Minnesota Football: 2010 Offers Adam Weber Chance To Redeem Himself

To say 2009 was a disappointment for Gophers QB Adam Weber would be a massive understatement.  “Disaster” is a more apt term.

Weber entered 2009 with two seasons as a starting quarterback under his belt.  With his former roommate and go-to receiver Eric Decker in the fold, the Gophers figured to have one of the best QB-WR combos in the Big Ten.

Things don’t always go as planned, especially in Minnesota .  Weber found Decker early and often during the season’s first few games, but once Decker’s season was cut short after suffering an injury against Ohio State, all seemed lost for the Gophers passing game.

The Gophers struggled mightily to score points in Decker’s final two games.  A shutout loss against Penn State followed by a feeble 7-point output on a garbage-time touchdown from backup QB Marqueis Gray against Ohio State gave Gopher fans legitimate reasons to be concerned about the offense.

Surprisingly, Weber’s first game without Decker ended up being wildly successful for the Gophers QB.  Following back-to-back woeful performances, the Gopher offense exploded against Michigan State on Halloween night, including 5 touchdown passes and 416 yards through the air.

Unfortunately, that was not a trend.  Weber would only manage one more touchdown pass in the regular season’s final three games and the Gopher offense would fail to score a touchdown in its final two games.

Something needed to change.  Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch took him complex playbook to the Seattle Seahawks and veteran coach Jeff Horton was brought in to run the offense.  Maybe that change would help Weber and the Gophers succeed in 2010.

There was one obstacle left for Weber.  After being named the starting QB outright in 2009, Coach Tim Brewster announced that whoever started at QB in 2010 was going to have to earn it.

Weber battled Gray and redshirt freshman Moses Alipate for the starting job and emerged as the leader following Spring practices.  His leash will be short, but this is Adam Weber’s  team.

It remains to be seen if Weber can regain some of that 2009 Halloween night magic and lead the Gopher offense to new heights.  Most of the experts don’t think much of the Gophers chances in 2010, but the experts aren’t always right.

Weber has a group of talented receivers to work with and the offensive line returns intact.  Gray wasn't able to beat out Weber for the starting quarterback job, but his talent can't be ignored.  Gray will be on the field plenty, he'll be starting games at wide receiver. If Weber can eliminate the mistakes of 2009, the Gophers just might prove the critics wrong.

Another year, another new playbook for Adam Weber.  One thing is certain, the senior isn’t going to go away without a fight.  Weber’s got plenty of Big Ten experience to rely on, if he can lead the offense and get them to execute, Weber’s senior season could easily be his best.

Weber and the Gophers get their first chance at redemption Thursday night against a formidable opponent when they head on the road to face Middle Tennessee State.  The Blue Raiders return the core of a 10-win team from last season, but star quarterback Dwight Dasher's suspension hurts the Blue Raiders chances.

This is the perfect setting for Weber and the revamped Gopher offense to make a statement and right the ship.  Kickoff is right around the corner.