Top five by position in the Pac 10 - Quarterback
by John Berkowitz on Apr 28, 2010 7:00 AM PDT
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Print1. Jake Locker Sr Washington
2. Andrew Luck So Stanford
3. Matt Barkley So USC
4. Kevin Riley Sr California
5. Kevin Prince So UCLA
Locker is being touted as a Heisman candidate and overall number one draft pick in 2011. He has had a good spring but as usual the coaches don't really showcase his legs during the spring. Locker has plenty of weapons to work with and an experienced line in front of him so the Husky offense should be one of the more explosive in the Pac 10 this season.
"Don’t get me wrong," Locker explained. "I really look forward to the NFL But it’s not going anywhere. You can never go back and play college football."
"If you had to ask me right now who is going to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, I would say it's etched in stone it's going to be Jake Locker," Mel Kiper said on April 7. "You can mark that down. Jake Locker, if he's not the No. 1 pick, it's an upset."
Kiper has not been the only notable figure dishing out praise. Before and after his team's game against Washington last September, then-USC coach Pete Carroll insisted the 6-foot-3, 235-pound standout was "the best quarterback we've played against" during his tenure, acknowledging that list included former Texas star Vince Young. Arizona State's Dennis Erickson once called Locker the best high school quarterback he'd ever seen.
The pro's will also be keeping an eye on Stanford's Andrew Luck who could come out early after his third year. Luck is a big guy with deceptively good speed and a great arm. I thought he looked great against Washington last year even though Harbaugh was limiting what he could do.
Stanford is going to be solid in 2010 but they won't have a player the caliber of Toby Gerhart manning the RB position. More of the load is going to be shifted on to Luck so it will be interesting to see if he is completely up to the task.
He's 6-foot-4, 234 pounds and he moves well. He's got an outstanding arm. He's smart. He's grounded. His father, Oliver, is a former NFL quarterback.
Nick Foles came oh so close to leading Arizona to the Rose Bowl last season. He returns this year to a team that has some holes to fill due to graduation. Foles had a tremendous game picking apart Washington last season even though the Wildcats came up on the short side of the stick in a memorable Husky comeback.
He has had some mechanical problems this spring and Matt Scott is pushing him for the starting job after posting better numbers in the spring game.
The spring game is the final oasis before the long desert summer and Wildcat fans drank it up. When you saw the size of the line waiting for Nick Foles’ autograph (he was the only one with a table and chair besides Mike Stoops) you never would have guessed you were looking at a guy who threw for a whole 28 yards in San Diego.
Matt Barkley started at USC as a true frosh and had the predictable growing pains. He should be much improved this season and should start filling some of the big time expectations that were predicted for him. The early buzz on Matt is that he has lost weight, looks more mobile, and has a better feel for the passing game.
The sophomore's loss of 10 pounds has made him more agile this spring. It is evident on rollouts and especially in the pocket, where the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Barkley has eluded pressure much better than he did last season. "He's forcing a few too many balls but I think he's really picking up the offense," Coach Lane Kiffin said. "The thing that I'm most pleased about is when you're in the huddle with him, you can give him about half the play and he can finish the play for you. That's what the really good ones do."
Cal's Kevin Riley returns for his senior season with the goal of taking his game to the next level. Experience and bowl games count so Riley is in our top five but he is going to be hard pressed to stay there once the season begins.
"I think he's grown a lot as a person with his maturity level," Tedford said. "He's been so up and down as far as a lot of hype and then a lot of negative stuff. I think now he has everything in proper perspective. He knows he needs to work. He knows how serious it is and what a serious role he plays. You have to be your best. The only way to be your best is by working hard."
Kevin Prince led UCLA to a bowl game last season and he showed continual improvement as the season went on. Rick Neuheisel experimented with the "Pistol" this spring because Prince ran it with success in high school. Kind of reminds when Neu adapted his offense to fit Tui's skill set. I think Prince has a lot of upside and the improvement will continue.
