Ease up on McEntee

[gars44]

This was MacEntee's first experience with his feet to the fire and he wasn't ready. I doubt that he'll ever turn into Troy Aikmen but I remember Aikmen looking every bit as inept his rookie year with the Cowboys. He rushed too many throws (both passes that McCombs dropped were horrible passes, the first was drilled, on a line a bit too low and a bit too far in front of him, the second, high and behind him) and began worrying about pressure that wasn't yet there. This was however his first real game action against an FBS opponent. If the staff is ready to toss him to the scrap heap already we will never have a competent QB.

I don't know if Mac will ever be anything more than a QB who will look great when everything is going well (oline blocks all defenders, no third anmd longs, no dropped passes) but earlier this week, half of this board was convinced he was clearly the best QB on our roster last season, now many of the same posters want him benched. It doesn't work that way.

Excellent post. Agree with everything. Wish it were mine.

 

[gars44]

Maybe they know we do not have a QB that can do what they want ?

I think that sums it up nicely. They'll improve.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

10 for 27 (37%) for 99 yards, 3 int's and 1 returned for a TD when UConn was ahead 21-14. He passed for less yards than McCombs rushed for on the same amount of attempts. It was the single worst performance I have ever seen from a QB and that is saying a lot considering what we've had to witness the last 5 years.

That is simply not true. Step back from the post-game moment. Almost every one of Frazer's performances were as bad or worse than this. Lorenzen didn't start this bad, but he got there by the end.

Furthermore, McEntee did a lot of the rest of the game right. He made good handoffs, he sold fakes well. I don't recall any pitches by McEntee (the fumbled pitch was McCummings).

It was an ugly game in a kid's first time starting. It is unlikely that anyone else is going to be better. This isn't like last year where Edsall was forced to bench Endres because of off-field issues, which made watching Frazer even more frustrating.

 

[rich1122]

Granted, the camera views weren't great, but he seemed to stay with his first option on every throw and threw it regardless if the receiver was covered or not. No excuses for McCombs though, he must have dropped at least 3 easy ones.

Agreed. He never looked off anyone, Even my wife noticed. The best throw was in the second half when he hit Kashif. He looked middle then zipped it sideline. Kashif did great to hold on. But a nice play.

He did poorly leading McCombs although the balls were catchable. Even the screen passes were not great.

 

[huskymedic]

How much of this dysfunction lands on Morehead (QB Coach)? Bucks stops w/ Coach P but...

 

[tduconn]

This was J Mac's first game against BCS competition. No matter who the QB was, he would face extreme pressure from Vandy's defense....as did J Mac. The commentators said this enough......Vandy's game plan was to pressure a young and or inexperienced QB and make them hurry their throws.......and it happened quite successfully.......which the commentators also pointed out. (Hint: most coaches, except RE use this philosophy.....look how Chas Dodd of Rutgers picked us apart last year.......no real pressure)

The offensive line after the middle of the first quater was horrible. Vandy stopped the run more often than not quarters 2-4. The o-line failed often at giving J Mac time to throw.....in fact on one sequence the commentators pointed out that the ratio after one sack was three defensive personnel vs 5 offensive linemen and a tight end.......and they still got to the QB.

Dan Orlovsky had plenty of horrible games his first year and a half. His record at the end of 2002 was 6-6, and most of that was against MAC/C-USA type competition. Not picking on Dan O.....just pointing out that with no experience a QB will have horrible games unless the rest of the offense steps up.

Our recent experienced QB's (not mentioning any names) had horrible games against North Carolina and Rutgers, just to name two games.......when they were sophomores and juniors. Threw just as many or more interceptions.

Is J Mac our future.......I don't know.......and I'd be arguing the same point if Nerich or McCommings played most of the game and had similar difficulties. NO EXPERIENCE!!!! Did J Mac have a horrible game ....yep. But most QB's learn from their mistakes.........Dan O. did.....and there is no reason to expect J Mac, or McCommings, or Nebrich won't either. Fans just have to buckle their seat belts and hang on....this road will be bumpy.......we got 3 inexperienced QB's.

The coaching has to share a lot of fans' fire as opposed to picking on the inexperienced. When the running game was basically shut down in quarters 2-4, as was often pointed out......why keep on running the same running plays that continuously failed? No reverses? No half back options. Was there ever a handoff to a fullback? Did a fullback play?When receivers can't separate themselves from defenders, or drop balls, is that any of the QB's fault.

The coaches have to know most opposing coaches will pressure young and inexperienced QB's.......no matter who it is.

 

[kemba]

hat is simply not true. Step back from the post-game moment. Almost every one of Frazer's performances were as bad or worse than this. Lorenzen didn't start this bad, but he got there by the end.

