Couple of things... LTW should have redshirted this year, OR CG should have redshirted this year. The fact that the staff chose to play both, is one major screw up in my opinion.
Second, LTW showed what he could do in last years spring game, and the coaches responded with quotes like "we were a little surprised" and then stuff like he will make an excellent backup etc.
It reminds me of the Keller/Ganz situation, where the coaching staff at that time, Wats included, chose Keller over Ganz.
I know Bo thinks practice equates to game day production, but that is just aa generalization, and rubbish to me.
What matters is game day production, not necessarily how well you do in practice.
We have seen this from Zach Lee, who purportedly practices great, then folds on game day.
Couldn't the opposite be true?
We could have had LTW for 2 more years if they hadn't put LTW in 6-7 snaps or whatever they gave him early on.
Then they changed gears, and burned CG's redshirt.
Water under the bridge now since we can't change that.
What to do with LTW?
Personally, I would start him next year, Lee can be a backup, and give CG a redshirt year.
Kellog Jr moves to 3rd string, and Martinez moves to receiver.
Spano, unfortunately will never be right with those 2 acl injuries.
it's also important to get a dul threat QB in this years class.
I agree LTW should have redshirted this year, but when Spano went down both he and Green were destined to see the field. LTW is never going to be more than a career backup, so the theory that he'll be starting next year is bosh. Sure, we could have him for a couple of more years... of what? Wild inaccuracy? Rough edges? Burning his shirt for the fraction of plays he's been in on sucks, I agree. But even if we hadn't, LTW hasn't shown anything that would make a person think he'd get it done on game day.
I was at the 2009 Spring Game and LTW looked good running the ball. However, the caveat to that is he didn't run it against our first-string defense. By the time he got in the game most of our starters were out. On top of that he was no-contact, and there were a couple of runs where he was touched but they didn't blow the whistle. Passing he was as wild as they come; zero touch on the ball, questionable accuracy, and again not facing our top defenders.
You bring up Keller/Ganz, but it doesn't prove your point. First of all, Keller was clearly superior to Ganz in the Spring Game. It wasn't even close. Ganzy wasn't hitting his WRs in stride, they had to run to a spot and he would throw the ball there. Keller was releasing before his receivers made their breaks, and hitting them in stride. It is a revision of history to say that Ganz was clearly superior to Keller, and despite that, Keller started. Keller was better, and should have started. Keller was never the problem with that team.
You say practice shouldn't be a barometer for game-day starts. You'd better get on the horn and tell that to every High School, College (all levels) and NFL coaches, because none of them have figured that out yet. They're all still hanging on to that old, outdated philosophy that the players who practice best get the start. Yes, in-game production is paramount to wins/losses, but you're taking an awful risk starting a guy who practices poorly on game day. Most any coach won't do that.
I have watched every snap LTW took this year, from the Spring Game to the garbage time against the Sun Belt, and there's nothing I've seen that would make me think the foundation he provides makes for a better base to build on that what Cody Green or even Zac Lee provides heading into next season. If we're passing the ball at all, LTW isn't our guy. He's just too raw, too inaccurate. He has no touch on his passes - he about knocked a hole in Brooks when he rifled that TD into him in April, and several more passes skipped off hands because he fired them in so hard.