"I know exactly where I want to go with the ball now, and I'm comfortable with the receivers," said Prince, who threw for 2,050 yards and eight touchdowns last season. "It is definitely a different feeling this spring, as well as a lot more fun to come out here and get these practices in."
Oregon's Nate Costa is the odds on favorite to win starting job with Jeremiah Masoli on suspension. Costa who has had knee problems is an expert at running this offense but the Duck passing game has been suspect this spring creating an opening for Darron Thomas.
At Oregon it just may be more about the system they run than the individual strengths of the QB. Two years ago Oregon emptied the bench at QB against Washington and they all did well.
"It’s a work in progress," Kelly said. "We don’t have to have a quarterback until September. They have good days and they have bad days. They’re throwing the ball a little better right now, but they’ve got to do a better job of making decisions when we’re in game situations."
Oregon State's Ryan Katz has opened some eye up in Corvallis this spring. Beaver believer's are even comparing him to Washington's Jake Locker. What Katz has going for him is a great arm and good mobility. What he doesn't have is Pac 10 game experience.
I want to see a JUGS gun put on the throws of redshirt freshman QB Ryan Katz. ... dude has C.C. Sabathia-type heat, only with better control. ... when Katz - who looks pretty good to me so far - hits somebody in the numbers, you can heard the sound all over the Truax Center. ... there was a sideline route where RS freshman WR Jordan Bishop looked up just in time to see the ball whistle over his head like a tracer bullet in a war movie. ... and that gives us an excuse to mention - again - that Katz went to the HS where they filmed "Rebel Without a Cause.'' ... drawing a blank, Gen Xers? Google it for pete's sake.
ASU's quarterback battle between Brock Osweiler and transfer Steven Threet didn't yield a clear winner which isn't bad news because both players did well this spring. Osweiler has a bit of a lead right now after doing well in the spring game.
"That battle is a battle," ASU coach Dennis Erickson said after Tuesday's practice. "I wouldn't even have a clue who to tell you is going to start, and I don't imagine it will come until sometime in the fall."
Washington State's Jeff Tuel emerged as the clear cut starter at QB this spring. WSU's offense has been terrible as of late and one huge reason has been the lackluster play at the QB position. The hope is that Tuel will benefit from the experience he picked up playing last season as a true frosh.
Tuel, who started five games in 2009, completed 11 of 16 passes for 129 yards with a touchdown in the Cougars spring game on Saturday, capping a spring in which he was more consistent than junior Marshall "Lobster" Lobbestael. In three scrimmages, Tuel completed 25 of 41 passes for 297 yards with three TDs and one interception. Lobbestael was 17 of 31 for 165 yards, two scores and three interceptions.
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The Elway comparison
This league has seen some spectacular QBs, both during the college playing days and further into the NFL. The only guy Locker compares to in my book is John Elway. At this point Elway had more of the pro style offense down, but the simularities are strikingly close in comparison.
All I saw was purple
Some more comparsions
Highlights of Elway’s college football career included setting five major NCAA Division 1-A records, as well as nine major Pac-10 records. Of his 1,243 college career passes, Elway completed a record 774, or 62.1 percent, traveling 9,349 yards to make 77 touchdown passes. Elway also found the time to play baseball with the New York Yankees’ Oneonta single-A farm team.
Stanford’s Record (John Elway era)
1979 5-5-1
1980 6-5
1981 4-7
1982 5-6
I have forgotten he had only one (1) winning season at Stanford. Elway never led his team to a bowl game. He was #2 in the Heisman voting and the #1 overall pick of the now then Balitmore Colts in the nFL
The Tunnel is Hallowed and Sacred Ground
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Apr 28, 2010 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions
He was a major thorn in the side of Don James and Washington.
by John Berkowitz on Apr 28, 2010 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions
1981 or 1982???
He demolished Washington is his passing game. I can’r remeber which year, but he made the cover of SI for his performance in the Washington game at Stanford.
The Tunnel is Hallowed and Sacred Ground
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Apr 28, 2010 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Elway is better
I love Jake Locker. Maybe during his pro career he will reach those heights but he would have to put together one heckuva senior year to be ranked higher than Elway as far as past Pac 10 QB’s are concerned.
