RandBall: A new QB dilemma brewing: Tanner Morgan and the Gophers

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Having Johnson and Bateman makes life much easier.
Gotta get back to those quick hitter slants when other teams load the box. Damn RPO takes so long to develop!
 

Otis said:
Having Johnson and Bateman makes life much easier.
Gotta get back to those quick hitter slants when other teams load the box. Damn RPO takes so long to develop!
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Not sure they have receivers who want to get hit.
 

laazrakit said:
Solid... nothing wrong with solid. Might even turn into a pretty decent target. The decent ball is the problem, though. He hasn't displayed the ability to go out and bring in those errant throws like Johnson, Bateman and CrAB have done in the past (and like Wright has shown he can do... provided he can keep himself on the field.) The difference between success and failure for Tanner Morgan rides on this... he needs receivers to help him. He got it in the past... and except for a few brief moments, he hasn't gotten any help this season.

Who knows, maybe against Purdue we will see Tanner slingin' passes all over the place to CrAB and Wright (as well as to Jackson and MBS... and hopefully Boyd.)
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Every successful pass first QB has had playmaker receivers and at least minimum protection. I don’t think this is front page news. Do we have that right now?

We’re missing a couple legs of our three legged stool and the bizarre, limiting calls and choices from the coordinator haven’t helped.

I have faith all these things will get better as the season wears on.
 

Pat Reusse made the comment Wright was having hissy-fit on the sideline because of the lack of passing plays.
 


The #1 problem is the OC. I believe Callahan is an excellent line coach. However, his unit looks bad right now. Is that because of the scheme, the things these guys are asked to do by the play caller which put them in a less than ideal spot versus the opponent?

Tanner is not playing well. OC Coaching is again part of this. Is PJ so hung up in his way of doing things that the QBs behind Tanner are all better than he is? Don't know for sure but it seems like the rest can add the dimension of running.

Wide receivers is the same thing....a play caller that puts them in a position to exploit weaknesses of the defense and utilize the strengths of his players. It's not happening.
 


If nothing else, a different QB would provide more of a running threat/option than Morgan - although Morgan was surprisingly effective running the ball against BG - probably because that was the last thing they expected him to do.

In today's college game, I think you need to have a QB who is a threat to run. that occupies a defender - and may in turn allow receivers to get open if a LB has to spy the QB and can't drop into the short coverage zone.

I'm getting very nostalgic for Asad Abdul-Khaliq.
 




short ornery norwegian said:
If nothing else, a different QB would provide more of a running threat/option than Morgan - although Morgan was surprisingly effective running the ball against BG - probably because that was the last thing they expected him to do.

In today's college game, I think you need to have a QB who is a threat to run. that occupies a defender - and may in turn allow receivers to get open if a LB has to spy the QB and can't drop into the short coverage zone.

I'm getting very nostalgic for Asad Abdul-Khaliq.
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Absolutely right, in an ideal world. There just aren’t that many really athletic running QBs that can also pass accurately.

Athan could possibly be effective but true freshman and built like a beanpole. Not sure you throw him to the dogs this early in his career.
 


Plenty of teams are winning a lot of games without a mobile qb…plenty are losing a lot with mobile qbs. Pining for Kramer to take over because he might be able to run a little is silly.
 

Right, tell that to Rogers, Breeze, Brady, Stafford that you have to be a running QB, you need to be accurate. There is always the exception, but if a team is looking for a running QB, they do not have a complete program, they are attempting to make for a lack of talent or players. Running QB's do not last long against monster defenses.
 



60's Guy said:
The #1 problem is the OC. I believe Callahan is an excellent line coach. However, his unit looks bad right now. Is that because of the scheme, the things these guys are asked to do by the play caller which put them in a less than ideal spot versus the opponent?

Tanner is not playing well. OC Coaching is again part of this. Is PJ so hung up in his way of doing things that the QBs behind Tanner are all better than he is? Don't know for sure but it seems like the rest can add the dimension of running.

