Nelson named starter at Qb

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Let me preface this with...I've been drinking.

I don't like the idea because the d-bags from the East will most likely put up 400 yards on the ground and that doesn't usually result in a win for the good guys. However, we need a QB that can move and get out of the pocket when necessary, our OL is a bit of a disaster right now, Max hasn't exactly been consistent, and we need all we can get right now.

I hope this is because A: Max is injured. B: Phillip has outplayed Max in practice. or C:We need a spark and this guy can give it to us.
 

We will see how serious Shortell's injury is if Leidner makes the trip.
 

I had a gut feeling earlier in the week that this might happen, but during the game and the coaches would use Dexter Foreman as a stop gap. I am surprised to say the least. This only makes sense if Phil and his dad agreed and he starts the rest of the year.
 

If both Gray and Shortell are injured, what other choice does the coaching staff have? I hate this too, but you can't blame Jerry Kill for Gray having a sprained ankle and Shortell having a concussion or whatever his issue is.
 

This could be meant to be. Philip Nelson has deep, unfortunate Badger roots--what better place for his coming out party than Camp Randall in an improbable victory?

Then again, I'm a massive rube.
 


I don't like the idea of giving a freshman his first game action (much less start) in a road rivalry game where the team also happens to be a massive underdog. This would fly in the face of the whole "building confidence" angle used to explain ducking UNC. I think it's important to note that Ed Olson is out for the game, so the protection probably won't be very good. Now, if Shortell is out long term, there might not be another choice though it shows how bad of a miss Dexter Foreman was.

With only public knowledge on this specific issue, I would try to get through this week with some combination of Foreman/KJ Maye and hope to have Gray and/or Shortell available for the last 5(hopefully 6) games.
 

EG#9 said:
I don't like the idea of giving a freshman his first game action (much less start) in a road rivalry game where the team also happens to be a massive underdog. This would fly in the face of the whole "building confidence" angle used to explain ducking UNC. I think it's important to note that Ed Olson is out for the game, so the protection probably won't be very good. Now, if Shortell is out long term, there might not be another choice though it shows how bad of a miss Dexter Foreman was.

With only public knowledge on this specific issue, I would try to get through this week with some combination of Foreman/KJ Maye and hope to have Gray and/or Shortell available for the last 5(hopefully 6) games.
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+1. The "building confidence" argument is out the window for me.
 

EG#9 said:
I don't like the idea of giving a freshman his first game action (much less start) in a road rivalry game where the team also happens to be a massive underdog. This would fly in the face of the whole "building confidence" angle used to explain ducking UNC. I think it's important to note that Ed Olson is out for the game, so the protection probably won't be very good. Now, if Shortell is out long term, there might not be another choice though it shows how bad of a miss Dexter Foreman was.

With only public knowledge on this specific issue, I would try to get through this week with some combination of Foreman/KJ Maye and hope to have Gray and/or Shortell available for the last 5(hopefully 6) games.
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This isn't the NFL where you get rewarded for losing. If Nelson truly starts, he will for the rest of the season. You don't tank a rivalry game.
 

EG#9 said:
I don't like the idea of giving a freshman his first game action (much less start) in a road rivalry game where the team also happens to be a massive underdog. This would fly in the face of the whole "building confidence" angle used to explain ducking UNC. I think it's important to note that Ed Olson is out for the game, so the protection probably won't be very good. Now, if Shortell is out long term, there might not be another choice though it shows how bad of a miss Dexter Foreman was.

With only public knowledge on this specific issue, I would try to get through this week with some combination of Foreman/KJ Maye and hope to have Gray and/or Shortell available for the last 5(hopefully 6) games.
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So you would essentially forfeit?
 



dpodoll68 said:
Hand injury is the rumor. Rumored (reported?) that he couldn't even throw until Wednesday.
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Well Nate Sandell squashed this theory. This is confusing to say the least especially after the debacle this week.

"@NSandell: Shortell was fine after he was roughed up in the 1st quarter last week. He practiced all week. He said Wednesday he was fully healthy."
 

Unless this is a matter of injury, I don't understand this at all. If Nelson is better than Shortell did you just realize it this week in practice? Wouldn't it have made a lot more sense to give Nelson his first snap at home against a much easier defense last week?

I just....this decision makes way less sense to me than the North Carolina cancellation.
 

According to Marcus and then Reusse, Shortell and Nelson split snaps and Nelson was told getting on
the plane he would start.
 

I'll say this, if Nelson starts this game he might as well start the rest of the season. Give packages to Marquis or whatever, but you don't burn a QB's redshirt to have him start 1-2 games and then go back to the bench.
 



WhoFellDownTheGopherHole? said:
Since I, being a simple fan, have no control over lineup decisions, i choose to be excited for the kid and hope he walks in there and absolutely lights the place up. In fact, i can't think of a better time to turn the Nelson-to-McDonald combination loose upon the NCAA world. This weekend's game just got exponentially more exciting with this news. Go Gophers!
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Great post!

If Nelson is going to play, then I hope Kill plans on starting Nelson for the rest of the season. There would be no sense in turning back to Shortell or Gray as Gray will be gone in 6 or 7 games and Shortell has done enough to show us he's a backup of necessity not a starter.

If the kid's going to be green lighted then here's to hoping his coming out party is one for the ages!!!
 

Gopherprof said:
Unless this is a matter of injury, I don't understand this at all. If Nelson is better than Shortell did you just realize it this week in practice? Wouldn't it have made a lot more sense to give Nelson his first snap at home against a much easier defense last week?

