I see it as a testimonial to his respect for Mauck! It's not to be construed as a "diss unto any other QB on the roster." He said what he meant and it's about his respect and admiration for MAUCK..IMO
Hate to sound like an OPINIONATED PIECE OF SHIT,BUT; I have sat back and listened to this Pro/Con Randall CRAP long enough!!! STOP KIDDING YOURSELF!!! He is not NCAA Div.1 Top25 Material!!! He IS a GREAT QB!! Not for LSU......PERIOD!! HOPE!! DREAM!! WISH!! NO!! It will NOT happen with him. Anyone who has any hope for next season PRAYS that they have the BALLS to bring on the Freshman. We will accept them!! NO MATTER THE SEASON'S OUTCOME(It won't be bad,trust Me) Saban knows our fans WILL NOT TOLERATE AN ENTIRE SEASON OF RANDALL DEBAUCHERY!!! You know it too!! AVOID THE FRUSTRATION NOW!! ADMIT IT!
I REALLY hate all of this negativity towards Randall....2002 was long ago and in my opinion wasn't that bad considering the circumstances....and don't even try to throw in 2003, he was never in the game during "real game" experience....you people just really piss me off and I hope (and think) Randall will prove all of you WRONG!!! Randall has a better arm than Mauck Randall is faster than Mauck Randall is more athletic than Mauck I will give you that Randall made some mental errors(but so did Mauck in his first 6 games), but that is where QB's get better.....inexperienced QB's don't come in and get faster, or more athletic.....they get a better grasp of the mental part of the game...what makes you think that Randall won't be like most other developing QB's and reach that turning point. Every QB has that turning point, sometimes its not until they reach the Pro level, most of the time its near the end of the college level, and VERY VERY RARELY its in the high school level... Don't get me wrong....I am a huge Jamarcus Russell supporter (living in Mobile) but I think LSU's best chance at winning next season is with Randall.. I think too many people just want to see these Freshmen too bad so they are just writing off Randall.....We have plenty of time to see the young guys....just wait!!
If you look at the tapes of the 2002 season and notice how many times Clayton was wide open and the ball sailed ten feet over his head, then notice the look of total exasperation on Claytons face, you will understand where he is coming from. He just had a flash back during that interview.
Just to stir it up a little more. It was rumored that Mauck said that he was the 3rd best QB on the team. If that's true, lookout. There were several games that Saban left the 1st team in with Randall at the helm and he couldn't get the offense to move. He has been a great team player, earning his rings in a supporting role. I think he will compete for the job. But I don't think he can be the leader that Mauck proved to be. I think he is a team player and he has done an outstanding job in that role. That's not a bash on Randall, I just think its a reality.
Randall should not be judged by his performance this year. As a mop up player, if Randall had moved the team, I think Saban would have replaced him or told him to take a knee. Saban did not want to run the score up. The reason that one of the freshmen did not play is Saban did not want to waste a year of eligibility when not running the offense. That is a statement direct from Saban.
You know how I take that? I take that as Clayton, having seen all 3 QBs practice with and against one another all season last year, seeing as plain as day that both Flynn and Russell are just better all around QBs than Randall, and with their redshirt seasons behind them, their natural talents are likely to make them real competitive in this years's QB derby. I also took his "I would have stayed if Matt had" comments pretty simply: it's a stretch to see any of the 3 remaining QBs being quite as consistent (at least during the 1st half of the season) as Matt was last year. Inconsistent QB play=a subpar senior season for Clayton=possible lower draft position. Sure, the PC thing would have been for him to mention "three QBs", but it likely honestly didn't occur to him. That alone should speak volumes about his (and perhaps most of the remaining player's) feelings about each of the 3 QBs. That simple.
Randall sucks as a QB. I've seen all I wish to see of him. The games he played with the first team in 03, he didn't have a clue. Bad decisions. Matt Flynn is better than he will ever be. I got to watch Matt in High School. He is a winner. J. Russell has an NFL arm. With LSU running game, we should see 8 in the box much of next year, meaning man to man D. Russell will cut a D to pieces with our wideouts.
