When did signs of Heaps team chemistry - issue begin

Looking back on this season as it has unfolded, there have been contradictory signs that revealed some deep seated issues that I personally didn't link together but definitely saw problems. Summer preparation seemed to indicate Riley and Heaps practicing with different players and not together - Riley even taking charge and definitely earning respect of OL, RB, and Defense. I have heard that Heaps spent good portion of summer with PT and planning for marriage which kept him from team. He did not perform well in individual QB stamina, strength and performance testing - actually Lark and Nelson were better. Riley's team won Spring game and won confidence of those a good portion of team - ie Riley played well under pressure and fured up team with we can win attitude. Furthermore, he demonstrated that he would play on special teams was selected to play by team because of his athletic ability and leadership. He also was capable in punting and mop up duty just to get on field to play. Riley taking blame for questionable passes thrown, etc. While Heaps always talking about potential if team but never accountable. Lack of Jake effort to tackle MS DB on interception return for TD and demonstrable lack of fire when things were tough or pressure was on. Texas 2nd half meltdown and continued dispirited play afterwards in other games. Yewt debacle with Heaps was low point of year - entire team quit - but there was Riley giving chase to tackle LB after he had been blindsided and fumbled. He showed heart and no quit. Teams response to Riley in USU game was noticeable, immediate and unifying on both sides of the ball. I believe we all wondered why there appeared to be two different teams in USU game - why? Team responded differently to Heaps than Riley - maybe felt Riley had always been true leader -

heart and soul of team and had earned it. Heaps had it by default and amount of investment

Doman had committed to his development and grooming. IMO Heaps never had captured the backing of the entire team - at least they didn't play like it, we all felt it, team seemed disappointing - underachieving - not focused - etc. Heaps departure just reinforces all if these little things that were evident and now crystallizes what we know to be true. If you don't earn your stripes, you have trouble taking on the full mantle of being the face of the team - the QB of the Y.



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More thoughts - Heaps was befuddled in Fall Practice when Bronco finally unleashed his arsenal on defense. Offense couldn't move - lots of missed passes, reads, etc. We also saw and confirmed that Heaps locked into primary receiver and had early release before play always developed. Frustrating to WR and OL to go 3 and out so frequently. Our 3 RS down convergence went off the wall when Riley took over (53%+). Heaps showed improvement when he came in to mop up for Riley in ID, NMSU, but still showed some o the same tendencies but yes there was progress. All of his indicating that he was not ready to assume prime position and all the tight spirals, rocket arm throws didn't mean diddle without touch and patience. Receivers loved Riley because they had opportunity to run and get yards after throw or to make a play on the ball.



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Issues started way back with Jake's press conference, continued once Jake showed up but really got bad over the summer of 2010, in part do to jr. high cheerleader-esque games played by older guys, including and especially Riley.



The upper/underclass schism started to heal toward the end of last year. It got worse for Jake when Jake didn't show up for enough offseason workouts-that's when he lost his friends on the team and guys like KVN and Hoffman finally figured out what Bronco wants.

byucougar1 wrote:
He did not perform well in individual QB stamina, strength and performance testing - actually Lark and Nelson were better.

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I thought Jake actually won the QB beep conditioning test with Riley coming in third. But I could be wrong on that.

byutx wrote:
Issues started way back with Jake's press conference, continued once Jake showed up but really got bad over the summer of 2010, in part do to jr. high cheerleader-esque games played by older guys, including and especially Riley.



The upper/underclass schism started to heal toward the end of last year. It got worse for Jake when Jake didn't show up for enough offseason workouts-that's when he lost his friends on the team and guys like KVN and Hoffman finally figured out what Bronco wants.

If you have personal knowledge of these Riley games - spell it out. Otherwise, slanderous.



I do not know Riley or Jake -so the only knowledge I have comes from two starters on the team that never get criticized. One gets idolized. Neither is Travis Uale - whom I have never asked about this topic. The two players talked about Jake being a prima donna right from the get go. Some of that extended to a very small number of other players who came in acting like they were going to show everyone how it is done - before they ever took a snap.



From my experience, football players are very competitive. Even the 2 stars come into camp thinking they are pretty good and that they will play right away. But they don't hold a press conference to let everyone know. Even in practice, they start out quiet and humble. Then when they quickly figure out that every player on the team is as good as or better than the very best players they played iwth or against in high school, reality sets in very quickly. Problem solved very quickly.



Jake didn't just think he would play right away. He expected to start. Set some records. Leave early. Go NFL. ANd he just assumed it would happen and that everyone there should bow down and he would allow them to be a part of it.



Eyes rolled.



If Jake was stuck behind Luck or the guy at USC - it would be a lot easier for him to take. But he is stuck behind a nobody QB at a mid-major and he cnnot deal with that.



And then we hear that he wanted to tell Brandon Doman what plays to call. I would be OK with that - if he was throwing accurate passes and making plays.

"Not on Heaps" -



The 2 QB experiment last year



The coaching shakeup



Little running game early in the season



Teammates not playing as hard for him as for Nelson



Personal life (marriage)







"On Heaps" -



A certain sense of entitlement?



Slacked off during the summer?



Not willing to stick it out and earn his job back



Looking for greener (easier) pastures elsewhere







"A Little Bit of Both -"



Starting as a Freshman (In hindsight, coaches shouldn't have started him that early but that would have been his intent anyway)

KingCoug wrote:
"Not on Heaps" -



Teammates not playing as hard for him as for Nelson

This was totally on Heaps. There wasn't a conscious decision by teammates not to play hard, it was that Jake showed no fire and heart, and it's contagious. So it's more like other players played just as hard as he did.

How is "personal life" not on Heaps? :skeptic: It's either on him, or not listed at all, but the one place it cannot go is "not on Heaps."



I also think that "Teammates not playing as hard for him as for Nelson" goes in the little bit of both category, as does the 2 QB experiment as some of that was forced upon the coaches by insistence from Heaps and his family that he play day one and not redshirt. I don't think you can cleanly divorce 2QB from the redshirt mismanagement.