Ten Big Game Changers: Minnesota QB Adam Weber

First in a series on Ten Big Game Changers playing in the Big Ten Conference this fall

CHICAGO - Adam Weber's play on the football field mirrors the Minnesota Gophers' inconsistency off it.

After two stellar seasons as Minnesota's starting quarterback, Weber's play dipped last year, leaving him locked in a spring battle with athletic MarQueis Gray in spring practice. Weber won the starting job for the fourth straight year, but enters his third consecutive season with a different offensive coordinator. Tthe team's philosophies have shifted with each one.

Former Coach Glen Mason recruited Weber as a caretaker quarterback in Minnesota's run-first offense. When Tim Brewster replaced Mason in early 2007, Brewster installed a spread offense under former Northern Iowa Coach Mike Dunbar as his offensive coordinator. Dunbar left after the 2008 season and was replaced by Jedd Fisch, who shifted the Gophers to a multiple-formation offense. Fisch bolted for the NFL last January, and Brewster hired former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Jeff Horton to adapt Minnesota to a run-first offense.

Weber, a 6-foot-3 senior from Shoreview, Minn., was under the hood for all of those schematic changes. He has started 38 consecutive games and led Minnesota to a pair of bowl games. Instead of sharpening his skills under a consistent blueprint, Weber was forced to learn new calls, new reads and new terminology four times in his career.

"You're doing a lot of studying and learning in the off-season," Weber said. "There's been some good carry-over from the previous offense to this one, so that's helped. The toughest jump was from my freshman year from a predominantly running offense to a spread; that was tough. The terminology is completely different. The whole 'what are you trying to accomplish' is different. What are you looking at, the defenses, what they do to you. It's nothing like running under center, so that's a tough transition."

"Learning a new offense is tough, but it's a necessary evil. It's a part of college football. Coaches come and go. But you've got to find consistency somehow."

Weber's first season at quarterback was dreary for the Gophers. Minnesota finished 1-11, but his statistics were solid in the spread offense. Weber threw for 24 touchdowns and 2,895 yards compared to 19 interceptions. As a sophomore, his statistics were less impressive, but he was more efficient. He passed for 2,761 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he cut his interceptions to eight and increased his completion percentage from 57.5 to 62.2 percent. The team also won six more games.

But there was a drop-off last year. Weber had off-season shoulder surgery and never seemed to recover. The Gophers offense struggled in its change from the spread, finishing 109th in Division I football and last in the Big Ten. Weber passed for the fewest yards (2,582), fewest touchdowns (13), most interceptions (15) and worst completion percentage (52 percent) in his career. The Gophers still advanced to a bowl, but it was a disappointing year.

"The biggest thing with Adam is last year he went into the season and had shoulder surgery," Brewster said. "He wasn't able to lift. He wasn't in as good of physical condition as we would have liked for him to have been in. I think his play reflected that.

"This year he's 100 percent healthy. I think Adam's poised to have a great senior season. I think his preparation is what really shows up. He's a smart kid. Physically he's gifted. He can move around, he can make plays with his feet. He's got a good arm and can make all the throws. I just think that he has the things that you need to win."

Minnesota's offensive schemes won't change much despite losing Fisch, Brewster said. The priorities are to run the ball and strive for efficiency. It's undetermined whether the Gophers will find consistency on offense. But that's nothing new for Weber, Minnesota's all-time leader in completions, attempts and yards.

"I committed to Coach (Glen) Mason and his staff and the quarterback coach, Coach (Tony) Petersen, and I foresaw myself being there for five years with those guys," Weber said. "Some guys are lucky enough to have that, when they have one offense and one coach the whole time to develop a great relationship. It hasn't happened here at the U, and that's fine. We're still trying to find what works for us."

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

• 2009 record: 6-7 overall, 3-5 Big Ten (lost Insight Bowl to Iowa State 14-13)
• 2009 review: Minnesota earned its second straight bowl berth under coach Tim Brewster, but it was hardly an impressive season for the Gophers. Minnesota finished 6-7 overall after a 14-13 loss to Iowa State in the Insight Bowl. The Gophers beat Big Ten bowl teams Michigan State and Northwestern by double digits but salvaged three-point wins against Syracuse and South Dakota State with late field goals. Minnesota surprisingly finished last in several Big Ten offensive categories despite returning QB Adam Weber and WR Eric Decker last fall. Minnesota was shut out by Iowa and Penn State and scored only seven points at Ohio State.
• 2010 schedule: S2 at Middle Tennessee State; S11 South Dakota; S18 USC; S25 Northern Illinois; O2 Northwestern; O9 at Wisconsin; O16 at Purdue; O23 Penn State; O30 Ohio State; N6 at Michigan State; N13 at Illinois; N27 Iowa
• 2010 preview:For the third straight season, the Gophers have a new offensive coordinator. Ex-Wisconsin OC Jeff Horton will coach the quarterbacks and run the passing offense while Thomas Hammock, the running backs coach, will handle the running scheme. The Gophers return nine starts from last year's last-ranked offense, including the Weber, the entire line, FB Jon Hoese, RB Duane Bennett and WR Troy Stoudermire. ... Minnesota's defense, which finished mid-pack in points and yardage allowed, lost nine starters from a year ago. Only safeties Kim Royston, who was injured in spring practice, and Kyle Theret return.
• Making the rounds: Minnesota plays nine teams that went to bowls last year. The Gophers host Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Northwestern and USC. Minnesota also hosts MAC favorite Northern Illinois and travels to Sun Belt favorite Middle Tennessee.
• Bowl game if: Weber returns to his 2008 form and the offense gains traction under the smash-mouth style under Horton. The defense must stabilize with many new starters. An upset or two might be necessary just for a third straight trip to the Insight Bowl.
• Home for the holidays if: The Gophers win only the games they're supposed to win. Minnesota doesn't face either 2009 league cellar-dweller (Indiana and Michigan) this year.
• Quotable: "When you look at our home schedule this year, our fan base is absolutely jacked about the teams we have coming into TCF Bank Stadium. We want to make it hard on those teams, and I think we will." - Minnesota Coach Tim Brewster
• Prediction: 3-9 overall (1-7 Big Ten)