Heaps will Start Saturday

Hawkwing called it that Heaps would get benched against USU. Well I'm calling it that Bronco is going to name Heaps the starter on Saturday. It might not follow logic and it probably will piss off most of the fans, but coaches are very stubborn about making changes like that. Bronco might be one of the most stubborn coaches there is. I think they will give Heaps the start and it will take him sucking it up again and getting benched before Bronco and Doman turn the offense over to Nelson.



The key to Heaps having a good game will be giving him some easy passes early to get rolling. Quick outs, hitches, WR screens, and flare passes to start the game. Every game so far this year Heaps has gone on a streak where he looks good and hit his passes. The problem is he usually had gone 1-6 prior to going 8-10. If you want to see him struggle early have him come out throwing deep balls to start the game again.



The question is will Heaps get booed coming onto the field on Saturday. If he does you might find Bronco becoming even more stubborn to make a QB change. You know how Bronco reacts to fans booing...

I fear you might be right. I wouldn't be too surprised if Bronco disregards Brandon Doman's advice and has Heaps start. If that's the case I really hope that he has turned a corner and is able to play with confidence and accuracy, but I just don't see how he could make so big a turn around in so short a time.

Sorry, Heaps won't start. Him getting two drives in the second half were his final chances this year.

Nope. No chance. When they pushed Bronco about it during his post-game presser, he said that they'd evaluate things over the weekend. But he also said that when Riley got his chance he ran with it (pun intended?).



Bronco likes Riley's guts and fire, it was Doman's idea to make the switch, and 63000 fans "seconded" the decision.



Riley's starting on Saturday unless I really really don't understand what's going on in Bronco's head.

Bronco said he makes these kind of decisions by pondering them in quiet moments - another P word - not Potential - PRAYER - he will Pray about it with the team first in mind and with helping both QBs reach their potential factored in.



He said he would seek counsel from the coaches and the players. He was also likely unaware that Doman had already stated what he will recommend.



So far Bronco has been consistent. He gives his coaches a lot of rope for a long time. He should have kicked Doman's butt up to the box in week 1. He let Doman decide. Doman eventually grew up and went where he needed to be instead of where he wanted to be. He should have told Doman to bench Heaps after the Texas game if not in Q4. He let Doman decide. It seems unlikely that he would overturn a public stmt by Doman - but he will pray about it - and he might.



If it were in the best interest of the team - he should start Heaps. It is not. Bronco may lose the heart and soul of this team if he does not reward performance - that is what you do when you

want people to perform. Every receiver - with at most 1 exception- at most 1 - would vote Nelson next week. The rest of the players will vote Nelson. The coaches - Nelson. Bronco does have his own and unconventional drumbeat. He loves both players. He loves the team. I hope he gets this one right - beating SJSU is priority 1. Recapturing the heart and soul of this team is key. It was recaptured Friday night. You just should not mess with that.



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Read my lips...Riley will start.



I think. :roll:

Not a chance. This coaching staff isn't that foolish.

Wickchad84087 wrote:
Hawkwing called it that Heaps would get benched against USU. Well I'm calling it that Bronco is going to name Heaps the starter on Saturday. It might not follow logic and it probably will piss off most of the fans, but coaches are very stubborn about making changes like that. Bronco might be one of the most stubborn coaches there is. I think they will give Heaps the start and it will take him sucking it up again and getting benched before Bronco and Doman turn the offense over to Nelson.



The key to Heaps having a good game will be giving him some easy passes early to get rolling. Quick outs, hitches, WR screens, and flare passes to start the game. Every game so far this year Heaps has gone on a streak where he looks good and hit his passes. The problem is he usually had gone 1-6 prior to going 8-10. If you want to see him struggle early have him come out throwing deep balls to start the game again.



The question is will Heaps get booed coming onto the field on Saturday. If he does you might find Bronco becoming even more stubborn to make a QB change. You know how Bronco reacts to fans booing...

