Journal Star: Breaking down the quarterbacks Nebraska will face in 2022

[BleedGopher]

Per the Journal Star:

Tanner Morgan, Minnesota: His next start will be his 40th, and he’d be the first quarterback to play Nebraska five times if he’s healthy come Nov. 5 in Lincoln. He’s not likely to ever touch the ceiling of his spectacular 2019 — when he threw 30 touchdowns — but Morgan may have his best receiver corps since that season, and perhaps UM’s offense won’t run the ball as much as a service academy. The 23-year-old, in his sixth year, has earned the trust of a man he frankly resembles — Gopher coach P.J. Fleck.

Breaking down the quarterbacks Nebraska will face in 2022

This list includes the underdog story of a short-but-smart starter at North Dakota and one QB who will face Nebraska for the fifth time.

journalstar.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I guess nobody thinks Kirk being back matters?

 

[BilldGopher]

Under the radar...

 

[SanDiegoGopherFan]

If we’re gonna win the west, 2019 needs to be the minimum that Tanner needs to achieve.
For a QB who regressed massively the last two years since, its going to be a big challenge for him

 

[PMWinSTP]

If we’re gonna win the west, 2019 needs to be the minimum that Tanner needs to achieve.
For a QB who regressed massively the last two years since, its going to be a big challenge for him

I think something in between his 2019 and 2021 seasons will get the Gophs there if the defense and running game are on par with 2021.

 

[SanDiegoGopherFan]

I think something in between his 2019 and 2021 seasons will get the Gophs there if the defense and running game are on par with 2021.

I dont think theres enough time on the clock for the run game to be the same based solely on how much we ran last year. Tied with the service schools/etc.

I think 2019 had more balance.

Now if the defense is the same as last year and our offense hits 2019 numbers, i think were looking good.

 

[Dano564]

What do most posters think is a reasonable # of TD passes?
I think Mo / Potts will get the short yardage TD's.

I think we'll pass more, but he had 9, 30, 7 and 10 TD passes the last 4 years.

30 is a lot over 13 games for many Big Ten teams.
In 2019 we had 25 rushing TD's.
In 2021 we had 22 rushing TD's.

I think we will score 4 TD's a game against weaker opponents and 3 TD's per game against stronger opponents.
Say 6 games are tougher, 6 are weaker. That's 18+24 TD's total on offense. That's 42.
I'm going to go at just under 2 rushing TD's per game. That's about 24 rushing TD's.
42-24=18 TD for passing TD's.

That seems a bit run heavy, so I'll split it down the middle and say 21 passing, 21 rushing.

 

[Dano564]

Last year we were 82nd for points scored per game at 25.5.

If we average 3.5 TD's and two FG's a game for an average of 31 points per game, that would move us to where #37 Michigan State was last year.
That would be a sizeable improvement.

 

[salzie]

What do most posters think is a reasonable # of TD passes?
I think Mo / Potts will get the short yardage TD's.

I think we'll pass more, but he had 9, 30, 7 and 10 TD passes the last 4 years.

30 is a lot over 13 games for many Big Ten teams.
In 2019 we had 25 rushing TD's.
In 2021 we had 22 rushing TD's.

I think we will score 4 TD's a game against weaker opponents and 3 TD's per game against stronger opponents.
Say 6 games are tougher, 6 are weaker. That's 18+24 TD's total on offense. That's 42.
I'm going to go at just under 2 rushing TD's per game. That's about 24 rushing TD's.
42-24=18 TD for passing TD's.

That seems a bit run heavy, so I'll split it down the middle and say 21 passing, 21 rushing.

Right around 20

 

[60's Guy]

I'd agree, 20 TD's seems like a base line. For me, if Tanner is not on at least that type of pace to start the season with lesser opponents...then we need to move to our #2 QB. Of course that won't happen, but I think it should. #2 for possible increased production and for experience going forward. It's not a good thing for players to keep starting who do not improve. A 9, 7 or 10 TD pace is not elite.

Bacon has the X factor...how much difference will Kirk make? I'd like to think a lot. But would he make even more with a different QB? And I don't know the answer with any certainty. They should. Go Gophers!

 

[btowngopher]

If we’re gonna win the west, 2019 needs to be the minimum that Tanner needs to achieve.
For a QB who regressed massively the last two years since, its going to be a big challenge for him

We were a couple plays away from winning the west with his 2021 performance. If you think 2019 needs to be the minimum, then you basically think he has to carry the team.

 

[Some guy]

If we’re gonna win the west, 2019 needs to be the minimum that Tanner needs to achieve.
For a QB who regressed massively the last two years since, its going to be a big challenge for him

It really doesn’t
Neither Iowa or Wisconsin are as good as they were in 2019

2022 Minnesota could win the division and still be the 4th best team in the 2019 season

There were legitimately 3 top 12-14 teams in the country in the big ten west in 2019. I personally don’t think there are any in 2022. (Though whoever wins the division will end up ranked that high anyways)

 

[RememberMurray]

We were a couple plays away from winning the west with his 2021 performance. If you think 2019 needs to be the minimum, then you basically think he has to carry the team.

That's exactly correct.

This team will (hopefully) be more balanced, run/pass-wise, than it has been under Sanford. But the overall philosophy on offense comes from Fleck, and P.J. believes in a dominant run game, controlling the clock and thereby helping our defense stay rested. That isn't going to change.

If you love to watch an offense based on throwing, you are going to continue to be disappointed in the Gopher offense. It will almost certainly be better-balanced in 2022, but it will never be throw, throw, throw.

Fleck is focused on winning games, not on racking up passing stats. I don't think he cares at all how many TDs Morgan throws for... and I doubt if Tanner cares either.

 

[Fleckoff]

What do most posters think is a reasonable # of TD passes?
I think Mo / Potts will get the short yardage TD's.

I think we'll pass more, but he had 9, 30, 7 and 10 TD passes the last 4 years.

30 is a lot over 13 games for many Big Ten teams.
In 2019 we had 25 rushing TD's.
In 2021 we had 22 rushing TD's.

I think we will score 4 TD's a game against weaker opponents and 3 TD's per game against stronger opponents.
Say 6 games are tougher, 6 are weaker. That's 18+24 TD's total on offense. That's 42.
I'm going to go at just under 2 rushing TD's per game. That's about 24 rushing TD's.
42-24=18 TD for passing TD's.

That seems a bit run heavy, so I'll split it down the middle and say 21 passing, 21 rushing.

Tanner can throw 20 I think we will win the West. Between Potts and Mo, 25 rushing TD's shouldn't be an issue

 

[touchdownvikings]

If we’re gonna win the west, 2019 needs to be the minimum that Tanner needs to achieve.
For a QB who regressed massively the last two years since, its going to be a big challenge for him

Tanner didn't regress. The circumstances of the offense changed, and required more of him, particularly as it related to reading the field action.

If you can put Tanner in a situation in which essentially all of the reading is done pre-snap, he will put up 2019 numbers. If he has to read the field action, then his numbers will not be akin to 2019's. This is not a knock on Tanner who is the best Gophers QB in my lifetime - and I'm 50. This is true of most college QB's.

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

Tanner can throw 20 I think we will win the West. Between Potts and Mo, 25 rushing TD's shouldn't be an issue

So, 20 TD's for Tanner among only our 9 BIG games? If so, that would be a winning formula combined with 2.5 rushing TD's a game. Minnesota Golden Gophers 2022 BIG Champs!