AP: Rhoda, Croft Will Battle For Starting Job At Gophers Camp

BleedGopher

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per the AP:

Minnesota’s first season under coach P.J. Fleck will begin with a wide-open competition at quarterback between Conor Rhoda and Demry Croft.

Fleck said Monday that Rhoda and Croft will take equal turns with the first team offense until a starter is selected. Fall camp opens Tuesday, and the Gophers host Buffalo Aug. 31. That leaves Rhoda and Croft about four weeks to win the job, after neither player separated himself during spring practice.

Rhoda is a fifth-year senior and former walk-on who started one game at Maryland last season for an injured Mitch Leidner.

Croft is a sophomore who took a redshirt last season. He appeared in three games in 2015, including the second half at Northwestern after Leidner was benched.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/07/31/gophers-qb-battle/

Go Gophers!!
 

Not sure if it will take all four weeks. IIRC PJ said he'd like to pick one sooner rather than later so they know during practice.
 



If Fleck has a recruit in mind who he thinks will be the future QB, Rhoda could very well be chosen. However if there is no one and he is looking down the road, it could very well be Croft as he has 3 years left.
 



If Fleck has a recruit in mind who he thinks will be the future QB, Rhoda could very well be chosen. However if there is no one and he is looking down the road, it could very well be Croft as he has 3 years left.

It is doubtful that Buffalo is concerned with Flecks choice. Since their QB coach, coached the Gophers last year. I'm sure he has a scouting report on either. Perhaps PJ will cross him up and chose a recruit. I would.
 

It is doubtful that Buffalo is concerned with Flecks choice. Since their QB coach, coached the Gophers last year. I'm sure he has a scouting report on either. Perhaps PJ will cross him up and chose a recruit. I would.

Did Lance ever watch tape of our QB's before hiring him?
 

It is doubtful that Buffalo is concerned with Flecks choice. Since their QB coach, coached the Gophers last year. I'm sure he has a scouting report on either. Perhaps PJ will cross him up and chose a recruit. I would.

Choosing a recruit because we want to "surprise" Buffalo would be concerning for the entire year.
With a stellar D and with Brooks and Smith getting carries, a GH member could play QB in that game and still come out victorious


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It is doubtful that Buffalo is concerned with Flecks choice. Since their QB coach, coached the Gophers last year. I'm sure he has a scouting report on either. Perhaps PJ will cross him up and chose a recruit. I would.

Really? Start a recruit who just got out of high school to "cross up" an inferior opponent because their QB coach knows practice tendencies of your best 2 QBs. A sure fire way to get people questioning PJs coaching abilities right off the bat. How much whiskey is in your morning coffee?


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Really? Start a recruit who just got out of high school to "cross up" an inferior opponent because their QB coach knows practice tendencies of your best 2 QBs. A sure fire way to get people questioning PJs coaching abilities right off the bat. How much whiskey is in your morning coffee?


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If you gotta get all cloak and dagger with Buffalo... what are you going to do for anyone else?
 

It is doubtful that Buffalo is concerned with Flecks choice. Since their QB coach, coached the Gophers last year. I'm sure he has a scouting report on either. Perhaps PJ will cross him up and chose a recruit. I would.

I legit can't stop laughing at this take
 

This thread is getting ridiculous. Fleck has narrowed down to Rhoda or Croft and whoever proves himself as the leader of the team in Fall camp will be the starter. Fleck has said that he really wanted one of them to step up during Spring Ball, say "this is my team, let me lead", and be the starter, but that didn't happen. He isn't going to entertain the others on the roster right now. And he certainly isn't making the decision based on Buffalo.
 




I think he should pre-emptively choose the backup because he's probably better than the starter.
 


In terms of percentages, I would say there is about a 75-80% chance that Croft or Rhoda is the starter for week #1. But, that does leave a 20-25% chance that somebody else jumps up and takes it away.

As noted, Fleck keeps saying he wants someone to seize control of the QB position. If he sees that from Rhoda or Croft within the first 2-3 weeks of camp, that player will be the starter. But, if they get 2-3 weeks in, and neither player has moved ahead of the other, there is a chance - even if it's a small chance - that someone else could come on and grab the position. Again, as Fleck has noted, this is a new system. No one has a head start in terms of knowledge of the system. It's possible that one of the other candidates might just "get" the system quicker, or have a skill set that is more attuned to what Fleck wants for the position.

If someone like Green or Morgan goes nuts in practice and starts lighting it up, they could be the starter. crazier things have happened.
 

In terms of percentages, I would say there is about a 75-80% chance that Croft or Rhoda is the starter for week #1. But, that does leave a 20-25% chance that somebody else jumps up and takes it away.

