Mitch Leidner finished Minnesota’s season-opening loss to TCU 19-for-35 for 197 yards and a touchdown, but it was far from a dazzling effort.
Sixty-six of those yards came on two plays; a 36-yard connection to K.J. Maye on a flea-flicker and a 30-yard hit to Drew Wolitarsky, with most of that yardage coming after the catch.
“We clean up a few things here and there, and we know we’re going to be great,” Leidner said after the game, according to ESPN.
Mitch Leidner hits KJ Maye with the trick play, going for 36 yards on the @GopherFootball flea flicker. http://t.co/1h1KkGRYMv
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 4, 2015
Leidner, whom Gophers coaches raved about during the preseason and praised for attending the Peyton and Eli Manning passing camp, was wildly inconsistent in his first start as a redshirt junior captain, but nobody on the Gophers is questioning his status as the team’s starting quarterback. Others, however, are.
Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune wrote: “If Leidner doesn’t look like he’s capable of beating a good team, I think Croft could end up taking over.”
Demry Croft is a true freshman from Rockford, Illinois, and he turned heads with a solid preseason training camp.
Patrick Reusse called Leidner an “unreliable passer” who won’t make it as the starter if he doesn’t improve.
I'm going to start a new game show: Big Ten West QB or State Farm insurance agent? Mitch Leidner will stump a lot of people.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) September 4, 2015
We all wondered if Leidner would improve on the 51% completion stat from 2014. Tonight? 52.9%. Baby steps.
— Eric Nordquist (@madproducer1) September 4, 2015
27 seconds and 80 yards to go…
With a real QB, you have a chance.
With Leidner…underthrown, almost INT, 7 yd pass.
Yuck.#Gophers
— Keith Leventhal (@KeithLeventhal) September 4, 2015
Leidner's best throws here in the 4th: completions to Carter, Lingen, and Still. Where are these throws in quarters 1-3? #gophers
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) September 4, 2015
