What would it take for Jefferson to earn your trust as the starter?

You didn't see him torch Georgia for about 35 yards on a scramble to set up the first Charles Scott touchdown? Or in the first half of the UF game when he got a few first downs with his legs? He has to throw the ball yes, but if there is no one open, he cant just sit there and wait for someone to get open, or wait until he is crushed.

 

When JJ is ALLOWED to roll out & use the instincts he has apparently developed over the years Then you see the kid who impressed ALL of us in the Peach bowl. I bet he hasn't been asked to be a disciplined pocket passer his whole career until now and since we have very questionable QB coaching he is like a fish out of water. I bet ha has never been an option QB either. Consequently he runs the option worse than a HS soph. All of his instincts & reads are screwed up since he doesn't know or has been properly taught how to do that. Even if he has been coached, all of his instincts come back to roll out with run/pass option. I think he throws much better when rolling out and I actually think it gives him time to see the whole field. He is NOT comfortable in the pocket and the coaches are forcing him to do it. I saw an interview with him during fall practice where he said that this year he was going to be a pocket passer because the coaches didn't want to take a chance of him getting hurt running out there. Well standing in the pocket is no guarantee of safety. Tebow got blasted when he was standing in looking down field. He doesn't even set up properly in the pocket and I think this is a big part of our OL's problems pass protecting. Coaches? Just let the kid do what he does best and design plays for that. Then we may see Peach bowl results with our offense.:cuss:

 

yeah thats great and all, but you can't roll out every play.

 

No, but it should be acknowledged as a strong point and should be put into effect more often. You can't take a sack every play, either.

 

At this stage, it seems to point to the need for mixing up the QB's, JJ and JL, with more Sheppard involvement to see if this can keep the opposing defense off balance......JJ can't do it alone; too many things to correct.

 

Yes you can. We have seen the alternative. Is it pretty? By the way you CAN roll right or left and you can do things like sprint draws off the rollout look. There are a variety of things available. But if you are waiting for a miracle and JJ will all of sudden look like the next Payton Manning then we are in for a LONG season.

 

The kind of offense I'm thinking about is what a lot of teams use who have a short QB. They roll him out a lot so he can see a passing lane over the tall OL. Height isn't JJ's problem but pocket presence/confidence is. I have a feeling if JJ is allowed to do this much like the Peach bowl and starts hitting those down field passes this will boost his confidence and get him into a rhythm. Then they can call more pocket stuff and he may do well because of the confidence. I realize GT's defense isn't UF or Bama but it may be as good as Auburn so that would be a good game to try it. As most have pointed out on the forum, our OL isn't as big and strong as last year but supposedly it's quicker & more athletic. So they may be better at forming a moving pocket for JJ in the rollouts. This may not work at all but considering the results we have had so far I think it's worth at least a try.

 

I don’t think the question here is whether not JJ has my trust but whether he has the trust of his team. I think this team believes in him as the starter but he has not stepped up as the leader of the offense. That’s a lot to ask of a teenager who has started 8 games in his career at the college level, is feeling the heat of Tiger Nation analyzing the troubles of the offense, is learning the system and trying to be a college student all at the same time. It’s a lot to take in and I think he has done well under the circumstances.

We have all proposed our thoughts on why this offense is in trouble. The offensive line won’t block, we don’t stick with the running game when it succeeds, we don’t incorporate more weapons, we don’t throw the ball downfield enough, the coaches are running poor game plans and not making adjustments … I think there is some merit in most of what everyone has observed.

I believe the real heart of the issue is the absence of leadership and an identity on the offense. The identity of our defense has started to emerge and leaders are surfacing. Guys like Chad Jones, Patrick Peterson, and Kelvin Sheppard are starting to take hold. This has not happened on the offense. According to the roster on LSU Sports Net this team has 124 players. Of this there are 22 Seniors. Of those seniors, 11 of them play on offense and at least half are starters. I have yet to see any of them take the leadership role. It is up to the veterans to step up and take the heat off their younger teammates, especially the QB.

A championship team is comprised of the right blend of youth, talent, energy, enthusiasm and veteran leadership. I hate to invoke the crowned prince of college football but Tebow showed us all how to lead. He stood up, took ownership, put the team on his back and committed to a goal. I have yet to see that here. The only way that this team is going to realize success is through this kind of leadership. I expect the coaches to do this because it’s what they are paid handsomely to do. Ownership also must come from the players. Leaders must emerge who will inspire, push, motivate, and face the challenge without fear. This offense needs someone they can rally around. When Jacob Hester ran head first into a wall of defenders, refused to quit and emerged in the end zone it did more than just score points. He carried the torch, never quit and provided a vision of what was possible and his team responded.

That is what this team needs if it is going to become a champion.

:geaux: