SB Nation User Blog: GopherNation

Gopher basketball officially signs two

GopherNation — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:44:47 -0000

Gopher basketball officially signs two

It's official, welcome Austin Hollins and Elliott Eliason to Gopher Nation!

Shooting guard Austin Hollins (Germantown, Tenn./Germantown), who is the son of Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and center Elliott Eliason (Chadron, Neb./Chadron), who is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in the State of Nebraska have announced they are signing with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

"We are really excited to now have Elliott and Austin as part of the Golden Gopher basketball program," said coach Tubby Smith. "We have definite needs for Elliott and Austin in our system with the loss of Damian Johnson, Lawrence Westbrook and Devron Bostick. We know that we are getting a pair of players that not only have great basketball IQ's but are also great students. We look forward to following and seeing their progression during their senior seasons."

Up next...Cory Joeph!

A desperate plea for Gopher fans to take a reasoned approach to the QB situation

GopherNation — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:41:24 -0000

More photos » by Kevin Rivoli - AP

(AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

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I want to remove any chance for misinterpretation in this post, so I'm going to tell you exactly what my point is up front.

The notion that Adam Weber is terrible or unwatchable or that another QB on the roster gives us a better chance to win is 100% wrong. Adam Weber has been guilty of being horribly inconsistent, but the accusations and charges that he is unwatchable or has no business in a Gopher uniform are unfair and misguided.

I also want to be clear the Adam Weber is not infallible and at times he has earned himself a spot on the bench. This is not going to be a defense that Adam Weber has been perfect and that all of the problems we have seen with the Gopher offense are the fault of someone else. He absolutely needs to shoulder much of the blame for what has ailed the Gopher offense. But as is very often the case in a Madden Football, win-now-or-else and an "I live vicariously through my teams" sporting world; quarterbacks receive too much glory when things go well and take far too much blame when they don't.

Here are the facts (as I see them)...

Fact #1 - Weber has played very well (AT TIMES) this year. He played very well more often last year. For everyone who feels the need to rant and rave about how putrid he was in the first 30 min of the Illinois game, needs to rewatch the second half of that same game and commend him for getting us back into the game (same can be said of Syracuse game). After a horrendous start to the game by much of the overall roster, Adam Weber played very well and is the primary reason we got ourselves back to within 3 points with just under 10 min left to play. Here are some of the key plays made late in the 1st half and into the 2nd half, followed by his stats by quarter on Saturday.

Q2 - 3rd and 19 - completed 20 yard pass to Tow-Arnett. 2 plays later the Gophers scored their first TD of the game.
Q3 - 3rd and 9 - completed 13 yard pass to Da'Jon McKnight, drive continues below.
Q4 - 3rd and 24 - completed 25 yard pass to Tow-Arnett, next play Gophers scored second TD of the game.
Q4 - the third TD drive - Weber goes 4/4, 55 yards including the 2-pnt coversion to McKnight.

Stats by Quarter

	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	INT	Sack
Q1	2	7	28.6%	17		1	1
Q2	3	10	30.0%	57			2
Q3	4	6	66.7%	60			2
Q4	5	7	71.4%	87	1		2

1st Half	5	17	29.4%	74		1	3
2nd Half	9	13	69.2%	147	1		4

Total	14	30	46.7%	221	1	1	7

Slow start, terrible 1st quarter and a glaring pick-6. But clearly got better as the game went on and that is a very solid second half, especially when you factor in that he was sacked 7 times. The point of this is not that Weber is incredible or perfect. But I believe if you want to have an honest and intelligent conversation about the QB situation for the Gophers you have to acknowledge that he has played well at times (Syracuse 2nd half, Mich St, Cal Q2 and Q3, Northwestern). Consistency is the issue here, not lack of any ability.

Secondly, there are others to share much of the blame of the offense this year. Brewster following Saturday's loss to Illinois...

