The exciting thing about Riley possibly being the starter...

snoscythe wrote:
I don't understand why so many people are already writing off Riley as a passer based on 10 pass attempts over the course of the season, especially when he went 7/10 with 9+ yards per attempt with zero turnovers.



Riley was inserted in garbage time. You have three objectives as a quarterback in garbage time--get first downs, run down the clock, and don't turn the ball over--after you do the basic three, any scoring you can do is just gravy. Riley was phenomenal in those aspects. He did everything the coaches wanted him to do. He got first downs, he ran down the clock, and he didn't turn the ball over, and the offense scored. Given those three objectives, the smart thing to do in garbage time is make one or two reads, and if neither of them are wide open, tuck and run to avoid (a) a sack, (b) a fumble from holding on too long, (c) an incompletion that stops the clock, or (d) a pick from forcing a pass where it isn't meant to go.



Riley Nelson can get the ball where it needs to go--BYU is not in the business of offering scholarships to running quarterbacks. That simply was not his function this year--he was a game manager, not a game winner.



I'm not ready to crown Nelson the starter, but I am even more hesitant to crown a true freshman the starter before he has even stepped foot on the practice field. Less than of the top 15 quarterbacks from the high school class of 2005 ever started a college football game---its a completely different animal. Just ask Ben Olsen.

I personally don't feel any bias towards anyone. I am going to leave that up to the coaches. I will not be in the club calling for the starter to be replaced by the backup 2 bad passes into the season either though.

frdbtr wrote:
I personally don't feel any bias towards anyone. I am going to leave that up to the coaches. I will not be in the club calling for the starter to be replaced by the backup 2 bad passes into the season either though.

That's too bad, because it's a fun club. Oh, gotta go. MARS just spilled the punch, so we have to vote for a new club President. :D

Cougarfan87 wrote:
And we haven't even discussed whether or not Munns or Lark could step it up this spring and show something.



Hence, I think it will come down to Spring Practice, I trust that our coaches will make the right call for the program next year and the future.

Neither Munns nor Lark will return in time to compete in spring ball. But you are correct in that I think it will come down to spring practice.

Cougarfan87 wrote:

I personally don't feel any bias towards anyone. I am going to leave that up to the coaches. I will not be in the club calling for the starter to be replaced by the backup 2 bad passes into the season either though.

That's too bad, because it's a fun club. Oh, gotta go. MARS just spilled the punch, so we have to vote for a new club President. :D

Funny! Good one :lol:

kitic77 wrote:

And we haven't even discussed whether or not Munns or Lark could step it up this spring and show something.



Hence, I think it will come down to Spring Practice, I trust that our coaches will make the right call for the program next year and the future.

Neither Munns nor Lark will return in time to compete in spring ball. But you are correct in that I think it will come down to spring practice.

My bad. Then I guess it really will be down to Riley and Jake. I agree that spring decides it.

Cougarfan87 wrote:

Cougarfan87 wrote:
And we haven't even discussed whether or not Munns or Lark could step it up this spring and show something.



Hence, I think it will come down to Spring Practice, I trust that our coaches will make the right call for the program next year and the future.

Neither Munns nor Lark will return in time to compete in spring ball. But you are correct in that I think it will come down to spring practice.

My bad. Then I guess it really will be down to Riley and Jake. I agree that spring decides it.

I was under the impression that one of them would be and one of them wouldn't?

Latest I read was Munns is home in June and Lark is home in early February.

kitic77 wrote:
Latest I read was Munns is home in June and Lark is home in early February.

Nice. More competition. I'm not ready to just hand the job over to someone when these two haven't been given a shot yet.

I think that it goes to Heaps. You don't go 40-2 over 4 seasons with the gaudy passing numbers that he has by being a slouch. There isn't a team in the nation that wouldn't give him a scholarship to play or sit if they knew they had a chance, and that isn't something that you see every day coming to the 'ol Y. We are very lucky to have him, and I think he will do great.



GO COUGS!!!!

BlueIsBetter wrote:
I think that it goes to Heaps. You don't go 40-2 over 4 seasons with the gaudy passing numbers that he has by being a slouch. There isn't a team in the nation that wouldn't give him a scholarship to play or sit if they knew they had a chance, and that isn't something that you see every day coming to the 'ol Y. We are very lucky to have him, and I think he will do great.



GO COUGS!!!!

Same could have been said about Ben Olsen.



I'm not rooting against him. I don't want to give him the job that Larks, Nielson or Munns could do better.



May the best man win. If it is Heaps, I'm sure he'll rock.

BlueIsBetter, high school is one level. College is different level. Remember Ron Powlus? He never lost a game in high school. He even threw four touchdowns in his first game. This led the affable Beano Cook to proclaim he would win the Heisman twice. He never lived up to the hype. (He only three 48 more TDs in this final 43 games at ND.) College football is completely different from high school. Success doesn't always translate.



Can we at least wait until he arrives on campus before we anoint him the best player ever in the history BYU football?

BlueIsBetter wrote:
I think that it goes to Shoemaker. You don't go 42-0 over 4 seasons with the gaudy passing numbers that he has by being a slouch. There isn't a team in the nation that wouldn't give him a scholarship to play or sit if they knew they had a chance, and that isn't something that you see every day coming to the 'ol Y. We are very lucky to have him, and I think he will do great.



GO COUGS!!!!

Fixed it for you.

Italics wrote:
I don't see it being much of a step down - perhaps a step up - with Heaps. I suppose he will probably be shaky his first year, but we really need to invest all of our resources into this kid.

Prediction: Next year the QB efficiency will drop significantly, no matter who the QB.



