I'm just going to put this out there on Fitzgerald and Williams.....

[Taog Redloh]

I think most of you all probably saw that I saw. When Fitzgerald started, his body language was....well.....'off'. Didn't seem like the team responded well to him. I know it was just 6 plays total, but the playcalling 'seemed' bad, and it was sort of just bad. Williams came in and the offense woke up. Do we all agree there? Hopefully so. Then we saw what would happen with our offense with Williams in the 3rd quarter. Won't lose, but won't win. And with our defense, we can't have that. So we're out of options at current.

I think Tiano is probably the only option. Like I said in the other thread, I'd probably start Williams again, and go to Fitz early against SC. Probably against LSU too since we know that's a beatdown. But if things don't improve I think I would start Tiano against UMass. Bottom line.

We all know how this will go. We'll either win or lose to SC by a score like 17-14. Then LSU will beat us 35-10. So what's the point?

[ShotgunDawg]

I don't disagree with your observations, but I would say that it's ridiculous to completely judge Fitz off of 6 plays that didn't put him in a position to succeed. FSU's QB looked like garbage last night for the first quarter & a half & then he found it.

Give Fitz the same opportunity. Call plays to his strengths & let him play

[confucius say]

Have to find out what you have in fitz first. We don't know at this point.

I was pissed at the early play calling. You have a guy making is first ever start. Give him a simple throw with no read and let him run the ball on Second play. Get him involved and give him a little confidence. It ain't rocket science.

[Tbonewannabe]

I think most of you all probably saw that I saw. When Fitzgerald started, his body language was....well.....'off'. Didn't seem like the team responded well to him. I know it was just 6 plays total, but the playcalling 'seemed' bad, and it was sort of just bad. Williams came in and the offense woke up. Do we all agree there? Hopefully so. Then we saw what would happen with our offense with Williams in the 3rd quarter. Won't lose, but won't win. And with our defense, we can't have that. So we're out of options at current.

I think Tiano is probably the only option. Like I said in the other thread, I'd probably start Williams again, and go to Fitz early against SC. Probably against LSU too since we know that's a beatdown. But if things don't improve I think I would start Tiano against UMass. Bottom line.

We all know how this will go. We'll either win or lose to SC by a score like 17-14. Then LSU will beat us 35-10. So what's the point?

Fitz is an option QB and we didn't run the option. Damian gives us a chance at maybe 5 wins max. Dan shouldn't make Fitz try to go through 4 progressions when he can run like he is able. Fitz looked good backing up Dak last year, I don't know why we wouldn't give him more opportunities especially in the 2nd half when we were "rolling" to 3 points. I say give Fitz most of the 1st half and then if he still looks like garbage bring out Tiano.

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Way to early to judge Fitz on six plays especially season opening plays. First time starter of a SEC team probably is pretty stressful. If JJ makes that catch maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion. It is a game of inches after all.

[Taog Redloh]

Fitz is an option QB and we didn't run the option. Damian gives us a chance at maybe 5 wins max. Dan shouldn't make Fitz try to go through 4 progressions when he can run like he is able. Fitz looked good backing up Dak last year, I don't know why we wouldn't give him more opportunities especially in the 2nd half when we were "rolling" to 3 points. I say give Fitz most of the 1st half and then if he still looks like garbage bring out Tiano.

5? We couldn't even beat USA. I'd say 3 max, with luck. Samford would be the only sure bet. Did you see UMass vs. Florida?

[Really Clark?]

Fitz is an option QB and we didn't run the option. Damian gives us a chance at maybe 5 wins max. Dan shouldn't make Fitz try to go through 4 progressions when he can run like he is able. Fitz looked good backing up Dak last year, I don't know why we wouldn't give him more opportunities especially in the 2nd half when we were "rolling" to 3 points. I say give Fitz most of the 1st half and then if he still looks like garbage bring out Tiano.

Not that I don't agree that Fitz deserves another and I believe we will. But I don't recall him getting past his first read on his passes. Much less the idea that Dan had him going through 4 progressions. Williams went through his progressions and early made some good reads. Fitz was locked and loaded on one guy.

[Taog Redloh]

To be clear I'm not necessarily judging Fitzgerald. I'm just going off the weeks-long rumors about off the field stuff combined with what I saw on the field. And the fact that he hasn't clearly taken the QB position yet.

This is in no way an indictment of his talent.....I'm on record saying I think he's a great athlete and potentially a great QB.