I agree that there are a lot of similarites…mobility…arm strength…baseball.
Just a little trivia…did you know that John Elway was a Northwest native who was born in Port Angeles and spent most of his youth in Missoula and Pullman?
Agree
Jake is not close to how far Elway took his talents. At this point I am merely comparing Locker to Elway during their college careers. Both were/are phenomenal athletic pro style QBs, who played on some lousy college teams. Elway was taken No.1 overall and Locker will be too.
All I saw was purple
Had Sark been the coach for all five of Jakes college years he may have ended up better then Elway. Three years of Ty…..
The main problem w/ Ty
Was the fact he had no idea how to build and implement an offense around such a marque-talented QB as in Locker. Ty was grab bagging on offense. Trying new, unconventional ways to attempt to exploit Jake’s talents. Instead Ty needed to build an offense around his star player. Yet we come back to him spending too much time on the golf links and not enough time spent at the office.
The moment Sark stepped on campus, his main job has been to build and implement an offense around Locker. Notice how our offensive line improved its play- not great but better. Notice how we got Chris Polk running more vertical rather then perimeter in order to move the chains. Notice how we alienated one of Ty’s top receivers and found others that could do more with the ball. Notice how effective play action pass was. Notice how we centered our attention around Jake throwing instead of running. From an 0-12 season to the next season where we finished 5-7, where in reality we honestly could’ve been 8-4 with 3 close wins down to the wire. Astonishing turn around? I don’t buy it- we have a coach that has a vision for the future, a guy with a blueprint on how to bring Husky football all the way back. Ty talked it, but did very little to implement it.
All I saw was purple
He did build an offense around Locker
Then when Locker went down, for the second time in as many years, and UW ended up with 0 wins. Sark, on the other hand, is not building an offense around Locker. Instead, he’s plugging Locker into his scheme and teaching him how to be a quarterback, not a running back that throws the ball.
by Brian Floyd on Apr 28, 2010 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Exactly right, cougfan!
but don’t let facts get in the way of the latest round of Ty-inspired self-flagellation.
MOVE ON HUSKIES!
by 206 on Apr 28, 2010 10:59 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
It was grab bagging in it's finest hour
Ty had no coach on the staff that was an expert in the spread offense- NOT ONE. So from that angle Ty had no clue what he was doing with Locker. And when you don’t know what you are doing, offensively you are merely taking the “Hey let’s see if this works” grab bagging approach.
Indeed Sark is plugging Locker into his scheme- it’s what Sark knows best and he is teaching not only Jake the offense but he is building an offense around all of it w/ Jake as the signal caller because Sark is an expert in the pro style offense.
All I saw was purple
Hmmm...talking about the QB's in the Pac 10....
…and somehow it become a Willingham bashing thread.
I think we all agree that Sarkisian and company are a better fit.
by John Berkowitz on Apr 28, 2010 11:20 AM PDT reply actions
You could argue (easily)
That Sark is the preeminent college football quarterback tutor alive.
In a decade: 5 out of 4 quarterbacks to the NFL, 3 first round picks, 2 heisman winners.
Nobody out there can touch that, and that’s without counting Locker. Given the UW’s history of quarterbacking, yes, much better fit.
Yep I think Neuheisel and Chow have to take the back seat
But let’s call him the best college football QB tutor alive after we see what happens to Jake after this upcoming season. On the other hand I think a lot of what Jake did last season has a lot to do with the tutoring he received from UW QB coach Doug Nussmeir. Relatively and unknown commodity as of now but his name will surface big time after this season. Bet on it!
P.S. I think we may loose coach Nuss before we lose coach Holt. Nuss is going to be looked at seriously as an offensive coordinator in a big way soon.
