Heaps may have the goods ...

[Hazzard]

Here's what I don't get. Heaps is apparently getting the bulk of the reps against the first-string defense. Heaps is outplaying Nelson against the first-string defense. Heaps is clearly the better-throwing QB. They don't have to change the playbook for Heaps. Heaps goes through his progressions better than Nelson.

Why are people still thinking Nelson is going to be the starter going into game 1?

Couldn't agree more, except with your last line. This is all about Bronco's personality and philosophies. My guess is a lot of the other coaches are ready to make Heaps the starter, but Bronco just can't pull the trigger until he is CLEARLY ahead of an upperclassman who has worked hard and paid his dues for the past couple of years. Bronco gives major weight to effort and dedication over a long period of time.

As I wrote earlier, I think Bronco might play Nelson a lot in the first few games, but I think we're going to go 2-2 at best. That's going to make it a lot easier to turn it over to Heaps for the USU game.

I'd rather turn Heaps loose right away, let him get his uneven play out of the way early, when we're going to struggle no matter who the QB is, and then be ready for MWC play with a few games under his belt.

[Hazzard]

According to Gurney, Heaps has been getting the bulk of the reps against the #1 defense. 38 passing attempts to about 6.

I think they've got a starter.

If that's the case, my guess would be Nelson is going to get a max of about half the snaps early on in the season. Sounds like they're giving each guy a clearly defined package of plays to emphasize their respective talents, then they'll see who most effectively moves the team in the games.

Seems to me like they're basically saying, "We think Heaps is going to win the job, but if he doesn't, at least we've hedged our bet and given Nelson a lot of reps at the kind of plays that he can do well with so he'll be ready." It's not an ideal scenario, but under the circumstances I can't say it's not logical.

[MarkGrace]

Intresting comment by Jacobson:

“All of them are very capable,” Jacobson said. “They have different strengths and different skill sets. But it would not surprise me if a true freshman won the job.

“Our coaches are aware of who has more experience, but at the end of the day, it’s about who is playing better and producing on the field. That’s who we have to go with.”

Read more: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-foo...#ixzz0wotNEwdg

[SCcoug]

You really think the U of U is a tossup? We barely beat them last year when they had a true freshman QB and we had our winningest senior QB ever. U-Dub is less clear cut, but I think we're going to have serious trouble with Locker, just like we did last time.

I hope you're right.

Yes, rivalry game anything can happen and all that. By then the inexperienced player disadvantage should be lessened with a full season under their belt. First games are hard to predict. We'll know alot more after the first couple games.

[scottie]

Tweet from Jay Drew after this morning's practice:

Riley Nelson threw a pick, but was clear winner in quarterback derby today. Led team to a pair of TDs while Heaps struggled to move offfense

[KillerDog]

Tweet from Jay Drew after this morning's practice:

I think we all know from the responses to this thread that this tweet is a lie. There is no way that Nelson did a better job that Heaps. Drew also probably talks about receivers dropping Heaps passes. Do they drop Heaps passes but not Nelson's. Bottom line, I hope both of these guys are good. I hope whoever is better starts. At this point statistics don't look great for either of them but that isn't uncommon in fall camp. Eventually I'll get down there to practice and regardless of the fact that I will have been to practice, those who disagree with me will still disagree.

[Hot Lunch]

I think we all know from the responses to this thread that this tweet is a lie. There is no way that Nelson did a better job that Heaps. Drew also probably talks about receivers dropping Heaps passes. Do they drop Heaps passes but not Nelson's. Bottom line, I hope both of these guys are good. I hope whoever is better starts. At this point statistics don't look great for either of them but that isn't uncommon in fall camp. Eventually I'll get down there to practice and regardless of the fact that I will have been to practice, those who disagree with me will still disagree.

This sounds like a huge issue this fall camp.

[KillerDog]

This sounds like a huge issue this fall camp.

