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University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Spotlight To Shine on QB Position Thursday
8/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
When Minnesota and Middle Tennessee State hit the field at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Thursday night, there will be plenty of attention paid to the quarterback position.
For Minnesota, three-time captain Adam Weber will be taking the opening snap of the season for the fourth straight year. He has taken virtually every meaningful snap for the past three seasons. But he fended off a challenge from sophomore MarQueis Gray in spring ball and the Gophers need to get the highly-regarded Gray on the field.
Weber's head coach predicted big things for him this season at Tuesday afternoon's press conference to preview the Middle Tennessee State game.
"I've never seen Adam more confident than he is right now," Gopher head coach Tim Brewster said. "I think he's really benefited with Jeff Horton. More than anything, he's in great physical condition. You know, last year, obviously, with the surgery he wasn't in as good of shape. I don't think he felt as good about himself. Right now Adam Weber feels really good about himself, and he should. He's had a great summer, and he's prepared to go lead our team.
"I think that his fifth year will certainly be his best year," Brewster added. "He's poised to have an outstanding season. I don't know that I've ever been around a better representative of our team, our university with his poise, his candor. I just think he is one classy, sharp young man."
Meanwhile, the backup signal-caller Gray will be on the field a lot Thursday night and throughout this season. But much of that time will probably be spent catching the ball, not throwing it or handing it off.
"MarQueis is going to play," Brewster said. "He's going to play extensively at wide receiver. I think we've done a good job of allowing him to continue to prepare as a quarterback and develop as a quarterback.
"But he's a special talent," Brewster added. "He's picked up the wide receiver position very easily. There's not a concern on our part about him playing two positions. He's the number two quarterback, and if he's forced to play at quarterback, I think he's prepared to step in and play well. If he's not playing quarterback, he is really a threat as wide receiver."
Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee's quarterback situation has also created a bit of a stir this week. Incumbent starter Dwight Dasher, who is widely heralded as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, has been suspended surrounding the allegations that he accepted a loan that would not be allowed under NCAA regulations.
"Certainly they're going to miss Dwight Dasher," Brewster said of the Blue Raiders. "Dwight Dasheris one of the most dynamic, explosive offensive football players in the country. It's really unfortunate that Middle Tennessee is not going to have him for the first game. It's unfortunate for our fans, people watching the game, because he is an absolutely electrifying player."
Meanwhile, Dasher's absence means the spotlight - perhaps the brightest spotlight of this matchup - will shine on Logan Kilgore, who has been named as Dasher's replacement. Kilgore is a junior-college transfer out of Bakersfield College.
"We've been able to evaluate his talents, his skill," Brewster said of Kilgore. "He's a guy that's very athletic ... 6-3, 180 or so pounds. He can do the things that Dasher was going to do."
Coach Brewster was able to tap into his network of coaching friends and colleagues to do some research into Kilgore. After seeing film of Kilgore, Brewster doesn't expect many changes in the MTSU game plan.
"I reached out to some of my friends and was able to collect some videotape of Logan," Brewster said. "A number of games that he played in in junior college, and was able to get a good grasp of his abilities. He's a talented young quarterback. He really is. Again, the biggest thing there is I don't see them getting away from who they are."
The quarterback position is always highly-scrutinized at all levels of football. But the focus on and the outcome of Thursday night's Gopher-Blue Raider matchup have even more to do with quarterbacks than most college football games.
-Associate Athletic Communications Director Andy Seeley