"The other 10 guys on offense do their job and we do a good job protecting Adam and our receivers do a good job running routes, Adam's a good football player. When they don't it's hard for him to be as effective as he'd like to be. When you look at the quarterback's play, obviously the support of the other 10 guys is goes a long way to determine what type of game he's going to have. He did a lot of good things today and there were some plays there that were not so good."

The entire offense was bad in the Ohio State game and Weber was probably at his worst in the second half of that game. But the fact is he played well in the first half. There were at least 4 well thrown balls that were just plain dropped in that first half, three of them which would have resulted in first downs. No doubt that gaining three more first downs and keeping drives alive would have made the first half of that game very different. Weber took the brunt of the blame for this one and it was undeserved. In the second half he completely derailed and should have been benched (inconsistency). But before that point he got no help from his teammates.

Looking more broadly than the OSU game, Weber has been hampered by the things I've been complaining about all season. Very questionable play calling that is predictable at times and bizarre at others, an OL that cannot open running lanes and has allowed the most sacks in the conference, and undisciplined play leading to far too many penalties. The entire offense, especially Weber, has been slowed by the changing of offensive systems for the second time in three years. I believe that changing and offense takes a full year before players are comfortable and able to make plays rather than think about what they are supposed to be doing. Add to that a rookie OC who is learning how to teach an entire system and how to call a game. This was a recipe for a sluggish offense, many saw it coming and others (like myself) thought that with some experience on the offense we'd be more equipped to make the transition smoothly. That was not the case.

Fact #3, this isn't a video game. I love the nit-picking and piling on when things are not going well. Case in point is the 47 pass play to Decker in the Purdue game. As you may recall Decker had his man beat by 3-5 yards, Weber throws the deep ball but Decker has to slow down to catch it and is tackled on the 1 instead of walking into the end zone. Of course the nit-pickers were ticked that it was so severely underthrown and that was exhibit A as to why Weber has no business playing quarterback in the Big Ten. But this isn't like pushing a button and the ball is automatically going to be in the receivers hands while in stride. Just because you can do it in Madden doesn't mean it is a simple pitch and catch in real life.

I encourage you to critically watch other games and you will see that throwing a deep ball in stride is very difficult to do and QBs miss/underthrow/overthrow receivers on a regular basis. The day after the Purdue game I'm watching the Patriots play whoever they were playing. Randy Moss runs a deep flag pattern (about 30 yards) and has his man beat easily by 10 yards. Tom Brady is not rushed, sees Moss and overthrows him for an uncatchable ball. Even one of the most accurate QBs in the League misses receivers. Especially in light of the Weber critics this year I have paid close attention to other games at the D1 and NFL level, QB's miss receivers (especially downfield) all the time. Hitting a receiver in stride on a 30+ yard pass play is clearly an exception rather than the rule.

Finally, and this is the most important thing to grasp, Adam Weber is just plain not going to get benched and it doesn't matter who the coach is, he just wouldn't. Regardless of what the most knowledgeable fan in Gopher Nation believes or wants to believe he will start the two or three remaining games. And brace yourself for this...barring injury, he'll likely start every game next year. I know that many of you are going to throw your arms up and declare that if Brewster even thinks about starting Weber over Gray next year he should be fired before the 1st quarter is over. But it just won't happen.

First and foremost, coaches will go with what they know and who they trust. I coached basketball at the college level for several years and while I completely understand that it is a different sport and a VERY different level of talent, I learned several things that are true at any level. One is that coaches will go with who they trust. Adam Weber has a three year resume under his belt and Brewster, after watching him in 38 games and hundreds of practices knows exactly what he is and is not capable of. The casual or even passionate fan who is so livid after the first two quarters of the Illini game that they saw nothing positive in the second half; are not nearly well enough informed to make this decision.

