All Things 2019 QB Talk

[AURex 1,995]

My real concern is not which QB is selected to start, but the offensive play calling that Gus throws out there.

The **average fan** sees only 3 plays from Gus -- (1) run into the line, (2) sweep, and (3) throw a bomb. Some fans might remember a 4th play -- QB run option off tackle -- back in the days of Cam and Nick. That's ancient history for many Auburn fans.

So, given that simplistic view of 4 plays (hahaha) -- (1) which QB can do better at that off-tackle option? and (2) which QB can actually hit a receiver running long? Because any QB can hand the ball to a RB hitting the line or sweeping.

Right now, it seems like everyone is gushing over Joey because he has size and speed and might be able to do the off tackle thing like a real big boy Cam. But can he throw the ball downfield anywhere close enough for an Auburn receiver to catch it? Nobody knows.

And we don't know if Bo can do any of that stuff adequately either.

Fact is, we are all just making up pictures in our heads based on bitty-bits of stuff that's "out there" on the web.

I don't know which guy will start against Oregon. I hope both get some time on the field with a real opportunity to run the full playbook. (The Gus 4 play offense. hahaha)

May the better QB get the job.

AND PLEASE BE COGNIZANT that there's some real tongue in cheek going on here.

Yet there's also some actual points here.

 

[AUsince72 11,084]

2 hours ago, tbone1430 said:

I know this comparison is lightyears off at this point in terms of talent, but it seems like we have two options at QB: a Cam Newton comparison and someone who to me is more of a Baker Mayfield mold. Both would be a great option its just who fits better in the offense. Baker Mayfield would not put up stats like he did if he was in our offensive style. I think Bo is a special QB just don't know if he is in the right system. Hope I'm right though that we have two special players and Bo stays around long enough to start after Joey moves on. 

I agree with this... especially the bold portion.

IMO, Bo = Baker except with (I hope) more maturity.  I think their attitudes are very similar (winners) but BM was basically an immature jerk from what I saw (he's a pro now, so fair game) and Bo definitely brings that same competitive Alpha Dawg mentality, however I'm hoping (suspecting) that being his father's son, he'll have self control and be a good ambassador for AU.  I guess that's an "eye of the beholder" type thing though....just my 2¢.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending your POV), I believe the Gus Offense is in Joey's wheelhouse whereas Bo would be SO SO SO AWESOME in Oklahoma's Offense.  Unless Gus dusts off the Tulsa or 2009 Auburn playbooks, I just don't see Bo's style to be much different than Sean or Jarrett which most of us have witnessed enough.

[bigbird 60,522]

22 minutes ago, doc4aday said:

Does anyone know if Jubinor has left the program or not? I thought he was entering the transfer portal, but was hoping he changed his mind and decided to stay with us.

 

WDE!

 

Doc

He won't be back

[AUsince72 11,084]

12 minutes ago, AURex said:

My real concern is not which QB is selected to start, but the offensive play calling that Gus throws out there.

The **average fan** sees only 3 plays from Gus -- (1) run into the line, (2) sweep, and (3) throw a bomb. Some fans might remember a 4th play -- QB run option off tackle -- back in the days of Cam and Nick. That's ancient history for many Auburn fans.

So, given that simplistic view of 4 plays (hahaha) -- (1) which QB can do better at that off-tackle option? and (2) which QB can actually hit a receiver running long? Because any QB can hand the ball to a RB hitting the line or sweeping.

Right now, it seems like everyone is gushing over Joey because he has size and speed and might be able to do the off tackle thing like a real big boy Cam. But can he throw the ball downfield anywhere close enough for an Auburn receiver to catch it? Nobody knows.

And we don't know if Bo can do any of that stuff adequately either.

Fact is, we are all just making up pictures in our heads based on bitty-bits of stuff that's "out there" on the web.

I don't know which guy will start against Oregon. I hope both get some time on the field with a real opportunity to run the full playbook. (The Gus 4 play offense. hahaha)

May the better QB get the job.

AND PLEASE BE COGNIZANT that there's some real tongue in cheek going on here.

Yet there's also some actual points here.

 

Solid post!

Your "tongue-in-cheek" is someone else's "good points".

That 4th play, with the right QB, has been what I've been clamoring for since Nick left.

[ellitor 33,093]

11 hours ago, Eagle Eye 7 said:

Not picking on you but I’m not sure why folks worry about JG’s passing game. He has done well with it. I think he has shown he is a good passer as well as runner.

He struggled with passing as a true frosh & didn't get many reps in HS. Until he performs well on game days, concerns on his passing are legit.

[ellitor 33,093]

1 hour ago, doc4aday said:

Does anyone know if Jubinor has left the program or not? I thought he was entering the transfer portal, but was hoping he changed his mind and decided to stay with us.

