Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said quarterback Mitch Leidner is the “best I’ve seen him” during the most recent weeks of practices. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the redshirt junior starter looks “sharp” as Minnesota counts down the days to the opening game on Thursday night at home against national title contender TCU.
Kill and Limegrover remarked about Leidner’s confidence at a news conference this afternoon. After they spoke, Leidner told Sports Headliners his passing has improved from when he was a part-time starter as a freshman in 2013 and last year as the No. 1 quarterback.
“I feel like I am throwing the football as best as I ever had—accurate, consistent everyday and throwing with more velocity as well,” Leidner said.
Kill said he has noticed a difference in Leidner since preseason camp opened August 7. “Well, I think for the first three or four days of camp Mitch wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be, but I can tell you the last two weeks he’s been unbelievably sharp,” Kill said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him look since I’ve been here. I mean, he’s done a really, really good job.”
Leidner struggled and so did the entire offense last year in a 30-7 loss to the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. He passed for 151 yards, with 12 completions in 26 attempts while throwing three interceptions. Backup quarterback Chris Streveler produced the only Minnesota score, throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Maxx Williams.
Leidner had a troublesome knee prior to the TCU game and there was some question about his availability. He played much of the game, though, and he certainly wasn’t pleased with his performance or an offense that came up with just 14 first downs and 99 yards rushing.
Limegrover said it “eats” at his quarterback when he and the team struggle. “I know that’s been something he’s wanted to rectify (the TCU loss)—the way he played, regardless of whether he was injured up or not,” Limegrover said. “He didn’t feel very good about his performance and the way things went. He is feeling good (now). He’s been looking sharp.”
Limegrover acknowledged that how Leidner performs has everything to do with the success of the offense this season. The quarterback is aware of the questions continually asked about his passing skills last season, in the spring and even now as the team prepares for the 12 games ahead. He said it would be “huge” if he excels on Thursday night and the Gophers win. “I am just hoping all this preparation will payoff,” he said.
Worth Noting
As of today, approximately 200 tickets remained on sale for Thursday night’s game. When those tickets are gone, standing-room only will be sold and will contribute to an attendance that will be the largest for a Gophers game in TCF Bank Stadium history.
The University of Minnesota’s decision to give men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino a $400,000 increase is certainly controversial. The increase was the decision earlier this year of the now departed athletic director Norwood Teague. Defenders of Teague’s decision will say Minnesota needed to boost Pitino’s compensation because of Alabama’s interest in hiring the second-year Gophers coach. But after Pitino coached a 6-12 season in the Big Ten and didn’t qualify his team for postseason play, the increase is difficult to accept under any circumstances.
Pitino could have achieved a public relations coup by turning down the $400,000 while noting this is a challenging time for the University because of the Teague scandal. Further, he might have said the money was better directed toward the school’s $190 million athletics facilities project that will include a new basketball practice facility benefitting him.
Among Pitino’s contract bonus incentives is one paying him $25,000 for an annual cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher. His players had a GPA of 2.73 (low B range) for spring semester.
The Vikings play tonight in Arlington, Texas against the Cowboys in another preseason game expected to draw a large TV audience in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The Vikings had a 35 average share for preseason games last year and in the first three exhibition games this summer the shares have been 38, 35 and 34.5. A share is the percentage of households watching a specific program at a specific time.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington was designed by HKS, the same company providing much of the vision for U.S. Bank Stadium that opens in Minneapolis next summer. The retractable roof stadium is among the most acclaimed sports venues anywhere, and a facility with similar features to the Vikings new home.
Both stadiums allow the home team to take the field at the 50-yard line adjacent to turf suites (bunkered in AT&T but field-level at U.S. Bank Stadium). The Arlington venue has a retractable window while the new Vikings home features five pivoting doors that at their peak are 95 feet tall. AT&T Stadium houses an art collection and U.S. Bank Stadium will have artwork depicting Vikings and other Minnesota sports history, plus culture of the state.
Vikings second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater makes his fourth preseason start tonight. Bridgewater was asked to contrast his first preseason start as a rookie in 2014 with now. “Last year, that preseason game, my head was spinning,” he said. “My head was everywhere. My mind was everywhere. First off, trying to get the play call correctly in the huddle. Then coming to the line of scrimmage, trying to make the right calls at the line of scrimmage. Then post-snap trying to figure out what coverage the defense is running. I think my coaches did a great job last year preparing me for that first game and this year, having a year under my belt playing in this system, I’m even more comfortable.”
Vikings second year head coach Mike Zimmer, who is 7-0 in preseason games in 2014 and 2015, was the Cowboys defensive backfield coach from 1994-1999 and defensive coordinator from 2000-2006. Zimmer remains friends with the Jones family who own and operate the Cowboys. Steve Loney, the former Gophers and Vikings offensive line coach, is the assistant o-line coach for the Cowboys.
The Timberwolves are selling a “3-Pack on a Stick” multi-games ticket package at the Minnesota State Fair. The games are the home opener November 2 against the Trail Blazers, November12 with the NBA champion Warriors and December 9 versus the Lakers. The ticket offer is available exclusively at the Timberwolves’ exhibit at the fair. Buyers also receive an Andrew Wiggins cutout on a stick.
Defending champion Saint John’s is the MIAC football coaches choice to win the league title again. In their annual poll the coaches voted teams in this order following the Johnnies: St. Thomas, Bethel, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus, Augsburg, Hamline, Carleton and St. Olaf. D3football.com ranks Saint John’s No. 9, St. Thomas 14th and Bethel 20th in its national preseason top 25.
Former Gophers tennis coach Jerry Noyce is a new member of the Evanston (Illinois) Township High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Noyce played on the undefeated Evanston state doubles championship team in 1962. He was part of two state championship tennis teams playing for the suburban Chicago school. He is also a member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame and the Gophers “M” Club Hall of Fame.