Brewster is going to play the QB that best gives him a chance to win. He sees what goes on each and every day at practice. And as much as I hate the "trust the coaches at all cost" mentality, there is some truth to it. Either Gray has not proven that he should be the starter or Brewster wants the Gophers to lose, which seems more likely. And based on the fact that Weber has a proven track-record, Gray has to actually out-play Weber to oust him. Statistically over nearly three years of starting Weber is the most prolific quarterback to wear a Gopher uniform. Say what you want about being a product of a system but Brewster isn't going to ignore this.

Ultimately, I'm not blind, ignorant nor do I think I'm unintelligent. I can see that Weber has struggled this year and he is an obvious part of the offensive struggles. But I get irritated that people are not seeing or recognizing that he isn't the ONLY problem and when he does well or when he is the catalyst for the offense turning things around he gets very little credit. The fact is Weber has been inconsistent this year. That is his #1 problem.

Many view this as a lost season. Since we aren't going to the Rose Bowl, why not play all of the kids, right? Well, once again this isn't a video game and there isn't a coach in the country who would throw a way a bowl opportunity as it means money for the school, practice time for the kids, boosts his resume and is something he wouldn't choose to deny to his seniors. The kids who give you the best chance to win will play. Maybe if you are 3-7 you'd start building for the future, but when you are in the bowl picture and fighting for that better bowl no coach is going to start thinking about 2011.

I should also be clear that I am in no way anti MarQueis Gray. The kid has a ton of talent and I really am looking forward to him leading the team. But I just don't think he is capable of out-performing Weber at this stage. If Weber were truly terrible for games, then yes. If he were clearly outplaying Weber when he got his small chances, then yes. But that isn't the case and like it or not, Weber is your Golden Gopher QB.

Golden Nugz 11.09.09

GopherNation — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:02:16 -0000

Lea B Olsen is one of my favorite members of the local sports media, and she's a former Gopher. She wrote a very good editorial in the Star Trib recently about who is really responsible for the inappropriate behavior of college athletes. Lea is rather plugged in to the Minnesota high school basketball scene and knows her stuff. In this article she lays out some of what is obvious and recognizes that the blame is shared...

By the athlete's families

Teaching your kids morals, the difference between right and wrong, and that there will be consequences to ones actions is the basic responsibility of the family.

By the fans

Our expectations are so incredibly high. We want winning teams and we want them now. Most of us are usually willing to take a risk on kids who have proven in the past to have had issues. This would be okay if it was really about giving the kids a second chance, getting them an education, and doing what is best for the kids. But, it’s really not about that is it? It’s about the thought of what our team could look like if the kid did get his act together.

By the greedy types who plug themselves into the lives of young athletes

Recruiters (ed. and agents) going into grade schools promising the world if the athlete stays healthy and can perform is often the start of the ugly cycle that creates the mentality of you can do what ever you want as long as you can perform.

And obviously the athletes themselves.

Being treated different your entire life, being allowed to make mistakes with out suffering consequences, and having adults worship the ground you walk on doesn’t mean you are off the hook for taking responsibility for your life.

All very true. Like I said some of what she said is rather obvious but a good read, especially in light of the rash of recent Gophers in the news for antics not related to the basketball court.

Lawrence McKenzie was drafted, in the NBDL. The Sioux Falls Sky Force drafted Lawrence who spent last year playing in Macedonia and appeared in 10 NBDL games.
For a perspective from the winning side, here is Hail to the Orange's game recap.
Gopher soccer won it's last game of the regular season. The Gophers finished tied for 4th in the conference and will wait out the NCAA Selection Committee on Monday.
Kent Youngblood shared some of Brewster's comments from the Sunday meeting of the beat writers and TBrew. The insight is about Brewster's method of teaching/coaching and not yelling.