As noted, Fleck keeps saying he wants someone to seize control of the QB position. If he sees that from Rhoda or Croft within the first 2-3 weeks of camp, that player will be the starter. But, if they get 2-3 weeks in, and neither player has moved ahead of the other, there is a chance - even if it's a small chance - that someone else could come on and grab the position. Again, as Fleck has noted, this is a new system. No one has a head start in terms of knowledge of the system. It's possible that one of the other candidates might just "get" the system quicker, or have a skill set that is more attuned to what Fleck wants for the position.

If someone like Green or Morgan goes nuts in practice and starts lighting it up, they could be the starter. crazier things have happened.

Stop
 


Why? what is objectionable about what I said? It's just an opinion. it can't hurt you.

It's the same type of style that leads to the calls for the backup we after an interception in the first half. PJ said it's those two. It's those two. We can belabor the others all day but at some point we can just discuss the two options and what they bring to the table rather than sensationalizing the far fetched options and what ifs
 

It's the same type of style that leads to the calls for the backup we after an interception in the first half. PJ said it's those two. It's those two. We can belabor the others all day but at some point we can just discuss the two options and what they bring to the table rather than sensationalizing the far fetched options and what ifs

I said IF neither of the top 2 candidates play well, the coaches will look at other options. So, IF - and I say IF - both Croft and Rhoda are stinking up the joint, you believe one of them has to start, because Fleck said they're the top 2 candidates? I would like to think the coaching staff is more flexible than that. Fleck keeps saying the best 11 players will play. I think that includes the QB position.
 

If neither guy does well I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the freshman take over somewhere around game 5-6.

That said, Croft has all the physical tools and I'd be shocked if Rhoda gets the nod but then again Rhoda may be more of an enthusiastic acolyte vs Croft and we know Fleck loves that, or perhaps he may have a better grasp of the game in terms of pre and post-snap reads. I'm not sure about that though, as I think it was Burns said Rhoda tends to make I'll-advised throws. That's the last thing we need.

What I really don't want to see is a Childress-like devotion to a an obviously poor QB, e.g. Tarvaris Jackson. It's still painful to think of those high-potential Vikes teams and AP suffering (a relative term for him, but still) vs stacked boxes because nobody respected Tarvaris's ability as a passer.

If a guy doesn't have the cognitive or physical attributes, replace. Or bring in somebody that can play. I don't care if someone was a 4 star recruit at one time. We're starving for decent QB play.
 



It's the same type of style that leads to the calls for the backup we after an interception in the first half. PJ said it's those two. It's those two. We can belabor the others all day but at some point we can just discuss the two options and what they bring to the table rather than sensationalizing the far fetched options and what ifs

I've seen several quotes from Coach Fleck stating that "the other 2 are not far behind the top 2." That hardly seems like "no chance." I'd say the previous post placing it at a 80 percent likelihood it's Rhoda or Croft is dead on.
 

Ooooh- considering your political leanings I may have to go for Rhoda now![emoji57]


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I thought I heard Putin was going to select our next QB...


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I said IF neither of the top 2 candidates play well, the coaches will look at other options. So, IF - and I say IF - both Croft and Rhoda are stinking up the joint, you believe one of them has to start, because Fleck said they're the top 2 candidates? I would like to think the coaching staff is more flexible than that. Fleck keeps saying the best 11 players will play. I think that includes the QB position.

What I'm saying is we have a tendency to crap on our QBs (not saying that's what you're doing) and look at the "well maybe this guy would be better if we just gave him the chance" constantly. We did it to Weber. We did it to Gray. We did it to the Nelson/Leidner/Shortell and then to Leidner. I guess I'm just saying, and perhaps being sensitive about, is that when the decision gets made, let's support the guy/guys that end up out there and not clamor for the unknowns this year. My apologies for taking my frustrations with this in the past out on you in the present.
 

Although I will say personally, the way the CBS story reads, is that it's those 2 guys and just those 2 guys. That's my personal opinion on it and I don't see any way we see any of the other guys starting game one. Maybe one of the frosh in game 5 or 6 as PE said, which is a whole different animal IMO at that point.
 

Although I will say personally, the way the CBS story reads, is that it's those 2 guys and just those 2 guys. That's my personal opinion on it and I don't see any way we see any of the other guys starting game one. Maybe one of the frosh in game 5 or 6 as PE said, which is a whole different animal IMO at that point.

since the flecksters have all assured us we can't win until year three, why would he burn one of "his guys" red shirt year now? Give them time to develop. We're not looking to win now, in three years......
 

I am all in the Croft train. Not that I think he will be a superstar, but if he cant beat out Rhoda then I think we are in for a long year.


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