improve. He Nelson recognizes the progressions quickly but he doesn't react fast enough to seeing those options come open, in order to take that next step he is going to have to release the ball before the receiver comes out of the break and some times trust they will get to the spots. Prime example of that was the Goodger play, instead of waiting for him to sit down out of his break he should have been letting that throw get there as he was arriving to his spot, it would not have given the defensive lineman time to react. Mitch is plenty good enough to be a quarterback, what he lacks is decision making and moving off of his progressions or first reads, he needs to be more dynamic in his movement back there, then when it is time, show the poise stand tall and make plays. He seems to lack knowing when to step up in the pocket or when to get rid of the ball after things are breaking down. Mitch should watch Hackenburg from Penn State about standing tall with balanced footwork. Mitch is plenty capable of being a good passer, he just needs to learn how to be a quarterback that moves beyond the first read, and to gain a pocket clock in his head.
Both quarterbacks could benefit from some drills where they are under duress and need to show poise or peter clock calls where they only have so much time to get rid of the ball before they lose the drill, that and keeping there feet more organized and balanced. Phillip throws off his back foot way to much but if he could get himself moving forward and learn to drive the ball off his front foot he has a chance to make some of those something out of nothing plays that the good quarterbacks can do. Nelson get's to the point where he is stepping threw on those move throws instead of back and his accuracy will improve a lot.
That and Nelson needs to be a little better about holding that ball before he pulls it out when he has the read to run, the more he can delay pulling it out the more effective the fake to the running back will be. I like Nelsons ability to read a defense and change the play, he needs to be able to audible a little more, perhaps when he has more options as play-makers he will be able to do that.
Our quarterbacks will improve individually I feel, but they could benefit from some more explosive play-makers at wider receiver. We have good enough quarterbacks but they can improve a lot if they want to be as good as they think they can be.
