Minnesota OC Kirk Ciarrocca: 'We know we have to improve throwing the football'

[2nd Degree Gopher]

AHHH. Yes. That's right. Johnny Bench. Man, those were good times. I wish I was a kid again.

Briefly met Bench at an airport one time. We were both waiting for a flight to Cincinnati from Washington DC (or maybe Baltimore). No one, including me, even looked up when the gate agent paged "John Bench, please come to the ticket counter. John Bench to the ticket counter." A few minutes later, she repeated the page and a guy walked past me towards the desk. I thought "that guy looks like Johnny Bench, except Johnny Bench must be taller. Wait a minute, I bet Johnny Bench's real name is John Bench." Sure enough, it was him. He then sat next to me and we made a little small talk until it was time to get on the flight. Told him that I was a Twins fan and he told me how much he loved watching Kirby play. (This was probably 1993 or 1994.) I asked him how it was that he could be virtually unnoticed while waiting for a flight to Cincinnati and he said that people often didn't link the name John Bench to him and that he "didn't really look like an athlete."

After he boarded the plane, three different people came over to me and said something along the lines of "Was that Johnny Bench? Man is he an a-hole."

 

[BTChamp]

Briefly met Bench at an airport one time. We were both waiting for a flight to Cincinnati from Washington DC (or maybe Baltimore). No one, including me, even looked up when the gate agent paged "John Bench, please come to the ticket counter. John Bench to the ticket counter." A few minutes later, she repeated the page and a guy walked past me towards the desk. I thought "that guy looks like Johnny Bench, except Johnny Bench must be taller. Wait a minute, I bet Johnny Bench's real name is John Bench." Sure enough, it was him. He then sat next to me and we made a little small talk until it was time to get on the flight. Told him that I was a Twins fan and he told me how much he loved watching Kirby play. (This was probably 1993 or 1994.) I asked him how it was that he could be virtually unnoticed while waiting for a flight to Cincinnati and he said that people often didn't link the name John Bench to him and that he "didn't really look like an athlete."

After he boarded the plane, three different people came over to me and said something along the lines of "Was that Johnny Bench? Man is he an a-hole."

Awesome story. Thanks for posting.

"They do walk among us".

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Does this include sacks as runs? Not sure how much that would change it.

Sacks are booked as running plays. Passes are only where ball was thrown and there was a completion, incompletion or interception.

 

[Word]

Sacks are booked as running plays. Passes are only where ball was thrown and there was a completion, incompletion or interception.

I know. Was wondering if SON deleted sacks out of the run category as they were not called as running plays.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I really wish we were moving forward with a new QB. Tanner's cement feet + a new line is a scary situation. I also think if you want to continue to recruit good talent at WR (and there's a million reasons why PJ and Matt Simon want to make the U a destination for wideouts) then you need to start opening it up and pushing teams over the top. Tanner can indeed throw a nice ball when he steps into it.

I also want us to give guys like CRAB and Wright more jump balls. Kirk basically forced teams to try to stop TJ and Bateman.

There's a lot of time between now and the season.

 

[Word]

I really wish we were moving forward with a new QB. Tanner's cement feet + a new line is a scary situation. I also think if you want to continue to recruit good talent at WR (and there's a million reasons why PJ and Matt Simon want to make the U a destination for wideouts) then you need to start opening it up and pushing teams over the top. Tanner can indeed throw a nice ball when he steps into it.

I also want us to give guys like CRAB and Wright more jump balls. Kirk basically forced teams to try to stop TJ and Bateman.

I think Tanner is quicker and more mobile than people give him credit for. I don't know if he's just been coached to stay in the pocket or if it's just his natural instinct to stay there. I don't think athleticism is the limiting factor that some make it out to be though. Mahomes isn't fast at all but is a willing scrambler. Maybe if Athan or Knuth prove to be capable backups they'll give Tanner more freedom to run.

 

[Tommyboy]

I think Tanner is quicker and more mobile than people give him credit for. I don't know if he's just been coached to stay in the pocket or if it's just his natural instinct to stay there. I don't think athleticism is the limiting factor that some make it out to be though. Mahomes isn't fast at all but is a willing scrambler. Maybe if Athan or Knuth prove to be capable backups they'll give Tanner more freedom to run.

