Buck Bravo

    As a redshirt Freshman, Adam Weber took the reins as the Gopher quarterback running a new spread offense.  Adam Weber came to the University of Minnesota from Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota.  For many years now, Mounds View has run an option offense that requires an athletic quarterback who is able to pass on the move.  While different from the spread offense, Mounds View’s option offense prepared Weber for passing out of the pocket and rushing when needed. 

For Big Ten quarterbacks with 100 or more pass attempts, the 2007 rankings sorted by quarterback rating stack up as follows (QB rating does not take into account rushing stats):

While he only ranked number 9 out of 12, these statistics are deceiving as to his actual performance and his projections for the future.  First, the spread offense is complicated.  Weber was a redshirt Freshman running a new offense with no prior Big Ten experience.  Second, his only Senior receiver was Ernie Wheelwright, and his top receiver Eric Decker was only a Sophomore.  Third, the Gopher defense gave up 36.7 points per game and pressured the offense to take chances on big plays.

The quarterback with the top rating in the Big Ten was Ohio State’s Todd Boeckman, who didn’t start until his Junior year.  Indiana’s Sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis was the second best, and is similar to Weber in that he frequently passes out of the pocket and will run the ball.  Let’s compare Lewis’s freshman year to Weber’s:

When comparing the two players at the same stage of experience, Weber has Lewis beaten in every statistic but TD to Interception rate.  If his accuracy in horseshoes is a good indicator, the interceptions should decrease as he learns the spread offense and has more experienced receivers to target.  At 6′3 220 lbs Weber also has good height and size for a Big Ten quarterback.  So far, Weber has demonstrated durability by avoiding injury despite rushing for 617 yards.

When the factors of age, experience with the system, and his supporting cast are taken into account, marked improvement should be expected from Adam Weber in 2008.  He’ll have a few new offensive linemen due to graduations, but his protection should remain similar to 2007.  Expect the interceptions to go down and the completion rate to go up.  If Adam Weber continues to develop and avoid injury, he should finish in the top 4 for Big Ten quarterbacks as a Sophomore.  2009 should be interesting with an experienced Weber, a versatile David Pittman, and the heralded recruit Marquies Gray competing for the starting job in the new stadium.