Lost Redshirts

[Mustangunner]

How can you loose your redshirt like Joe Sturdivant had to? If he lost his redshirt he should be starting the rest of the year in replacement of Rico. When #29 is on the field he makes plays and at least shows heart. How can you not want a player that has all those qualities that the other safeties don't have? How many times this year have we the fans had to watch our safeties give up and not make a play when they are in position!

[Spaz]

The season is lost, the kid might as well play the rest of it out. Tate is USELESS. Put Phillips in and KEEP HIM THERE. He can learn a HELL of a lot more from playing entire games than one or two plays. He's not benefitting THAT MUCH from having the red shirt off him, I don't care WHAT you say.

I've tried my best to be positive, but I don't see it lasting much longer, fellers....

The much dejected Spaz

[driving pony]

It doesn't make any sense! Once you take their redshirt I say Play 'em Play 'em Play 'em. They will only get better. Take a guy like Sturdivant who went from an undefeated (45-0) high school career with 3 state championships and then let him sit the bench on a team that is probably going to be 0-12 this year. How do you figure? Sturdivant played both ways in high school sure seems he could be used somewhere now. Anywhere! He is an incredible athlete.

[click]

What is the big deal,if we get a JUCO QB Phillips will not play next year and he will redshirt. Meeks can back up the JUCO and when the JUCO is a senior both Meeks and Phillips will be Sophs and they can battle it out for the starting spot and each will have three years in the system and both will have a little playing experience.

[mrydel]

Just curious. Did not Sturdivant injure himself and that is why he is not playing? I could be wrong but I thought that was the case. If not, I would like to see him play more. Any inside report on this?

[driving pony]

I think everyone agrees if you took Philips off red-shirt then he can only benefit from playing as much as possible. Whatever happened to playing your best "athletes". Whoever is fastest, strongest, smartest and the most dedicated should get that starting position. As far as I know and can tell Sturdivant is perfectly healthy. They are using him on special teams which is all of about 3 plays per game. If he was injured he wouldn't play at all.

[mrydel]

Thanks for the info. I would agree that if Joe is playing on special teams we ought to have him getting some safety experience as much as possible.

[JasonB]

Actually, if Sturdivant is on the punt coverage team, he might see more time than he would starting at saftey.

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Sorry, couldn't resist that one

[OldPony]

I would submit to you that it does Phillips more good to go in and come out than it would to leave him in the entire game. If you are trying to develop a QB it is very helpful to run a series then watch one. It gives you a different perspective and it keeps from getting down on yourself when the coaches can talk to you after a series instead of just throwing you to the wolves. I know all of you know better than Bennett and much, much more about football than he does but things are not always quite as black and white as they appear for 50 rows back. John Elway may have been the best QB that ever played but he didn't start his first game as a Bronco and he shared a lot of time his first years. There is a lot for these kids to learn and you have to let them drink from straws, not firehoses.