Wide Receiver

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Ogee Ogilthorpe

Ogee Ogilthorpe

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This was the first game where it really jumped out at me that the Gophers are sorely lacking playmakers at the WR position.

Barker has done an adequate job and is a nice story but there's nobody that really goes after the ball, WANTS the ball, or goes up and gets the ball. There have been a number of INT's this season, another one today, that could have been avoided if the WR went more aggressively after the ball rather than letting it "come to them". Just very passive play by the WR's. I know they're not experienced, but they need more from them.

Hopefully McDonald can develop into this type of receiver, along with Fruechte and Tufts, and hopefully Harbison next year. These guys need to do a better job of helping out the QB's.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
This was the first game where it really jumped out at me that the Gophers are sorely lacking playmakers at the WR position.

Barker has done an adequate job and is a nice story but there's nobody that really goes after the ball, WANTS the ball, or goes up and gets the ball. There have been a number of INT's this season, another one today, that could have been avoided if the WR went more aggressively after the ball rather than letting it "come to them". Just very passive play by the WR's. I know they're not experienced, but they need more from them.

Hopefully McDonald can develop into this type of receiver, along with Fruechte and Tufts, and hopefully Harbison next year. These guys need to do a better job of helping out the QB's.
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I thought the first INT was just as much Barker's fault as Nelson's. One player attacked the ball, the other didn't. We don't have much of a threat deep right now.

I know he's not a WR, but I like what I've seen out of Goodger lately.
 

There was a genuine LOL moment today.

We ran a double-fake reverse. In the fully four seconds it took to develop, the guy running the wheel route managed to get about 18 yards downfield. The linebacker hadn't even had to turn his hips yet!

Faster! Run faster!
 

Studwell55 said:
There was a genuine LOL moment today.

We ran a double-fake reverse. In the fully four seconds it took to develop, the guy running the wheel route managed to get about 18 yards downfield. The linebacker hadn't even had to turn his hips yet!

Faster! Run faster!
Click to expand...
There was a guy further downfield - you were looking at the 2nd option.
 



Not sure if it was the fact that Nelson had no time to throw or not, but the WR's were really struggling to get separation. Was DCT even out there?
 

mkAz said:
Not sure if it was the fact that Nelson had no time to throw or not, but the WR's were really struggling to get separation. Was DCT even out there?
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I thought the same thing. The wr's did not make it easy on Nelson. With the tight coverage Wis. had on the our receivers, Nelson had little room for error.
 

mkAz said:
Not sure if it was the fact that Nelson had no time to throw or not, but the WR's were really struggling to get separation. Was DCT even out there?
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Crawford-Tufts was listed as "out", I don't think he made the trip.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
This was the first game where it really jumped out at me that the Gophers are sorely lacking playmakers at the WR position.

Barker has done an adequate job and is a nice story but there's nobody that really goes after the ball, WANTS the ball, or goes up and gets the ball. There have been a number of INT's this season, another one today, that could have been avoided if the WR went more aggressively after the ball rather than letting it "come to them". Just very passive play by the WR's. I know they're not experienced, but they need more from them.

Hopefully McDonald can develop into this type of receiver, along with Fruechte and Tufts, and hopefully Harbison next year. These guys need to do a better job of helping out the QB's.
Click to expand...

We don't really have a playmaker/difference maker at any position right now. Hopefully soon.
 



station19 said:
We don't really have a playmaker/difference maker at any position right now. Hopefully soon.
Click to expand...

I am amazed that we dont see more of kj maye and marcus jones. I saw jones just standing next to kill on the sidelines. These are the guys that are supposed to be our "playmakers", but haven't been getting a lot of action
 

forever a gopher said:
I am amazed that we dont see more of kj maye and marcus jones. I saw jones just standing next to kill on the sidelines. These are the guys that are supposed to be our "playmakers", but haven't been getting a lot of action
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I was wondering the same thing about Jones. I don't recall seeing him on the field yesterday. Must be in the same doghouse as Gillum.
 


WHB Brewer said:
I was wondering the same thing about Jones. I don't recall seeing him on the field yesterday. Must be in the same doghouse as Gillum.
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Jones was banged up yesterday, that's probably why he wasn't on the field (I didn't see him dressed, you have better eyes than I do). The other guys I didn't see much of were Fruechte, who has been a guy who has gotten separation this year (if I recall correctly he was also a little banged up after last game) and Engel, who seemed to get open for at least a couple catches each of the previous games. Hopefully just chalk it up to a bad game and they will come out with a little more fire next game. Maybe seeing what Nelson is capable of (throwing catchable balls) will get them fired up. It's got to be demoralizing to get wide open down field numerous times the last few games and have the throw miss you by ten yards.
 



Fruechte was questionable as well. I don't believe he played either.

I think this is why Kill is recruiting the WR position so hard, and why it'll be important to get a couple of the guys in for next year who can really light up the field.

And how important it will be to get Harbison back.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Also, the guy Nelson threw it to was Maye who was the player that took the original hand off.
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Yeah, I was going to say, when I watched that play I actually thought the opposite of what Studwell was thinking. I thought that Maye looked really fast to be 18 yards downfield after just taking the hand off.
 

The WR position is tough. I think that we are adequate when we are fully healthy. However, we have very little depth and days when Fruechte, Harbison, DCT and Jones are all banged up / out, they aren't going to put the fear of life into anyone.
 

I was concerned about the WR corps coming into the season. I didn't see a go to guy in the bunch and guess what through 6 weeks I still don't see one. What we have is a bunch of #2 or #3 WR types that can do some good things but are not game changers at the position. If Gray and Nelson can get on the same page in the limited time left in this season Gray could become that guy otherwise I think we will be waiting till next year to see if anyone can really step up. Of the current group McDonald probably has the best shot to become a #1 guy but he isn't there yet.
 

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