All I saw was purple
Not sure if it's all that amazing
Keep in mind that Pete Carroll was hording some of the very best talent in the nation. I think what is astonishing more then getting them to the pros is how well each QB executed the offense with very little drop off. Chow had been there, Kiffin had been there, but for the most part Sarkisian was always there. And the tie breaker in all of this has to be his single handed tutoring of Mark Sanchez, who might go down as the best QB of all those magnificant Trojan QBs if yo dare compare Sark with Chow or Kiffin.
All I saw was purple
Don't you think you're being a tad too literal?
He’s put more quarterbacks to the NFL than he’s had starters. That was the point.
Just ribbin you!
I completely agree and am very happy for Jake as it would have been a complete tragedy for him to never recieve good QB coaching while at UW. Now he’s getting as good as there is.
Sorry Tyrone...
That was going to be my next post. I wasn’t trying to bash Tyrone Willingham in all of this. But the writing is on the wall. Ty had no assistant on the staff that knew anything associated with the spread offense.
All I saw was purple
At this point
I think Andrew Luck is the only QB that can unseat Locker as the best QB in the nation next season. However it will be an up hill battle. Locker has all of his skill players coming back, where Luck lost the G Train- Gerhart to the pros. Might make a huge difference in how he performs this next season. Luck is talented and could have a prosperous career as a professional signal caller in the NFL.
All I saw was purple
I don't think Mallet is going to get there...
Since I don’t think the Seahawks will get the #1 or #2 pick in the draft next year, I’m root for Mallett big time, hes who I figure they take (if he’s available). 6-6 with an absolute cannon (better than Jake’s or Luck’s). He’s a project though, his decision making isn’t there for him to be the elite QB next year.
I'm not sure that this is true.
There are several good QBs to watch for in 2010: Mallett, Kellen Moore, Pryor, Keenum, and Jacory Harris. I think Ponder at FSU could have a huge senior year. Same with J Johnson at Tex A&M. I also think that some breakouts will arrive on radar screens in a hurry including Gabbert at Mizzou, Gilbert at Texas, and Brantley at UF.
As far as “draftability”, I think Johnson, Ponder, Mallet all could join Luck in terms of competing with Jake (and that assumes Luck is leaving).
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Moore is too short and doesn't have enough of a gun to get to the next level.
Him and Keenum are probably going to go the way of Andre Ware and have amazing college careers but not move on.
Ponder could be very good, and I like Brantley to move into the elite’s next year when he can leave. Gabbert is a wildcard to me, he’s got physical tools but hasn’t shown much else…and he’s a system QB.
Okay you guys are right...
I tend to forget that each season somebody pops out from no where. But let’s keep things in perspective, my post was titled “At this point”, which means looking at the topic now looking forward. But yeah I agree somebody will have a great break out season as it happens every season.
All I saw was purple
My top five
1.Locker UW
2.Barkley USC
3.Luck Stan
4. Nick Floes UA
5.Costa/Thomas winner UO ( who ever wins the job is bound to out up big numbers in Oregon’s spread attack)
Agreed
I’m not sold on Prince at UCLA and the 5th spot is really wide open. The fact they’re trying the pistol at UCLA isn’t a good sign for them.
I agree cougfan
I don’t think that is very good move. Ucla has Norm Chow as offensive coordinator and he’s worked really well with some fine QBs. I think going towards the pistol offense is a huge mistake, but we’ll have to wait and see. Neuheisel does have history revamping something that benefits talent though.
All I saw was purple
I think 1-4 is pretty solid, and you could make arguments for a lot of guys for #5. There’s plenty of potential for someone to rise up out of nowhere (a la Foles) and enter the top 5. For all we know, Ryan Katz may have a great season and help OSU get to their first Rose Bowl in decades. Or maybe Neuheisel & Chow manage to get Prince to make a big leap forward. Or maybe Tuel has a banner season. Or maybe Threet or Osweiler at ASU surprises. Or Riley finally “gets it” at Cal.
I’d give the edge to Costa because of the system, his time in the system and the knowledge that before anyone knew who Jeremiah Masoli was, Costa was being hailed as a worthy successor to Dixon.
I really thought about including Foles in the top five but he has had a tough spring.
by John Berkowitz on Apr 28, 2010 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah your right
I think i was just trying to make it more original
Funny how things change . . .