I just....this decision makes way less sense to me than the North Carolina cancellation.
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Kill did his best to redshirt him, but injuries and play of others wouldn't allow it. If QB's are losing games for you, it's not fair to others to not make a change.
 

Blargh. I hope I'm wrong, but true freshman in hostile environment in first start spells disaster more often than not. I understand we may not have another choice, but I'm not optimistic about it
 

The move baffles me if Shortell is healthy. I'm stunned we would pull a RS on the #3 QB and give him a start, and at Camp Randall no less. Is Shortell's stock really that far down from a week ago? He has hardly been impressive but it takes until week 6 for us to figure out that Nelson gives us a better chance to win? I don't know what to make of this.
 


MaxyJR1 said:
Kill did his best to redshirt him, but injuries and play of others wouldn't allow it. If QB's are losing games for you, it's not fair to others to not make a change.
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Then this shows a disturbing lack of understanding of your own roster to put Max out there for three weeks if Nelson is unquestionably the better player.

And if he's not unquestionably the better player, this reeks of desperation.
 

Have we been competitive in any of Shortell's starts? Time to move on. Barring injury or Nelson being terrible, he will start the next 46 games. + BOWLS.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Have we been competitive in any of Shortell's starts? Time to move on. Barring injury or Nelson being terrible, he will start the next 46 games. + BOWLS.
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Umm....yeah, we beat Syracuse, and he's one of the main reasons we beat Western Michigan.

But further to the point, why couldn't this diagnosis have been made weeks ago? And why do we go through 3-4 runningbacks before finally burning Rodrick Williams' redshirt?

Again, this type of stuff concerns me way more than the North Carolina move. That at least shows a longterm strategy. This just seems like they are making it up as they go along.
 

Gopherprof said:
Then this shows a disturbing lack of understanding of your own roster to put Max out there for three weeks if Nelson is unquestionably the better player.

And if he's not unquestionably the better player, this reeks of desperation.
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Very well said. If Nelson is starting it has to be because Shortell took a decided drop in his perceived effectiveness by the staff. No way Nelson played his way out of a RS in practice.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Have we been competitive in any of Shortell's starts? Time to move on. Barring injury or Nelson being terrible, he will start the next 46 games. + BOWLS.
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We've been very competitive. The Offense though hasn't put up many points.
 

Last week in Iowa, the offense stalled with Shortell at QB. I would expect that this would happen at Wis. with Shortell at QB and we lose badly. I would further expect this board to blow up calling for Kill to put Nelson in and bench Shortell. Now that Nelson gets the start I am surprised at all the nay sayers. I know it sucks to start a freshman in a hostile environment, but it sucks even more going into a game with a QB who really has no realistic chance at winning the game. Nelson is likely going to struggle at times, but with his mobility he likely gives us a better shot at making some plays. He certainly is a wild card for tomorrow. Shortell does not seem to have much in the way of natural scrambling ability. Instead, he holds the ball too long and runs in circles in the pocket. I would have rather Kill waited to put in Nelson, but with the way Shortell has played, why not put the guy in that gives us the best shot to win.

Personally, I can't wait to see Nelson play tomorrow. I also like Kill taking chances to win.
 

Gopherprof said:
Umm....yeah, we beat Syracuse, and IN MY OPINION he's one of the main reasons we beat Western Michigan.

But further to the point, why couldn't this diagnosis have been made weeks ago? And why do we go through 3-4 runningbacks before finally burning Rodrick Williams' redshirt?

Again, this type of stuff concerns me way more than the North Carolina move. That at least shows a longterm strategy. This just seems like they are making it up as they go along.
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Fixed it for you
 

They want to build the program the right way and this hurts, but knowing Coach Kill and his staff they had no other choice. They sure didn't want to throw Nelson in when they have 10 injured players. I just hope he doesn't get the crap kicked out of him so it takes 2 yrs. for him to recover. He is not ready to be a full time starter, but now that the shirt is gone he should split time with Gray, and get his work. Shortell will be the passing relief man and that will probably be the rest of his career at MN.
 

Gopherprof said:
Then this shows a disturbing lack of understanding of your own roster to put Max out there for three weeks if Nelson is unquestionably the better player.

And if he's not unquestionably the better player, this reeks of desperation.
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Yep. This.

If the reason why you cancel the North Carolina series is that you're "building a program" and "cleaning up 45 years of failure," then it makes no sense to burn Nelson's RS if Shortell is healthy. (Miller's report doesn't mention any injury to Shortell.) You stick with Shortell and Gray and take your lumps, as you're only on year 2 of the great rebuilding project.

If Nelson is so much better than Shortell, then you put him in when Gray goes down. This gives him as much experience as possible in his freshman year.

I hope the Gophers win and mop the field with Becky, but I have no confidence in Kill or his staff.
 


afurry91 said:
Fixed it for you
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He played very well and we scored a lot of points. When that happens, the quarterback gets a lot of credit. If you want to call that an opinion, that's fine, but it's a pretty indisputable one.
 

westcoastgopher11 said:
Very well said. If Nelson is starting it has to be because Shortell took a decided drop in his perceived effectiveness by the staff. No way Nelson played his way out of a RS in practice.
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You guys realize that Nelson is a true freshmen and that it may have just taken him awhile to get comfortable going from high school to college and having to learn a new offense?
 

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