Kirk Ciarrocca has a bit more on his plate this week as Gophers offensive coordinator. Along with developing a game plan for Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee, he has to get a new backup quarterback ready.
New backup QB Seth Green 'needs more reps,' but Gophers coaches getting him ready
With Demry Croft out, redshirt freshman moves up the quarterback ladder behind Conor Rhoda.
September 14, 2017 at 1:57AM
That backup is redshirt freshman Seth Green, who became the next man up behind senior starter Conor Rhoda after coach P.J. Fleck announced that sophomore Demry Croft, the former co-starter, would not be with the team this week because of undisclosed personal reasons.
Ciarrocca said Green knows the offense but needs more practice time to improve.
"Seth's done a great job of taking mental reps," Ciarrocca said Wednesday. "The third-string guy has to learn by osmosis. He has to see and do. We always have our quarterbacks back behind [the starter] and they're acting like they're in [the game] anyhow. On every single play they're going through their footwork and their reads, so he's done a great job with that."
Green, a former East Ridge standout who transferred to Allen, Texas, for his senior season in high school, joined the Gophers in January 2016 and spent last season as a redshirt. He worked behind Rhoda and Croft during training camp.
"He needs some reps and he needs to play," Ciarrocca said. "The bye week [Sept. 17-23] will be very helpful for him from a repetition standpoint. … He just needs more reps. The more reps the better.''
The Gophers quarterback believed in himself, and his transfer to the U has led to a winning record this season.
