Gray gets green light with Gophers, but backup stays ready

Max Shortell proved last week at Southern California that he has the arm for the job. The freshman showed that he can elude pass rushers. And he demonstrated poise beyond his 19 years, more than enough to stand in the pocket and read defenses.

All of which has convinced the Gophers to start a new quarterback in their home opener Saturday against New Mexico State: MarQueis Gray.

Or more precisely: MarQueis Gray, unleashed.

"We'd like to be more aggressive with our quarterback and what we do," Gophers coach Jerry Kill said. "He certainly feels comfortable about being more aggressive, because the other kid can give him a break. And I'm not afraid to do that."

Neither is Gray, who was openly critical of his own performance in his debut as a starter -- "I would say my play wasn't good at all," the junior said after a 7-for-12, 94-yard passing performance in Los Angeles -- but who welcomes the chance to make up for it with a game plan that emphasizes his running ability, too.

"I know I was thinking too much and not just making plays," Gray said. "I'm comfortable with the offense and what I have to do. I just need to let my training take over."

Training is good, but the Gophers hope his athleticism takes over, too. Amid a strong USC pass rush, Gray sometimes appeared hesitant with the ball, resulting in three sacks.

Things like breaking off three runs of 9 yards or longer, including a 19-yard dash that almost converted a third-and-21.

That's the sort of breakaway talent that Kill would like to see more of. But until the coaches were certain that Shortell could handle the responsibilities of the job, they were careful not to put Gray in too many situations where he would take a hit.

Now they feel more freedom to sic Gray on an Aggies defense that surrendered 241 rushing yards to Ohio last week. And Gray said he feels he must build upon the progress he was making before cramping in his passing hand and left calf knocked him out of the game.

"I'm just trying to let loose," Gray said. "Trying to make sure we don't go out stiff, trying to loosen up the offensive linemen. We went out too stiff [at USC]."

Gray's cramps were the biggest unplanned event, forcing the starter to the locker room to receive fluids intravenously, and Shortell into the game. "He did a nice job, went in there and was pretty composed," Kill said. "He's been playing quarterback much longer, so in some ways maybe it was easier for him than MarQueis, because MarQueis had been playing receiver."

"We do a lot of movement on this offense, and MarQueis is always moving. So it's my job to give him a break whenever he needs it," Shortell said. "In the past, Kill has used a two-quarterback set to keep them fresh, and it seems to work out well with such a fast-paced offense."

Kill cited his experience with Chandler Harnish, his quarterback at Northern Illinois who threw two touchdown passes against the Gophers last year, as the model. Harnish's backups have appeared in nine games the past two seasons.

"It's not easy [to master the offense], and he struggled for a long time," Kill said. "Now he's one of the better quarterbacks in the country. So it takes time."

Giving Shortell some snaps to keep both QBs fresh is OK with Gray, too.