I am okay with Jake starting if that is what is best for this team. I can't possibly fathom how that could be the case, but I put my faith in the coaches knowing more than I do. If not we are doomed.



Having said that, if everything plays out as you described above, our coaches are idiots.

Wickchad84087 wrote:
The question is will Heaps get booed coming onto the field on Saturday. If he does you might find Bronco becoming even more stubborn to make a QB change. You know how Bronco reacts to fans booing...

To answer your question, if Heaps came out onto the field to start on Saturday, he very well could get booed.

SpiffCoug wrote:

The question is will Heaps get booed coming onto the field on Saturday. If he does you might find Bronco becoming even more stubborn to make a QB change. You know how Bronco reacts to fans booing...

To answer your question, if Heaps came out onto the field to start on Saturday, he very well could get booed.

would they be booing heaps? or the coaching staff?

Not sure it would matter to Jake on the field. He'd think it was him.

hawkwing wrote:
I fear you might be right. I wouldn't be too surprised if Bronco disregards Brandon Doman's advice and has Heaps start. If that's the case I really hope that he has turned a corner and is able to play with confidence and accuracy, but I just don't see how he could make so big a turn around in so short a time.

I disagree with this. Doman and Bronco both said that it was Bronco's decision as to who would start but I think that Doman will make the decision. Bronco has let Doman make major decisions all year and supported them. Whoever Doman wants to start is going to start. If Heaps gets the nod, I think he will be on a very short leash.

For the record, both of Heap's passes that should have been caught by the reciever for touchdowns Fri. night, but were dropped, were better passes than Riley's two touchdown passes. No one will be able to argue that point unless they haven't studied the film. I presume that the coaches are studying the film, so Heaps may start this week. Not just from these two examples, but from studying the whole game. And previous games. Most of the drive endings from all the games are team fault as much as Heaps fault. Coaches are smart enough to make that analysis.



These posts are great entertainment. Like the one on another thread that compared the four passes I mentioned above between Heaps and Nelson as " Heaps throwing ten yards above the receiver's head" and Riley being "right on the numbers". Someone must be practicing for Comedy Sports. If either of the touchdown passes Riley threw were right on the numbers, well I'll check myself into the Big White House on the Hill.



Or the one I read this morning that claimed that every time Riley has been inserted into the game prior to the USU game had resulted in significant positive gain. Right after reading that, I went downstairs to get a DVD ready to tape conference, and pulled out an unlabelled DVD and inserted it in the recorder. It was the Texas game. My son, who had been given explicit instructions on when to push record on the DVD recorder had forgotten, and had missed the first part of the game, so the first play that came on when I pushed play was a Riley Nelson option play that lost 1 or 2 yards on first down. The 2nd down play was a perfectly layed soft pass by Heaps that hit Apo in stride in both hands and dropped off those bricks to the ground. On third and 12, Heaps threw a perfect pass to Matthews for about 15 yds. and a first, thusly bailing Riley and Apo out on that series.



Time is short between Conference sessions so will not spend any more time on some of the ridiculous comments I have read, such as Schmoe's prevaracatorious (new word there) post on the Why Hate Heaps thread. Even Schmoe will have to admit if pressed that several of his statements about Heaps are lies. I should say damned lies since they are not little or white, but derogatory to someone's character.



I am so sick of the Heaps haters, I might just have time this week to analyze 5 games and document every series of downs as to culpability for drive stoppage. I don't even have to look at the Utah game, though I will. I know from doing this already to an extent from the tape of the Utah game, that Heaps played great in that game, WHILE THE GAME WAS IN DOUBT. On his one turnover, not only was the center snap uncatchable, but TWO OF THE THREE D LINEMEN UTAH SENT CAME BASICALLY UNTOUCHED AND ON TOP OF HEAPS AS HE WAS PICKING THE BALL UP!!!

