Coach P keeping a poker face on naming our starter at QB...

[freescooter]

I realize it is my opinion, but I really believe that the staff expects Whitmer to be the opening day quarterback just like we (mostly) do. Not sure I completely buy the argument that they weren't leaning that way. They let Johnny Mac start the game, which was a classy thing to do since he was the 2011 starter. But that doesn't mean they think he'll be the 2012 starter. And they didn't go out and recruit Whitmer, who has 3 years of eligibility remaining because they were positive that somebody else on the roster was going to step up and be ready this year or, for that matter, ever. Beyond that, though, I think the other factor that kept them from "leaning" toward Whitmer, at least publicly, was that they have had a limited amount of time to work with him. He arrived in January. They needed to know how he handles the playbook, they need to see his leadership (by the way the way he lead his team to a td in the closing minutes of the 1st half after throwing the interception on his first drive suggests that leadership won't be a big issue), they needed to see him in gamelike conditions. Now they have seen those things.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't think we can infer from the staff's silence that they don't have a lean. Spring was for specific work - teaching the system and getting people to work together. It wasn't for evaluating who should be the starter, it was for preparing the players for un-coached study and work in May-July so that they'd be as far ahead as possible by the start of camp. Then there will be an evaluation of who should start - a fairly quick one, I expect.

Leopards don't change their spots and Whitmer isn't going to become a bad quarterback between April and August.

Don't infer it from the silence. Infer it from the fact that we didn't have a 1st team offense play against a 1st team defense, but divided both the O and the D up rather evenly. There is no way that would have been done if they thought they had their #1 QB going in. The only reason to do that is because you are still wide open and you want all your QBs to have roughly the same chance.

 

[ktuck911]

Man I am so looking forward to the end of week two of practice.. So this thing finally shakes out... If we don't know by then... then we are pretty much in the same boat we were in the start of the 2011 season...

 

[Johnbuoy]

As the pre-season camp progressed last year, there were some accounts that made it appear Nebrich would be getting the starting nod. Although he did see some game time, it's hard to believe a more definitive starting qb decision wasn't made until even after the first or second game of the season. However, once a 'quasi-starting' qb decision was made, fans did get to watch a whole season of the new football based drama "The McEntee-McCummings Experiment."

I don't know exactly what this year's season has in store, but it seems to me that when it comes to making a decision about the next starting qb, there are a few nearly year old HCPP quotes that most BYers probably don't want to have floating around in their memory bank until just before kick-off on August 31st.

"I'm not going to make any kind of announcement until we get into the stadium for the game."
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/uconn/article/UConn-won-t-reveal-starting-QB-until-game-day-2139863.php#ixzz1yGLNKNSZ"
“We are working very hard, we are pleased with the progress that we are making and we haven't finalized the decision yet.”
Read more: Huskies won’t name quarterback until season opener - Norwich, CT - The Bulletin http://www.norwichbulletin.com/sports/x1153514174/Huskies-won-t-name-quarterback-until-season-opener#ixzz1yGHhf6H8

Based on the above, it seems somewhat obvious that relying on HCPP to make a starting qb decision prior to the first game is somewhat tenuous. It's also a decison, that left unmade until the last minute is very frustrating for the BYer faithful. (It is all about us isn't it?) To overcome this I suggest a different qb selection approach may take shape prior to the start of the season. It goes something like this.

Even though Coach Day is in his first year, we can hope that he reads this board and that HCPP listens to him, seriously considers his input, and takes action based on that input. If so, here's a few things that Coach Day must have a hand in making happen sooner rather than later.

1. Recognize early on who the starting qb should be. (Of course this presumes someone does stand out.)
2. Strongly advise/convince HCPP that naming a starting qb at least two weeks prior to the start of the season is important to building team chemistry.

Good luck Coach Day! We're counting on you. We don't want to watch re-runs from last season.

 

[freescooter]

Johnbouy,

I think it is possible that Pasqualoni won't officially name a starter until the lst minute. But the reality, I think, will be that there will be 2 big differences. First, there actually is a quarterback in camp, and second, the team will know who the #1 is even if the fans (and opposing coaches) don't.

 

[willie99]

Coach P makes his starting QB decision based upon who will maximize spite towards certain boneyard posters, rather than who he believes will give his team the best chance to win.

obviously, it's McEntee's job to lose