Could one of our QBs be our Tee Martin?

Many of you remember that it was the AFTER Peyton Manning had moved on to the NFL that Tennessee broke through and won the SEC Championship and the National Championship. We remember because we were a casualty in Tee Martin's run. Phil Fulmer couldn't figure it out with the best QB in program history but the year after...eureka.

Which one of our QBs could be that guy? The more I think about it the more I am convinced that Dan will play Damian Williams. If the rest of the team gels and picks up the slack we could see a better team this year than last year.

Before you slay me let me explain that I am in no way suggesting that Williams is better than Dak but that the rest of the team can be better than what Dak was playing with.

Defense is better with a better coordinator who actually came from USC rather than MTSU or Florida Atlantic.

The offensive line and running game almost literally can't be worse. We have talent in the backfield that just needs to be used. The OL has more experience and better players available.

We have talent at WR and TE that just needs to be utilized by the QB.

Put that all together and we have a chance to do well post Dak.

Your thoughts?

We'll be fine going forward. may or may not show this season, but I think we're in decent shape moving forward.

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Originally Posted by Reason2succeed

Many of you remember that it was the AFTER Peyton Manning had moved on to the NFL that Tennessee broke through and won the SEC Championship and the National Championship. We remember because we were a casualty in Tee Martin's run. Phil Fulmer couldn't figure it out with the best QB in program history but the year after...eureka.

Which one of our QBs could be that guy? The more I think about it the more I am convinced that Dan will play Damian Williams. If the rest of the team gels and picks up the slack we could see a better team this year than last year.

Before you slay me let me explain that I am in no way suggesting that Williams is better than Dak but that the rest of the team can be better than what Dak was playing with.

Defense is better with a better coordinator who actually came from USC rather than MTSU or Florida Atlantic.

The offensive line and running game almost literally can't be worse. We have talent in the backfield that just needs to be used. The OL has more experience and better players available.

We have talent at WR and TE that just needs to be utilized by the QB.

Put that all together and we have a chance to do well post Dak.

Your thoughts?

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1. Williams doesn't have the release to be an SEC QB. Has a hitch that telegraphs his passes. Would be a monumental mistake to start him.

2. The 1998 Tennessee team had boarderline pro-ball talent on defense & Tee Martin was a virtual game manager. We don't have that type of talent on defense & SEC football has changed since then

We have to have a playmaker at qb to win big (8-4 or better). This ain't 1999 (where our defense was dominant and the west was down).

Eta: what shotgun said basically

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

1. Williams doesn't have the release to be an SEC QB. Has a hitch that telegraphs his passes. Would be a monumental mistake to start him.

2. The 1998 Tennessee team had boarderline pro-ball talent on defense & Tee Martin was a virtual game manager. We don't have that type of talent on defense & SEC football has changed since then

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I'm not disagreeing with you about the hitch in Williams' throwing motion but why don't our defensive players that play against him everyday in practice able to read him and jump his routes?

Also, I'm not saying that our next QB won't be a playmaker. They will have to be. Williams can run and he can throw just like all of the QBs we have.

Conventional wisdom says that 2016 is sort of a 'hold steady' year and 2017 could be another 'peak' year (schedule sets up better). That would lead me to think we should go with the youth movement and prepare guys for 2017 if we ever want to get over the hump. But when I look at our roster, we have an awful lot of seniors, and a good many of them are pretty damn good players. I think we may be primed for a pretty good 2-year run. Choosing the correct QB is going to be very, very important. Either way, I tend to think the guy is either Williams or Fitzgerald since they'll both be here next year. I think Tiano might be the guy who takes over in the distant future.

We're gonna have to lean heavily on our D this season. No doubt about it. We need a QB makes fine fewest mistakes. That would be the only rationale behind starting Williams, that the coaches think he will make the fewest mistakes due solely to seniority. But, since we won't be throwing the ball nearly as much this season, the biggest thing we need is a guy who can get us in the rights formations and calls and tote the rock 15-20 times a game. That's Fitz.

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Originally Posted by Pollodawg

We're gonna have to lean heavily on our D this season. No doubt about it. We need a QB makes fine fewest mistakes. That would be the only rationale behind starting Williams, that the coaches think he will make the fewest mistakes due solely to seniority. But, since we won't be throwing the ball nearly as much this season, the biggest thing we need is a guy who can get us in the rights formations and calls and tote the rock 15-20 times a game. That's Fitz.

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Our DL is going to be nasty. 6 seniors, and the 3rd year players are pretty talented themselves. I suspect Fletcher Adams and Jeffrey Simmons will do their thing too.

Even looking at our OL, they really might not be that bad. 4 seniors, and Rankin, who is a 4 year player himself.

Which ones of our OL are like the OL Tee Martin had?

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Originally Posted by Pollodawg

We're gonna have to lean heavily on our D this season. No doubt about it. We need a QB makes fine fewest mistakes. That would be the only rationale behind starting Williams, that the coaches think he will make the fewest mistakes due solely to seniority. But, since we won't be throwing the ball nearly as much this season, the biggest thing we need is a guy who can get us in the rights formations and calls and tote the rock 15-20 times a game. That's Fitz.

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I disgree. The most conservative thing we could do is stick Fitz back there & run the read option 30 times & then play action deep of it.

Williams isn't half the runner Fitz is, & that will lead to us being in tons of 3rd and longs. At least with Fitz running the read option we can shorten the game, & have numerous 3rd & 3s or less, just like with Relf.