Also, I really don't get people who think we have to put everything into Heaps. Sure, he's a five star recruit and he's been very kind to BYU, but until he proves he can excel at this level in practice, he's no better than Neilson to me. He'll definitely get his shot, if he's not the best QB next year, let someone else play.



I'm excited to see how it pans out and I'll be 100% behind the guy who gets the start next Sept.

snoscythe wrote:

I think that it goes to Shoemaker. You don't go 42-0 over 4 seasons with the gaudy passing numbers that he has by being a slouch. There isn't a team in the nation that wouldn't give him a scholarship to play or sit if they knew they had a chance, and that isn't something that you see every day coming to the 'ol Y. We are very lucky to have him, and I think he will do great.



GO COUGS!!!!

Fixed it for you.

appreciate the help... lol.

If it is a tight race, that is all the better, because they will push each other to be better. I am not pushing for Heaps, everyone. I can't see him losing the job to Nelson, though. I have been to quite a few practices and games, and what I have seen from Riley's arm is pretty weak. If he can add an arm to those wheels I am all for it, but I haven't seen it, and I don't see it happening.



May the best qb win.

You don't need a rocket arm to play QB at BYU. Here are just a few QBs who were somewhat successful with average arm strength: Max Hall, Brandon Doman, Ty Detmer, and Steve Young.

BlueIsBetter wrote:
If it is a tight race, that is all the better, because they will push each other to be better. I am not pushing for Heaps, everyone. I can't see him losing the job to Nelson, though. I have been to quite a few practices and games, and what I have seen from Riley's arm is pretty weak. If he can add an arm to those wheels I am all for it, but I haven't seen it, and I don't see it happening.



May the best qb win.

The job isn't for Heaps to lose. It's for one of the two QBs to WIN. And I'm not quite how sure you don't think you're NOT pushing for Heaps. You clearly want him to start and simply don't think Nelson even has a chance to really compete for the job.



Personally, I think Heaps is a spectacular talent. I just really think he would do well to redshirt, develop and learn for a few seasons of seasoning. Very few all-time greats at QB started as true freshman. BYU, in fact, has NEVER had a true freshman QB enjoy any real success. I don't think Heaps is going to be the difference between winning and losing certain games next year.



I don't get people who want to throw Heaps to the wolves. I don't see how people think he won't struggle. BYU is going to be a lot like Utah was this year. The QB position is going to be next to irrelevant. It won't make the difference in the games that matter most. So why not go with the guy with more experience while the guy with more upside has a little more time to develop and fully reach his potential.

kitic77 wrote:
I don't get people who want to throw Heaps to the wolves. I don't see how people think he won't struggle. BYU is going to be a lot like Utah was this year.

Yeah, and Utah started the freshman Wynn over the junior Louks.





Doman recruited Heaps HARD in high school. Doman passed on Nelson in high school. I think Doman is going to end up starting his guy, because he thinks his guy fits our system best and will give us the best chance to win the most games.



Recruiting is hit-and-miss, and Heaps could end up in either category 4-7 years from now, we are all guessing and no one knows for sure, but the kid absolutely wants to come in and start. I simply don't get people that say we HAVE to blueshirt him. People that claim he absolutely WILL fail if he starts as a true freshmen. Those who say we NEED to start Riley because, well, he may or may not be better but gosh darnit he's older and more experienced and that's ALL that matters!



People who talk in absolutes when it comes to an open competiton are idiots. Those who claim that Lark or Munns have NO CHANCE of starting are idiots. Me, I'm going to exjoy Spring and FALL practice immensely, and whoever gets the starting nod on opening day in September, that's who I'm going to cheer for.



And yes, I think it will be Heaps, but the team I'm rooting for is team BYU.

I watched Riley Nelson throw in 3 open practices and a scrimmage at LES this summer. Standing next to JJ Di Luigi, Nelson looks pretty average in terms of height. I'm 6'1 and was taller than him-and that was with him wearing cleats and a helmet. Nelson has done very little to persuade me to change my opinion after this summer that he's not the guy, unless we choose to fundamentally change our offense, including signing a bunch of smaller, quicker JC OL's.

Mars wrote:

I don't get people who want to throw Heaps to the wolves. I don't see how people think he won't struggle. BYU is going to be a lot like Utah was this year.

Yeah, and Utah started the freshman Wynn over the junior Louks.





Doman recruited Heaps HARD in high school. Doman passed on Nelson in high school. I think Doman is going to end up starting his guy, because he thinks his guy fits our system best and will give us the best chance to win the most games.



Recruiting is hit-and-miss, and Heaps could end up in either category 4-7 years from now, we are all guessing and no one knows for sure, but the kid absolutely wants to come in and start. I simply don't get people that say we HAVE to blueshirt him. People that claim he absolutely WILL fail if he starts as a true freshmen. Those who say we NEED to start Riley because, well, he may or may not be better but gosh darnit he's older and more experienced and that's ALL that matters!



People who talk in absolutes when it comes to an open competiton are idiots. Those who claim that Lark or Munns have NO CHANCE of starting are idiots. Me, I'm going to exjoy Spring and FALL practice immensely, and whoever gets the starting nod on opening day in September, that's who I'm going to cheer for.



And yes, I think it will be Heaps, but the team I'm rooting for is team BYU.

Good points. But Utah started Wynn over Cain, not Louks - once he quit the team.



Regardless, I think we we're going to see one heck of a battle - especially now that Lark seems like he'll be in the mix. I don't really know who BYU will name as the starter. I'm not sure there's even a wrong or right answer to the question either.