Illinois stiff-arms the Gophers behind freshman back up QB, Jacob Charest

GopherNation — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:35:46 -0000

More photos » by Paul Battaglia - AP

4 days ago: Illinois quarterback Eddie McGee (10) stiff-arms Minnesota cornerback Marcus Sherels (24) on a 38-yard catch and run during the second half of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2008 in Minneapolis. Illinois won 35-32. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

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Illini QB, Juice Williams went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter. At the time Illinois held a 7-0 lead, which soon grew to 14-0 before redshirt freshman Jacob Charest took over and led the Illini offense to a 35-25 win over the Gophers. Charest was poised and elusive making a handful of clutch plays when Illinois most needed them.

Ron Zook on his freshman QB - "He was 10/19 and 185 yards. I think he managed the offense extremely well. At teh end, a lot of people may take it for granted, but I thought his clock management was good. Usually for a young quarterback the clock management issue is the last thing that comes. I thought for him to be able to go in that kind of environment with that kind of situation of the momentum shifting a little bit, for him to be able to manage the clock the way he did was excellent."

On the other side of the ball, Adam Weber returned to his 2009 form going 5/17 in the first half for 74 yards and a pick-6. In typical Weber fashion he managed to play well at times going 9/14 in the second half for 147 yards and a TD. Along with improved accuracy he converted a 3rd & 19 and a 3rd & 24. But playing well (not great, but well) for 2 quarters isn't going to get it done.

Asked about Weber's slow start Brewster had this to say...

It's hard to say. The other 10 guys on offense do their job and we do a good job protecting Adam and our receivers do a good job running routes, Adam's a good football player. When they don't it's hard for him to be as effective as he'd like to be.When you look at the quarterback's play, obviously the support of the other 10 guys is goes a long way to determine what type of game he's going to have. He did a lot of good things today and there were some plays there that were not so good.

There is some truth to that and later Brewster talked about his receiver's lack of ability to separate and really be open. The first half, though Weber was missing guys who were in fact open. He ignored guys underneath on a regular basis opting for a big downfield play. In the second half he had less time and from the press box perch it was obvious that receivers were not as open down field and when he checked down his completion percentage went up, the offense moved and scored 25 second half point.

The Gopher's version of the Triangle Offense was in full effect today. Despite poor play from the QB the game was still winable but it was severely hampered by questionable play calling. The key play of the second half came on the Gopher's opening drive of the half. 2nd and 1, inside the 1 yard line and the play called was a play-action rollout. The right side of the OL let two guys through and they sacked Weber for an 8 yard loss before he had a chance to turn around.

We thought we had a really good play pass in that situation, we thought we had a really good play pass for exactly the type of front defensively they were going to play. They played two edge rushers, instead of one so tehre was a free guy on teh QB in that situation what we'd like to be able to do is throw teh ball 5 rows into teh bleachers and not take a sack in that situation. Unfortunately we took a sack and had to kick a field goal.

Maybe it was a great play on paper, but for a team that wants to pound the rock you run the ball hoping you can get 3 feet for 6 points. Once again the lack of commitment to the run hurt this offense and the team's chances of winning.

Kevin Whaley - 5.1 per carry average
DeLeon Eskridge - 4.3 per carry average
Duane Bennett - 3.75 per carry average

Those are not amazing numbers but they are good enough to give these guys more than 8, 9 and 4 carries respectively. Even in the first half the run was abandoned early. Back to back first downs running the ball is followed by a pass play that was picked for 6. That pick is certainly on Weber, but run the ball especially when it is working so well for you.

A frustrating loss for the Gophers who really played well in the second half but stunk on many levels in the first. With two games left this team is likely on a path to a bowl game, but the destination may not be as exciting as the .500 achievement.

Likes and dislikes after the break...

What did I like?

Only 3 penalties
25 second half points
Da'Jon McKnight - the sophomore is really taking advantage of his opportunity in Decker's absence. Not bad for the 2-star throw in who completed the Skyline-4.
Iowa lost!

