Starting QB and RB Next Season?

[PonyPride]

Cassel is still on the team, and got more reps the last couple of weeks of the season, when everyone moved up the depth chart after Gilbert's injury.

[Grant Carter]

But the benching of Willis, the move to Bo levi, the move to Padron, then to McDermott during the A&M game sequence never made sense.

The move to Padron did not make sense? Do you really believe that? BLM got hurt in the UH game and Padron came in and did not do great but the next week he threw for 350 yards as SMU won at Tulsa. The rest of that year SMU won 3 straight and 5 of 6 with the only loss being by 3 at Marshall. The season ended up with Padron being the MVP of the Hawaii Bowl.

Are you just knee jerking that every decision he has made was bad and not actually stopping to think about what you are typing?

Not that I have to justify my posts on a message baord to you directly, especially when you seem to have quite possibly the most condescending tone I've ever read, but..

My post says the move to Padron then to McDermott didn't make sense. If Padron did so well the previous season and was going to be your starter for the year, why do you remove him in the 1st quarter of the TAMU game and never use him again the entire year? That was the move that didn't make sense, especially after it had been done the year before with Padron replacing BLM.

No continuity. No plan. We have 2 QB's that Jones tabbed as our "starters of the future", only to be benched for the year in favor of your next QB of the future, and both ultimately transfer to the same University (Eastern Washington).

Apologies if I come across as condescending,that it not my intent.

I see that you had the word sequence in the post I quoted so I understand what you meant (and I agree with your larger point), but it is not like he had the upcoming steps in that sequence in mind when any one step was taken. Certainly the Willis decision was ridiculous, but as stc9 said the rest of them all seem reasonable given the facts at the time. One point to make about his post though is that Padron played a full season as the starter, ending with losses to UCF and Army, then he missed the bus to A&M.

A few years back, I asked June at a luncheon whether his offense was too complicated because while it might be an A+ if he had a great QB running it, it was not very productive with an average QB running it. I asked if he thought it would be better to have an offense that would be a B+ with an average QB even it it was only an A with a great QB, or something along those lines. His response was something about San Francisco backup quarterbacks behind Montana and Young or something to that effect, so I felt like he dodged the question.

[ponyinNC]

Actually the benching of Willis is the only one that doesn't make sense to me.

1. Bo Levi got hurt and KP did very well in his absence. More importantly he didn't turn the ball over at the same rate BLM did. KP got to keep the starting job. Bo Levi transfers out at the end of the season.

2. The next year KP missed the team bus to the A&M game. JJ still started him. He then throws 2 interceptions on the first two drives. In comes JJMcD. In all fairness, I wouldn't have allowed KP anywhere near the field against A&M for missing the team bus. Until the atrocious start, JJ was loyal to his guy.

3. GG announces that he is going to transfer to SMU. KP announces that he is going to transfer away from SMU. JJ McD was out of eligibility. At that time we had two Fr QBs and a walk on in the program (one of which had Mono and dropped a ton of weight that he was having a really tough time regaining). We had GG and Burcham coming in the fall. JJ announced he was going to go with the Sr. Transfer and that leads us to today. Of the two Freshmen when that we're part of the program before GG and Burcham came. Conner Preston was medically inactive this season, though he was dressed for all of the games. Stephen Kaiser transferred to an FCS school.

So except for the Willis decision, JJ's decisions about who to start makes sense to me.

I appreciate your argument .

However, I would counter your second point - we were prepared to bench KP for the season after missing one bus ride? This is after going through all offseason with KP penciled in as the starter? Just doesn't make much sense to me. JJMcD turned out to be pretty good, so perhaps there was more QB competition during spring - but I seem to recall KP could do no wrong after the Hawaii bowl win.

[ponyinNC]

I see that you had the word sequence in the post I quoted so I understand what you meant (and I agree with your larger point), but it is not like he had the upcoming steps in that sequence in mind when any one step was taken. Certainly the Willis decision was ridiculous, but as stc9 said the rest of them all seem reasonable given the facts at the time. One point to make about his post though is that Padron played a full season as the starter, ending with losses to UCF and Army, then he missed the bus to A&M.

A few years back, I asked June at a luncheon whether his offense was too complicated because while it might be an A+ if he had a great QB running it, it was not very productive with an average QB running it. I asked if he thought it would be better to have an offense that would be a B+ with an average QB even it it was only an A with a great QB, or something along those lines. His response was something about San Francisco backup quarterbacks behind Montana and Young or something to that effect, so I felt like he dodged the question.

My apologies, I wasn't clear in the sequence of events in my post.

Your point is very interesting regarding the complexity of the offense and the QB situation. I agree with you and wish that JJ had answered the question you posed.

My overall point (in a very roundabout way) is that for this offense to work, I think you need stability at the QB position. JJ has been quoted that it takes years for any QB to master the RnS -- so why do we seem to replace our incumbent starter every single year, thus handicapping our offensive production?

