Good point. Playing against amateur defenses tends to help. When exactly WAS the last time a Frosh QB started in the SEC and thrived in a pass-happy timing system like ours? To be fair, it's really a down year for SEC quarterbacks. The league lost Flynn, Woodson, Ainge, Cox, and Mitchell last year and has yet to find a suitable replacement for any of them. All understatements. Truer words are rarely spoken.
AT, your words got me thinking about Flynn. So I did alittle checking on Flynn's stats for last year. I compared Flynn's stats through the first 9 games to Lee's stats through the first 9 games. what I found was, well, REALLY interesting. Here's Flynn's Stats through 9: 144 of 260 for 55.4%. 1856 yards. 7.14 ypa. 10 INT's. 14 TD's. 124.81 QB Rating. ~ 30 Atts a game for 200.6 ypg. For those not keeping track, here's Lee's stats through the first 9 games: 119 of 223 for 53.4%. 1608 yards. 7.2 ypa. 14 INT's. 13 TD's. 120.61 QB Rating. ~25 atts a game for 178.7 ypg. Also, Flynn had 2 games in the first 9 that his QB Rating was below 100. Lee so far has had 3 games. This illusion that Flynn was "so much better" than Lee is just that, an illusion. Even I wasn't expecting the numbers to be this similiar. But like I've said in previous posts, the biggest difference between this season and last is defense. So why are people so hard on Lee while Flynn's numbers show he wasn't all that much better? Because winning curses all shorts of complaints.
Dane, you know I completely agree with the core of your argument, but stats are not the way to present it, my friend. Flynn vs. Lee is a really good example of how stats aren't everything. All stats measure is how good a QB is at completing a pass. Lee isn't a shadow of the leader that Flynn was, nor is he even close to as good at the mental aspects of the position, like reading defenses and knowing when to throw it away or tuck it under to run when nothing is there. Lee has a LONG way to go to even sniff that level of Flynn's game.
I think the most obvious reason is the number of points resulting from the INT's... if it weren't for that, I seriously wonder if people would be so down on the kid..
I actually agree with you. Nor was my point to show that Lee is equal to Flynn. He was a 5th year senior. He had the ability to in clutch situations MAKE the pass. We've seen Lee sometimes make the pass in clutch situations, while other times, fail miserably at it. However, my point was to show people who are down on Lee about his play, that Lee isn't as bad as they think. Normally they don't just complain about his INT's. They complain about every aspect of his game, and when you look at the stats, that argument just doesn't hold true. Lee as a Freshman has as much TALENT as Flynn did as a senior. Flynn just had the MENTAL aspect of the game down by his 5th year than Lee does currently. After looking at the stats, I'm more encouraged that if Lee can nail down the mental mistakes, he's going to be a very good QB for us.
Don't disagree with you, but there were people here ragging him when his completions were above 60%, his QB rating was second only to Tebow, and he was winning SEC offensive player of the week award. Not likely to convince them now, and yes the pick 6 throws have exacerbated all of it.
Trust me, I remember, I was here, along with you and basically a handful of people that tried to take sense into those that were already starting to complain about Lee. I don't really believe that what I state will cause anyone to change their opinion. I just won't allow people to spout out things that aren't true and it go unchallenged. (Not saying that's what you did AT.) It's a weird thing but, when a starting QB is here at LSU, he's basically hated and has is job constantly called into question. Then, when he leaves, he becomes is untouchable QB that is "so much better" than our current one. Many times did my family / friends call for JMarc to be pulled for Flynn. Many times did my family / friends call for Flynn to be pulled for Ryan P. Now many times have people called for JLee to be replaced by JJ. Inbetween then and now, JMarc has become by some "the greatest QB to have stepped onto the field at Tiger Stadium." And now Flynn suddenly has went from an adequate QB to head and shoulders a dominate player. (Again, not saying that's what you implied AT.) I'm sure the call to replace the QB has went on further than that. Back to Davey and Mauck. Mauck and JMarc. So on and So forth. And the only logic behind putting JJ in the game over Lee is, "He couldn't do any worse." Which in and of itself is wrong, since all the stats show Lee is not doing as bad as he's been billed. Bah, I'm rambling again. Point is, I think JLee made a huge sacrifice in what he did. Stepped in to play when he wasn't ready, possibly to the detrement (sp?) of himself. Simply because he wanted to help the team win. I look at what he did as a TRUE tiger.
Hmm... the freshmen I listed fared much better than Lee did against the "amateur defenses" that are better and similar to North Texas' and Tulane's, and both of which handled him pretty well. Some of these guys weren't that great, but... Erik Ainge's freshman stats: 109/198 1452 yds 55.1% 7.33 avg 17 TDs 9 INTs Chris Leak's freshman stats: 190/320 2435 yds 59.4% 7.61 avg 16 TDs 11 INTs David Green's freshman stats: 192/324 2789 yds 59.3% 8.6 avg 17 TDs 9 INTs Rex Grossman's freshman stats: 131/212 1866 yds 61.8% 8.8 avg 21 TDs 7 INTs Jarrett Lee: 119/223 1608 yds 53.4% 7.21 avg 13 TDs 14 INTs The bottom line is that he was in practice all last season, and in 9 games, he should be showing some kind of improvement, but he isn't.
Well.... talking to a few friends... we have come to a conclusion... we keep comparing him to our old Championship QB's.. he is a kid... only like 19 or 20 playing in the toughest conference in NCAA Football.... just hope that he can work out all the garbage this season... so that next season we can get more balls.... :crystal:
