Tigers X - Number one Source to Talk Auburn Tigers Sports
Pat Dye Field => War Damn Eagle => Topic started by: Kaos on October 03, 2011, 09:05:54 AM
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And Kaos disagrees........
Through 5 games into the 2011 season, the Auburn offense is currently No. 80 in total offense and No. 52 in scoring offense. This includes a No. 37 ranking in run-offense and No. 60 ranking in pass-efficiency offense. Despite Auburn’s average output on offense, the Tigers are 4-1 but obviously won’t win many additional games if the offense doesn’t improve. As of late, Barrett Trotter has become under more scrutiny, which is the normal reaction of fans to point the finger at the quarterback when all is not well with the offense. Along with this fine tradition of blaming the starting quarterback is the common theme that the backup quarterback would play much better if just given the chance. In some cases, its probably the truth but in most cases, its not.
Of the 100 quarterbacks ranked by the NCAA at the FBS level, Barrett Trotter is currently the No. 56 quarterback with a rating of 137.6. He has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 7.34 yards per attempt. He has 9 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions on the season. Now some would look at these numbers and state Auburn could do better and he is the primary reason why Auburn is struggling on offense but that would be the easy way out. If this were true, how do you explain A.J. McCarron being the starting quarterback of the No. 2 team in the country with a quarterback rating of 134.5, ranked No. 62 nationally? Despite having a lower pass rating than Barrett Trotter, McCarron is part of an Alabama offense that is averaging 438-yards and 38 points per game.
Perhaps McCarron has a better supporting cast and Alabama is not asking McCarron to carry the offense but just to be a working portion of it. Speaking of supporting cast, having a solid offensive line is the driving force of any successful offense.
Pfffftttt. Pffffffftttfffffttt. Pffftttfftttfftttt. Dyer > Richardson. Blake/Stallworth/Lutz >= Maze/Hanks/Williams. AU OL = UA OL. Trotter is hardly being asked to "carry" the fucking offense. He's got less to do than McCarron or any other QB in the SEC.
Protecting Auburn’s Quarterback:
- From 1990-2011, Auburn has allowed the quarterback to be sacked every 14.2 pass attempts.
- In 2009, Auburn’s quarterbacks were sacked every 17.3 pass attempts.
-In 2011, Auburn’s quarterbacks have been sacked every 10.5 pass attempts, which is below the standard average established over the past 22 seasons. It’s also the 20th worst sack ratio over the past 22 seasons.
-Through 5 games, Barrett Trotter has been sacked 11 times and hurried 27 times. That translate to a sack every 11.1 pass attempts and severe pressure every 4.7 pass attempts.
-Auburn is currently No. 81 nationally in protecting its quarterbacks from being sacked and 106th nationally in allowing tackles for loss.
Does this sound like a strong working environment for Barrett Trotter?
There is no disguising the fact Auburn’s offensive line is still a work in progress and the coaches are working diligently to improve it but until that time comes, the Auburn pass-offense will continue to struggle along with the running game.
Just to put things into better perspective, here is an offensive comparison of the 2009 and 2011 Auburn offenses through 5 games.
-The 2009 Auburn running game averaged 5.42 yards per rush and the 2011 offense averaged 4.57 yards per run.
-The 2009 offense went “3 & out” 20 percent of the time and the 2011 offense is currently at 31 percent.
-The 2009 offense converted 46 percent of their 3rd downs and the 2011 offense is currently at 42 percent.
-The 2009 offense allowed 2 sacks from 148 pass attempts and the 2011 offense has allowed 12 from 126 pass attempts.
Note: For the record, Kaos objects to this premise. When a QB is sacked there are myriad factors other than offensive line protection. Hanging on too long. Bailing out too early. Panicking.
There are those who advocate a quarterback change, with a high percentage of fans wanting to see Kiehl Frazier. The thought process is that a mobile quarterback should help the OL and limit the number of sacks. Though I have no doubt Frazier has a better chance of avoiding a sack than Barrett Trotter it doesn’t change the fact there is a consistent pass rush to avoid. If you are having problems with your water faucet, you don’t replace pipes; you repair the faucet.
Note: Kaos says Trotter is the faucet. Not the pipes. Unless it's just a washer or something minor, I always replace the faucet.