 

WDE!

 

Doc

@doc4aday He left the program & last I heard the staff wouldn't accept him back.

[aujeff11 6,243]

While Gatewood’s passing concerns are legit, I’d argue he wasn’t erratic, but limited by quality game experience for a QB. I believe. Gatewood threw like one INT his senior season. Not because he is that accurate, but because he always threw to his first read and ran if the read wasn’t open. Because they were safe throws..

We have to hope he’s made a little more progression as a QB in the pocket, but I believe he has. 

[ellitor 33,093]

6 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

I’d argue he wasn’t erratic

In high school agreed. Poor wording on my part. 69% will get it done. IDK because I haven't been at practice, but word was he was inconsistent as a true frosh. It's possible Chip had something to do with that given Whiskey's posts earlier in the thread.

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 hours ago, HarrisBoy334 said:

Injuries to KJ and Pettway hurt Stidham's game. He is a great "piece" but can't put a team on his shoulders. Gus was forced to "open" him up against A&M and it paid off, mostly due to mixing up the route tree. That same game plan would've defeated LSU two years ago. I like Stidham but he's not the MAN but a very good piece.

Agree.

14 hours ago, tbone1430 said:

I think Bo is a special QB just don't know if he is in the right system. 

 

11 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending your POV), I believe the Gus Offense is in Joey's wheelhouse whereas Bo would be SO SO SO AWESOME in Oklahoma's Offense.  Unless Gus dusts off the Tulsa or 2009 Auburn playbooks, I just don't see Bo's style to be much different than Sean or Jarrett which most of us have witnessed enough.

Even after everything we've been through, I'm still not sure that Gus's style or the style of QB was ever the problem. Sean actually played very well for the brief window in which he and one of KJ or KP was healthy. But he was fragile physically and then just decided he had other priorities. And Stid was exactly how HarrisBoy described above. He wasn't the guy to overcome the roster issues that were our biggest problem last year. And he did produce in 2017 when our roster issues were much less pronounced. 

No, our offense isn't close to OU's, but I think Baker Mayfield would have been far more successful than Sean White or Jarrett Stidham and I think Bo could be, too. Physically and talent-wise, he gives us more than what Sean did and as much as Stidham did. And by all accounts, he gives us way more than Sean did in maturity and way more than Stidham did in terms of being a natural winner and leader. Some of us were talking about this even before 2018 started.

As for Mayfield, to my knowledge he's stayed out of trouble away from the field. If Bo stays clean, wins games and wants to grab his junk and throw kirby smart the bird, I'll find a way to live with it. Honestly, it's a big part of what makes Mayfield the winner that we wanted Stidham to be. 

[Howard Roark 195]

10 hours ago, ellitor said:

He struggled with passing as a true frosh & didn't get many reps in HS. Until he performs well on game days, concerns on his passing are legit.

Yea, I think people are confusing with throwing a good ball with a throwing an accurate pass to the right person.  You never know how that will go until they are under live fire.  One of the most encouraging games I saw from JG in HS was when he played Trevor Lawrence's team.  Bartram lost the game, but JG kept them in it almost single-handedly.    It was the biggest stage he played on in HS and he did not shrink in the spotlight.  He does not have to be a great passer this year, but he would have to be a gamer in the Nick Marshall mold (not that anyone will ever be as great a gamer as NM).

I am really looking forward to seeing Joey against Oregon.  I believe the threat of him running will open up the running game for the RBs.  The defenses have not really respected the QB runs over the past 4 seasons. I doubt any d-coordinator went into the game focused on not letting Stidham or White beat them running the ball. I would not be surprised if we surpass 300 yds rushing in the opener.  

[aujeff11 6,243]

3 minutes ago, Howard Roark said:

He does not have to be a great passer this year, but he would have to be a gamer in the Nick Marshall mold

I agree. Along with his running ability being a factor, the QB that’s just a gamer will separate himself from the pack. Gatewood will be that guy if he can do his thing running wise while throwing the ball to his spots across the field. If Gatewood is a tentative passer, well, his running game wont help him much and that will be a disappointment because the running game could become dynamic.

I say this again: our RBs like Shivers will become even more special weapons for Auburn if Gatewood is running the offense. Shivers and Gatewood’s collective abilites to run inside and outside while having Schwartz running sweeps could give defenses fits if we hit our stride. If Gatewood can hit his throws... then a decent offense just became electric. 

 

 

[ellitor 33,093]

2 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

I say this again: our RBs like Shivers will become even more special weapons for Auburn if Gatewood is running the offense. Shivers and Gatewood’s collective abilites to run inside and outside while having Schwartz running sweeps could give defenses fits if we hit our stride. If Gatewood can hit his throws... then a decent offense just became electric. 