I'd love to see one QB start at SMU for 3 years - just to see what would happen.

[Digetydog]

Actually the benching of Willis is the only one that doesn't make sense to me.

1. Bo Levi got hurt and KP did very well in his absence. More importantly he didn't turn the ball over at the same rate BLM did. KP got to keep the starting job. Bo Levi transfers out at the end of the season.

2. The next year KP missed the team bus to the A&M game. JJ still started him. He then throws 2 interceptions on the first two drives. In comes JJMcD. In all fairness, I wouldn't have allowed KP anywhere near the field against A&M for missing the team bus. Until the atrocious start, JJ was loyal to his guy.

3. GG announces that he is going to transfer to SMU. KP announces that he is going to transfer away from SMU. JJ McD was out of eligibility. At that time we had two Fr QBs and a walk on in the program (one of which had Mono and dropped a ton of weight that he was having a really tough time regaining). We had GG and Burcham coming in the fall. JJ announced he was going to go with the Sr. Transfer and that leads us to today. Of the two Freshmen when that we're part of the program before GG and Burcham came. Conner Preston was medically inactive this season, though he was dressed for all of the games. Stephen Kaiser transferred to an FCS school.

So except for the Willis decision, JJ's decisions about who to start makes sense to me.

I agree with one addition. When McD struggled because he was hurt, I understood that KP was injured. Thus, McD has to play despite his injury.

[stc9]

Besides missing the bus and before the injury, I think there were other things going on/speculated about at the time with KP. For example, I remember a whole lot of posts about his attitude and how he took the benching. That might have kept him in the doghouse until the injury ended his season. Immediately before the injury he did an interview where he seemed very supportive of JJMcD, then he was injured and
lost for the season. Before the interview his benching and how he handled it was the talk of PFs.

[No Quarter]

I think Burcham starts but it won't surprise me at all if one of the freshman QBs play enough to burn his redshirt and with neglible results.

[East Coast Mustang]

I thought Burcham looked good against a solid UCF team before he got hurt. Hopefully he's forgotten about the UH game and is ready to make an impact in 2014

[gostangs]

First of all - standup knows about as much about football as he does basketball - and that aint much.

This will be a really interesting decision for June - i think if we don't come out of the box pretty well June loses his job mentally among those who matter by mid year. So although Colbert is the prototypical qb for good offenses in todays college football offense - that would normally mean he would not sniff the field for us - except if June wants to wring another 2 yrs out of us he has to win - so maybe Colbert gets a try after Baylor runs us off the field.

Weird dynamic of our schedule not matching up very well with JJ's monetary needs.

[StandUp]

gostangs... claiming that I do not know much about SMU Football or SMU Basketball is flat out ignorant and childish. If you need to feel better about yourself call your Mom. Reread any of my posts, I try to stay on topic, ask questions, and have a Football or Basketball Opinion. What more do you want from a fellow SMU Alum? Please keep your personal feelings about me and other posters at home. Cry to your wife, boyfriend, significant other, or dog. If you don't have anyone, (my guess) look in the mirror, record your rants and play them back. None of us want to hear it. Really think about it. We are rooting for the same teams. No need to attack me or any other poster. We do not know each other. If you have an opinion about our Football Team I want to hear it.

If you state that Colbert could have the skills of a "protypical qb" shouldn't he be our starting QB? Why should we start Burcham just because he knows our system. Burcham has already been given his shot and showed us that he is not capable of winning. I am tired of our Football Team settling. Let's try something different. Colbert or Severt. Whatever it is that we were doing last year definitely did not work.

[ClickClack]

[quote="StandUp" ]If you state that Colbert could have the skills of a "protypical qb" shouldn't he be our starting QB? Why should we start Burcham just because he knows our system. Burcham has already been given his shot and showed us that he is not capable of winning. I am tired of our Football Team settling. Let's try something different. Colbert or Severt. Whatever it is that we were doing last year definitely did not work.[/quote]

Burcham was pushed into action before he was ready. Another year of physical maturation, spring ball and reps with the first team will make him better. To say he shouldn't start next year because he did not play well in 2 games before it was his time to contribute is tantamount to saying Gilbert should not have started this year because he was sub par last year.

[StandUp]

One question... Did Burcham play well last year? No. Whether he was ready or not is on him. He got his shot. Let's move in a new direction. Hoping that our True Freshman QBs get a shot.

[WordUpBU]

Whatever happened to Wimbley, Luke Seeker, or Jared Williams at RB?

[StandUp]

I think Wimbely moved from RB to DT last year. Jared Williams was hurt last year. I don't know anything about whether Jared Williams will be back next season. Not sure about Luke Seeker.

[Junior]

was Pope not a senior this year?