Though Auburn is working to expand Kiehl Frazier’s role in the offense, Coach Gene Chizik is made it clear the coaches are comfortable with Frazier’s ability to operate the complete offense. A logical conclusion would be if Frazier or Clint Moseley were the answer now, Gus Malzahn would be foolish not to start them now. No fan wants or needs to be more successful than the coaches themselves. It’s also important to remember that Dameyune Craig was sacked 35 times in 1997 despite being fleet of foot. I do like the way the coaches have brought Frazier along slowly and I have no doubt he will be successful when his time comes to be the starting quarterback. For now, I trust the coaches decision to play the quarterback that gives Auburn the best opportunity for success. It just makes a lot of sense as silly as it might sound.
Note: He trusts the coaches. They want to win worse than you do. Stat has read the Creed.
Performing Under Pressure:
I have seen comments that Barrett Trotter buckles under pressure and he’s just not good enough to lead a SEC caliber offense. Here are some interesting facts about Trotter.
-He currently has a pass rating of 176.7 on 3rd down, which is considerably higher than the average overall quarterback rating of FBS quarterbacks, which is about 125 to 127.
-How good is Trotter’s 176.7 rating on 3rd down? Cameron Newton had a rating of 159.3 in 2010. Chris Todd had a rating of 118.9 in 2009 and Brandon Cox had a rating of 95.7 during his senior year as a 3-year starter.
I always look at pass ratings on 3rd down to get a better idea of just how good a quarterback is performing because 3rd down is the most difficult down to be successful.
- When Auburn has faced 3rd & 7 or longer this season, Barrett Trotter has a pass rating of 198.5, converting 41 percent of his 3rd downs, passing the football.
-Under the same circumstances, Newton had a pass rating of 123.4 facing 3rd and long, converting 29.3 percent of those 3rd downs.
-In 2009, Chris Todd had a rating of 100.1, facing 3rd & long, converting 28.3 percent of those 3rd downs.
- In 2007, Brandon Cox had a rating of 75.4, facing 3rd & long, converting 21.3 percent of those 3rd downs.
If performance on 3rd downs isn’t enough to convince you of Trotter’s abilities, how about performance, when the teaming is trailing on the scoreboard? Here is a look at Auburn’s quarterback numbers, when Auburn is losing on the scoreboard.
-Barrett Trotter has a pass rating of 178.6, when Auburn is losing with 44.7 percent of his pass attempts resulting in a first down.
-Cameron Newton had a pass rating of 184.5, when Auburn was losing in 2010 with 44.0 percent of his pass attempts resulting in a first down.
-In 2009. Chris Todd had a pass rating of 133.4, when Auburn was losing, with 29.6 percent of his pass attempts resulting in a first down.
-In 2007, Brandon Cox had a pass rating of 100.9, when Auburn trailed on the scoreboard, with 24.7 percent of his passes resulting in a first down.
Do the above numbers indicate Trotter cannot perform under pressure?
Note: I think his performance indicates that. Where are the stats on freaking out, running sideline to sideline and throwing passes to the opposition?
Some fans have stated that Barrett Trotter holds the ball too long. I’ve heard that he is too slow in his progressions and he doesn’t go through his progressions at all. Which one is it? I guess you could say both if you simply wanted a quarterback change. I’ve heard he stares down his receivers too much and he relies on Emory Blake too much. I won’t address the progressions debate because I don’t know Auburn’s passing progressions for each passing play. I could guess but won’t bother but I would imagine when most fans talk about pass progressions, they actually have no idea either but it does sound cool to say.
Note: Condescending tone detected. Warn meter spikes.
Does he stare down his receivers? I have no doubt he does because if Peyton Manning or Tom Brady still do it from time to time, I would imagine Barrett Trotter does too as a first year starter at the collegiate level. As far as targeting Emory Blake, I believe it to be more system related than Trotter based on the percentage of pass attempts directed at Blake being about the same as Chris Todd, throwing to Darvin Adams in 2009 and Cameron Newton, throwing to Darvin Adams in 2010. The “one” receiver in Malzahn’s offense has been targeted about 25-28 percent at Auburn.
How can Auburn help Barrett Trotter become more efficient?
