For the past month, just about everything involving Adam Weber, MarQueis Gray and Moses Alipate has been catalogued and analyzed. Every throw the quarterbacks threw during the Gophers' spring practice, every decision they made.
"Just about everything you can chart, we've charted," coach Tim Brewster said. "So we have a good idea where they stand."
Today's spring game at TCF Bank Stadium is the final exam.
The starting quarterback job was an open competition during spring practice. The month of April featured three-year starter Weber taking on Gray and Alipate. Indications are that Weber has responded to the challenge. Brewster has frequently said that Weber has had his best spring. After Tuesday's practice, he went a little further.
"He's had a great command of the offense," Brewster said. "He's been a good decision-maker. MarQueis Gray has really pushed him. But, again, the competition has forced Adam to step up his play."
Read between the lines and it appears that Weber has held onto his job. It won't be known for sure, however, until a week or so after the spring game, when Brewster and his staff announce the 2010 starter as well as the team captains.
While the coaches have seen a lot during practices, today's game will be the icing on somebody's cake.
"This is their opportunity to show how much they've grown this spring," Brewster said. "Bottom line is who takes this team, from a leadership standpoint, and takes us down the field and scores touchdowns. That's not necessarily the prettiest guy."
In offensive coordinator Jeff Horton's streamlined attack, the quarterback is expected to be more of a game manager than he was in the past. That means good decisions and ball security. Whoever plays quarterback will have to know the whole offense. There will be no special packages for anyone.
Today's spring game, which starts at 1:30 p.m., will feature four 12-minute quarters. The first 10 minutes of each quarter will have a running clock. Special teams will be played without contact to avoid injuries.
Brewster's goals include staying healthy, emphasizing the running game and stopping the run.
"We have to take the ball away," Brewster said. "We haven't taken the ball away as much as I would like to this spring."
And there will be that quarterback exam. One thing is clear: Weber has been pushed this spring.
"I will say, maybe getting cut down in reps, you get a little fire under your butt," he said. "That's a good thing. Competition is a good thing."
Said Gray: "It's been kind of hard, because I know we both like each other ... I wonder in my head, 'What if I win, what is our relationship going to be?' But it's football. Coaches will pick the guy who can help the team win. If it's Weber, I'm going to congratulate him. If it's me, I hope he does the same."
Weber downplayed the finality of the spring game: "You have to earn your job every single day."
Brewster said Gray could see action at wide receiver should he be Weber's backup. In that scenario, Gray would still work out with the QBs but be inserted at receiver on certain plays. "I'll do whatever I have to do to help this team win," Gray said. "I'll let the coaches decide who the starter is. Either way it goes, I'm still going to be in my playbook getting better."