Wide receivers is the same thing....a play caller that puts them in a position to exploit weaknesses of the defense and utilize the strengths of his players. It's not happening.
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Derek Burns made an interesting point on the GG podcast this week about the OL. With all the rotating they're doing (to get Dunlap reps? To keep guys fresh?), you've got situations where the D will run some creative stunt/twist early in the game and confuse the OL. In an ideal world, the OL would pick it up the next time because they remember it...but when you're rotating guys all the time, there's a chance that when the D runs it again you've got one or two OL in who DIDN'T see it live the first time and make the same mistake.
 


btowngopher said:
Plenty of teams are winning a lot of games without a mobile qb…plenty are losing a lot with mobile qbs. Pining for Kramer to take over because he might be able to run a little is silly.
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The teams without mobile QBs are generally throwing a lot more than the 13 attempts in the BG game (17 if you count sacks). They are throwing 20-30 times or more. They are throwing on downs other than 3rd and long (when a blitz is often called). They are throwing downfield to loosen the D and maybe get lucky. They are giving the non-mobile QB a chance to utilize his strengths. I don’t think that is what we did with Tanner against BG. We marginalized his role as a passer. Tanner threw 2 interceptions, but they were in the final 3 minutes of the game. The interceptions don’t explain utilization in the prior 57 minutes of the game. I don’t think that a “running” QBs gives a team an advantage over a “passing” QB in a balanced offense; but in an offense that is going to go with 75%+ running plays, a running QB might be an advantage. Just speculating.
 
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laazrakit said:
Solid... nothing wrong with solid. Might even turn into a pretty decent target. The decent ball is the problem, though. He hasn't displayed the ability to go out and bring in those errant throws like Johnson, Bateman and CrAB have done in the past (and like Wright has shown he can do... provided he can keep himself on the field.) The difference between success and failure for Tanner Morgan rides on this... he needs receivers to help him. He got it in the past... and except for a few brief moments, he hasn't gotten any help this season.

Who knows, maybe against Purdue we will see Tanner slingin' passes all over the place to CrAB and Wright (as well as to Jackson and MBS... and hopefully Boyd.)
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Yes our great receivers made highlight reel catches in 2019. But most of Morgan's great numbers came on good passes, caught and advanced. Saturday he had several open receivers and failed to deliver the ball with time to throw. Something is wrong, physically or mentally. He needs to sit for awhile.
 

I have noidea what will happen, but there are three likely outcomes, and a few others I will not bother with:

-we win next 5 games, nothing changes, all happy, maybe Annexstad gets a few chances to change it up as a loyal soldier, then back to TM
-Mike Sanford Jr gets the Rob Smith treatment- fired in next 2-3 weeks- PJF can't fire himself for meddling just like J. Kill owned the RUTM stuff
-Annexstad finally regains the starting job for good, TM demoted

My guess is Sanford gets fired if things don't get better, and TM avoids demotion because he is PJF's #1 guy, he even said at least once that TM would be his OC some day.
 
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PMWinSTP said:
QB is the straw that stirs the drink on offense. I'd be extremely surprised if Morgan doesn't start Saturday, but another performance like BG and I'm not sure Fleck really has a choice.
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Fleck strikes me as a shaken, not stirred sort of fellow.
 


RememberMurray said:
There is nothing the media loves as much as a QB 'controversy'... even if they have to pump it up and help it along themselves.

Well, maybe one thing they love more: The ever-popular "Is the coach's job in jeopardy?" storyline.
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I am beginning to think that a road game is just what this team needs. Yes the team looked bad last Saturday, but I don't think things are as bad as they looked. With Purdue on the road and a bye week to follow, I've got a strong feeling that we are going to see the "Angry Gopher" road warriors.

Not predicting any blow out, I just think we will see inspired play. I think that will be the difference.
 

Tanner Morgan is 20-10 and 13-8 in big ten play as a starter. PJ without Tanner at qb is 8-11, 2-11 overall in conference with Rhoda/Croft/ZA. He's not pulling Tanner ZA hurting his knee was a blessing in disguise team does not go 11-2 that year with ZA at the helm
 

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