-The offensive line needs to improve for Trotter and the entire offense to improve. No. Blame mislaid.
-It would help if Gus Malzahn called more pass plays on first down. Throwing only 3 times on 35 first down plays made the offense extremely predictable, which not only hurt the passing game, it also made defending the run on first down easier. No: Three things happen when Trotter passes and three of them aren't good. Second and ten sucks way, way worse than second and seven or eight.
-Having more pass attempts on 3rd down than 1st down is not a good thing because you are throwing more when you have to than when you want to. Only 28.7 percent of Trotter’s passes have come on first down. Duh: Throwing bad.
-39.8 percent of Stephen Garcia’s passes have come on 1st down. It’s 47.1 percent for Tyler Wilson of Arkansas and 45.0 percent for AJ McCarron of Alabama. It’s 39.2 percent of Tyler Bray of Tennessee and 37.8 percent for Aaron Murray of Georgia. Before he was injured, it was 35.3 percent for John Brantley of Florida. All six quarterbacks have attempted more passes on first down than 3rd down but this is not the case for Barrett Trotter, who has been placed in a position of playing uphill.
No: All but McCarron are better quarterbacks than Trotter, but McCarron are more accomplished. Garcia is a whack-a-doo but he is a nine-year starter in the league. Playing uphill is second and ten (or second and 23 after a scramble sack. Or first and the other way after a pick. I THOUGHT YOU TRUSTED THE COACHES, STAT?
- In the last 2 games, Trotter has completed 8 passes on first down for a grand total of 17-yards. The wide-receiver screens just aren’t working right now and Auburn would be better off throwing a little further down field. How about some crossing routes and slants on first down? No: Those take time. Trotter can't or won't take the time to let that develop. Sorry. Again, what happened to trusting the coaches?
-For the season, he is completing 69.2 percent of his passes within 10-yards of the line of scrimmage. More short crossing routes would allow Auburn to take advantage of Travante Stallworth’s quickness or Brandon Fulse’s size. I would add Philip Lutzenkirchen but he is playing more “5” than “3” because he’s being utilized as a fullback more than a TE.
No: I don't think he understands what that means, but it just sounds cool to say it.
For those that took time to read all of this, I truly appreciate your time. I hope some who have been negative towards Barrett Trotter will cut him some slack based on the data and information I provided. No: Information is faulty and skewed and relies on suppositions not supported by visual evidence.
He won’t be winning a Heisman Trophy any time soon but Trotter is extremely intelligent and a strong competitor. What's his SAT score?
When given time to throw, he has placed the ball where it needs to go more often than not. Perhaps we should request that the opposing defense count to ten Mississippi to give him additional time to jibber jab. Give ME enough time and I will eventually find an open receiver. Might take all quarter, but I would find one.
His numbers against South Carolina were nothing to write home about but he did convert 5 third downs, throwing the football and picked up a sixth, with his feet. He has made critical plays in every game this season, directing 2 game-winning drives. Has he been consistent? No he has not but it is primarily due to an inexperienced offensive line and being placed in too many obvious passing situations. That is not a good combination for ANY quarterback.
No: This analysis makes assumptions that are not supported.
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Not much to add really. You covered it all in your commentary. Stats? Pffffft. Convenient to blame the OL for sacks. Easiest way really. Not always the problem.
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By no means am I saying we bench Trotter, the kid has gotten us the wins. However, I also don't think that benching him for a series or two would hurt either. Trotter has to learn to throw the ball away, or decide to run. Sometimes I think he tries to hard, when he should just tuck the ball and run. Oh and him and McCalebb both need another stern talking to from Bo about quit trying to run east and west and just friggin run North.
I do like how the coaches are implementing Frazier. I think about Brantley vs Alabama. When he went down Driskel looked like he was about to shit his pants. They are slowly bringing Frazier into this offense much like Tebow was utilized in his freshman year with Leak. That pass from Frazier is coming very soon...
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I will say that Trotter was not helped by Dyer getting stuffed most of the day. Dyer had a few big runs, but for the most part, he was fighting tooth and nail to get 2-3 yards hence his 3.9 average.
And I'm willing to bet Ingram and Clowney gave Trotter the happy feet since they're both oversized monsters with lightning speed.