[Tbonewannabe]

5? We couldn't even beat USA. I'd say 3 max, with luck. Samford would be the only sure bet. Did you see UMass vs. Florida?

I was being optimistic. I actually don't see more than Samford, USCe, and UMass. UK might be a toss up but it is on the road.

[Tbonewannabe]

Not that I don't agree that Fitz deserves another and I believe we will. But I don't recall him getting past his first read on his passes. Much less the idea that Dan had him going through 4 professions. Williams went through his progressions and early made some good reads. Fitz was locked and loaded on one guy.

Dan didn't give him any easy plays to get comfortable. It wouldn't have bothered me to run the option or throw a screen pass the first 2 series before dialing it up. We did that more with Damian but didn't give Fitz a chance.

[Taog Redloh]

I was being optimistic. I actually don't see more than Samford, USCe, and UMass. UK might be a toss up but it is on the road.

Arkansas would be a tossup IMO but with our offense I doubt it. They'd gash us with the TE anyway.

[WinningIsRelentless]

Fitz is an option QB and we didn't run the option. Damian gives us a chance at maybe 5 wins max. Dan shouldn't make Fitz try to go through 4 progressions when he can run like he is able. Fitz looked good backing up Dak last year, I don't know why we wouldn't give him more opportunities especially in the 2nd half when we were "rolling" to 3 points. I say give Fitz most of the 1st half and then if he still looks like garbage bring out Tiano.

The very first play of the game was a read option. Just because we don't run the option of old doesn't mean it isn't the option.

[Taog Redloh]

Dan didn't give him any easy plays to get comfortable. It wouldn't have bothered me to run the option or throw a screen pass the first 2 series before dialing it up. We did that more with Damian but didn't give Fitz a chance.

Agreed. Both QBs should have been running the ball first and foremost. Everybody knows this except Mullen.

[Tbonewannabe]

The very first play of the game was a read option. Just because we don't run the option of old doesn't mean it isn't the option.

Forgot about that, Holloway got the ball up the gut. I want to see Fitz run the Relf offense before I give up on him.

[Tbonewannabe]

Agreed. Both QBs should have been running the ball first and foremost. Everybody knows this except Mullen.

It would also help if we put our SEC quality RBs in the game to run the ball instead of a change of pace back and concrete shoes.

[WinningIsRelentless]

Fitz is an option QB and we didn't run the option. Damian gives us a chance at maybe 5 wins max. Dan shouldn't make Fitz try to go through 4 progressions when he can run like he is able. Fitz looked good backing up Dak last year, I don't know why we wouldn't give him more opportunities especially in the 2nd half when we were "rolling" to 3 points. I say give Fitz most of the 1st half and then if he still looks like garbage bring out Tiano.

Agreed. Both QBs should have been running the ball first and foremost. Everybody knows this except Mullen.

Fitz had the option to run the first play and should have ran it. If he makes the right read he is still running untouched today.

[shoeless joe]

The very first play of the game was a read option. Just because we don't run the option of old doesn't mean it isn't the option.

Still dumb. I don't want a young guy having an RPO on the first play of the year. I will not be happy until fitz and aeris are in the game together RUNNING the read option and mix in Holloway for a change of pace. We can win like that. Plus it keeps our secondary off the field for as long as possible.

[confucius say]

Dan didn't give him any easy plays to get comfortable. It wouldn't have bothered me to run the option or throw a screen pass the first 2 series before dialing it up. We did that more with Damian but didn't give Fitz a chance.

Ding! Get him settled. An easy, no read pass. A called qb run. Jet sweep to Mixon, gray, miles, or Ross (who didn't touch ball 1st quarter and when he finally did went 45 yards). It was just a horrible script of first 6 plays and it pisses me off.

[Really Clark?]

Dan didn't give him any easy plays to get comfortable. It wouldn't have bothered me to run the option or throw a screen pass the first 2 series before dialing it up. We did that more with Damian but didn't give Fitz a chance.

Ok but that's not what you said. You said Dan had him going through 4 progressions. He didn't have him doing. I agree you could have called him differently. But it wouldn't have matter about progressions because Fitz wasn't doing that. It wasn't a deal where he took too much time going through the reads or getting confused through the play.

[Really Clark?]

The very first play of the game was a read option. Just because we don't run the option of old doesn't mean it isn't the option.

Correct