When the Gophers host Purdue Saturday, true freshman Philip Nelson will be the starting quarterback again — stepping in for the injured MarQueis Gray and Max Shortell.
Nelson’s debut last Saturday against Wisconsin wasn’t a disaster, but Minnesota still lost, 38-13. Nevertheless, the Pioneer Press reports Nelson was confident enough to call audibles at the line of scrimmage.
While losing to the Badgers was somewhat expected, Saturday’s tilt against the Boilermakers is extremely winnable, according to columnist Tom Powers, who writes: “A victory and the season remains interesting.”
As for Nelson, the Mankato West star remains a cool customer, behind center as well as in front of a TV camera:
MarQueis Gray told reporters Wednesday that he doesn’t like not having the ball in his hands every play, but he’s accepting his role as a wide receiver. The Gophers’ senior also admitted that a lot of scouts have been coming to him saying he might be able to make it in the NFL as a receiver.
