What we KNOW about Riley Nelson

[stuckinbig10country]

I believe he started a total of 7 games at USU. He has started 3 games at BYU. His record as a starting player is 2 and 8. (Compare that to Heaps 10 and 5). You can't say that the only reason he lost those games at USU is solely because USU sucked. They were playing crappy WAC teams that they should have been at least in the game with. They got blown out most of the time.

He cannot make all the throws. This is a fact.

Based on what we have seen, he is a run first QB.

The older players seem to play harder for him. This could be an opinion, but it looks pretty obvious.

The above are things that we know about Nelson. Just re-watched the game. Had USU just sent 5 to 7 players on defense every play with Nelson in, they win. I have no idea why they held back. Thanks USU.

Having said that, I think Nelson should start this next game. I don't think he'll be the starter for the rest of the year because of his limitations. I think that when Heaps does come back, he will be a better QB because of his time on the bench.

I think Nelson wins this next weekend, but SJSU is getting better and will probably be able to exploit some of Nelson's weaknesses. Oregon State, while being a terrible team, will have good enough athletes to really expose Nelson. TCU will eat him alive (and they aren't as good on defense as they have been).

Nelson is a good change of pace QB. He's a good backup. That's what he is. People really need to come to terms with this. Heaps is the future. He needs a break and time to grow, but I don't think it will take all year and next year.

[Schmoe]

Here's what I know:
1-An injured Riley played neck n' neck with a healthy Heaps last year.
2-This year we have won one game because of Riley, and we've won two in spite of Heaps.
3-Riley is an athlete, who is unafraid to take a hit, whether that's while running the ball or stepping up in the pocket to make a throw.
4-Riley's PER is much better than Heaps' this year.

[stuckinbig10country]

Here's what I know:
1-An injured Riley played neck n' neck with a healthy Heaps last year.
2-This year we have won one game because of Riley, and we've won two in spite of Heaps.
3-Riley is an athlete, who is unafraid to take a hit, whether that's while running the ball or stepping up in the pocket to make a throw.
4-Riley's PER is much better than Heaps' this year.

The injury thing is so overblown. People now make it sound like he was walking around with his right arm held on by a thread. And people actually watching practice last year knew that Heaps was outperforming Nelson. It wasn't hurt to the point of surgery until the first quarter of his third start last year.

[Gunk]

Here's what I know about Nelson:

• His pass completion rate this year is better than Heaps.
  Heaps wouldn't have scored Friday if it weren't for Nelson.
  Receivers have an easier time catching Nelson's throws.
  USU completely sucked when Nelson was a FRESHMAN. You don't finish last in the WAC if you have any decent players around you. USU has since gotten a new coach and has the team playing much better.
  Nelson played injured last season.
  Nelson, like any normal player, can improve.

[Dcr36]

He cannot make all the throws. This is a fact.

This is a serious question, not a sarcastic/rhetorical one: what throws are we giving up should Nelson start?

In other words, which throws that Heaps has consistently made in the first 4 1/2 games are physically impossible for Nelson to complete? And I'm talking in-game, so "60 yard lasers to Apo" is not the sort of answer I'm looking for.

[stuckinbig10country]

The one throw that Heaps has been very consistent on all year are the short outs to the wide side of the field. Heaps has the arm strength to get it there on time so that it's not taken for a pick 6. That's one throw, and yes it's only a 5 yard out, but it's a basic throw that Nelson cannot make across the field.

The deep out (15 to 20 yards), which admittedly Heaps hasn't been very accurate on, is gone. Heaps at least makes the defense prepare for it.

Play action deep throw is now gone. Again, not that Heaps has been accurate, but it forces teams to at least be aware of it.

Fly patterns are out for the most part as well.

The entire defense will be able to stay 10 to 15 yards off the LOS.

Another thing that we know that I didn't put in the original post is Nelson has played a total of 2 good halves in a BYU uniform. First half against Washington and 2nd half against USU. At USU he played one good game against FSU. The common factor in all these: limited tape/preparation for Nelson. When teams have seen him for more than a half, they have been able to beat him.

[snoscythe]

What's this? More hyperbole parading around the QB debate as stone-cold fact????

*yawn*

[ltpwfdcm]

I KNOW that Riley has a head of hair that makes this balding man jealous...and I've come to grips with my own baldness...

[nuk13]

I don't see that I need to come to terms with anything but who can win games. If you don't like Riley Nelson don't watch next time he's in. No, I don't dislike Heaps but why do some of you think if you like one you don't like the other. By the way, which passes were the other guy making? In the little I got to see he made some beautiful passes to the ankles. However bad some think Riley throws they end up in the recievers hands even if they boink of someone else. Those passes are the best ones. If Heaps comes back and wins I'm going to be happy and that is true of any qb or any other player that can contribute to BYU winning.

[Cougarbib]

Here's what I know:
1-An injured Riley played neck n' neck with a healthy Heaps last year.
2-This year we have won one game because of Riley, and we've won two in spite of Heaps.
3-Riley is an athlete, who is unafraid to take a hit, whether that's while running the ball or stepping up in the pocket to make a throw.
4-Riley's PER is much better than Heaps' this year.

That is not all you know about Riley - you also know
5-Riley outplayed Heaps in a win over UW. I know from a key UW starter that before the game UW was hoping BYU would start Riley and after the game they wish BYU had gone with Heaps.
6-Heaps played so scared Vs AFA that he was pulled. That was the first red flag


And it would be Hilarious seeing Jake Heaps lead a typical Aggie team - you have to be able to make something out of nothing to do that. 2010 and 2011 ain't your daddy's USU.

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