The Golden Gophers are going into the 2016 season with high hopes behind quarterback in Mitch Leidner.
Leidner threw for 2,700 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while being sharply criticized by fans and media. At one point he was benched in favor of then-freshman Demry Croft, only to eventually wind up on ESPN’s Todd McShay’s list of potential first-round NFL draft picks in 2017.
Why did Leidner struggle so much last season? He’s says it had a lot to do with former offensive coordinator, Matt Limegrover.
“I think with our offensive coordinator, there’s no question that [consistency] is going to improve immensely,” Leidner said, via ESPN. “Because last year we were changing up game plans every single week, and we were coming in with 100 new plays and guys’ heads would be spinning. We wouldn’t be able to practice at full speed. It was just tough.”
Head coach Tracy Claeys parted ways with Limegrover and other coaches after he replaced Jerry Kill. Jay Johnson is the new offensive coordinator.
