Leaks Regarding Who Will Start?

Any news on Nelson/Heaps starter for tomorrow? Bronco mentioned maybe announcing on Thursday. I guess he never said anything. Seems like everyone in the media has been focusing on the Big 12 and haven't really mentioned much about this the past couple of days.



Are we really not going to know who is the starter until the first snap of the game?

Wrubell and others tweeting that Nelson will start. Go Riley. Go O. Go Cougs. Prove some of us wrong Riley.

If Riley Starts and Putnam is ready to contributre at least a little, and Pendleton is good to go - I predict a breakout game for the defense - no TDs allowed and a breakout of sorts for the offense - 30+ points.



This will be the first week I have predicted more than a 3 point BYU margin of victory - I usually go 1 point.



I am also assuming the SJSU RB is a little gimpy.

Even better is the fact that SJSU is eerily similar to USU. Their schemes and approach rely on a heavy running attack based on zone reads with runs right up the middle into the heart of the defense and some off tackle sweeps. Therefore, we should be quite prepared for this team as they won't be doing anything that we haven't seen previously against UT, UCF and USU. Key for our defense will be to stay disciplined, keep assignment sound, and wrap up the running back on first contact and not with arm tackles and bad angles.



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Riley is starting. He got 80% of the reps on Wednesday, Heaps 20%. This from someone who was at practice. Word is also that Riley's 80% were not exactly smooth and efficient. At all. Said Jake looked better in his 20%. We all know Jake is a better practice QB though and Riley is a gamer, not a practice QB, so I was not surprised by this. Jake has had the green jersey all week.



Also hearing that the team is not on the same page right now. Split in the team, and it is over Riley vs. Jake. Not too surprising really. This team needs a game with some offensive success, or this split will continue. Because the QB carousel will until 1 guy runs with the job. The offense lacks a leader, and the seniors on the O have not been able to do it.

Lawboy wrote:



Also hearing that the team is not on the same page right now. Split in the team, and it is over Riley vs. Jake. Not too surprising really. This team needs a game with some offensive success, or this split will continue. Because the QB carousel will until 1 guy runs with the job. The offense lacks a leader, and the seniors on the O have not been able to do it.

Actually that is surprising to me. Marcus Matthews made it sounds like the team was content with the situation and ready to move on with either QB. Press talk?

Yeah, press talk. No player will publically state their are internal issues. But there are--and have been for several weeks, actually. The USU game just brought them more to the surface again. JH lack of performance is at the heart of the split. Some still want him now to develop, others are ready for RN. But yeah, the team is ready to move on. To where and what that means is to be seen.

Winning will put an end to all divisions.



Sucks there is the divide, but expecting the players to be better than the rest of us is a bit naive.

Now that Nelson is starting, isn't Heaps supposed to quit trying to become the starter and throw his full support behind Nelson and try to unify the team behind Nelson???



Or does that theory only apply to Nelson when Heaps is the starter. Funny how no one who was making that argument when Heaps was starting cares to renew that logic now that Heaps is #2.



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snoscythe wrote:
Now that Nelson is starting, isn't Heaps supposed to quit trying to become the starter and throw his full support behind Nelson and try to unify the team behind Nelson???



Or does that theory only apply to Nelson when Heaps is the starter. Funny how no one who was making that argument when Heaps was starting cares to renew that logic now that Heaps is #2.



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Good point Snoscythe. I expect each of our QB's to throw his support behind whomever the coaches put in the game.

snoscythe wrote:
Now that Nelson is starting, isn't Heaps supposed to quit trying to become the starter and throw his full support behind Nelson and try to unify the team behind Nelson???



Or does that theory only apply to Nelson when Heaps is the starter. Funny how no one who was making that argument when Heaps was starting cares to renew that logic now that Heaps is #2.



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Who has said he shouldn't? Sometimes you can can really be overly smug.



On a separate note, I am not overly impressed with our coaching staff.

I have been a Jake guy from the beginning, but riley needs to start. There is no argument. After what we saw last week the coaches would be foolish not to. The team rallied when riley came in, however if we do get out and get a decent lead, look for Jake to get some game reps. I'm not talking mop up duty either, if we're ahead in the third and its still semi-competitive Jake will get in. I don't agree with it, but I think with Jake's apparent mental weakness Bronco and brandon won't risk destroying his psyche completely. IMHO



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jonnylingo wrote:

Now that Nelson is starting, isn't Heaps supposed to quit trying to become the starter and throw his full support behind Nelson and try to unify the team behind Nelson???