I find it humorous how Luck is the flavor of the month and how Foles didn’t even make the top 5! I really don’t see how either Kevin Prince or Kevin Riley will be better than Foles, even if they have a better supporting cast.
It should be really interesting to see how Luck does without the solid run game provided by Toby Gerhart. I expect Luck will have a “sophomore slump” as he becomes the primary weapon in the Stanford offense and the running game isn’t there to make his life so much easier.
Good news Crazi – Todd McShay has picked Luck as the #1 overall pick in the next NFL draft, that should surely doom Luck to a sophomore slump!
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Luck
I don’t know about “flavor of the month” – there’s been a lot of hype about Luck from the start. Luck was a super-star recruit – 5-star, #4 QB by Scout.com, 4-star #4 QB by Rivals.com. There was a major question about whether he’d even redshirt (similar to Locker in his first season), and after he did, he immediately overtook the returning starter Pritchard and never looked back.
Also keep in mind, Gerhart was a starter for two years at Stanford, and he had a much better year when Luck was behind center. Gerhart helped Luck, no doubt. But Luck also helped Gerhart quite a bit.
But Foles does deserve top-4 consideration based off his season last year.
Agreed
I think Luck is very talented and will easily be the #2 QB in the conference this year. But I do think people are getting a bit too far ahead of themselves with Luck. McShay calling him a #1 overall pick seems far fetched for a guy who has only played one season and hasn’t had to carry a team.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
He looked really good last season Lear
Jakes better, but our program is still in a rebuilding phase, where Harbough has the Cardinal playing extremely well. I have no doubt, like you that Jake is the best QB coming into next season- hell he was the best last season too. But I wouldn’t necessarily look passed Luck’s talents. McShay is a quack who is riding the coat tails of Mel Kiper. I’d listen to Kiper before McShay.
All I saw was purple
I completely agree.
He had a good efficiency rating. That’s about the only thing numbers-wise that jumps out. 56% complete, 14 TD’s. Very few picks, but he only had to throw the ball 23 times a game while handing it off more than 40 times. He was a good game manager, but that’s what he was.
There’s been a bit of a bandwagon surrounding Luck, that’s for sure. It’s surprising that almost nobody mentions Barkley anymore….
I think what Barkley did as a true frosh was very impressive. The only caveat to that is noting the very talented supporting cast he had to work with – I think USC’s receivers were quite a bit better than Luck’s. Still, Barkley absolutely belongs in the mix in discussing the best Pac-10 QB’s for next season.
I agree USC had better receivers.
But Stanford had the superior o-line, and a dominating running game. I don’t think it’s obvious that what Barkely had talent-wise around him was more beneficial than what Luck had…
That may be. I think the key thing for me is that Barkley had a much higher percentage of his passes intercepted than Luck. But I can also see the argument that more burden was placed on Barkley to carry the load than Luck. However, let’s not go too overboard – while USC’s running game wasn’t quite as dominant as it’s been in the past, it was still very strong last year.
Judging QB’s is very much subjective. I wouldn’t dispute the idea that Barkley’s future prospects are just as bright as Luck’s though…
Very well said.
Why can’t I say it that well?
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
I'm not sure where you are getting "flavor of the month"
Everybody thought Nic Foles was gold on those mulitple screen plays he orchastrated last season. Yet if defensese can sniff out Arizona’s multiple screen passing offense- Zona is a dead duck!
The majority of Arizona’s passing game last season was build around the screen passes. I’d like to see how Nic Foles handles pressure when you take away the underneath screen routes. At this point Foles is a wild card simply because we haven’t seen much of him in the pocket, avoiding pass rushes, and making a good throw down field.
Regarding Lear’s prognotication of an Andrew Luck sophomore slump: Jimmy Harbough has had some brilliant recruiting classes since his arrival. I would imagine that the Tree have another fresh pony in the stable ready to assume Gerhart’s spot in the offense. I think if anything, playing w/ Gerhart last season offered a lot of confidence to Luck, where he’ll be able to assume more responsibility for the offense.