And South Carolina has one of the better cornerbacks in the league with Gilmore, so he may have been blanketing our guys one on one all day leaving the rest of the field covered by multiple guys.
But still. Trotter made mistakes. He looked like a buffoon when he scrambled. He had bad throws. He let the competition scare him.
We can do better than that. Well, maybe we can't. But we should be able to do better than that.
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In my feeble mind, Trotter gets a pass for Saturday. Hell, with Ingram and Clowney in my face all day long, I would have probably made many of the same mistakes. That being said, it wasn't just Saturday that is alarming to me.
Against FAU, he couldn't make the decisions necessary for an SEC quarterback to be successful. It just seemed to get worse at USCe, but there were also extenuating circumstances in #6 and #7. I kept saying to myself in the 2nd half, if you are going to completely abandon the pass, put a real running threat in at QB to give Dyer a puncher's chance.
Arky's D is not nearly as good as what Trotter saw on Saturday. If he still struggles during the 1st half, I really think it's time to try something different.
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I'm with GF in saying they're going to have work Frazier in with some meaningful series where he actually runs the offense and hits a few passes. And...as JR has said, there's a reason Frazier is not #1. I'm 100% certain that if they felt even a little bit comfortable with Frazier handling the offense, he'd be in there. But, a corch is not going to put his multi-miliion $$$ job on the line based on hope. They know if Frazier is ready or not.
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If the Arky game turns into a shoot out, we will lose. You can blame Trotter, the line, Gus, or even the kid selling peanuts but something isn't right with this offense. The Todd version was better than this shit. Maybe Gus got too much of a raise and knows that he is safe no matter what?
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Bottom line we are 4-1 with Trotter. We would be 2-3 without him (I say we still win this week and the FAU game), I don't think we beat Utah State or Miss State with Frazier.
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If the Arky game turns into a shoot out, we will lose. You can blame Trotter, the line, Gus, or even the kid selling peanuts but something isn't right with this offense. The Todd version was better than this shit. Maybe Gus got too much of a raise and knows that he is safe no matter what?
Negative on that. Gus was fired up over shit not being done right Saturday. Very few times was Trotter shown coming off the field when Gus was not giving him an earful.
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If the Arky game turns into a shoot out, we will lose. You can blame Trotter, the line, Gus, or even the kid selling peanuts but something isn't right with this offense. The Todd version was better than this shit. Maybe Gus got too much of a raise and knows that he is safe no matter what?
I had to give Malzahn big time credit Saturday for recognizing that pounding Rud...err Dyer up the middle like he did, was the focus of the offense. It was clear from the start that was the intention, but he stayed with it until it became apparent they were wearing that D out. (See Wes' comments on Cocks faking injury) The play action was/could have/should have been there many times. Trotter hit a couple of nice throws but more often than not, went full on tard. Is it just me or does he seem to leave the pocket way too quickly?
And I'd like to get the board's take on what goes through your mind every single time Trotter rolls out or leaves the pocket. Mine is simple. "This....will not end well."
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And I'd like to get the board's take on what goes through your mind every single time Trotter rolls out or leaves the pocket. Mine is simple. "This....will not end well."
Ahh fuck.
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And I'd like to get the board's take on what goes through your mind every single time Trotter rolls out or leaves the pocket. Mine is simple. "This....will not end well."
The same thing that went through my mind every time Daniel Cobb called an audible.
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I think Gus ran Dyer 40 times because he knew that was the ONLY way we were going to win. I think that he completely abandoned the game plan because Trotter couldn't do shit right. I give credit to Malzahn because he made the adjustment to simply run the same two plays over and over. He felt like that was the best way to MAYBE move the ball but more importantly, not kill us.
When Auburn got inside the 20 yard line with about 8 minutes left to go and we were down 13-9, we had run Dyer up the middle twice I believe for a couple of yards and it was 3rd and goal from about the 5. I said, I don't care if we lose, just run the ball 2 more times PLEASE.
We didn't. Trotter dropped back to pass and pick in the end zone.
I had no confidence in the guy then and I have less confidence in him now. He got credit for throwing the game winning TD, but damn...a blind monkey could have made that pass and he STILL almost fucked it up. He made Lutz completely stop for the ball and let the DB catch up to him. Luckily, the play was called a TD on the field, becasue I don't know if that call would have been reversed which ever way it was called...
