James Lark Interview

Here's the link:



http://1280thezone.com/index.php/audio/listen/cougar_sports_james_lark" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



An interesting listen, just thought you'd all enjoy!



What are your thoughts?

It sounded to me like he was laying the offensive dysfunction of the last two seasons squarely at the feet of Brandon Doman's indecision.

snoscythe wrote:
It sounded to me like he was laying the offensive dysfunction of the last two seasons squarely at the feet of Brandon Doman's indecision.

Certainly at the offensive coaching staff including, but not limited to Doman. He clearly likes Anae better as a coach.



He also state that player unity on this team was the best of any team he has played on. I have been posting that all season based on my inside team sources - players. Lark was not one of those sources. I had two different starters as sources. Add Lark as a 3rd opinion.



People like DM Cougar need to lighten up on certain players - and defend Doman perhaps a little less. This was a coaching failure and it is being dealt with. It was also a talent / experience issue with players. Experienced defense. Inexperienced offense. it showed. SOS was higher which further exposed weaknesses.



I gain more respect for James Lark every time I hear him speak.



He has decided not to pursue football further even though his high school coach had arranged fund raising to help him with expenses to do so. Max Hall, injuries, and mission got Lark far behind other players. He has no bitterness. He is happy to have finally gotten a shot.



He graduates in April. That is a bit surprising unless it is a Master's Degree. He has been around forever. He is looking to go into sales. Best of luck, James.

I do find it interesting that no one has heard a peep out of RN after the season and Lark is the only one talking at all. I know Riley ended on a very sour note, but it is still interesting to me.



I commend Lark on how he is approaching these post-career interviews, I think if it were me I would be lambasting the offense and how I was screwed. Glad to hear he has taken the high road.



I did like the he mentioned Ammon Olson as being a good QB with a strong arm; I assumed (along with many other fans) that Hill was a shoe-in for the starting job, but I hope it is a fierce battle between them and Munns. I haven't given Munns any credit and Lark could have been just complementing his friend but I hope that Munns does get a shot and works his tail off.

[quote="trueblue72"]I do find it interesting that no one has heard a peep out of RN after the season



Does anyone want to hear anything from RN? To me, that chapter is closed and I have no desire to see it reopened.

Cougarbib wrote:

It sounded to me like he was laying the offensive dysfunction of the last two seasons squarely at the feet of Brandon Doman's indecision.

Certainly at the offensive coaching staff including, but not limited to Doman. He clearly likes Anae better as a coach.



He also state that player unity on this team was the best of any team he has played on. I have been posting that all season based on my inside team sources - players. Lark was not one of those sources. I had two different starters as sources. Add Lark as a 3rd opinion.



People like DM Cougar need to lighten up on certain players - and defend Doman perhaps a little less. This was a coaching failure and it is being dealt with. It was also a talent / experience issue with players. Experienced defense. Inexperienced offense. it showed. SOS was higher which further exposed weaknesses.



I gain more respect for James Lark every time I hear him speak.



He has decided not to pursue football further even though his high school coach had arranged fund raising to help him with expenses to do so. Max Hall, injuries, and mission got Lark far behind other players. He has no bitterness. He is happy to have finally gotten a shot.



He graduates in April. That is a bit surprising unless it is a Master's Degree. He has been around forever. He is looking to go into sales. Best of luck, James.

I'm not going to lighten my past criticism on Riley. And he is the only player I have been very critical of, except the Oline. But Riley was a Big part of the problem. I have also been hard on Doman all season with this ridiculous identity--if there was one--of a running man routine. Of course it's Domans fault and he should have been relieved from his Oc duties, not only for his lack of consistency and identity, which drove some of his poor play calling, but also for not containing Riley's ego, defiance, and playing style--a job that TH had to insert himself to have happen--and that lasted all of one game.

Doman had a suck Oline and soft Oline coach; and a HC that is not only fascinated (as he has stated publicly) with a running-man qb philosophy but very infatuated with the Grit-ster, son of Bibster. Doman was hired as a yes-man and as a fulfillment of Broncos fantasy of a running qb. And now, he is the one thrown under the bus. And now, it doesn't sound too much like he is even a good qb coach (also a Bronco miscalculation not to mention hiring an totally inexperienced OC).

So, I am not offering a defense of Doman, so much as support him in the face of a failed strategy by Bronco. Doman has to pay for all of his O coaches sins. Bronco sails on with hardly a scratch. Who knows, maybe TH wanted Doman originally.



And as for Mr Nelson, yes, it is ironic if not sad that he has not Been heard from or about. I wish him well in Med School and in life. And I hope he has kids he can bounce on his knee and tell them of the glory years that weren't at BYU.

trueblue72 wrote:
I do find it interesting that no one has heard a peep out of RN after the season and Lark is the only one talking at all. I know Riley ended on a very sour note, but it is still interesting to me.



I commend Lark on how he is approaching these post-career interviews, I think if it were me I would be lambasting the offense and how I was screwed. Glad to hear he has taken the high road.



I did like the he mentioned Ammon Olson as being a good QB with a strong arm; I assumed (along with many other fans) that Hill was a shoe-in for the starting job, but I hope it is a fierce battle between them and Munns. I haven't given Munns any credit and Lark could have been just complementing his friend but I hope that Munns does get a shot and works his tail off.

the last thing our coaches need ot a fierce qb battle. they don't know how to make those decisions. i am hoping that there is a clear starter the team can solidify around.

I think with Anae coming in the better QB will be on field. I trust Anae's ability to pick the right QB over Doman's.