All I saw was purple
While I doubt anyone on the Cardinal roster is going to rush for 1800 yards this season, I would be surprised if their running game as a whole isn’t still quite good in 2010. Gerhart is a very good back, but their offensive line also played a big part, and it’s worth noting that Gerhart’s backups had basically the same yards per carry as he did, suggesting that A) the backups are pretty good, and/or B) the offensive line deserves a significant part of the credit.
The Cardinal might not have a guy that can move a pile as well as Gerhart, but the guess here is that their running game is going to be quite good again this year.
4 out of 5 starters back on their line, I believe.
Stanford’s o-line was by far the most physical in the Pac 10 last season. You’re right, they’re going to be able to run the ball just fine.
Football Philosophy 101
Very good point, the o-line should definitely get a lot of credit for their running game. It reminds me of the Denver Broncos, Terrell Davis was suppose to be this all star, super stud, one in a million running back. Then Olandis Gary steps in and looks like and all star. Then Mike Anderson steps in and looks like an all star . . . .
Turns out, Denver had a REALLY good offensive line that made running backs look great. Games are won in the trenches.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Stanford has a great offensive line…but Gerhart was special…always rate running backs on yards after contact.
by John Berkowitz on Apr 29, 2010 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Don't tell that to our Oregon buddies.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
This won't be popular around here, but I'd favor Luck over Locker by the smallest of margins.
Welcome to Nashville, LeGarrette. Also, I love the Jay-Hey Kid.
by TennesseeQuackAttack8 on Apr 29, 2010 7:29 PM PDT reply actions
Based on what we've seen over the last three years, and given the development by respective coaching staffs, I'd see why a person would think this.
In terms of raw tools and body type, potential and such, Locker is perhaps the greatest quarterback to come through the Pac-10 (if not the NCAA) in the last 5 years. But his development was obviously and is obviously stunted. If he takes another giant step this year, Luck loses. If Locker stays about where he was last year, then Luck is better.
Problem is, I think we’re all banking on Locker becoming even more of what we know he can be.
Care to back that up with a reason why?
I think Pete Carroll will stink in the NFL
I think Boeing is better than Airbus
I think black is better than white
I think school sucks
I think the sky is purple
I think Crazidawg is Crazy
Doesn’t mean a whole lot without a reason why, huh!
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Luck over Locker
There are a lot of scouts out there that have the inkling that Luck is the most complete package minus a couple of years of experience. Consensus says that Jake should outplay Luck by a small margin.
Assume Locker had been mentored under a good QB coach and a consistent offensive scheme.
Luck still better?
No clue
Locker has the tools, there’s really no doubt about that. He also had the gift and the curse of being able to run. At Ferndale, he ran quite a bit. He was never really taught to be a pro-style quarter up until probably last year. Even if he started that process as a freshman, in the correct way, it’s still not easy to break those bad habits and mold him.
On the other hand, Luck is/was a pro-style quarterback with a gun. Locker has a strong arm, so does Luck. Luck has much less of a running game than Locker, although he is athletic. Luck can read a defense better than Locker and make most of those throws.
I can’t predict what would’ve happened, but remember we don’t know how good Luck, or Locker for that matter, will be. Due to Luck’s age, and being two+ years behind Locker, it’s really tough to tell.
by Brian Floyd on Apr 29, 2010 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't get the basis for some of these comments.
How do you know what Luck can do in reading a defense versus what Locker can do? There’s a tremendous amount of speculation in that statement, not to mention a complete lack of context.
Luck can make most of those throws? Are you saying Locker can’t?
While I agree that Luck has a ton of potential, the fact is that he didn’t have a tremendous role (other than not making mistakes) in Stanford’s offense last season. His “unknowness” right now is working in his favor in the hype deparment in a major way.
What’s really amazing is that Luck had almost as many rushing yards as Locker at season’s end. Mostly due to far fewer sacks, of course, but the totals are very similar.
