Texas Plays a True Freshman

[Never Skerd']

Sorry I havn't had time to post this and I am sure someone has already on the main board, but the admins think they are doing a good job throwing everyones Texas posts together, where to me it has the adverse affect that I do not read them so here goes.

 

Like everyone else, my mind was blown that Texas threw out a TRUE freshman to try and lead them back. I just couldn't believe it. You are f'ing Texas football, a pool of the best players in the country, and you can not have a Red shirt JR or another SR to come out and take the reigns?? Maybe one that can check out of your most basic plays? I don't care what people say about how Gilbert played, yes he made some good plays, but he also made some very very terrible ones that ultimately lost them the game single handed.

 

This is what I pulled from the roster..

17 Sherrod Harris 6-3 215 Jr.-SQ QB Arlington, Texas (Bowie)

14 John Paul Floyd 6-1 180 Fr.-RS* QB Lubbock, Texas (Monterey)

15 Trevor Walker 6-2 200 Jr.-SQ* QB Mount Pleasant, Texas (Mount Pleasant)

3 Garrett Gilbert 6-4 207 Fr.-HS QB Austin, Texas (Lake Travis)

SOURCE:http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tex-m-footbl-mtt.html

 

3 Player DEPTH AT QB

Quarterback 12 Colt McCoy | 3 Garrett Gilbert | 17 Sherrod Harris

SOURCE: http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/spo...epth-chart.html

 

SO you are trying to tell me, Sherrod Harris, who is a JR, could not have gone in there and lead the Texas Longhorns any better? He couldn't have checked out of the shovel play, or possibly actually thrown it into the ground instead of right into the other players hands? YES, I understand Gilbert did throw a couple TD passes, but he also put them right into the hole they were in with stupid mistakes, the most basic avoidable mistakes. I just cant wrap my head around this.

[WVhuskerXX]

probably because he is better than than the other guys....

[HANC]

Not looking for argument, but may I ask what he was supposed to check into instead of the shovel pass. The only thing that happened was the rb drop/juggled the ball. The defense was rushing and pursuing like the offense wanted....if qb holds ball 1/2 count more and rb catches ball (most of all), the play works. It had NOTHING to do with the pre-snap read.

 

* With that said, Brown was a complete idiot for not just taking a knee instead of trying to "score" with a freshman.

 

I thought Gilbert played well under the circumstances. His WR dropped way too many balls. Another one of his int. was basically dropped by a WR into the hands of the db. And the fumble at the end had nothing to do with Gilbert....... he got drilled from blindside.

 

* Under this premise, are you suggesting that if NU was in the same scenario, that we should play Washington instead of Green? Although I know that Washington is relatively only a first year QB too, but he has been around a lot of football.

 

** Once again, not attacking, just "debating".....as a coach, I am interested in the reasoning behind blaming Gilbert for the pre-snap read on the shovel pass. You are probably right, I may have missed something and am interested in what.

[VA Husker Fan]

Who was our backup QB? Who was USC's starting QB? Tebow and Pryor were both #2 QBs as true freshmen. It happens a lot. It's tough to land a great QB when you have someone like McCoy, until the last year. Snead transferred. Chiles switched positions. Harris got hurt and didn't pan out as well, and he has no more experience that says he wouldn't have made those same mistakes.

[Fuzzy]

Yet some expected Cody Green to do the same thing.

[NoKoolAidForME]

Yet some expected Cody Green to do the same thing.

Exactly

[Never Skerd']

Brown said right before they went into the lockers, if it was there toss it, if it wasn't throw it into the ground. He tried to force it. a FR mistake. I guess I was thinking more of the first drive out, he couldn't even audible out of the play when he knew Bama' was coming with a heavy blitz.

 

HANC, as a Coach, yes I understand he may be more athletic-better arm, but you can not tell me the older guys don't know the calls and audibles better, the entire offense? If you lead your team to the State title or whatever level you coach on, and you have 2 JR's, who have been there for 3-4 years already, you wouldn't chosen to put them in over a freshman?

 

His passes were almost always ducks, he was just lucky Bama' got out of position and had some broken coverage on a couple plays, yes give him credit for that but if I were a head coach I would have played the older guy. I will admit that Williams choked on a lot of decent passes he got thrown to him. Look at the very last drive, a more experienced QB would have known to switch the paly because there was a heavy rush, but he didn't do anything and the left tackle either didn't get the call to pick it up or he completely blew his assignment.

 

I don't claim to know anything about Texas football depth nor do I know who is injured or anything, but I do know those older guys have had to have WAY more snaps that the TR FR, and if they cant at least run the offense better, take calls, and make better decisions, IDK

 

 

 

 

No Nebraska's situation is completely different. We don't have a pick of 5* QB's every year. But yes, if I were Pelini I would have never even played Green, I would have put his red shirt on and played Washington.