He is slow and has a weak arm. Kramer probably runs a 4.6, they use him to run. They offered Athan as a 16 year old based on his height and quickness. He really has not played much football in the last 3 years. He has the physical tools, he has a higher ceiling then Morgan.

 

[Word]

He is slow and has a weak arm. Kramer probably runs a 4.6, they use him to run. They offered Athan as a 16 year old based on his height and quickness. He really has not played much football in the last 3 years. He has the physical tools, he has a higher ceiling then Morgan.

Ok,I guess we disagree.

 

[Tommyboy]

Ok,I guess we disagree.

Compared to his competition

 

[Gophers_4life]

Weren't people wondering if Tanner had a shoulder injury in 2020 and/or 2021, because his deep ball was so bad? (can't remember which year or if both)

And why we were not throwing the mid to deep routes like they did with KC?

 

[Dakota2]

Ok,I guess we disagree.

Tanner is neither slow nor has a weak arm. He is not fast and has somewhat below average quickness for Big Ten QBs. That's a long way from slow and weak.

 

[Tommyboy]

Tanner is neither slow nor has a weak arm. He is not fast and has somewhat below average quickness for Big Ten QBs. That's a long way from slow and weak.

He is not fast and has somewhat below average quickness for Big Ten QBs.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I know. Was wondering if SON deleted sacks out of the run category as they were not called as running plays.

nope. just going off the "Gopher Football Stats" section at SportsReference.com.

they give the # of plays as per-game averages - listed as "rushing" and "passing." So there may be a few sacks mixed in with the runs, because that is where they belong under college statistical rules.

to separate them out, I would have to use individual game stats or play-by-play, and the Sports Genie is lazy.

 

[Word]

Compared to his competition

Sure, fair enough.

 

[Word]

Tanner is neither slow nor has a weak arm. He is not fast and has somewhat below average quickness for Big Ten QBs. That's a long way from slow and weak.

Yeah that's fair. I think he's athletic enough and has a strong enough arm to be a solid Big Ten QB, which he proved in 2019 and the latter half of last year.

I also wonder how much of his lack of running was due to coaches not feeling like we had a reliable backup QB. Keeping Tanner from running would protect him to some degree. Same thing happened with Leidner - his running decreased a lot the years we had no backup. (PS - Spaulding you do not need to chime in here).

 

[Dakota2]

He is not fast and has somewhat below average quickness for Big Ten QBs.

Just what I said. He was that same quickness and arm strength in 2019 when he was statistically one of the best in the land.

 

[Dakota2]

Yeah that's fair. I think he's athletic enough and has a strong enough arm to be a solid Big Ten QB, which he proved in 2019 and the latter half of last year.

I also wonder how much of his lack of running was due to coaches not feeling like we had a reliable backup QB. Keeping Tanner from running would protect him to some degree. Same thing happened with Leidner - his running decreased a lot the years we had no backup. (PS - Spaulding you do not need to chime in here).

Your 2nd point is valid. Led to successful development of Kramer's wildcat. Think we will still see that package this year with No. 35 next to Kramer as lead blocker and for occasional hand off.

I predict that despite having ready backup QB.

 

[Cedar Rapids Gopher]

Tanner is neither slow nor has a weak arm. He is not fast and has somewhat below average quickness for Big Ten QBs. That's a long way from slow and weak.

I heard he couldn't throw a ball 40 yards.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I heard he couldn't throw a ball 40 yards.

Spiral rating required.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

nope. just going off the "Gopher Football Stats" section at SportsReference.com.

they give the # of plays as per-game averages - listed as "rushing" and "passing." So there may be a few sacks mixed in with the runs, because that is where they belong under college statistical rules.

to separate them out, I would have to use individual game stats or play-by-play, and the Sports Genie is lazy.

I think the only game it mattered was Bowling Green … Maybe illinois. In games where Tanner was sacked a lot or took off running on broken pockets, the statistical run/pass dichotomy is a bit skewed. We show 13 passes and 5 completions, if I recall, in the BG game. Probably at least 18-20 passing plays actually called.

 

[Tommyboy]

I heard he couldn't throw a ball 40 yards.

I believe the QB that transferred out this year had the strongest arm, Athan probably the second strongest. Most accurate, I assume Morgan.