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Negative on that. Gus was fired up over shit not being done right Saturday. Very few times was Trotter shown coming off the field when Gus was not giving him an earful.
Truth.
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Dyer wanted the ball. He knew he could win the game. It is the first time I have seen it in him. I mentioned something to my text crew, it was late in the third quarter. We threw an incomplete pass on first down I think and I saw Dyer get fired up. The next play was a hand off that should have stopped him at the line of scrimmage he got about 6 yards. From that point forward he look possessed.
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Dyer wanted the ball. He knew he could win the game. It is the first time I have seen it in him. I mentioned something to my text crew, it was late in the third quarter. We threw an incomplete pass on first down I think and I saw Dyer get fired up. The next play was a hand off that should have stopped him at the line of scrimmage he got about 6 yards. From that point forward he look possessed.
We just made another deposit in his bank account.
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We just made another deposit in his bank account.
Is that what it was...I wondered why they showed him checking a computer during a TV timeout.
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I think Gus ran Dyer 40 times because he knew that was the ONLY way we were going to win. I think that he completely abandoned the game plan because Trotter couldn't do shit right. I give credit to Malzahn because he made the adjustment to simply run the same two plays over and over. He felt like that was the best way to MAYBE move the ball but more importantly, not kill us.
When Auburn got inside the 20 yard line with about 8 minutes left to go and we were down 13-9, we had run Dyer up the middle twice I believe for a couple of yards and it was 3rd and goal from about the 5. I said, I don't care if we lose, just run the ball 2 more times PLEASE.
We didn't. Trotter dropped back to pass and pick in the end zone.
I had no confidence in the guy then and I have less confidence in him now. He got credit for throwing the game winning TD, but damn...a blind monkey could have made that pass and he STILL almost fucked it up. He made Lutz completely stop for the ball and let the DB catch up to him. Luckily, the play was called a TD on the field, becasue I don't know if that call would have been reversed which ever way it was called...
Yep
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The interception in the endzone was essentially what my daughter does when her uncle rushes her. She stops, screams and flings the ball. Doesn't care where it goes, just get it away.
I first thought he was trying to throw it out of the back of the endzone so we could kick the FG, but after further review it was an actual pass.
That earned him an F.
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what my daughter does when her uncle rushes her. She stops, screams and flings the ball.
:blink:
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I think Gus ran Dyer 40 times because he knew that was the ONLY way we were going to win. I think that he completely abandoned the game plan because Trotter couldn't do shit right. I give credit to Malzahn because he made the adjustment to simply run the same two plays over and over. He felt like that was the best way to MAYBE move the ball but more importantly, not kill us.
When Auburn got inside the 20 yard line with about 8 minutes left to go and we were down 13-9, we had run Dyer up the middle twice I believe for a couple of yards and it was 3rd and goal from about the 5. I said, I don't care if we lose, just run the ball 2 more times PLEASE.
We didn't. Trotter dropped back to pass and pick in the end zone.
I had no confidence in the guy then and I have less confidence in him now. He got credit for throwing the game winning TD, but damn...a blind monkey could have made that pass and he STILL almost fucked it up. He made Lutz completely stop for the ball and let the DB catch up to him. Luckily, the play was called a TD on the field, becasue I don't know if that call would have been reversed which ever way it was called...
+2 million.
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:blink:
(http://files.sharenator.com/yo_dawg_at_first_i_was_like_RE_Blonde_bird-s480x867-67893.jpg)
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:blink:
Backyard football on Thanksgiving. One of the many sports my fat ass participates in.
My daughter is an occasional tailback, but her fumbles are dramatic.
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Backyard football on Thanksgiving. One of the many sports my fat ass participates in.
My daughter is an occasional tailback, but her fumbles are dramatic.
I knew that you were more versed in nerf sports than me. I bet your team is the reigning back yard champ...trophy and all, right?
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Maybe she spent to much time in his lap? I'd keep an eye on that.
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I knew that you were more versed in nerf sports than me. I bet your team is the reigning back yard champ...trophy and all, right?
We use a real football. Or at least a rubber one with Auburn on it.
There is no trophy. Winning is the only reward.
