Gophers remain fixated on passing problem

Nobody seems to be having more fun with this one-completion thing than the guy who threw it.

Chris Streveler completed just one pass last weekend in his first college start, and with Mitch Leidner still injured, the Gophers might be counting on Streveler again Saturday, in front of 100,000 fans at Michigan Stadium.

But Streveler is hardly a nervous wreck.

The redshirt freshman found a picture of himself from the San Jose State game, with his arms spread wide in seeming disbelief, and tweeted, "This is me wondering why I haven't completed a pass yet."

Streveler also retweeted a link to a YouTube video he shot last year, demonstrating the proper way to throw a pass. The video starts with Streveler making a couple comically terrible throws into the ground, before he turns to the camera and says with a straight-face delivery, "You ever been playing a game of catch and just couldn't get the ball to your partner? Today, I'm going to fix that. I'm going to teach you how to throw the football. The first step starts with the grip. …"

Streveler happily faced the media Tuesday, saying, "I like to joke around about it because we got the win, so it doesn't really matter, to be honest."

Streveler was 1-for-7 for 7 yards, but he also rushed 18 times for 161 yards, earning Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the reads Streveler made on the read-option plays were as good as any quarterback this staff has coached.

But the Gophers aren't kidding themselves.

"We're not going to be able to compete against a Big Ten school completing one pass," coach Jerry Kill said.

Kill said Leidner still would be the starter if healthy, but the coach said he's not sure when Leidner will be ready to return.

Leidner sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Sept. 6 and suffered a turf toe injury Sept. 13 before missing last week's game. Kill didn't rule out Leidner for the Michigan game but didn't sound optimistic, saying the sophomore hadn't been able to move around much this week.

"If Mitch is healthy, he's going to play, as usual," Streveler said. "I go in every week, preparing like I'm the starter, and if I have to be ready, I'll be ready."

Streveler never has been to the Big House. He was the No. 3 quarterback last year behind Philip Nelson and Leidner but tore a tendon in his right thumb in practice the week of the Michigan game. The Gophers wondered if Streveler ever would play quarterback again, but he had surgery and made a full recovery.

In four games this season, he is 4-for-11 for 37 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Against San Jose State, he made some good throws and bad throws. Early in the third quarter, from San Jose State's 32-yard line, Streveler made a strong, accurate throw to KJ Maye, but the defender broke it up in the end zone.

"You really couldn't ask for a better placement of that ball," Limegrover said.

"I felt pretty comfortable back there, throwing the ball," Streveler added. "I didn't feel rattled or anything like that. Obviously, I could have made some better throws for the receivers to catch, and that's something I've got to learn from."

If Streveler starts Saturday, it will mark the fourth consecutive game at Michigan that the Gophers have started a freshman quarterback. The others: Leidner (2013), Max Shortell (2011) and Adam Weber (2007). The Gophers were outscored in those three games by a combined 134-23.

"When we do throw the football, we've got to get better," Limegrover said. "I'm not going to say we need to throw it more. But when we do, we need to make sure that it's spot on."