Who should be our starting QB?

[GSG]

Luke is going to do well against the worst defense we've played with the actual good receivers playing a higher percentage of the snaps and then media and fans are going to be like "See, he should have been starting all along."

Or, we'll see just how inaccurate he is, right @RedDenver ?   :lol:

 

[RedDenver]

Or, we'll see just how inaccurate he is, right @RedDenver ?   :lol:

 

[krc1995]

I mean eventually we have to become not so predictable, and try to stretch the field.  We are not pounding anybody into submission with Wand ale Robinson in a single back setting.    

Well it better be for a TD then. Then I’ll cry a little. 

 

[Husker in WI]

Luke is going to do well against the worst defense we've played with the actual good receivers playing a higher percentage of the snaps and then media and fans are going to be like "See, he should have been starting all along."

And honestly I can live with that as long as we win. But yeah, feels like the breakout game whoever plays, and the narratives are already written - just gotta pick one. McCaffrey should've been starting, or if it's AM the benching set him free, etc.

What's weird to me is it does sound like Luke got the starters reps last week despite the implied 50/50 battle, and I didn't hear a whisper of it being for sure that Luke was starting. I'm not particularly connected so maybe that's not surprising, and I prefer whoever they pick get the reps from Monday on because I don't want an underprepared QB. But I definitely don't think Luke did anything to lose the job Saturday, so I'd suspect he's the starter again until proven otherwise if they keep the same rep distribution. Makes it tougher for the backup to win the job without equal reps, but Luke apparently did it once so we know the coaches won't stick with the starter just because.

 

[Hayseed]

Is this the first serious call for the 3rd string QB? Or you're just saying you'd like to see him in garbage time? If it's the latter, I'm curious too. Illinois is our best shot this year to be able to do that. 

I’d have to see a guy throw a ball before I’d call for him to start, but I do want to see him play, don’t care how they do it.

QB isn’t our worst position though.

 

[Mavric]

Here is the play I was talking about earlier.  Falk (I think) is WIDE open on the crossing route for what would have been a critical first down.  But it seemed like McCaffrey was locked in on his receiver the entire way because he is most decidedly not open.

 

[Savage Husker]

Shoot.  If it’s a free year, who wouldn’t want to see Smothers play some football? Kid is more prepared to take snaps as a true freshman than AM was. 

 

[Savage Husker]

Here is the play I was talking about earlier.  Falk (I think) is WIDE open on the crossing route for what would have been a critical first down.  But it seemed like McCaffrey was locked in on his receiver the entire way because he is most decidedly not open.

Also looks like a defensive holding too. With the blitz, maybe he missed the wide open WRs? Dangerous pass. 

 

[PasstheDamnBallGuy]

You know I always wonder why we don't run more shallow crossers for some easy completions like a lot of other teams do. Its really hard to know if we are running them much though because you barely get to see WRs on the broadcast if we don't complete a pass to them. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

These are so tough because you dont know where falk is in the progression. 

Lots of people get annoyed at these things, but if its the 3rd or 4th read and with that rush in his face, getting rid of the ball is the right thing. 

I get that making reads quickly is tough to do, but that’s supposed to be McCaffrey’s strength (as a fast blinker). Falk was wide open, and even Allen settled nicely in a spot in the zone defense. Warner was the most covered of any of the 3 receivers crossing over the middle, yet Luke stayed on him from the snap of the ball.  If anything Falk should be the WR expected to come open because he’s the guy dragging underneath Allen and Warner, and that type of play is designed to get that guy open. I understand there was pressure, but Luke did a poor job of anticipating Falk coming open. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Dont know if any of that is true. He locked on one, which is a problem,  but unless you know the progressions, you just dont know.

Is it left to right, deep to shallow, shallow to deep, 1-4?, if you see zone or man-to-man this all changes 

Not sure if he should have known falk is open, depends what the play call was. Was falk the clear out? Were the other routes clearing space? 

There is no way to know unless you know the system and the coaching.

I may not know exactly what the coaches on both players were planning, but I understand route concepts and analyzing a play. Judging by the situation, the likelihood of Penn State going with a zone defense (using tendencies) and the routes by the receivers, I think Falk is the main target.

Warner and Allen are going deeper, and then going from right to left in the formation. This draws the LB’s deeper into coverage, with the secondary moving from right to left (of the offense).  Falk (having started in a somewhat tight formation on the left) is then able to get space in front of the LB’s and safeties, plus the CB is taken out of the play by Wandale going out into the flat from the backfield.

Coaches use tendencies of the defense and down and distance situations for specific plays. Even if Penn State were playing man to man on this play, this play creates trouble for Falk’s man because he would need to fight through a lot of traffic. This type of play is designed to go to Falk, and Luke missed it. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

That doesn't explain why he locked onto the "wrong reciever"

If he doesn't know his first read on 3rd down he wouldn't be playing. You could find that same route combo in a lot of offenses where falk is not the first read.

Alot of what you said is based on the fact that we now know what the coverage is.

There is no proof that we know he missed this read. Your best guess is that you think it was.

My best guess us that he was to clear the lbs out for the two over routes. 

We have no clue who is right, but by using your sequence i could easily say its not falk cause he didnt even run to the marker.

LB’s are taught to retreat and get depth  in coverage, especially as receivers go behind them. That’s why Warner and Allen are trying to get depth in their routes. They are creating space for Falk, who is running a 4-yard route across the formation, underneath the LB’s. A good pass to Falk, he catches it, and falls forward for another yard and gains the first down. You can’t judge that it’s not going to him because he is running his route a yard short of the first down marker.

That play is designed to be a good play against zone or man defense. We saw the space which was created for Falk against a zone D. If it were man to man, Falk is lined up tight on the left side. His man would probably shade him on the outside, knowing he has help on the inside. However, with all of the traffic flowing from the right side of the offense, going against that man defender, there is a good chance the Falk beats his man going to the right of the formation and is open for a first down pass.

I don’t know why Luke is staring down Warner the entire time, unless he was trying to look off the LB’s. Either way, he probably panicked when there was a little bit of pressure and wasn’t able to pick up Fall dragging WIDE OPEN underneath the coverage, which is what the play is designed to do. 

 

[Mavric]

Dont know if any of that is true. He locked on one, which is a problem,  but unless you know the progressions, you just dont know.

I doesn't really matter which receiver is which in the progression, he threw it to the most covered receiver.  So he didn't go through any progression otherwise he would have chosen another option.  Which probably means that was his first look and he never came off it but either way it was a bad choice.

 

[swmohusker]

Here is the play I was talking about earlier.  Falk (I think) is WIDE open on the crossing route for what would have been a critical first down.  But it seemed like McCaffrey was locked in on his receiver the entire way because he is most decidedly not open.

He is probably reading man or zone Coverage.  If man you hit the mesh route with your crossers.  If zone you hit your sit route in the middle after they cross.  If he doesn’t get held it is probably a completion. We ran the crap out of this concept this year.  

 

[Mavric]

He is probably reading man or zone Coverage.  If man you hit the mesh route with your crossers.  If zone you hit your sit route in the middle after they cross.  If he doesn’t get held it is probably a completion. We ran the crap out of this concept this year.  

Yeah, that's what kind of makes it even tougher to swallow.  We've run this exact combination many times.  It's obviously been repped a lot.  And it's a great combination.  We should have seen about every look against it there is and be able to quickly diagnose what's going on.  Just didn't get it done this time.