IT MOVED! Has anyone else had thoughts of Cam/O-Mac 2.0 options with Joey & Flash Schwartz/Worm?

[DAG 33,982]

12 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending your POV), I believe the Gus Offense is in Joey's wheelhouse whereas Bo would be SO SO SO AWESOME in Oklahoma's Offense.  Unless Gus dusts off the Tulsa or 2009 Auburn playbooks, I just don't see Bo's style to be much different than Sean or Jarrett which most of us have witnessed enough.

I am hoping you are wrong bro, lol. I love me some Baker Mayfield, and I believe the dynamics between Gus and his offensive coordinator will work best with Bo. Now mind you, Baker came into college being somewhat underrated yet special. I think there are things in Bo's game that are either instinctual or already been taught to him at a younger age. Things that we do not need to see being taught by Gus. Those same parallels made Baker great and were things I did not see in Stidham or SW when they arrived here.  Obviously, those same things were not better when they left. 

[DAG 33,982]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

IT MOVED! Has anyone else had thoughts of Cam/O-Mac 2.0 options with Joey & Flash Schwartz/Worm?

I did and this is also why I made a big deal about people saying things will be the same unless the offensive line made a huge stride. I would love for the offensive line to keep growing as a unit, but I am not to sure the offense nor the QB made things easier last year, from an already younger line.

[ellitor 33,093]

5 minutes ago, DAG said:

I did and this is also why I made a big deal about people saying things will be the same unless the offensive line made a huge stride. I would love for the offensive line to keep growing as a unit, but I am not to sure the offense nor the QB made things easier last year, from an already younger line.

The OL definitely has to be a lot better. Power & speed sweeps won't work without it.

[aujeff11 6,243]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

IT MOVED! Has anyone else had thoughts of Cam/O-Mac 2.0 options with Joey & Flash Schwartz/Worm?

Tons of thoughts. It requires gamers developing synergy, but our skill position player’s unique abilities can complement their teammates’ abilities very well if we hit our stride. 

 

Collectively you never know if we are going to hit our stride or not though. It just happens. Our basketball team didn’t hit ours until late in the regular season. Never hit it in 2014 though we could have. 

[DAG 33,982]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

The OL definitely has to be a lot better. Power & speed sweeps won't work without it.

We will see. I just hope credit is given where credit is due. We don't need the 1995 cowboys offensive line to run a power sweep. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, ellitor said:

IT MOVED! Has anyone else had thoughts of Cam/O-Mac 2.0 options with Joey & Flash Schwartz/Worm?

And Nick/Grant. No need to dig up posts but they're there, lol. Compare our skill positions to the 2010, 2013 or 2014 groups and you'll see not only most of what we had then but also a few extra pieces that we didn't. 

Only things we're missing is a Cam or a Nick and a Ryan or a Reese. 

[ellitor 33,093]

11 minutes ago, DAG said:

We will see. I just hope credit is given where credit is due. We don't need the 1995 cowboys offensive line to run a power sweep. 

In that mindset let's not undersell the 2010 & 2013 OLs. They did a heck of a job making the power sweep & speed sweep work respectively.

[DAG 33,982]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

In that mindset let's not undersell the 2010 & 2013 OLs. They did a heck of a job making the power sweep & speed sweep work respectively.

Yes I agree, but let's also remember majority of the offensive line in 2013 was there in 2012. The same goes with 2009-2010. 

[kevon67 2,368]

17 minutes ago, DAG said:

We will see. I just hope credit is given where credit is due. We don't need the 1995 cowboys offensive line to run a power sweep. 

Agreed 77 Cowboys OL much better😁

[ellitor 33,093]

4 minutes ago, DAG said:

Yes I agree, but let's also remember majority of the offensive line in 2013 was there in 2012. The same goes with 2009-2010. 

Yes & they got developed well. Jeff Grimes was a good coach & JB is a good developer, especially for running the ball.

[DAG 33,982]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

Yes & they got developed well. Jeff Grimes was a good coach & JB is a good developer, especially for running the ball.

Yeah but I am not buying development making Greg Robinson from just a starter to an all SEC offensive lineman and a lottery pick in one year. I think he was a quality prospect with lot's of potential and I think scheme plus playmakers played dividends for him. I think CN and NM deserve a lot more credit in that regard because they made the transition easier for both line play and RBs. 

[bigbird 60,522]

27 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

 

Only things we're missing is a Cam or a Nick and a Ryan or a Reese. 

Those are some HUGE things...

[aujeff11 6,243]

30 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Only things we're missing is a Cam or a Nick

Every team in America is missing a Cam or a Nick. We don’t need a Cam or a Nick 

We have Joey and Bo and the talent to make the offense tick if we can stay healthy and buy in.