Williams is a dangerous option because the defense won't respect his running ability & thus key in on the running back, which will cause our running game to be similar to 2015.

Fitz is BY FAR the best option for the kind of team we will have this year.

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

I disgree. The most conservative thing we could do is stick Fitz back there & run the read option 30 times & then play action deep of it.

Williams isn't half the runner Fitz is, & that will lead to us being in tons of 3rd and longs. At least with Fitz running the read option we can shorten the game, & have numerous 3rd & 3s or less, just like with Relf.

Williams is a dangerous option because the defense won't respect his running ability & thus key in on the running back, which will cause our running game to be similar to 2015.

Fitz is BY FAR the best option for the kind of team we will have this year.

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Exactly.

Fitz made horrible decisions on passes in the spring game though. Mullen will choose the QB that is safest.

Those of you who have decided that Damian Williams has no shot at starting should just prepare to be upset because it is a definite possibility. Mullen redshirted the guy for a reason. We all thought he would have be at Jackson State with Tony Hughes right not but he's not. Hope and pray that Fitz makes a leap this summer and outplays him in fall camp or Damian Williams will be the starter.

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Originally Posted by Reason2succeed

Fitz made horrible decisions on passes in the spring game though. Mullen will choose the QB that is safest.

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That's all about play calling. Just don't run plays that force Fitz to make tough decisions. Read option & play action off it. It's easy.

If we get down & need to come back by throwing the ball, then by all means, insert Williams, but the safest option is the QB that allows our running game to be at it's best, & that is without doubt Fitz.

I'm don't even see a debate hear. Williams is possibly the most dangerous option because we'll have to throw the football to move the chains

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Originally Posted by Reason2succeed

Fitz made horrible decisions on passes in the spring game though. Mullen will choose the QB that is safest.

Those of you who have decided that Damian Williams has no shot at starting should just prepare to be upset because it is a definite possibility. Mullen redshirted the guy for a reason. We all thought he would have be at Jackson State with Tony Hughes right not but he's not. Hope and pray that Fitz makes a leap this summer and outplays him in fall camp or Damian Williams will be the starter.

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Never judge a guy on Spring Training.

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

That's all about play calling. Just don't run plays that force Fitz to make tough decisions. Read option & play action off it. It's easy.

If we get down & need to come back by throwing the ball, then by all means, insert Williams, but the safest option is the QB that allows our running game to be at it's best, & that is without doubt Fitz.

I'm don't even see a debate hear. Williams is possibly the most dangerous option because we'll have to throw the football to move the chains

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Playcalling is why I think our OL had such a hard time last year. We have a line geared around the read-option offense, and we were very pass heavy last year. 2014 we had 570 rushing attempts - Dak had 210, Josh had 190. 2015 we had 419 rushing attempts with Dak dropping to 160. 2014 Dak had 396 passing attempts compared to 477 in 2015. He would have cracked 500 if he hadn't missed a game.

Our average attempts per game dropped from 44 to 32 - teams knew we were going to pass and keyed on it. The attempts per game average was the second lowest under Mullen ('12 was .03 lower).

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Originally Posted by PassInterference

Which ones of our OL are like the OL Tee Martin had?

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He's the one lined up on the side with our WR that's like Peerless Price. **

After reading the title in the op I thought a photo of a check had turned up. Jeez....

I'm with Shotgun all the way on this one. Don't even see a debate here.

I hope all of you are right

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Originally Posted by Reason2succeed

Fitz made horrible decisions on passes in the spring game though. Mullen will choose the QB that is safest.

Those of you who have decided that Damian Williams has no shot at starting should just prepare to be upset because it is a definite possibility. Mullen redshirted the guy for a reason. We all thought he would have be at Jackson State with Tony Hughes right not but he's not. Hope and pray that Fitz makes a leap this summer and outplays him in fall camp or Damian Williams will be the starter.

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You're basing too much on the spring game. I was at one of the other two scrimmages and Damian threw 5 interceptions and looked like the worst QB I've ever see on a college field. Telegraphed one horribly that Brandon Bryant picked and took about 75 yards for an easy TD. Fitz didn't look tremendous that day either, but looked like the best of the four. I understand they all looked good the other scrimmage, so clearly it was/is a fluid situation.

I think the only way Mullen goes with Williams is if everyone else has come up woefully short in the leadership department over the offseason. He won't reward Fitz or Staley if they didn't step up in the offseason when the opportunity was there for them, otherwise how can you expect them to step up in the 4th Q of a game.

Dan will play multiple QBs if on any occasion we fail to continuously move the ball down the field.

He might play multiple QBs anyway in red zone situations.

When we lose games, folks will be screaming for any other QB on the roster besides the one/ones who played.

It'll prove to be great fodder for the CL. OM fans will claim all 4 QBs get together on Friday nights to handle snakes and sacrifice chickens, thus God is not on our side.

^^^^^ this

Let Fitz have it. We'll be fine

Jake Wimberly talked about this in the negative sense today on his show. At the fear of being "mad online Mississippi State guy" I won't say that I thought he approached it from the wrong angle.

But I guess I can tolerate being "Bobby Meat" for one day. Who cares who flops? We only care who wins the job. I could say that Wimberly is the bust of bulldog sports radio but I'm not going to go there. Only one or maybe two guys will get to play QB. That doesn't make the rest of them a bust. They are still probably better athletes than 99% of the people on this board and even the worst QB on our team is probably working harder than any sports radio host.

With fans like these who needs rivals. We really need better representation in the media.

I expect at least 1 QB to transfer once Mullen names a starting QB in August