Gunk wrote:
I think with Anae coming in the better QB will be on field. I trust Anae's ability to pick the right QB over Doman's.

Agree - he picked Nelson over Heaps. IN 2011 - Doman went with Heaps over Nelson.



Totally agree.

Gunk wrote:
I think with Anae coming in the better QB will be on field. I trust Anae's ability to pick the right QB over Doman's.

This. As Lark and other players have said, there is no messing around. If you aren't getting the job done, you are not ready and will be taken out.

But, consider also that THill >> Riley Nelson AND Ammon Olsen >>Heaps, at least because Olsen will have run the scout team and had time to prep for college level and not be a freshman right out of high school. Plus, Anae and 2J will have a rocking Oline. With Anae, it won't matter how fast THill is, if he can't throw the ball down field.

There was another Lark interview today.



His comments today, he said it was his understanding/belief that it was Doman's final call on who started at QB.



I feel bad for the kid, I personally don't believe he would have been any better than anyone else who played as evidenced by his performance in the bowl game, but there is no doubt he should have started the Boise and Utah games.

hawkwing wrote:
There was another Lark interview today.



His comments today, he said it was his understanding/belief that it was Doman's final call on who started at QB.



I feel bad for the kid, I personally don't believe he would have been any better than anyone else who played as evidenced by his performance in the bowl game, but there is no doubt he should have started the Boise and Utah games.

Interesting take. I thought Lark would have won the close games we lost. Granted, he had two interceptions...but the team moved the ball much more consistently with Lark at the helm. Third down plays did not appear to be so futile...which really helped the field position battle...which really helped the defense score.



Take into account it was only the second time he played...if Lark had played the past two years, he would have been much better than anything else we saw on the field.

pjmuli wrote:

There was another Lark interview today.



His comments today, he said it was his understanding/belief that it was Doman's final call on who started at QB.



I feel bad for the kid, I personally don't believe he would have been any better than anyone else who played as evidenced by his performance in the bowl game, but there is no doubt he should have started the Boise and Utah games.

Interesting take. I thought Lark would have won the close games we lost. Granted, he had two interceptions...but the team moved the ball much more consistently with Lark at the helm. Third down plays did not appear to be so futile...which really helped the field position battle...which really helped the defense score.



Take into account it was only the second time he played...if Lark had played the past two years, he would have been much better than anything else we saw on the field.

Maybe, maybe not. He also had at least 2 more easy picks that were simply dropped, one was a clear pick 6. He may have gotten better, but its even more likely that he would have gotten hurt sooner in the year, he did get a bad concussion in the Bowl game.

The problem with putting more stock in the SDSU game than the NMSU game is that SDSU had almost 3weeks to prep for Domans offense, A defense that is a pass hawking defense that ranked fairly well.

Regardless. We saw what Riley was capable of in one play of the one series he was granted. Lark may not have been a world beater, but he also was called on with very few reps during the year (quoting his interview).

Riley Nelson was moving the ball well until he made a mistake, a mistake of trying to throw to Apo. Should really stick to the good receivers on the team.



But either way, there's no doubt Lark would have been hurt, he couldn't make it through 2 games without a major injury, just like every other QB this year.

Cougs_Rule wrote:
Doman was hired as a yes-man and as a fulfillment of Broncos fantasy of a running qb.

There is zero evidence that Doman was hired as a yes-man. And in fact that goes in the face of every single move Bronco has ever made and as more and more evidence comes out that Doman did in fact did have full control of the offense it looks more and more ridiculous.



Doman was NOT hired as a yes-man.



Doman was hired to run the offense. He couldn't do it.



Bronco's problem is not that he wants yes-men, it's that he doesn't insert himself enough in the offense. He's too hands off.

hawkwing wrote:
Riley Nelson was moving the ball well until he made a mistake, a mistake of trying to throw to Apo. Should really stick to the good receivers on the team.

Wow. Just wow..... I agreed with you about the mistake of "trying to throw". It was what was said after that that you lost me.

hawkwing wrote:
Riley Nelson was moving the ball well until he made a mistake

.

Riley Nelson in a nutshell right there.

Stirfry wrote:

Riley Nelson was moving the ball well until he made a mistake, a mistake of trying to throw to Apo. Should really stick to the good receivers on the team.

Wow. Just wow..... I agreed with you about the mistake of "trying to throw". It was what was said after that that you lost me.

no kidding. It is just silly to blame Apo for his pic6. riley is the king of pic6s and turnovers. he was always good at moving the ball but horrible at doing it without bad mistakes. that is what kept him starting. he always moved the ball well. he just couldn't

't avoid turnovers. man am i glad he is finished.

jonnylingo wrote:

hawkwing wrote:
Riley Nelson was moving the ball well until he made a mistake, a mistake of trying to throw to Apo. Should really stick to the good receivers on the team.

Wow. Just wow..... I agreed with you about the mistake of "trying to throw". It was what was said after that that you lost me.

no kidding. It is just silly to blame Apo for his pic6. riley is the king of pic6s and turnovers. he was always good at moving the ball but horrible at doing it without bad mistakes. that is what kept him starting. he always moved the ball well. he just couldn't

't avoid turnovers. man am i glad he is finished.

Comment again when you've rewatched the play. Anyone who says it wasn't Apo's fault is a fool and so blinded by Riley-hate that they can't see clearly.



I'm not saying that Riley Nelson didn't have more than his share of bad decisions, he surely did. I didn't think he should have started after halftime against Utah, but I'll give credit and blame where they are due.