That is insane. Except for 2008 when he came off the bench and threw 3 picks against Pitt, Frazer never had a game with this combination of turnovers, inefficiency, and lack of production. I didn't like Frazer at all, but at least with him you could usually find something positive he did in the passing game. Even if it was just being so innacurate that he didn't throw picks. McEntee turned it over 4 times, he completed 37%, he threw for less than 100 yards. He was all around terrible. Give me a break with "he did good on handoffs"

 

[tduconn]

Review Frazers game against N Carolina at N Carolina a couple of years ago. Plenty of interceptions and one was thrown almost from a position of being on his back inside the UConn 20. It was returned for an east TD and RE went insane on the sidelines. Not picking on Frazer but there was a common theme with that game and J Macs game........inexperience leads to bad judgement when you are rattled.

 

[kemba]

Review Frazers game against N Carolina at N Carolina a couple of years ago. Plenty of interceptions and one was thrown almost from a position of being on his back inside the UConn 20. It was returned for an east TD and RE went insane on the sidelines. Not picking on Frazer but there was a common theme with that game and J Macs game........inexperience leads to bad judgement when you are rattled.

Agreed, I thought about mentioning that game too, he was terrible. I didn't because we at least did move the ball threw the air a little that game, unlike yesterday. But yea, it is up there on the list of bad games.

Either way, the quote I was responding too said that almost every game Frazer played was as bad or worse as Macs game yesterday, and that is still ridiculous.

 

[BlueDogs]

Just wondering if you are at every practice and team meeting and reviewing the game plan with these guys ?? It is amazing how some fans know more than the coaches. What is your coaching and recuiting experience ? So I guess you can say the same thing about most of all the other coaches /teams who lost their games - ND - Iowa - Penn ST - Cincy - Louiville - should I go on ? Most teams with young coaches.

As a point of reference I am a former college LB and know a few things. Game as changed in 25 years but the average FB fan can plainly see Coach PP and staff were a disaster. The game was lost on coaching which, I grant, is a rare thing. Id much prefer a younger coach whose is on his game and motivated, not a journeyman coach with a an average career. Take away PP's first 2 years after inheriting a great team from McPhearson and you have average results at best at a time when the Orange and BC were the only big programs in the NE.

 

[businesslawyer]

+10000 ... what was hcpp thinking? We aren't making the big $$$ nor have been coaching football as long but my little sister would have known to run then punt, especially when McEntee had been shakey all game with turnovers. How could you not give that D a chance to close the game out? I wonder if that call was from hcpp or deleone...

Forte -- according to HCPP, and everyone else, DeLeone has control of the offense. I think that is how they always worked together.

 

[Carl Spackler]

We're talking about a walk-on junior QB that had never played any signficant time until last week, and split reps three ways in doing it. He then started and played nearly an entire game on the road against Vanderbilt as his first significant game time experience, where he felt the game pressure.

Guess what - he played like a junior walk on QB that had never had any significant playing time or pressure to perform, until playing a road game against Vanderbilt.

Talk about getting thrown into the fire. Got to go with what you got though. We were in position to win this game, and although the numbers, and face value of what happened look essentially the same as last year (good defense, special teams - terrible offense) - the changes are so deep and fundamental, that the room to improve from here is very very good, and the sky is the limit.

I don't know if McEntee is going to get more opportunity to play. He certainly sounded like a team leader after the game, which is a big part of what you want at that position.

As my emotions from this game calm down, I start to see things clearly.

The facts are that this offense needs to score TD's, and McEntee's first real go around as the guy under center in charge of leading that offense down the field, was very much less than stellar.

If the QB's are trully going to be graded as to production, McEntee just set the bar real low, and I'm interested to see what the other guys can do.

 

[freescooter]

As a point of reference I am a former college LB and know a few things. Game as changed in 25 years but the average FB fan can plainly see Coach PP and staff were a disaster. The game was lost on coaching which, I grant, is a rare thing. Id much prefer a younger coach whose is on his game and motivated, not a journeyman coach with a an average career. Take away PP's first 2 years after inheriting a great team from McPhearson and you have average results at best at a time when the Orange and BC were the only big programs in the NE.

Bluedogs, Come on. You may have been a college player, but you didn't follow Syracuse. In 14 years, Pasquolni had exactly 1 losing season. He had 107 wins, 56 losses and a tie. The Orange finished 9-3 in an 11 game season twice, 9-4 once and 10-3 once. Had his teams ranked in the final poll 7 times in 14 years. And the "great teams" he inherited from MacPherson had gone 8-4 and 7-4-2 in the 2 previous years, so it wasn't like they were borderline National Champs when he took over. I think were arguments to be made as to why pasquoloni was not a good fit, but to say he had "average results" at Syracuse just isn't true.

 

[Jimdish255]

Granted, the camera views weren't great, but he seemed to stay with his first option on every throw and threw it regardless if the receiver was covered or not. No excuses for McCombs though, he must have dropped at least 3 easy ones.

Maybe that's because his second option was get sacked.