Easy there, it's not Locker hate at all
Locker has had a problem with touch on his passes up until this last year. It’s a problem that took time to correct. He has a cannon, and I’ve acknowledged that. Having a cannon doesn’t help when you’re gunning the ball all over the place. His arm is not the problem.
I know that Locker has had trouble reading defenses from seeing film on him and watching him in person. I’ve seen him baited by DBs quite a bit, but he’s cut down on a lot of that lately (it did happen in the UW-Oregon game more than once).
Luck had a much bigger role in the offense than you give him credit for. It’s easy to say Gerhart was the offense, but the fact is that Luck flat shredded some defenses when he was called upon.
I’m not saying either is better than the other. I am saying there’s really no way to know who would be better if they had the same coaches throughout their college careers and were the same age.
by Brian Floyd on Apr 30, 2010 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
I know it's not.
And really, I’m not trying to make this a comparison between the two. I’m really not.
Stats-wise, Luck’s biggest games came mostly in losses. In wins, he generally had fewer attemps, but usually far more yards per attempt. That typically suggests that an offense is dominating a game, and the QB is allowed to pass when he wants as opposed to passing out of necessity. Stanford saw a lot of 8-man fronts, a lot of run blitzes, and a lot of man coverage. Luck threw from max protection with either a tight end or running back(s) blocking for him. Lots of two receiver routes, with a short read, a deep read, or throw the ball away. Stanford’s offense last season allowed Luck to put up good numbers. But Stanford never won when they needed the pass to be the driving force behind its offense as opposed to a supplement. Shoot, look at their bowl game. Tavita Pritchard did nothing as a passer, yet Stanford could’ve tied it late. All because of their dominant line and running game. I think that Luck would’ve made the difference in that game, but a lot of QB’s worse than Luck would’ve as well.
I’m not trying to rip the guy at all. I think he’s going to be very, very good. And while I can see the basis for him being among the best QB’s in the Pac 10 this season and beyond, the hype has simply gotten out of hand. It’s not Luck’s fault, or suggestive of any weaknesses in his game. To me, it’s just another example of a self-generated media frenzy in what is otherwise a slow time of year in sports.
Yet you can say the same about Locker's hype, too
It’s a product of this time a year. I do think Luck is the real deal and not a hype based guy. I don’t really care for “who’s the best” when we haven’t seen them even play this year. Both guys have immense physical tools at this point. Luck proved to be a very efficient passer last year, but was a step above “game manager” in my eyes. Locker was a kid that coaches had to plan extensively for and was a game changer.
The Sun Bowl analogy is nice, but consider that Pritchard was picked twice in that game while Luck was picked four times on the year. Four picks in almost 300 attempts is pretty impressive. Even throwing behind a very good line, that’s not an easy thing to do. They’re both good and I really don’t care who’s first or second.
by Brian Floyd on Apr 30, 2010 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions
The Sun Bowl picks thing kind of proves my point.
If the QB (whomever it is) simply doesn’t make mistakes, Stanford wins. He doesn’t even have to be a plus, just not a net minus. The epitome of a game manager.
That being said, I agree with this post. Really, we’re down to arguing minutiea (which, in all honesty, is fine with me, as sad as that might be to say). It’s going to be an interesting topic over the next 8 months.
Since you don’t care who’s first or second, let’s just do it alphabetically….
Well said
I really think you’ve been reading my mind lately. Now if I could just say it as well as you do. Keep up the good work.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
1. Jake Locker (Only because of capable ceiling that he should be able to reach senior year)
1.5. Andrew Luck (Barely misses out the No. 1 spot, because of the lack of experience. I think Luck is a better passer, but an extra year of showing consistency and decision could change a lot of things0
2. Matt Barkley
3. Nick Foles
4. Everyone else except one starter.
5. Jeff Tuel
its spelled "S-H-U-F-E-L-T-A-L-I-T-T-L-E-I-L-L-L-A-T-E-L-Y"
Cant really argue that
If Tuel can stay upright he’ll be good, but that’s a huge if.
by Brian Floyd on Apr 30, 2010 6:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
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