I have also staged frisbee golf competitions, driving contests, putting contests, chipping contests, lawn dart tournaments, bocce ball tournaments, darts championships, wiffle ball home run derbys, free throw contests, paint ball gun accuracy contests, shoot the hell out of targets competition, water volleyball matches and assorted other sporting endeavors at family gatherings.
You are outsported.
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We use a real football. Or at least a rubber one with Auburn on it.
There is no trophy. Winning is the only reward.
I have also staged frisbee golf competitions, driving contests, putting contests, chipping contests, lawn dart tournaments, bocce ball tournaments, darts championships, wiffle ball home run derbys, free throw contests, paint ball gun accuracy contests, shoot the hell out of targets competition, water volleyball matches and assorted other sporting endeavors at family gatherings.
You are outsported.
I stand in awe. But you aint shit unless you are a Cornhole champion. Or Horseshoes. Doesn't have to be both, just one of them is enough. Oh, and also tether ball.
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But you aint shit unless you are a Cornhole champion.
In that case, AWK is King Shit of Turd Mountain.
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Doesn't care where it goes, just get it away.
The ball or the uncle?
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In that case, AWK is King Shit of Turd Mountain.
I knew he was well versed in said activity, but had no idea he was good. Again, I stand in awe.
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Everyone forgets that Chris Todd (with an injured throwing arm) had 7 starts on '08. We went 4-3 and the stat lines were not good.
Fayetteville was the beginning of a 3 game skid for Auburn in October, 2009. We also lost to Kentucky at home and to LSU in Baton Rouge. We managed to beat only Ole Miss, losing in November to Georgia and Alabama.
That's 1-5 fellas. And in those games Todd threw 5 TD passes and 5 picks.
And while it's true that Todd set many AU passing records in '09, it's also important to remember that he threw 9 of his 22 TDs against the likes of Ball State and Furman. That's not intended to diminish what Todd accomplished rather than to point out the failure of statistics to provide an accurate account of what really took place.
I feel like I'm defending Norman Dale. We don't have to give the guy a chance but I'm telling you that this kid will lead Auburn to a better record in October and November against stiffer competition than we faced in '09. I admit that he has struggled some but he never really had a game he could breeze through to gain some confidence because the defense was so poor. Trotter has been behind the eight ball since he hit the field, so naturally he's pressing. Here's a kid competing in the Spring for the QB position, he hurts his knee and when he returns he has to go against Cam Newton.
All I'm saying is we shouldn't be so quick to turn the page on a QB that might just have a knack for coming through in the clutch in more big games as he did this past Saturday.
So there!
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And this thread is why I like this board the best out of all the Auburn boards. No one drinks kool-aid over here. (ok there's one or two of you who do but I can handle that). Very few get apologetic and defensive when someone points out obvious flaws in the team or coaches. I myself was thinking the same thing when I read stat tiger's defense of Trotter over at Auburnfamily. He's a great guy and normally very solid in what he has to say, but not this time. It's a classic case of spinning stats to make a point that just doesn't stand up to the eyeball test.
Every time Trotter scrambles I close my eyes because I know it's not going to end well. He abandons the pocket too early. He holds onto the ball too long. He makes ill advised throws. His throws are off the mark too often. I honestly don't believe our receivers are THAT bad with Trooper coaching them. Someone is open. Trotter is just not finding them or either too scared to pull the trigger.
And it's not like he's getting terrible protection either. I realize the line is young and there have been times where they did a poor job at protection but Saturday was not one of them. They played well enough that an average QB would have had a decent day. Trotter's sacks, scrambles, and picks weren't a result of poor line play. Poor line play was our last offensive series against Miss St. a few weeks back. That wasn't Trotters fault but Saturday? Sorry that was on Trotter.
IF this happens again this week at Arkansas coaches need to hand the job over to Clint and continue to develop Frazier by giving him more reps and for goodness sakes let him throw the ball a few times or run an entire set of downs for once.
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Stat tiger's defense of Trotter over at Auburnfamily. He's a great guy and normally very solid in what he has to say, but not this time. It's a classic case of spinning stats to make a point that just doesn't stand up to the eyeball test.
Pretty much sums up that board to a T.
Agree.
