Thursday Practice Twice as Good

[Crimson Surfer]

Thursday Practice Twice as Good

With threatening lightning forcing the Alabama football team’s practice indoors for the fourth time during fall camp, the squad was given a slight break from the oppressive heat in Tuscaloosa since practice began on August 9.

 

[smokewagon212]

the injuries suck, but there is NO DOUBT this team is working hard. If keys has a concussion, I wonder what the running back looks like, that kid hits like a truck!

 

[J.Will]

I honestly...

I honestly don't like the fact that JJ is(from the article) viewed as a running back now. I want him at QB. I want the athletic, you never know what's gonna happen QB. Maybe it's just a romanticized version of reality that I live in, but I want the athletic balls to the wall play making ability at the QB position. I want the boy to redshirt and come out gunslinging next year, but it's his decision, but I hope he's not selling himself short and going for the easy money as they say. Yeah he can play at RB or ST this year, but I truly believe he's a born QB. JMO

J.Will

 

[JessN]

I honestly don't like the fact that JJ is(from the article) viewed as a running back now. I want him at QB. I want the athletic, you never know what's gonna happen QB. Maybe it's just a romanticized version of reality that I live in, but I want the athletic balls to the wall play making ability at the QB position. I want the boy to redshirt and come out gunslinging next year, but it's his decision, but I hope he's not selling himself short and going for the easy money as they say. Yeah he can play at RB or ST this year, but I truly believe he's a born QB. JMO

J.Will

I'd like that too, but then again, I can't remember the last championship team to have that.

USC has won with Matt Leinart, who is pretty much a pocket passer. Same for Oklahoma and Josh Heupel. Miami's quarterbacks have all been pocket guys. I guess LSU or Tennessee would come the closest -- LSU with Mauck, Tennessee with Tee Martin. But neither of those guys were truly make-your-mouth-fall-open playmakers. They were basically good components of great teams.

Alabama's last NC quarterback was Jay Barker, who was athletic, but not athletic in the way you mean. Florida won with Danny Wuerfel.

The guys like Donovan McNabb (Syracuse), Michael Vick (Virginia Tech) and so on did not play for championship teams. The last one I can think that might have was Charlie Ward at FSU, but I can't remember if his team ever won a championship.

I personally would also prefer Johns to redshirt and stay at QB, but even if he did so, he wouldn't automatically beat out Wilson next spring. Johns had impressive HS stats, but Wilson's were even more impressive, sans the rushing yards. And prior to his decision to move, he was a whole lot closer on the depth chart to Barnes than he was to Wilson or Guillon.

 

[BammaNFla]

charlie ward

won the Heisman and FSU won its 1st NC in '93.

 

[TommyMac]

Any team that wins a NC has a heckuva lot more going for them than just the QB. It's not like being athletic would be a handicap for a QB. Wouldn't Leinart be even more dangerous if he had a set of wheels? I doubt that tutorsee would've been undefeated without Tee Martin's athleticism, they sure couldn't pull it off with Peyton. Would Utah have ran the table last season with a pocket guy? Not even close. Va. Tech didn't win the NC game against FSU, but they'd never have been in it without Michael Vick. Look at what Vince Young did to Michigan in the Rose Bowl, no way does Texas wins that game with an immobile guy in the pocket.

I really think the days of the statue in the pocket are going the way of the dinosaur in college football unless you get a guy like Dan Marino who had incrediblle vision and a lightning like release and those guys don't come around very often.

 

[Golden Bama]

Maybe that's why you guys aren't the coach??

I guess I am just glad we have coaches and players that are willing to make decisions based on what is best for the team overall. Instead of where they personally want to see a kid play or their "romanticized version of reality".

Sure everyone enjoyed watching Matt Jones scramble last year, but even Houston Nutt has said now that he is gone maybe they can get the ball into the other playemakers hands.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Ut...

certainly wouldn't have beaten us Tee's senior year without his big plays...

 

[ryno]

certainly wouldn't have beaten us Tee's senior year without his big plays...

You are right about that. I still hold that if Andrew Zow doesn't get hurt in the first half of that game that we would have won.

 

[GulfCoastTider]

I doubt that tutorsee would've been undefeated without Tee Martin's athleticism, they sure couldn't pull it off with Peyton.

That cheatin' SOB should have been declared ineligible on the Monday after the 1999 Georgia Tennessee game. Today, he's a nobody. The Tennessee athletic department doesn't even want him in the stadium for their home games.

It's ironic that Tennessee, who won it all with him at QB, hasn't done diddly on the national stage since he left and is ashamed of a man they named a street after.

Don't forget the wax statue, either.

 

[BamaCod]

Good read, thanks for posting. As for injuries, there are many, but they are the typical kind you expect from two-a-days (hams, concussions, cramps, sprains, etc).

 

[KanBama]

Arkansas did not do much with Matt Jones at QB. He won a lot of games for them, but you need more than a mobile QB to win. We could not do it with Watts or Zow. I like the pocket passer better, they are less likley to bolt at the first chance of trouble.
That was the biggest fault I saw with Watts. He was always looking for the run first not the pass. There where several times when he could have made a big pass play if he would have sat in the pocket for a few more seconds.

