Start a True Freshman QB...

[Steelerswan]

The throw to Taj in the first Q was unbelievably good. Other OC’s and QB coaches will think they can solve the other issues. Plus, if they have better OL play or running game? Will help a metric ton.

Yes, it was, that throw was a thing of beauty and it's frustrating bc at times throws like this make your mind wander in such a positive direction. What's lacking is that in play/in game feel. The ad lib during pressure and making plays.that comes when the game slows down and you see the whole field and feel the play. Its uncanny. but it's a thing.

There are alot of very good G5 teams that play at lower P5 level, second tier of P5 teams. The G5 is no joke with plenty of dynamic teams. It would still take a perfect fit at that level based on what we have seen/not seen.

 

[JackBauer44]

I went back and watched all of Rex’s snaps yesterday and that he took this season. Love the dude and what he’s been through. He’s everything you want from a coach’s perspective. He just lacks what it takes to get the job done as a quarterback. Maybe he’s the best of what we have? I am really, really, hoping we see some of Tex. He can sling it. He has better mechanics than Rex IMO. Like everyone has said - it’s a free year. Well, let’s see what we have then.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I went back and watched all of Rex’s snaps yesterday and that he took this season. Love the dude and what he’s been through. He’s everything you want from a coach’s perspective. He just lacks what it takes to get the job done as a quarterback. Maybe he’s the best of what we have? I am really, really, hoping we see some of Tex. He can sling it. He has better mechanics than Rex IMO. Like everyone has said - it’s a free year. Well, let’s see what we have then.

I'm in the camp that says work at least one of the new guys in for a series or two vs Liberty, hand Rex the ball against Clemson and say it's your time for a miracle, and then after that get one or more of the new guys more and more snaps.

 

[Entropic]

Players aren’t always good coaches.

Wouldn't mind getting Macky back here to work with the line.

 

[SWC75]

At the QB position, speed isn’t the only indicator of running efficacy. In Rex’s very limited action, you can see he’s at least comfortable running the ball. Tommy’s running the ball always looks out of need, instead of want. For Rex to be successful, he needs to run the ball because he doesn’t have the arm power/accuracy that Tommy does. I would think he knows that.

One of Dungey’s pitfalls was that he had little care in preventing his own injuries. I think Tommy is much better at understanding that he will win games with his arm, not his legs and therefore rarely wanted to run. I think Rex will make decisions differently knowing he doesn’t have a great arm to fall back on.

What worried a DC more: Rex's comfort level or Tommy's ability to go 60 on a QB draw?

 

[ElwoodJBlues]

What worried a DC more: Rex's comfort level or Tommy's ability to go 60 on a QB draw?

I’m not following. If any DC was worried about Tommy going 60 on a QB draw, they shouldn’t be a DC. I’m sure many DCs will say that they’ll gladly run the risk of Tommy running.

 

[JackBauer44]

I'm in the camp that says work at least one of the new guys in for a series or two vs Liberty, hand Rex the ball against Clemson and say it's your time for a miracle, and then after that get one or more of the new guys more and more snaps.

i have zero issues with a plan like that. It makes sense. Which probably means it’s not going to happen like that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah, the more I think about it, what's the worst thing that can happen if we give some of the young QBs snaps?

We finish last in yarfs per play?

 

[OrangeDW]

TD's father said that TD graduates in December. Assuming the best, that Tommy is only dealing with an owie, does he come back next year or would he go elsewhere and see if he can have a productive season to push to the next level.

My thoughts (all theoretical and much speculation), other schools will look as his mechanics which are all good, and also look at the struggles that SU has had on the line and WR and think... maybe the kid could have a good season with reliable pieces around him.

I suspect he’ll be someone else’s Drew Allen.

 

[shandeezy7]

Why is Babers so concerned about letting a Freshman play QB in this system? We don't go fast anymore and it seems like we run about 7 different plays. Doesn't seem like it would be that hard for a young kid to pick up.

 

[Cuse69]

Liberty has the ability to beat us which is probably why rex will start although I'd guess he'd start if this was colgate, we can't lose this game but hopefully it's like the 2018 WMU game and some freshman get reps, I doubt we see a freshman start until wake which is probably our best chance at a second ACC win, best case beat liberty and get looks at everyone in liberty and clemson game and we can start a Fr for wake

 

[All4SU]

Yeah, the more I think about it, what's the worst thing that can happen if we give some of the young QBs snaps?

We finish last in yarfs per play?

I’m pretty sure Donovan McNabb is the school’s all-time leader in “yarfs per play.”

 

[IthacaMatt]

I just want the TD experiment to be over. He is never going to the QB SU needs. Unfortunately, Dino would rather go down with the ship with his guy instead of thinking outside of the box.

Who is Dino going to play? He's missed on every single good QB he has targeted for the last 3 years.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I’d be shocked to see him back next year. Think he could put some numbers up at schools that you mentioned. Feel for the kid. OL hasn’t helped one bit but damn watching some of the same mistakes he’s made is frustrating

It would be just as well for him to move on, unfortunately. We will have an even WORSE year if he transfers, but some fairly good QB should see a clear path to starting.

 

[TheCusian]

People wanting to move on from Tommy are nuts. We’ve not had a QB here who can make the throws he can. If he comes back and the OL has another year and we get a normal schedule, this can end well.

 

[JeffCuse]

People wanting to move on from Tommy are nuts. We’ve not had a QB here who can make the throws he can. If he comes back and the OL has another year and we get a normal schedule, this can end well.

Either our coaching staff doesn't trust him enough to give him a complete playbook or he quite simply is not capable of running it.

I Dont expect that to change. He's a good kid but most power 5 schools would have changed long ago

 

[TheCusian]

Either our coaching staff doesn't trust him enough to give him a complete playbook or he quite simply is not capable of running it.

I Dont expect that to change. He's a good kid but most power 5 schools would have changed long ago

First year starting he’s behind the worst line in the P5. It’s the one thing that absolutely stunts *any* QB’s growth. He needs to get better, but I’m not sure we know what kind of QB he’d be at most P5 schools.

I thought Cav should have been let go last year (I know he’s a good guy and his wife’s story is amazing).

 

[bothsocksup]

Tommy threw some dimes out there today

 

[SWC75]

Who is Dino going to play? He's missed on every single good QB he has targeted for the last 3 years.

Tommy has his limitations, (being unable to create on the run), but he could have been a good QB for this offense with we had a decent offensive line in front of him. Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Johnson weren't running quarterbacks but they threw 53 and 46 TDs in Dino's offense. If Tommy was doing anything within shouting distance of that, we wouldn't be complaining about the QB recruiting.

And people are dismissing Summers, Markiewicz, Morgan and McPhail without seeing them. Dungey was a 3 star recruit. So were Summers, Markiewicz and Morgan.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I went back and watched all of Rex’s snaps yesterday and that he took this season. Love the dude and what he’s been through. He’s everything you want from a coach’s perspective. He just lacks what it takes to get the job done as a quarterback. Maybe he’s the best of what we have? I am really, really, hoping we see some of Tex. He can sling it. He has better mechanics than Rex IMO. Like everyone has said - it’s a free year. Well, let’s see what we have then.

Rex will give everything he has, but unfortunately a lot of throws are going to graze some turf.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Tommy has his limitations, (being unable to create on the run), but he could have bene a good QB for this offense with we had a decent offensive line in front of him. Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Johnson weren't running quarterbacks but they threw 53 and 46 TDs in Dino's offense. If Tommy was doing anything within shouting distance of that, we wouldn't be complaining about the QB recruiting.

And people are dismissing Summers, Markiewicz, Morgan and McPhail without seeing them. Dungey was a 3 star recruit. So were Summers, Markiewicz and Morgan.

I think the point here, Steve, is that aside from the awful line play, Tommy is in his 4th year, I believe, in the program, and aside from the cancer survivor Rex Culpepper, the next guys in line have literally zero experience.

Yes, Tommy could have had much better support circumstances, with which he probably would have performed better, but Dino's inability to bring in any significant QB recruits for several cycles leaves us with unprepared backup. That's the issue. There is literally no one else to play.

 

[Nahson]

People wanting to move on from Tommy are nuts. We’ve not had a QB here who can make the throws he can. If he comes back and the OL has another year and we get a normal schedule, this can end well.

My worry really isn't O-line (Chris and full health, with standing) because help is on the way. My worry is the receiving core and this horrendous play calling. What were doing right now, is more frustrating to me then the Grob years. With Grob, I knew we sucked. I expected to suck. With Dino, its like, you know better? That's what's frustrating to me.

 

[Nahson]

Tommy has his limitations, (being unable to create on the run), but he could have been a good QB for this offense with we had a decent offensive line in front of him. Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Johnson weren't running quarterbacks but they threw 53 and 46 TDs in Dino's offense. If Tommy was doing anything within shouting distance of that, we wouldn't be complaining about the QB recruiting.

And people are dismissing Summers, Markiewicz, Morgan and McPhail without seeing them. Dungey was a 3 star recruit. So were Summers, Markiewicz and Morgan.

Word around town is Summers aint it. Markiewicz at least dressed, Summers is still trying to find the locker room.

 

[OrangeDW]

I think the concern with playing a young QB now would be ruining him, Andrew Robinson style. Or maybe...like DeVito since last year.

Throwing a guy who isn’t ready into the fire behind a bad line, with poor receivers is probably a bad idea.

“Experience” can be overrated. Getting destroyed out there is not good “experience”.

Good experience might be...the way we broke in Nassib as a freshman by giving him some series’s here and there, while Paulus carried the brunt of the load.

Unless one of these freshman is mobile and can make plays with their legs and improvise when things break down, like freshman Dungey, we might be better off letting Rex play the string out here.

 

[Jake]

Tough call. I’d love to see nothing but freshman QBs play the rest of the year...but I also don’t want to AROB any of them and with this o line they might get killed beyond repair. Rex might need to play at survivor level the rest of the year. The offense can’t be worse can it?