I'm curious to see if it is an issue with our receivers, our QBs, or our defense. Who knows, maybe the receivers would catch fine if they weren't trying so hard to make plays. Maybe the defense is forcing the QBs out of tempo or the receivers are hearing defensive footsteps. Maybe the QBs aren't throwing a catchable ball. I remember Beck his first year or so putting balls on the money that weren't catchable because of pace over a short distance. He got better at that and learned to control his velocity. Heaps could have that problem.

[Hot Lunch]

I'm curious to see if it is an issue with our receivers, our QBs, or our defense. Who knows, maybe the receivers would catch fine if they weren't trying so hard to make plays. Maybe the defense is forcing the QBs out of tempo or the receivers are hearing defensive footsteps. Maybe the QBs aren't throwing a catchable ball. I remember Beck his first year or so putting balls on the money that weren't catchable because of pace over a short distance. He got better at that and learned to control his velocity. Heaps could have that problem.

I think it is a combination of all of those. The wide outs are competing for reps. It is a good group. They are being thrown to by both a lefty and a righty and there is a different release from both. All the Q.B.'s are still young and inexperienced. BYU's defensive backs are the best they have had in a long time and it is still early in camp. That being said, it sounds like this needs to improve or it could be a long year.

I am not sold on BYU's run game. Sounds like it is very questionable right now. If you can't run the ball you need to have some big time play makers on the outside.

[Goatnapper'96]

I am not sold on BYU's run game. Sounds like it is very questionable right now. If you can't run the ball you need to have some big time play makers on the outside.

In my world this is why Nelson is going to play. I am not sure if I agree with Mendenhall, but a qb who has the capacity to run changes the dynamics of a team so it appears to me this is the solution to the poor rushing attack.

My issue with the two qb system is that BYU does not win by having better athletes. It wins by out executing its opponents. A 2 qb system negates that to some extent because this will trully be a 2 qb system. As BYU sacrifices its ability to execute the game will more often be impacted by pure athleticism. Based upon my historical research that is not what one might call a BYU core competency.

I say bite it and build for the future, but I am in the camp that hopes Uona Kaveinga is denied by the NCAA like I was in the 7th grade by Tammi Kauffman.

[creekster]

I am in the camp that hopes Uona Kaveinga is denied by the NCAA like I was in the 7th grade by Tammi Kauffman.

You want them to tell him in the backseat of a car?

[SoCalCoug]

I say bite it and build for the future, but I am in the camp that hopes Uona Kaveinga is denied by the NCAA like I was in the 7th grade by Tammi Kauffman.

You hope the NCAA touches Kaveinga's boobs?

[Goatnapper'96]

You want them to tell him in the backseat of a car?

Actually it was a note delivered by Liz Foster. It was checked no. The deep pangs of rejection, and sudden rushing of all my blood to my armpits, reverberate through my life today. It as if the whole world is yelling at me: "get confidant you stupid pimply faced mormon boy!"

Indeed, a check in the no box would work out fine for the future of BYU football. I am still angered that Mendenhall did not redshirt Kehl in 2005.

[cougjunkie]

Actually it was a note delivered by Liz Foster. It was checked no. The deep pangs of rejection, and sudden rushing of all my blood to my armpits, reverberate through my life today. It as if the whole world is yelling at me: "get confidant you stupid pimply faced mormon boy!"

Indeed, a check in the no box would work out fine for the future of BYU football. I am still angered that Mendenhall did not redshirt Kehl in 2005.

Similar to Crowton not redshirting Harline.

I think the receivers are dropping balls because of everything HL said but I also think Heaps passes have serious zip (similar to Beck) and they get on the receivers in a hurry. Mckay Jacobsen dropped one in the scrimmage from Heaps but Jake fired it from about 10 yards away and it went right through Mckays hands it was definitely hot.

[MarkGrace]

Sounds like KVN is really coming on. Stout too. The LBers will hopefully surprise. Bronco really seems to like their all-around speed and athleticism.