When Do BYU Coaches Need to Make a QB Decision?

At some point BYU coaches have to make a starting QB decision. Is there a deadline in your mind, by which time coaches need to make a decision before game prep and team cohesion starts to be affected?



In my mind, BYU needs a starter named by game week. So the Monday before the first game, a starter needs to be in place so the game plan can be implemented. If it's after that point, I think game execution could be affected.



Thoughts?

Right before the first practice specific to preparation for the UW game. Whether that is 1 week prior, 2 weeks prior, whenever. Just before that first dedicated practice for the first game is when is needs to be decided.

As long as we are down to two contenders by the end of the first week of camp (and by all indications we are already there), then the top two can trade reps until separation exists or the coaches are forced to make a decision.



In that scenario, if the #1 gets the #1 reps for a week leading up to the first game, we will be fine.

I can see the advantage of having a starter "in place" before UW prep begins. But I also hope they don't make it public until the first snap of the game... Let the puppies wonder who is going to start and have to prepare for as many as are still in contention at that point.

When the QB they originally choose plays really badly.





Here's what I think (opinion worth little) both QBs will play next year. Heaps is too good to redshirt, if that wasn't true, he'd be behind Lark or tied with him, but he's pulled ahead slightly. It's a tough call though, Lark is like Big Ben, Nelson is like Steve Young, and Heaps release is similar to Mcmahon and has Detmer like poise...Y cant lose

Give both Nelson & Heaps major reps - both preparing for UW. On Monday before the game - name your starter based on how the summer practice has gone. But - now you have 2 QB's ready to go. If an injury occurs - #2 is primed & ready to roll! UW will be a tough game!!

Both Sarkisian & Locker plan on winning that game.

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I would say a week after fall camp begins we need to know who is starting...or as soon as possible. The thing that people forget is that when Max was being groomed to be the starter he was getting 85% of all the snaps in practice leading up to his first game starting against the Arizona Wildcats. Of course in this scenario you risk not developing your back up properly but it worked out for us very well Max's first year and I think that whoever the starter is needs to begin getting the majority of reps well in advance of the UW game. The mentality of the QB must be massaged and cared for especially if it is Jake Heaps. I wouldn't want Heaps to find out at coin toss that he's the starter. With Riley you have some wiggle room on when you let him know. I'm confident he can come in at any time and perform adequately.



The team needs maximum time to gel with the starter when it comes to his manurisms, his voice tone, his cadence, everything.

The team needs to know a week in advance for the game. The fans and Washington don't need to know who the starter is until the first snap of the game. Let Washington prepare for two different styles of offense. I can see this as being an even bigger advantage over what Utah did last year because the offense would have been pretty much the same with Wynn or Cain at QB. BYU can do many different things depending on who the quarterback is.



Maybe make the fans and Washington wait until the second or third snap of the game to find out who the quarterback is and have Harvey take the first snap in the wildcat formation...

Wickchad84087 wrote:

Maybe make the fans and Washington wait until the second or third snap of the game to find out who the quarterback is and have Harvey take the first snap in the wildcat formation...

Mongo like. No doubt - right now - and definitely by the 2nd week of summer practice the Coaches will KNOW who is the QB. Right now. I believe Bronco has his mind pretty well made up. But, neither we - nor the UW need to know. Wait till game time & trot the new QB out .... if it jacks up the competition - then do it! Anything for an edge.



Personally - I think it will be Riley. Simply based on 2 years experience in Div. 1 Football. He has seen "game time" at this level. Just like "7 on 7" is not like "11 on 11". A real Div. 1 Football game @ real time speed is mind boggling for a new QB. Jake will get his time. Jake will be a monster! He will play this Fall. But to start the 1st game w/ so much in the balance ..... Well, we shall see.

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I think the coaches and players should know the starter before the start of game preparation for the UW game. I don't think the public should know until the player runs out under center for the first snap. Close practice that week and practice in the practice facility so that no one will be able to leak it. I don't want UW to know anything about what offense they will be facing.

I vote name the starter to the team a week before the game, but not announce publicly until gameday. I'm one of those who thinks that the more reps the starter gets, and the less looking over his shoulder does, the better. I really don't care who is named starter as long as that player has proven he can lead the offense--I want the coaches to be committed to the starter.

Y&Brit wrote:
Here's what I think (opinion worth little) both QBs will play next year. Heaps is too good to redshirt, if that wasn't true, he'd be behind Lark or tied with him, but he's pulled ahead slightly. It's a tough call though, Lark is like Big Ben, Nelson is like Steve Young, and Heaps release is similar to Mcmahon and has Detmer like poise...Y cant lose

Can you be too good to redshirt? Both McMahon and Detmer redshirted. In fact, I'm not sure how many on this board remember, but McMahon redshirted after his sophomore year. As a sophomore, McMahon, who threw for 1300 yards, split time with junior Marc Wilson, who threw for about 1500. The team went on to win the WAC and go to the inaugural Holiday Bowl.



The next year, the coaching staff decided that dividing time among two good QBs was not optimal, and so McMahon redshirted what would have been his junior year allowing Marc Wilson to start his entire senior season. You'll remember that season as the one that Wilson led the team to an upset on the road at Texas A&M in the season opener while running a fever. That team was a missed 27 yard field goal away from finishing undefeated.



Maybe the coaches should consider letting the two split time in 2010, and if Nelson is deemed good enough to be a full-time starter as a senior (and Heaps has shown he is worthy to be a full-time starter), they could redshirt Heaps in 2011 while telling him to prepare to start as a sophomore in 2012. After all, they will both have earned the starting job, but the team's best interest will be in both QBs around as long as possible. It will be McMahon-Wilson all over again.

frdbtr wrote:
I think the coaches and players should know the starter before the start of game preparation for the UW game. I don't think the public should know until the player runs out under center for the first snap. Close practice that week and practice in the practice facility so that no one will be able to leak it. I don't want UW to know anything about what offense they will be facing.

Bullseye!! Bingo!!

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