Is CLM just being stubborn or does he honestly not see that we need a spark at the QB position? It is painfully obvious at this point that against better teams we need to be able to throw the ball and to do that we need our timing down between qb and receivers. I don't want a repeat of last years UF game where we don't score a TD the whole game. Frustrating as hell.
I think he sees that we're still winning with JJ (even if it is in spite of him and not because of him). We probably won't see JL in a game unless we're behind and not doing well with JJ or if we're getting too many 3 and outs at a time when the game is close and the defense is gassed.
On a slightly different note, for those of us who had to watch the game on ESPNU, one good was the sideline reporter Jessica Mendoza. She's a hottie and I would have thrown some balls her way in pregrame practice a la Ines Sainz (double entendre fully intended)! :hihi:
Good: Steven Ridley looks more and more confident with every carry. Bad: One of our most celebrated recruits of '09, Craig Loston, has broken into the lineup but appears to be a non-factor.
The Good: Won't disagree there. The Bad: Jefferson SCORED a TD. Had one dropped. It's not so bad...back to good on this point. I won't argue the rest except to point out ... WE WON> Every game has it's bad points but when the overall outcome is positive I can't complain. The Ugly revisited: I forgot Lee was a 5 star recruit who could play on Sunday's NOW! Yeah...why doesn't he get on the field?
My biggest concern is consistent play from the Oline. I know they are young and I believe they are an improvement over last year but they miss some blocks at critical times. TE, WR, and FB blocking is included in this. It's not an exact science but I want to see them continue to improve. As the schedule thickens, we will need it. Shepard is new to the position, but does anyone doubt his work habits or his talent? He will improve, but he will still drop balls this year. We should stop agonizing over it as if it will suddenly stop happening. But it will get better. I am more worried about JJ's confidence when this happens. The coaches did, and probably needed to protect JJ last night on passing. It stands to reason we will gameplan FL, bama, etc differently but I would prefer to see the reigns loosen before we travel to Florida. Future games are likely to be a little close also, so the coaches need to accept this and find a way to get Lee in the game. If for no other reason than to givee JJ a look from the sidelines for one series or even one play, and to keep JL game ready for the eventuality that JJ gets hurt. We have not gone a complete season with a starting QB in many years. Our Defense and ST speak for themselves. They can/will play with anyone.
I don't think anyone is saying that Lee is the answer to all of our problems on offense. But at the same time, JJ isn't playing up to the level that we need him to and that's going to hurt us down the road if he doesn't improve. At this point, I don't see the harm in giving Lee a few reps, especially considering that everyone was raving about his play in the spring and fall camps. I'm also really starting to get concerned about our playcalling and still can't put my finger on who is responsible. My biggest gripe was when we intercepted it in the second half and returned it to inside the 10 yard line. The following three plays were runs up the middle. I don't care if our kicker was reliable as hell last night. You play to score touchdowns, not field goals.
