C
cscougI admit upfront, I have been very frustrated with Bronco's insistence on Riley remaining the starter. I was mad for a while. I thought about it more, and I have come to the following conclusion--this more about a philosophy change than it is about Riley. See what you think.
I wanted to post a little a different take on the QB situation. It has been mentioned a number of times by Bronco but appears to largely have gone unnoticed on the discussion board. Namely, Bronco has stated that he is changing philosophy and wants BYU to have a running QB. I think Bronco has committed to this 100%, and when viewed that way, it makes a lot more sense why he has so adamantly stuck with Riley. Consider the following:
Current personnel decisions:
- Riley has been firmly entrenched as the starter, in spite of his persistent turnovers and critical errors
- Taysom Hill elevated to second string over James Lark, even as a newly returned missionary
- James Lark firmly planted on the bench, although he has shown to be a capable player and is a senior
Past personnel decisions:
- Riley Nelson overtakes Jake Heaps as the starter and remains so
- Jake Heaps decides to transfer to a school with a coach that has a reputation for being a keen offensive mind even though he will have to sit out a year. He could have stayed here and redshirted as well. He chose not to. Was this because too much water was under the bridge? Probably. But I would consider leaving as well if the coaches were committed to running QBs and I was a pocket passer. Look at how itâs played out for James Lark.
Staff make-up:
- Doman was a running QB at BYU. He ran the option in HS and did so effectively in college. He is well-versed in running QBs.
- Joe DuPaix was hired onto the staff when this philosophy started. He too was a running QB in college. He came from Navy where they run the triple option that relies on a running QB. He also came from the option in HS that was instilled by his father and coach. He is well-versed in running QBs.
- Doman comes from this same HS system
Coaching philosophy:
- Bronco is a successful DC that often gets burned by running QBs. He sees the value of a running QB
- Brandon Doman is the offensive coordinator and has a long history in the philosophy that utilizes running QBs
Future recruits:
- all future QB recruits are running QBs
- Tanner Mangum and Billy Green have already committed
- Austin Kafentzis and Kimane Domena, both already offered for class of 2015, are running QBs
- Joe DuPaix is the recruiting coordinator
Looking at it this way, makes me less critical of Broncoâs stubbornness to continue with Riley. It shifts the debate to whether or not this philosophical change is right for BYU. Bronco holds dear to much of the success and good values LaVell espoused. He obviously does not feel similarly about LaVellâs offensive approach, nor should he be required to feel so. After suffering through Riley and watching Taysom get hurt, I am apprehensive about the change in philosophy. This is underscored by Broncoâs insistence to stick with it while Riley so painfully cost us games and Lark atrophied on the bench. However, I am not as frustrated with Broncoâs man-crush on Riley now that I see why it was the case.
I wanted to post a little a different take on the QB situation. It has been mentioned a number of times by Bronco but appears to largely have gone unnoticed on the discussion board. Namely, Bronco has stated that he is changing philosophy and wants BYU to have a running QB. I think Bronco has committed to this 100%, and when viewed that way, it makes a lot more sense why he has so adamantly stuck with Riley. Consider the following:
Current personnel decisions:
- Riley has been firmly entrenched as the starter, in spite of his persistent turnovers and critical errors
- Taysom Hill elevated to second string over James Lark, even as a newly returned missionary
- James Lark firmly planted on the bench, although he has shown to be a capable player and is a senior
Past personnel decisions:
- Riley Nelson overtakes Jake Heaps as the starter and remains so
- Jake Heaps decides to transfer to a school with a coach that has a reputation for being a keen offensive mind even though he will have to sit out a year. He could have stayed here and redshirted as well. He chose not to. Was this because too much water was under the bridge? Probably. But I would consider leaving as well if the coaches were committed to running QBs and I was a pocket passer. Look at how itâs played out for James Lark.
Staff make-up:
- Doman was a running QB at BYU. He ran the option in HS and did so effectively in college. He is well-versed in running QBs.
- Joe DuPaix was hired onto the staff when this philosophy started. He too was a running QB in college. He came from Navy where they run the triple option that relies on a running QB. He also came from the option in HS that was instilled by his father and coach. He is well-versed in running QBs.
- Doman comes from this same HS system
Coaching philosophy:
- Bronco is a successful DC that often gets burned by running QBs. He sees the value of a running QB
- Brandon Doman is the offensive coordinator and has a long history in the philosophy that utilizes running QBs
Future recruits:
- all future QB recruits are running QBs
- Tanner Mangum and Billy Green have already committed
- Austin Kafentzis and Kimane Domena, both already offered for class of 2015, are running QBs
- Joe DuPaix is the recruiting coordinator
Looking at it this way, makes me less critical of Broncoâs stubbornness to continue with Riley. It shifts the debate to whether or not this philosophical change is right for BYU. Bronco holds dear to much of the success and good values LaVell espoused. He obviously does not feel similarly about LaVellâs offensive approach, nor should he be required to feel so. After suffering through Riley and watching Taysom get hurt, I am apprehensive about the change in philosophy. This is underscored by Broncoâs insistence to stick with it while Riley so painfully cost us games and Lark atrophied on the bench. However, I am not as frustrated with Broncoâs man-crush on Riley now that I see why it was the case.