The QB Poll

[Mars]

Who do you think will win BYU's starting quarterback job?

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=498&sid=10949480



(This is the same exact poll I asked here March 23rd. I'm curious to see if the answer has changed, and how)

[Florwood]

I voted, but there may be a difference in what I think vs what I want.

[hawkwing]

I'm really up in the air on this one. I think if it's close, and you think BYU will lose no additional games with Nelson at the head you give Heaps the redshirt year to get fully into the system. But if Heaps can show in fall more separation from Nelson you may just have to go with him.

[snoscythe]

At this point, I (wait for it.....) think it will be (wait for it......) Nelson (...and the other shoe drops!).

The amount of debate on this board proves one thing only--it's a tight race. In a tight race between a Junior with a year and a half in the system and a true freshman with 6 months in the system, the nod goes to the Junior and the true freshman bides his time with 5 to play 4. This especially after the offense has lost its defacto captain in Unga and the coaches have acknowledged the leadership edge going to the Junior.

[Mars]

The amount of debate on this board proves one thing only--it's a tight race.

This especially after the offense has lost its defacto captain in Unga and the coaches have acknowledged the leadership edge going to the Junior.

1- With 6 votes so far, it does seem to look like a tight race to program outsiders.
2- Nelson has the leadership in... off-season workouts. On the field? We shall see. Wouldn't the guy the QBs trust more have more leadership? Because that's Heaps.
3- I noticed yesterday that Illinois named a freshman QB their new starter, over last year's back-up, a sophomore. It happens all the time in college football.
4- If the current poll results hold, and I'm not sure that they will, they will show something very interesting. I know what, but I'm not quite sure why.

[Ddawg]

This is such a "shot in the dark" - because we are not at the practices actually watching. All the info. We are getting is 2nd hand & filtered. I'm taking a "wait & see" attitude. Either way - the right decision will be made. I expect changes to occur during the season as both QB's evolve & develop. No question - both QB's (Nelson & Heaps) are talented & bring real game to the table.

[Mars]

This is such a "shot in the dark" - because we are not at the practices actually watching. All the info. We are getting is 2nd hand & filtered. I'm taking a "wait & see" attitude. Either way - the right decision will be made. I expect changes to occur during the season as both QB's evolve & develop. No question - both QB's (Nelson & Heaps) are talented & bring real game to the table.

Maybe that the "right" approach, to refuse to take sides or be in any QBs camp at all. I'm just too opinionated to go that route, personally. Besides, it's supposed to be more fun to have a sports opinion than not.

[Lawboy]

I posted it elsewhere, but I think leadership in the QB position is slightly overrated. Max Hall was no team leader, but he won--a lot. What you need in that position is the guy who helps you win. Players rally around the guy who helps you win, because they all want to win. No one wants to be happy to rally around the loveable guy who loses games for you. Guys want to win. I refer you to Sean Covey and ty detmer. Covey was the experienced guy, the well liked guy. Detmer the fiery RS freshman. Covey payed, sputtered, Detmer came in and won, and the team rallied around him really fast. this scenario reminds me of that one. heaps is a fiery, but inexperienced guy. Nelson the experienced guy, but no one really knows if he can get it done. I prefer to let Heaps learn on the job, like USC did last year with Barkley. Barkley will be really good now this year, just as Heaps will be in 2011 if he starts this year. Nothing better to help you improve than on the field time. John Beck proves that as well. Plus, Heaps has the intangibles that really matter, which puts it ahead of the average freshman by a mile.

[Brayden Green]

Again, Neslon really has no experience. Scrub time, and offseason practices don't amount for a whole lot... We give him way too much credit for a whole lotta nothing.

[Mars]

I've been going back and looking at the numbers, and I found that:

1- Out of 14 BYU practices, 4 of Riley Nelson's 5 touchdowns came in the last 3 practices, including short passes to Jacobsen, DiLuigi, and Chambers that went for 75, 60 yards, and 60 yards. That's 236 of his 339 total yards for the entire camp. http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=498&sid=10252761 http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=498&sid=10343425 http://heraldextra.com/sports/college/b ... c1ea6.html
2- Riley Nelson got more series than Heaps in each of the last 3 practices (10 to 7 overall), which Bronco basically described as "show" practices ("fun" and "for the fans" were his exact words, saying the coaches "were distracted" and "didn't pay attention"), designed to get younger players reps while sitting the experienced players to eliminate injuries to starters (Mendenhall said that the back-ups "didn't execute" and "weren't consistent"). And the extra series for Nelson were on shorter fields (from 20 yards out, compared to 35 for Heaps on the final day, for example). http://heraldextra.com/sports/college/b ... 2270f.html
3- The starting DBs were mostly held out of these practices. Even Unga threw a 75-yard TD pass, and Lark threw a 50-yard TD pass, his ONLY TD of Spring camp (which BYU didn't include in his final numbers, oddly enough, though multiple websites reported it). http://heraldextra.com/sports/college/b ... ffc42.html

Anyway, over the first 11 practices Nelson threw for 103 yards and 1 TD- during an endzone drill (less than 10 passing yards a day- including days where he threw for 2 yards and 0 yards... not confidence-inducing for a kid who could potentially start against Washington... were Heaps injured), while Heaps threw for 5 TDs and approximately 550 yards. This is where most of the "Nelson got blown away" comments and thoughts were solidly formed and founded. Justifiably so. Heaps also had at least two throws of over 50 yards that were dropped by WRs. Not intercepted, dropped. I don't think Nelson could even hope to throw a ball that far, and opposing defenses will know that.


This also explains why at CougarFan.com, 4451 people think Heaps should start, and only 1660 think Nelson should: http://www.cougarfan.com/polls/pollmentorres.asp?R1=1

Even more so, 77% of CougarCorner expected Heaps to win the starting QB job back when there was only one week of Spring football camp left: http://www.cougarcorner.com/viewtopic.p ... hilit=poll