Triaging the QB room

lo country said:
No QB, wasted rebuild year…
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Not picking on your semantics, just some thoughts on this.

In your other quote of Rhule, he basically says that he isn't going to look for a short term solution for a couple games or just one season. Now for me, I don't really love the sound of that. I think if we don't get to a bowl game with this easier schedule and the upperclassmen that we have that it's a total failure.

But, a "rebuild year" means setting up for the future. "Rebuild" implies long term, not "right now," right?

It is a bit weird though thinking about whether or not the staff would beg Sims to come back for a super senior year. Have to play more games to figure that one out though.

 
Undone said:
Not picking on your semantics, just some thoughts on this.

In your other quote of Rhule, he basically says that he isn't going to look for a short term solution for a couple games or just one season. Now for me, I don't really love the sound of that. I think if we don't get to a bowl game with this easier schedule and the upperclassmen that we have that it's a total failure.

But, a "rebuild year" means setting up for the future. "Rebuild" implies long term, not "right now," right?

It is a bit weird though thinking about whether or not the staff would beg Sims to come back for a super senior year. Have to play more games to figure that one out though.
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What I cringe at with this statement is that, yes, in both of Rhule's last stops in college, he had a bad first year and came back with a really good year.  I figured that was because that first year he didn't have talent across the board.

Our problem is that we have talent across the board except at the QB and to a lesser extent, WR positions.  We have talent to win some games this year.  But, one player at one position is preventing us from doing that.  We quite possibly have the best defense we have had in years.  Problem is, very few people notice it because of one player on the other side of the ball.  Our special teams are better.  But, again, very few notice.  I would say our O line is better...again...one player.....Ervin and Johnson are doing well at the RB position.....but....one player.

This is why I would love to see just someone else.  Either HH or Purdy.  See what happens.

PS....and I hate typing this because I typically have a rule of not criticizing one player this much.  But.....the evidence is clear.

 
BigRedBuster said:
What I cringe at with this statement is that, yes, in both of Rhule's last stops in college, he had a bad first year and came back with a really good year.  I figured that was because that first year he didn't have talent across the board.

Our problem is that we have talent across the board except at the QB and to a lesser extent, WR positions.  We have talent to win some games this year.  But, one player at one position is preventing us from doing that.  We quite possibly have the best defense we have had in years.  Problem is, very few people notice it because of one player on the other side of the ball.  Our special teams are better.  But, again, very few notice.  I would say our O line is better...again...one player.....Ervin and Johnson are doing well at the RB position.....but....one player.

This is why I would love to see just someone else.  Either HH or Purdy.  See what happens.

PS....and I hate typing this because I typically have a rule of not criticizing one player this much.  But.....the evidence is clear.
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Correct. Quarterback is the starter of a car.  I don’t care how awesome the engine and everything else is.  No starter, nothing else works.  
 

All the other parts are fun to talk about though…

 
BigRedBuster said:
This is why I would love to see just someone else.  Either HH or Purdy.  See what happens.
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Yeah and where it gets even trickier is looking at whether Sims actually comes back next year. Given Rhule's big talk about setting up for the larger scale, you'd think they were expecting he would play next season.

But, Haarberg & Purdy are sophomores while Sims is a junior. Little bit interesting that we aren't getting one or both of those guys prepped to be The Guy if we're so big on the longer timeframes.

I won't be surprised if Sims turns it around and we make a bowl game at all. But what I'm worried about is the stubbornness to not bench him if he can't.

 
Undone said:
Yeah and where it gets even trickier is looking at whether Sims actually comes back next year. Given Rhule's big talk about setting up for the larger scale, you'd think they were expecting he would play next season.

But, Haarberg & Purdy are sophomores while Sims is a junior. Little bit interesting that we aren't getting one or both of those guys prepped to be The Guy if we're so big on the longer timeframes.

I won't be surprised if Sims turns it around and we make a bowl game at all. But what I'm worried about is the stubbornness to not bench him if he can't.
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Well, I believe he's being benched this week because of "the injury".  It's time for Haarberg or Purdy to play better than Sims.  Haarberg has the running ability.  

 
Undone said:
I won't be surprised if Sims turns it around and we make a bowl game at all. But what I'm worried about is the stubbornness to not bench him if he can't.
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This is partially the year-over-year pessimism in me speaking, but I would be surprised if Sims turns it around in a meaningful way at this point. I think he could shine in a couple of games from here out, but I think we're seeing who he is as a player. And it honestly begs the question of whether or not this was identified in practice. I have a hard time believing what he's done through the first couple of games is a 100% surprise. If it is surprise, he's a real Houdini from the practice field to game field. If it isn't a surprise, then the coaches are just trying to weather a storm as best they can without completely submarining a player in front of the fans.

I also don't know how much of Sims starting is stubbornness vs. perceived need. Fair or not, QB's do tend to be treated differently and held to a different standard. Like, if he really is the best option back there, it mortifies me what they think of Purdy and Haarberg.

 
Undone said:
Not picking on your semantics, just some thoughts on this.