[VA Husker Fan]

 

 

I don't claim to know anything about Texas football depth nor do I know who is injured or anything, but I do know those older guys have had to have WAY more snaps that the TR FR, and if they cant at least run the offense better, take calls, and make better decisions, IDK

Wrong. Harris has never thrown a pass in his career, and has 3 games played, and 3 carries. Coming into this game, Gilbert had played in 8 games with 26 passes and 6 carries. No other QB has been in a game, as far as I could see. Chiles was the backup QB the last 2 years. It looks like Harris has never been higher than #3, so I doubt he gets many snaps in practice.

[HANC]

Never Skered:

 

Remember, I am not attacking......not my thing, always like to debate though. I agree, he could have "checked" into better line coverages at times, but I still think the shovel pass before half falls directly onto Brown's shoulders and not Gilberts.....plus, again, the RB flat dropped it, not tipped until after RB drops...no fault of Gilbert's.

 

** If we were in the championship game, I would play the#2 guy, regardless of age. Reasoning is that the #2 guy would have gotten more reps with top units in all of practices leading up to game and the #3-#4 guys would probably have limited reps at best. Gilbert had more "live" snaps throughout year in live competition and probably had a better feel for reading Bama's defense than the rest of the group.

 

I think you play the best available, regardless of age. Only exception would have been if it would have burnt a red-shirt...which, in this case wasn't an issue.

 

- I can see your point, just don't neccessarily agree with it.

[WVhuskerXX]

His passes were almost always ducks

 

I must have been watching a different game.....the kid can throw the ball. Period.

[Never Skerd']

Thank you HANC , you understood what I meant by reps. I mean practices, YEARS IN PROGRAM!

 

HANC, I don't think you are going to attack me, Im not going to get mad at you, I understand these forums are for public debate and I don't think you have to agree with me.

 

I came from a prominent HS football program in Nebraska, and I just could never see my couch playing a guy this young in this situation. Everyone I was watching the game with thought the same, it was absurd this guy was #2 in line. I am not trying to say they would have won with an older QB but I know, I just know the guys that have been there longer would have given the Horns a better chance. and yes I think his passes were sh#t across the middle, he can throw that damn ball deep though-- I don't care how well he looked AT TIMES, this is the National titles, he made absulutely rookie mistakes, terrible mistakes, something an older guy would have not, IMO.

 

Maybe Im wrong, maybe this guy is a man child that just came in and learned the offense faster than the 3 other guys, maybe he could run it better, I just dont see how, though.

[HANC]

You do bring up interesting points...... In fact, this past fall, I had a jr. player who played qb his first 2 years, but fell behind a freshman into our 3rd spot. Frosh started jv and jr moved positions to TE on varsity. In one game, we lost our starting qb in the 3rd qtr and I went straight to the junior and by-passed the frosh. We were playing the top team in SWI. Luckily our qb made it back the next week, but we were scrambling to turn one of our senior players into a qb for the next emergency.

 

So, in a way, I guess that I did exactly what you are saying, just on much smaller level. But, with that said, this is Texas and I am sure Coach Brown knows more about football than I will in 100 years, (except the dumba$$ should have taken a knee )........ so he played the guy HE FELT gave them the best shot.

 

* I just added the "not attacking" part, because WAY too many people on this board go "looking for verbal fights" or for reasons to turn every little thing into a "personal" issue. Just clarifying that it wasn't what my objective was.

[Never Skerd']

Ya I agree completely with the taking a knee. But then again if it goes for a touchdown he is a savior. I just always get mad when these young guys get the spot right out of the barn, even though we are at the end of the season[ = P ]. Id prefer to see a guy come in RD JR or another SR that has been in the system a lot longer and give them a chance to get the W.

[VA Husker Fan]

Ya I agree completely with the taking a knee. But then again if it goes for a touchdown he is a savior. I just always get mad when these young guys get the spot right out of the barn, even though we are at the end of the season[ = P ]. Id prefer to see a guy come in RD JR or another SR that has been in the system a lot longer and give them a chance to get the W.

Really? Now it's because you think it's more fair for the guy who's been around longer to get a chance over a newbie? What about fairness to the whole team to put the best guy in? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying here.

 

You do realize that only VT put more points (by 3) on Alabama this year than Gilbert with his "terrible mistakes". Brown probably could've put in someone who made less mistakes...and Texas might've score just 3 points.

[BeachBuffs]

I just thought I would share this, Alabama's backup quarterback going into the BCS title game was also a true freshman in A.J. McCarron, so both school's backup qb's were true freshman.