What I didn't like

Two kickoffs out of bounds.
Weber's inconsistency and reluctance to complete the 5-yard play, opting for a downfield incompletion.
Play-calling! RUN THE DAMN BALL

The Illini come to Minnesota - OFFICIAL GAME THREAD

GopherNation — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:57:36 -0000

Huge game for the Gophers to make ensure 4-4 in the Big Ten. And what a perfect fall afternoon for some Gopher football.

Illinois vs. Minnesota - the quickest preview of the year

GopherNation — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:00:45 -0000

Sorry for the lack of JG's quality preview this afternoon. Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging. I'll drop you my top 3 keys for the game and then it is your responsibility to share your predictions with world.

Running the Ball - Illinois is the only team in the conference worse at stopping the run than we are and that has to be exploited. I hope this game looks like the Northwestern and Purdue games where we finally decide to run until we are stopped. Look for Kevin Whaley to get going for his breakout game. The offensive line has improved as the season has gone along and this is the game for them to establish and own the line of scrimmage.
Big Plays and BIG receivers - The Gopher D gives up big plays and the Illini live on big plays. This could be an ugly trend. Along with that the Illini have big receivers who should tower over our smallish corners. Both of these could pose a pretty big problem. The key to all of this will be our front seven. Keep Juice contained and get a pass rush on him so he cannot get the ball to his receivers.
Keep the playbook open - This is a little contrary to the first point, but last week it looked like they had their third new offense in 12 months. We racked up tons of yards and 42 points, while I want the running game to dominate the day, I wouldn't mind seeing the offense move the ball up and down the field again.

Your thoughts?

Poll

What say you?

Williams dunk from last night.

GopherNation — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:43:58 -0000

Williams dunk from last night.

Gopher hoops box score

GopherNation — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:26:07 -0000

Gopher hoops box score

I didn't get a a chance to watch the exhibition game but here are some box score highlights...

1 - We shot well.
2 - Devoe had a big game off the bench
3 - Paul Carter started at PF and had 8 rebounds!

Golden Nugz - 11.05.09

GopherNation — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:09 -0000

Does anybody want to be a Gopher anymore? Mbakwe, White, Bostick are all suspended; Carter is dangerously close; and now Jabari Price has changed his commitment from the Gophers to North Carolina. Price, as you may recall, was the corner opposite Michael Carter a year ago and was excited to reunite with his former teammate. This is disappointing in a number of ways, but mostly because this is a position of such great need. Fortunately time is on our side and it isn't over until he signs his name in early February.

Yet another hoops top 25, this time the Gophers land at #20.
Big Ten Geeks took a look at production differences as college basketball players age. Not surprisingly the greatest jump in production came as players became sophomores. The inspiration for the story came from Al McGuire's famous quote, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." The results actually showed that the increase in production from FR to SO is actually greater than production from their SO to SR seasons. All of this bodes very well for the likes of Ralph Sampson, Colten Iverson and Devoe Joseph.
Gophers vs. Badgers this weekend on the ice. Here is a Bleacher Report preview. I'm sure JG will have more as we near the weekend.
Everyday Should Be Saturday "featured" the Gophers yesterday.

BTB Pick'em Standings

GopherNation — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:14:34 -0000

I missed the Illini win over Michigan but was one of the few brave enough to pick the Gophers! Thank you Adam Weber.

	Standings	Pts
1	Gopher Nation	104
2	Nittany White Out	101
3	Michigan Sports Center	99
3	Black Shoes Diaries (RUTS)	99
5	Bucky's 5th Qtr	98
6	Happy Hour Valley	95
7	OSU Silver Bullet	93
8	Buck Bravo	90
8	Gopher Football Blog	90
10	The Only Colors	89
11	Maize and Blue Nation	87
11	Lake the Posts	87
13	Boiled Sports	86
14	Crimson Quary	85
14	Zombie Nation	85
16	Buckeye Battle Cry	84
17	Hammer and Rails	83
18	The Buckeye Blog	82
19	Eleven Warriors	80
19	Sparty MSU	80
21	The Nittany Line	77
22	Maize N Brew	75