Claeys says Leidner is not injured, quells concussion speculation

Gophers coach Tracy Claeys said quarterback Mitch Leidner is not injured, even though the team didn't make Leidner available for interviews after Saturday's 14-7 loss to Iowa.

"No, he's not banged up," Claeys said Sunday. "The defense played well; they were the ones that deserved to talk to the media."

Leidner completed just 13 of 33 passes for 166 yards, with two interceptions. He played the whole game, taking a few hard shots, especially on a third quarter run to the sideline. Leidner has met with the media after almost every other start of his college career.

Asked about rumors on message boards that Leidner had concussion symptoms after the game, Claeys said, "He never would have gone back in the game if he had a concussion. He jumped right back up and went back in and played.

"So if that is the case, they know more than I do," Claeys added. "That's the problem with message boards, but that's part of life."

Claeys said he spoke to Leidner after the game, and "I said, 'We will get better next week.' This is not Mitch's problem. I'm not saying he played the best, but we've got to play better up front. That's all there is to it."