Give me a Jay Barker every day of the week. He was not flashy, but he won the games. And as we all know, winning is everything in SEC football.

 

[bamabake]

I honestly don't like the fact that JJ is(from the article) viewed as a running back now. I want him at QB. I want the athletic, you never know what's gonna happen QB. Maybe it's just a romanticized version of reality that I live in, but I want the athletic balls to the wall play making ability at the QB position. I want the boy to redshirt and come out gunslinging next year, but it's his decision, but I hope he's not selling himself short and going for the easy money as they say. Yeah he can play at RB or ST this year, but I truly believe he's a born QB. JMO

J.Will

Wouldnt he have to beat out the others? I am proud of his decision to play and help the team. We need depth and he apparently is a tremendously versatle athlete. You might change your mind if he ends up decleating wide recievers, or running for 1500 yards. I am glad he came to Alabama.

 

[bama579]

You might change your mind if he ends up decleating wide recievers, or running for 1500 yards.

"De-cleating." A great word. Especially when applied to Viles, Aubs, etc.

"I love the sound of de-cleating . . . It sounds like victory." Adaptation of the Robert Duvall line in "Apocalypse Now."

 

[bamar]

i think we are forgetting some really good qbs at nebraska and oklahoma that won championships, out of the wishbone, and option formations.

 

[Probius]

Any team that wins a NC has a heckuva lot more going for them than just the QB. It's not like being athletic would be a handicap for a QB. Wouldn't Leinart be even more dangerous if he had a set of wheels? I doubt that tutorsee would've been undefeated without Tee Martin's athleticism, they sure couldn't pull it off with Peyton. Would Utah have ran the table last season with a pocket guy? Not even close. Va. Tech didn't win the NC game against FSU, but they'd never have been in it without Michael Vick. Look at what Vince Young did to Michigan in the Rose Bowl, no way does Texas wins that game with an immobile guy in the pocket.

I really think the days of the statue in the pocket are going the way of the dinosaur in college football unless you get a guy like Dan Marino who had incrediblle vision and a lightning like release and those guys don't come around very often.

I agree that we are seeing more athletic qb's, however we are not seeing those qb's winning any championships. It is not a negative for a qb to be mobile. If you found a great throwing qb who is very athletic then you have something special. But this is not something you are going to find very often. A qb does not need to be a worldbeater in order to help his team win a championship, and a guy who is running all over the place is going to get himself hurt or committ turnovers. Bama does not need someone to come in at qb and win by himself. We need a guy like Jay Barker who will not do anything to get us beat. Football is always changing but defense will always win games.

 

[Crimson-Blitz]

I really think the days of the statue in the pocket are going the way of the dinosaur in college football unless you get a guy like Dan Marino who had incrediblle vision and a lightning like release and those guys don't come around very often.

I think Croyle has that potential.

 

[TommyMac]

I agree that we are seeing more athletic qb's, however we are not seeing those qb's winning any championships. It is not a negative for a qb to be mobile. If you found a great throwing qb who is very athletic then you have something special. But this is not something you are going to find very often. A qb does not need to be a worldbeater in order to help his team win a championship, and a guy who is running all over the place is going to get himself hurt or committ turnovers. Bama does not need someone to come in at qb and win by himself. We need a guy like Jay Barker who will not do anything to get us beat. Football is always changing but defense will always win games.

I love Jay Barker, but his W/L was mainly due to some dominating defenses. You won't win many championships with a QB who won't get you beat unless you have those kind of D's. Jay only passed for like 14 yards in the NC game against Miami, but luckily, he had a defense tht sucked the life out of the Canes. I doubt that BAMA or anyone else will ever win another NC with 14 yards passing.

I love the way you arbitrarily decided that a mobile QB will either get hurt or commit turnovers, only negative things and nothing positive.

 

[Probius]

I love Jay Barker, but his W/L was mainly due to some dominating defenses. You won't win many championships with a QB who won't get you beat unless you have those kind of D's. Jay only passed for like 14 yards in the NC game against Miami, but luckily, he had a defense tht sucked the life out of the Canes. I doubt that BAMA or anyone else will ever win another NC with 14 yards passing.

I love the way you arbitrarily decided that a mobile QB will either get hurt or commit turnovers, only negative things and nothing positive.

I am only saying that mobile qb's put themselves in dangerous positions quite often. They also tend to be sort of gunslingers like a Brett Favre who will either put up huge numbers or blow it big. You do get positive things out of moblie qb's, but they are risky. I am just not sold on the idea that the college game is moving toward mobile qb's.

 

[TommyMac]

I am only saying that mobile qb's put themselves in dangerous positions quite often. They also tend to be sort of gunslingers like a Brett Favre who will either put up huge numbers or blow it big. You do get positive things out of moblie qb's, but they are risky. I am just not sold on the idea that the college game is moving toward mobile qb's.

It just seems to me that defenses are getting a lot more sophisticated, especially with blitz packages. We've never seemed to be all that in pass protection anyway. Having a QB who's rooted to the pocket just allows the D's to find him that much easier. A sack can kill a drive just as quick as a major penalty.