Troy and QBs

So, assuming we have a fairly comfortable lead who would yall like to see more of Nick Fitz or Elijah Staley Saturday. Also, obviously we are a long ways from next year but how much of a drop off will we see at the QB position. There should obviously be some seeing that Dak is a once in a decade QB. But, since it seems we have gotten away from running the football do yall think the offense will benefit from getting back to the ground next year. We are losing Dak which you cant replace but returning a lot of skill players and gaining some experience on the O-line. thoughts?

Biggest lost from Dak will be his leadership, don't recall ever having a player with as much respect his teammates, Coaches and fans have for a player.

Yea, that is true fortunately Fitz and Staley have been able to learn and watch him lead for the last couple of years. That should be beneficial for both of them in the long run.

I think next year we will become a true read option team again & develop a more physical mentality on offense. Should look a lot like the Relf offense with better passers & receivers.

We will return most of our offensive line, RBs, & WRs. While we don't have Dak next year, next year's offense has a chance to be more well rounded.

Having a more experienced line will help a little to off set the loss of a leader like Dak. There is no doubt there will be a drop off at QB, but that will be more from a experience and leadership perspective. As Dak himself has pointed out, the guys behind him are very talented. At running back there will be more experience. We loses a lot at receiver but there are still going to be some very good experienced players there. Over all the offense will be more experienced next year than this year. In defense it's another story.

Obviously losing Dak will hurt but half our touchdowns this year have been scored by freshmen and sophomores so I feel pretty good about our offense in the next few years.

I want to see them both- alternate series. Both need reps

I want to so see us get a 21-0 1st quarter lead and then have Staley and Fitz each run the team for a quarter and a half. No alternating series. Those guys needs to run multiple possessions in a row.

Heck, I wouldn't be opposed to pulling Dak after the 1st series or benching him altogether. Dak doesn't need a tuneup game.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

I want to see them both- alternate series. Both need reps

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this is what we did against Northwestern State I believe. Probably the most fair approach..

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Originally Posted by PassInterference

Heck, I wouldn't be opposed to pulling Dak after the 1st series or benching him altogether. Dak doesn't need a tuneup game.

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as long as we have a comfortable lead, i would be ok with that...meaning at least 21 points...I would state otherwise if Dak was in the heisman discussion this year

We don't yet know what our leadership will be like from Fitz or Staley once one of them has taken over the #1 spot. As great a leader as Dak has been, let's not forget part of his leadership is helping the younger guys develop. I have no doubt Dak has taken that responsibility and run with it. He leads by example, but also appears to be very proactive in this regard.

I prefer to think that Dak has changed the dynamic completely, and we are at the beginning of a relative, "Golden Age" of QB at MSU, particularly with Dan's proven track record of finding and developing dual-threat QB's.

That said, we need to get back to winning big games to continue being an attractive choice for recruits, and we likely have to avoid anointing the wrong guy anytime soon. I suspect that if Dan makes a mistake with the QB, but stubbornly refuses to acknowledge it, we could break the, "chain-of-continuity" I think we need to have to sustain success at the QB spot.

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Originally Posted by blacklistedbully

We don't yet know what our leadership will be like from Fitz or Staley once one of them has taken over the #1 spot. As great a leader as Dak has been, let's not forget part of his leadership is helping the younger guys develop. I have no doubt Dak has taken that responsibility and run with it. He leads by example, but also appears to be very proactive in this regard.

I prefer to think that Dak has changed the dynamic completely, and we are at the beginning of a relative, "Golden Age" of QB at MSU, particularly with Dan's proven track record of finding and developing dual-threat QB's.

That said, we need to get back to winning big games to continue being an attractive choice for recruits, and we likely have to avoid anointing the wrong guy anytime soon. I suspect that if Dan makes a mistake with the QB, but stubbornly refuses to acknowledge it, we could break the, "chain-of-continuity" I think we need to have to sustain success at the QB spot.

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I can't speak to Staley as much, but I don't think we will lack in leadership from either of them. I heard and read multiple interviews with Fitz' high school coach, and he continually talked about his leadership and what it brought to the team. Staley was also big on the whole CatchupGang and leading the Juiceboys last year. While they can't truly replace Dak from a persona standpoint, we will be fine in leadership.

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Originally Posted by LC Dawg

Obviously losing Dak will hurt but half our touchdowns this year have been scored by freshmen and sophomores so I feel pretty good about our offense in the next few years.

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I think there will be a drop off next year but the following year will be good for MSU as respect to the QB's.

Fitz to Gray will be deadly next year.

I actually think our Offense will be more productive next year than this year. Of course when you're scoring 19, 17, and 17 in SEC games that isn't that hard to accomplish.

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Originally Posted by mparkerfd20

I actually think our Offense will be more productive next year than this year. Of course when you're scoring 19, 17, and 17 in SEC games that isn't that hard to accomplish.

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That may happen. But I think our points totals is more of leaving points on the field vs is only able to score what we have so far. Even going back to last year at Alabama, every SEC game we have played since, with maybe the exception of LSU this year, we are leaving at least 7-14 points per game on the field. Even the USM game we left points on the field. Clean up the execution and finishing of drives, we may be 4-1 or 5-0 right now. Maybe another win at the end of last year. Opposing defenses had something to do with it of course, but its different than only scoring what we have been because that is all we are capable of. And where a lot of the frustration is coming from.

I want to see Staley but that's just me. Don't really have anything against Fitzgerald.

With the experience the freshmen and sophomores are getting on offense this year we need to play Staley and Fitz more to get ready for next season. I would like for them to go ahead and work on that offensive chemistry.

I think they both play next year. Gonna be hard for either to earn the job thru Spring and August as long as both stay healthy

I'd prefer to see them both given their time in strings or big chunks, rather than alternating series. I agree that they need a chance to, "get into the flow" to maximize their experience.

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Originally Posted by Really Clark?

That may happen. But I think our points totals is more of leaving points on the field vs is only able to score what we have so far. Even going back to last year at Alabama, every SEC game we have played since, with maybe the exception of LSU this year, we are leaving at least 7-14 points per game on the field. Even the USM game we left points on the field. Clean up the execution and finishing of drives, we may be 4-1 or 5-0 right now. Maybe another win at the end of last year. Opposing defenses had something to do with it of course, but its different than only scoring what we have been because that is all we are capable of. And where a lot of the frustration is coming from.

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I can agree with some of this but I think our biggest problem not finishing drives is a lack of physicality. This in turn goes back to not getting the job done, if you can't be physical in the red zone your going to have trouble scoring. I also think we will get back to being a more physical team next year hopefully on both sides of the ball.

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Originally Posted by BB30

I can agree with some of this but I think our biggest problem not finishing drives is a lack of physicality. This in turn goes back to not getting the job done, if you can't be physical in the red zone your going to have trouble scoring. I also think we will get back to being a more physical team next year hopefully on both sides of the ball.

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Well I didn't get into specifics of why we are not executing and finishing drives. I actually think that it is multiple reasons that being one, turnovers in the redzone or when we are driving because of player mistakes is another problem, etc. My point was just the points are there for us we are just not getting it done.

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Originally Posted by blacklistedbully

I'd prefer to see them both given their time in strings or big chunks, rather than alternating series. I agree that they need a chance to, "get into the flow" to maximize their experience.

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disagree- don't want the last going with the ragtags and against the ragtags just trying to run the clock out

Alternate series and let them go while there are still starters out there for both to face

Staley won me over with that throw against NW State. He has the strongest arm out of any QB that Mullen has had so far.

Fitz threw a 65 yard bomb across his body scrambling and hitting Gray on the run.

Staley's throw was effortless. These are good problems to have though.

Yeah the corner bit on the pump fake and it was smooth sailing from there. Very good problems.

I'm more worried about who we play at RB. I want to see Williams and D Lee early and often. I'd love to see Dear play some RB but recognize it might not be practical to move him to RB without at least a spring and summer to work on the playbook, pass blocking, reads, etc. If neither Williams nor Lee are the answer, I want to advertise to High school and JUCO RBs that the starting position is wide open for the taking next year.

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Originally Posted by Eric Nies Grind Time

Staley's throw was effortless.

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It really was. Didn't even look like he really wound up; just flicked it.

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Originally Posted by Eric Nies Grind Time

Staley's throw was effortless. These are good problems to have though.

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I heard Neuheisel talking about QB drills and long balls a few weeks ago saying that he used to put garbage cans 50 yards down the field and have his QBs try to put the ball in the can without knocking it over and that the only way you could do that was to loft it up and make the ball turn over. Staley did exactly that. Thowing long balls like this rather than on a rope accomplishes two positve things. 1. It lets the receiver adjust to the ball in the air. 2. It lessens the chance that the db will be able to time a jump and get his hand on it since the trajectory is steeper when its coming in. Staley's throw was a thing of beauty.

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

I think next year we will become a true read option team again & develop a more physical mentality on offense. Should look a lot like the Relf offense with better passers & receivers.

We will return most of our offensive line, RBs, & WRs. While we don't have Dak next year, next year's offense has a chance to be more well rounded.

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Yeah, but just wait. The line this year was QBs don't matter that much. With Dak gone preseason prognosticating will make a miraculous return to the QB being the most important player on the field. Stars and returning starters matter most until we have some!

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Originally Posted by BulldogBear

Yeah, but just wait. The line this year was QBs don't matter that much. With Dak gone preseason prognosticating will make a miraculous return to the QB being the most important player on the field. Stars and returning starters matter most until we have some!

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This year: Dak doesn't have ANYBODY!

Next year: They have a bunch of returning starters but Dak's GONE!

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Originally Posted by PassInterference

Heck, I wouldn't be opposed to pulling Dak after the 1st series or benching him altogether. Dak doesn't need a tuneup game.

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If the offense had been productive and had looked in sync against quality competition this year, then I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with that. But aside from the second half of the LSU game, the offense has flat out looked bad so I feel like they need as much work as possible before we head back into conference play. And while Dak may not personally need a tuneup, he is the leader of the offense and he is the guy that will be on the field when it counts......so he needs to be the one on the field working out the kinks and trying to get the offense to gel.

Dak is involved in the timing and overall execution of this offense. I hate to say it, but he needs to be in the game and he needs to run the plays we are going or would be running against teams like Ole Miss and Arkansas. Everyone needs the reps to get better at those plays. Looks like our blocking is poor, probably because those guys haven't had to sprint out to get a kick out block designed to spring a runner at game speed. Probably works wonders against our catch and chase defense in practice.

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Originally Posted by archdog

Dak is involved in the timing and overall execution of this offense. I hate to say it, but he needs to be in the game and he needs to run the plays we are going or would be running against teams like Ole Miss and Arkansas. Everyone needs the reps to get better at those plays. Looks like our blocking is poor, probably because those guys haven't had to sprint out to get a kick out block designed to spring a runner at game speed. Probably works wonders against our catch and chase defense in practice.

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I agree we have to worry about Dak and the rest of our starters first.

This is a good opportunity to work on the deep passing game specifically.

Dak is involved in the timing and overall execution of this offense. I hate to say it, but he needs to be in the game and he needs to run the plays we are going or would be running against teams like Ole Miss and Arkansas. Everyone needs the reps to get better at those plays. Looks like our blocking is poor, probably because those guys haven't had to sprint out to get a kick out block designed to spring a runner at game speed. Probably works wonders against our catch and chase defense in practice.