Or does that theory only apply to Nelson when Heaps is the starter. Funny how no one who was making that argument when Heaps was starting cares to renew that logic now that Heaps is #2.



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Who has said he shouldn't?

So you're saying he should?



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trueblue72 wrote:
I have been a Jake guy from the beginning, but riley needs to start. There is no argument. After what we saw last week the coaches would be foolish not to. The team rallied when riley came in, however if we do get out and get a decent lead, look for Jake to get some game reps. I'm not talking mop up duty either, if we're ahead in the third and its still semi-competitive Jake will get in. I don't agree with it, but I think with Jake's apparent mental weakness Bronco and brandon won't risk destroying his psyche completely. IMHO



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Jake needed a break. You could see it on his face. I am sure riley will start and we will all be pulling for him.

If there is a divide, I would think it would be between Jr/Sr and RMs for Riley and redshirt freshmen - true freshmen for Heaps. I guarantee that the OL, RBs and veteran D players are behind Riley - they are tired of putting out game after game and not seeing productivity in the endzone once inside the blue and red zone. Additionally, Riley brings fire/passion and sense of calm under adversity which Jake does not. The older players love this as it fits their style, and Riley's style of play, patience and taking nothing for granted clearly gain favor with Bronco. If We have another productive outing with Riley, he cements this job and everyone gets on the same page.



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snoscythe wrote:

snoscythe wrote:
Now that Nelson is starting, isn't Heaps supposed to quit trying to become the starter and throw his full support behind Nelson and try to unify the team behind Nelson???



Or does that theory only apply to Nelson when Heaps is the starter. Funny how no one who was making that argument when Heaps was starting cares to renew that logic now that Heaps is #2.



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Who has said he shouldn't?

So you're saying he should?



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I personally came to riley's defense when people were accusing him of trying to sabotage jake and saying he wasn't a team player. i have never seen a piece of credible evidence that that was the case with riley. I expect the same from Jake. you like to muck the controversy or maybe you are just directing your issues at me when they should be directed at others.



if the coaches name riley as starter, then yes jake should get behind him as the starter and support him. he should also be ready to step in should riley not get it done. i am not seeing your issue here.

Honestly what I would like to see if Jake get his act together and allow riley to take over once we are in the red zone.



it is clear, even when jake was throwing better earlier in the year that the offense with him can't convert in the endzone. they were however pretty good and moving the ball up the field into that area.



riley is valuable. jake is young and until lately was doing pretty well movin the ball up field until he got into the red zone. whether its the coaches fault or his at that point i don't know but i do think that riley can help there given his strength. i think the coaches would have been wise after game three to recognize the red zone problem and inserted riley more often to get it in. that way we have SUCCESS as a team. the team stays united and both qbs are contributing.



i honestly think our coaches are wasting our talent. I am not impressed with them. bronco is obviously a good defensive coordinator with a weakness of not being able to adjust, but offensively i put more blame on the coaches right now than anybody.

dmcougar wrote:
Wrubell and others tweeting that Nelson will start. Go Riley. Go O. Go Cougs. Prove some of us wrong Riley.

I follow Wrubell's tweets. They are sent to my phone. I don't remember seeing anything that specifically said Nelson was starting. He sent out stats for Nelson that he had when he played SJSU as an Aggie.



Any link to this tweet?



I just read in the SL Trib that Bronco wants to keep it a secret until kick off tomorrow.



http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/52691680-88/state-byu-week-nelson.html.csp



Quote from the article,



"Coach Bronco Mendenhall isn’t saying, preferring to keep the Spartans guessing up until kickoff, a BYU football representative said Friday."

I love how Jay Drew's tweet saying BYU will announce their starting QB later tonight is sandwiched between tweets from Harmon and BYU announcing Nelson as the official starter. Couldn't have happened to a better Yewt.

That is pretty disturbing to me that there would be players on the team that wouldn't be supporting Riley right now. The best thing Heaps could do from a leadership standpoint is get in their face and challenge them to follow Nelson, it would pay untold dividends for him when he earns his spot back.