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Everyone forgets that Chris Todd (with an injured throwing arm) had 7 starts on '08. We went 4-3 and the stat lines were not good.
Fayetteville was the beginning of a 3 game skid for Auburn in October, 2009. We also lost to Kentucky at home and to LSU in Baton Rouge. We managed to beat only Ole Miss, losing in November to Georgia and Alabama.
That's 1-5 fellas. And in those games Todd threw 5 TD passes and 5 picks.
And while it's true that Todd set many AU passing records in '09, it's also important to remember that he threw 9 of his 22 TDs against the likes of Ball State and Furman. That's not intended to diminish what Todd accomplished rather than to point out the failure of statistics to provide an accurate account of what really took place.
I feel like I'm defending Norman Dale. We don't have to give the guy a chance but I'm telling you that this kid will lead Auburn to a better record in October and November against stiffer competition than we faced in '09. I admit that he has struggled some but he never really had a game he could breeze through to gain some confidence because the defense was so poor. Trotter has been behind the eight ball since he hit the field, so naturally he's pressing. Here's a kid competing in the Spring for the QB position, he hurts his knee and when he returns he has to go against Cam Newton.
All I'm saying is we shouldn't be so quick to turn the page on a QB that might just have a knack for coming through in the clutch in more big games as he did this past Saturday.
So there!
In the final two regular season games vs our biggest rivals, one of which went on to win the NC in 2009, Todd was good enough to get us double digit leads in both games before the defense collapsed, and he had to continue throwing the ball late. He combined for @ 65% passing 4 TDs and 3 Ints. 2 of those INTs came while having to play offense as if we didn't have a lead because the defense was so bad. Like Trotter, Todd was not a "carry the team" type QB. The difference is, Todd would make a decision. Trotter won't. The better the defenses we face, the smaller the window to throw to, and with a shorter time to do it in. LSU will eat him alive if he holds the ball like he did vs USCe. I don't even want to contemplate bammer's Def.
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In the final two regular season games vs our biggest rivals, one of which went on to win the NC in 2009, Todd was good enough to get us double digit leads in both games before the defense collapsed, and he had to play continue throwing the ball. He combined for @ 65% passing 4 TDs and 3 Ints. 2 of those INTs came while having to play offense as if we didn't have a lead because the defense was so bad. Like Trotter, Todd was not a "carry the team" type QB. The difference is, Todd would make a decision. Trotter won't. The better the defenses we face, the smaller the window to throw to, and with a shorter time to do it in. LSU will eat him alive if he holds the ball like he did vs USCe. I don't even want to contemplate bammer's Def.
Let's be honest - the Offense stalled out against Bama in the 2nd half.
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Let's be honest - the Offense stalled out against Bama in the 2nd half.
I agree. But like stated...double digit leads. The defense has to come to play too. And the whole point of what I'm saying about Trotter, you can only ask so much of some QBs, and at this point in the season, it would appear we can't even get Todd like service out of Trotter.
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it would appear we can't even get Todd like service out of Trotter.
So I take it you are on our bandwagon now?
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So I take it you are on our bandwagon now?
Did you not see my "Ok, I give" thread started in the 2nd or 3rd Q Sat.?
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Did you not see my "Ok, I give" thread started in the 2nd or 3rd Q Sat.?
It's official now. You've have time to think about it a few days. Congrats. Prayers sent.
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It's official now. You've have time to think about it a few days. Congrats. Prayers sent.
I jumped on the bandwagon Sat.
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I jumped on the bandwagon Sat.
Not me, not enough data yet. Eyeball test is not good but again, Trotter only has five starts. Todd had twelve at this juncture. October 2009 was a horrible month. And again...October 2011 is much tougher, but I'm thinking my guy is going to silence the critics with wins, delivering when it really counts.
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Not me, not enough data yet. Eyeball test is not good but again, Trotter only has five starts. Todd had twelve at this juncture. October 2009 was a horrible month. And again...October 2011 is much tougher, but I'm thinking my guy is going to silence the critics with wins, delivering when it really counts.
I hope you are right. I hope we are wrong. But as it stands right now, you're post is full of......
:high: :high:
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I hope you are right. I hope we are wrong. But as it stands right now, you're post is full of......
:high: :high:
That is both :bugs: and :facepalm: simultaniously.