In your other quote of Rhule, he basically says that he isn't going to look for a short term solution for a couple games or just one season. Now for me, I don't really love the sound of that. I think if we don't get to a bowl game with this easier schedule and the upperclassmen that we have that it's a total failure.

But, a "rebuild year" means setting up for the future. "Rebuild" implies long term, not "right now," right?

It is a bit weird though thinking about whether or not the staff would beg Sims to come back for a super senior year. Have to play more games to figure that one out though.
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No worries. I agree with you.  I think not going bowling will be a bust.  Not saying Rhule will be, but my benchmark is a bowl game.  I’m not really excited with his comments as it sounds as though he is going to “take longer than anticipated”.  The building a foundation sounds like coach speak for be prepared for another losing season or 2 imho.  
 

To the QB comment, I look at it two fold. Getting wins will help “rebuild” this team quicker as recruits see results that are easily identifiable.  Unsure if going 1-11 will still get all of those kids from the 2024 recruit class here.  Those are the ones that will help rebuild.  I also think that given Rhules comments on fumbles and Grant going full milk carton, that it send a mixed message to the team.  “My guy” can be a TO machine, but I’ll make an example of the “other guy”.  I think this will make it harder to establish a culture of accountability that helps with the rebuild. So having a “bad QB” as the face of the rebuild will impact it in the long term and short term.  That’s where my thought process was at.

 
Enhance said:
This is partially the year-over-year pessimism in me speaking, but I would be surprised if Sims turns it around in a meaningful way at this point. I think he could shine in a couple of games from here out, but I think we're seeing who he is as a player. And it honestly begs the question of whether or not this was identified in practice. I have a hard time believing what he's done through the first couple of games is a 100% surprise. If it is surprise, he's a real Houdini from the practice field to game field. If it isn't a surprise, then the coaches are just trying to weather a storm as best they can without completely submarining a player in front of the fans.

I also don't know how much of Sims starting is stubbornness vs. perceived need. Fair or not, QB's do tend to be treated differently and held to a different standard. Like, if he really is the best option back there, it mortifies me what they think of Purdy and Haarberg.
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I think it's likely a mix of things. The coaches might have known Sims wasn't as careful with the ball as they wanted, but he probably wasn't dropping snaps and throwing picks all the time in practice either. Then there's also the issue of if Sims is playing much better in practice than in games, do the backups potentially have the same issue. Purdy and Haarberg might be just as likely to commit similar turnovers as Sims if the coaches aren't seeing them be any better at turnovers than Sims in practice.

At the end of the day, I think we just don't have any good options at QB, even if Thompson had stayed, and the coaches are doing the best they can until they can get more options at QB next season.

 
lo country said:
No worries. I agree with you.  I think not going bowling will be a bust.  Not saying Rhule will be, but my benchmark is a bowl game.  I’m not really excited with his comments as it sounds as though he is going to “take longer than anticipated”.  The building a foundation sounds like coach speak for be prepared for another losing season or 2 imho.  
 

To the QB comment, I look at it two fold. Getting wins will help “rebuild” this team quicker as recruits see results that are easily identifiable.  Unsure if going 1-11 will still get all of those kids from the 2024 recruit class here.  Those are the ones that will help rebuild.  I also think that given Rhules comments on fumbles and Grant going full milk carton, that it send a mixed message to the team.  “My guy” can be a TO machine, but I’ll make an example of the “other guy”.  I think this will make it harder to establish a culture of accountability that helps with the rebuild. So having a “bad QB” as the face of the rebuild will impact it in the long term and short term.  That’s where my thought process was at.
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I have no inside info, but would suspect Grant's absence last week had less to do with his fumble against Minnesota and more about how he responded in practice. 

 
Honestly, play calling can go a long ways to protecting a QB:

- Lean on the run, both RB & QB run game. 2 of your 3 QBs can be capable runners of the football.

- Call low risk, high reward pass plays (play action, roll out, sprint out). 

- Limit the amount of reads you require your QB to make. 

- Playcall your athletes into space; you've got athletic TEs & allegedly fast WRs. Get them in space & let your QB make an easy read.

 
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Cdog923 said:
Honestly, play calling can go a long ways to protecting a QB:

- Lean on the run, both RB & QB run game. 2 of your 3 QBs can be capable runners of the football.

- Call low risk, high reward pass plays (play action, roll out, sprint out). 

- Limit the amount of reads you require your QB to make. 

- Playcall your athletes into space; you've got athletic TEs & allegedly fast WRs. Get them in space & let your QB make an easy read.
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Play calling is key.  I know that was a knock on Satt from Gamecock fans.  Play book is too big and complicated.  Identify what our 3 QB’s can do (more importantly not do) with the players we currently have.  Simply protecting the ball and letting our D improve “should” be enough to get us bowling.  Sims is not a drop back, multiple read, look the safety off QB.  Make that one read (2 at most), rip it or run.  

 
What are the chances of Jeff Sims having a really solid, and possibly great game against Northern Illinois?

I think the chances are good. We've all seen what he can do, and there are going to be games where he does it with minimal mistakes. This could well be one of those games.

But it won't change much in the long run. Just add another level of confusion to HuskerBoard for a week or two. 

 
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