Both of Heaps' passes that "should have been caught" were ones where the receiver came down out of bounds anyway. They weren't better than Riley's passes, because his ended up in bounds for six points each.

Alphaleonis wrote:
For the record, both of Heap's passes that should have been caught by the reciever for touchdowns Fri. night, but were dropped, were better passes than Riley's two touchdown passes.

This simply isn't true. Nelson's TD pass to Hoffman was as good as ANY completion Heaps has thrown this year.

One thing I noticed is that many of Nelson's passes floated a bit, giving the receivers a bit of time to get under it, adjust to where it was coming down.



Many of Heap's passes were more of the traditional "frozen rope". Think of his overthrow of Jacobsen in the endzone.

Alphaleonis wrote:
For the record, both of Heap's passes that should have been caught by the reciever for touchdowns Fri. night, but were dropped, were better passes than Riley's two touchdown passes. No one will be able to argue that point unless they haven't studied the film. I presume that the coaches are studying the film, so Heaps may start this week. Not just from these two examples, but from studying the whole game. And previous games. Most of the drive endings from all the games are team fault as much as Heaps fault. Coaches are smart enough to make that analysis.



These posts are great entertainment. Like the one on another thread that compared the four passes I mentioned above between Heaps and Nelson as " Heaps throwing ten yards above the receiver's head" and Riley being "right on the numbers". Someone must be practicing for Comedy Sports. If either of the touchdown passes Riley threw were right on the numbers, well I'll check myself into the Big White House on the Hill.



Or the one I read this morning that claimed that every time Riley has been inserted into the

game prior to the USU game had resulted in significant positive gain. Right after reading that, I went downstairs to get a DVD ready to tape conference, and pulled out an unlabelled DVD and inserted it in the recorder. It was the Texas game. My son, who had been given explicit instructions on when to push record on the DVD recorder had forgotten, and had missed the first part of the game, so the first play that came on when I pushed play was a Riley Nelson option play that lost 1 or 2 yards on first down. The 2nd down play was a perfectly layed soft pass by Heaps that hit Apo in stride in both hands and dropped off those bricks to the ground. On third and 12, Heaps threw a perfect pass to Matthews for about 15 yds. and a first, thusly bailing Riley and Apo out on that series.



Time is short between Conference sessions so will not spend any more time on some of the

ridiculous comments I have read, such as Schmoe's prevaracatorious (new word there) post on the Why Hate Heaps thread. Even Schmoe will have to admit if pressed that several of his statements about Heaps are lies. I should say damned lies since they are not little or white, but derogatory to someone's character.



I am so sick of the Heaps haters, I might just have time this week to analyze 5 games and document every series of downs as to culpability for drive stoppage. I don't even have to look at the Utah game, though I will. I know from doing this already to an extent from the tape of the Utah game, that Heaps played great in that game, WHILE THE GAME WAS IN DOUBT. On his one

turnover, not only was the center snap uncatchable, but TWO OF THE THREE D LINEMEN UTAH SENT CAME BASICALLY UNTOUCHED AND ON TOP OF HEAPS AS HE WAS PICKING THE BALL UP!!!

Maybe he should have dropped on it instead of trying to pick it up - you think? Then a punt - get it!



You are missing the point - you can make excuses all day long about how this guy or that guy let Jake down. He has lost the support of the team if he ever even had it. He Certainly did not earn it. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. Maybe you need to get your DVR and cut and paste a Funny Monkey type video with really sweet music, and show every play where Riley Nelson comes on the field including opponents panicking and burning a time- out. You will find that lost yardage to be about the only time something positive did not happen. I took heat for complaining that it broke

momentum early. Then I started calling for more of it, including throwing off it.



Work in a bunch of Heaps Apologist excuse shots. But make it a complete body of work - show every single sack and every single incomplete pass - not just the drops - and maybe this entertainment will clarify for you why there have been so many drops when Jake is passing vs good defenses. Go back to 2010 vs good defenses only. It will become clear. On the close-ups freeze frame on his eyes. You will recognize what he is focused on. Self preservation - not making plays. Have your son help you. Good family project.



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I would much rather see a crappy pass caught for a TD than a perfect pass that goes incomplete.

Schmoe wrote:
Both of Heaps' passes that "should have been caught" were ones where the receiver came down out of bounds anyway. They weren't better than Riley's passes, because his ended up in bounds for six points each.

This. I keep hearing from Alphie and Rocks about these Two dropped TD passes and even asked Rocks to spell out just what two passes he or she was talking about.



So Alphie - Blue is Better gave me posting pro tip:



Q: please describe in detail these two passes, receiver, down, distance, situation and be sure to address specifics about the drop - objectively of course - in bounds, out of bounds, leaping, diving, twisting, turning, behind, in front, finger tips, etc. Hit while catching, covered like a blanket. Tipped. You get it. Safety coming like a freight train over to give Apo another concussion on a targeted pass.



Etc.



I do not recall wide open guys hit in the numbers or led in the direction they were headed. Heaps missed by ten or fifteen yards on the wide open guys.



Oh and Q2



Did you notice Nelson overcoming a missed field goal, a fumble inside the 30, a botched fair catch resulting in 4 yard line with two minutes left, poor clock mgmt with under 30 seconds left, etc., and make plays instead of excuses?



Q3



Did youvsee Nelson sacrifice his body to set the ball at the 1 to save a stalled Jake Heaps drive and gift wrap his only TD of the game?



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SpiffCoug wrote:

For the record, both of Heap's passes that should have been caught by the reciever for touchdowns Fri. night, but were dropped, were better passes than Riley's two touchdown passes.

This simply isn't true. Nelson's TD pass to Hoffman was as good as ANY completion Heaps has thrown this year.

Your own agenda keeps you from admitting the truth--the half truth, at least.

That pass to Diluigi was as horrible an overthrow as any of Jake's--AND it was thrown behind JJ. That was such a lucky tip (credit to Riley who admitted as much)!!!

BUt the one to Hoffman was exactly where it needed to be thrown given the coverage was actually pretty good--AND Cody went and made a touch catch, proving coincidentally, that if a receiver can get your hands on it, it should be caught.

Having said that, I think Riley should start and play until the weaknesses on this offense, and there's a list, continue to expose the weakness of the qb in-play: namely, that as teams prepare and pressure mounts, it will be duck, tuck, and run by a guy who yes, has a ton of heart. I will say that I think Riley has improved over last year.

AND, if for no other reason, the team responds better to Riley. I hate it. It makes me sick to see the lack of full effort and focus by the offense when jake is in.

I think its about Sr's and Jr's hating the golden boy, jealous of the attention going back to last year and not giving their all: Yes, Mckay is the biggest culprit--way too many dropped passes and then line up the others; JJ is as selfish as any and a poison on the sidelines and a hypocrite bc he continues to give away easy fumbles, but acts incredulous when anyone else makes a mistake--thats not leadership. And the great understated, draft-stock dropping MReynolds and this vaunted, swiss-cheese Oline.; its a joke.



I am happy for this team and Cougar Nation. We needed a miracle and we got one. Again, credit Riley (JJ doesnt get any with his net-zero effort). I am very happy for him. I hope he doesnt get injured form the pounding he's going to take. BUt he has my support and vote (as irrelevant as it is).



Now we need some more wins over patsies and maybe a win over TCU and we get away with a scare and try to regroup next year for our NC run. oh yeah, better get a freakin freak RB. Juice is good, but he's alone. Dont know about Iona.

Did either QB complete EVERY pass? No, and you can feel free to nitpick Riley's bad throws as many have done to Jake's. But it comes down to overall performance: look at the completion percentage, look at the numbers, look at the PER, look at who won us the game and played a part in EVERY SINGLE SCORE we had on the day, and it becomes pretty obvious who we should be backing as the starter come Saturday.