DRC position outlook series: Will QB Mason Fine stay healthy?

Brett Vito · February 12, 2018

DRC: Fine has been terrific, but what happens if he goes down for any length of time?

http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2018/02/12/untqb-outlook-2018-college-football-season-will-fine-stay-healthy-happens-doesnt

MeanGreenTexan · February 12, 2018

I feel OK with Shanbour as backup for some games.

edcollopy · February 12, 2018

Quinn is a nice player...short but a tough build. Knows the system as well or better than anyone. Great guy and leader along with Mason.

MGNation92 · February 12, 2018

Vito - Can Fine stay healthy?

Also, Shanbour is terrible, so if Fine goes down we're f***ed TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Felozano · February 12, 2018

As great as Fine was, he sometimes held the ball too long. It wasn't quite as obvious against lesser teams, but evident against better opponents. If we could mix in some quick throws and maintain the running game post Wilson, this offense/Fine should thrive again.

GrandGreen · February 12, 2018

Fine has shown he is ultra tough, I think he has demonstrated he just as likely to remain healthy through the year as any other QB. Those championing Shanbour must be aware that he was not used more for a reason.

NT has to develop another backup to Fine, not that Shanbour could not do a good job; but it is time to develop another young QB.

20 minutes ago, Felozano said:

As great as Fine was, he sometimes held the ball too long. It wasn't quite as obvious against lesser teams, but evident against better opponents. If we could mix in some quick throws and maintain the running game post Wilson, this offense/Fine should thrive again.

Like he did the last NT play against UTSA.

MeanGreen_MBA · February 12, 2018

44 minutes ago, Felozano said:

As great as Fine was, he sometimes held the ball too long. It wasn't quite as obvious against lesser teams, but evident against better opponents. If we could mix in some quick throws and maintain the running game post Wilson, this offense/Fine should thrive again.

may have been the best QB play I have ever seen. Threw the ball to where HIS play would eventually be, just as he was getting blown-up by a HUGE man blitzing up the middle....right in his face. Put the ball in play to allow HIS man to catch and run.....for the game winning TD.... IF I had a daughter, she would have his children....

Edited February 12, 2018 by MeanGreen_MBA

Wag Tag · February 12, 2018

Stay healthy my friend!

El Paso Eagle · February 12, 2018

No disrespect to Quinn, but I would hope that Cade is able to take over the backup role so he gets the 2nd team snaps. I also would hope that all of the true Freshmen QB's are able to redshirt unless one of them is clearly the 2nd best QB we have.

RiseUNT · February 12, 2018

Mason Fine is the best Quarterback I have seen at UNT. He was the best in C-USA last year. I hate injury talk. If any team's 1st team QB goes down their back up will be a downgrade.

MeanGreen_MBA · February 12, 2018

34 minutes ago, RiseUNT said:

Mason Fine is the best Quarterback I have seen at UNT. He was the best in C-USA last year. I hate injury talk. If any team's 1st team QB goes down their back up will be a downgrade.

true...

SilverEagle · February 12, 2018

44 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

No disrespect to Quinn, but I would hope that Cade is able to take over the backup role so he gets the 2nd team snaps. I also would hope that all of the true Freshmen QB's are able to redshirt unless one of them is clearly the 2nd best QB we have.

I don't share any thoughts of doom should Fine go down.

Whenever possible, people need to attend practices and pre-spring game scrimmages on Saturdays, and see for themselves what the talent level is amongst our top three QB's. Cade Pearson has good potential and is the QB of the future. But as of the last time I observed him in practice he is not better than either Fine or Shanbour. He will do well when he becomes a starter, but it will be because he will have worked behind two very good QB's.

Shanbours only down side is that he did not get much game time. And when he did, he was ordered to hand the ball off or run it himself.......which he is just as capable of doing as Fine. Lamar and Rice were pretty much the only games that gave a backup any chance of game time, but Shanbour was not allowed to throw the ball when he got into both of them.

FWIW, Shanbour is equal to Fine in the important QB skills. He throws the ball just as well, and he runs just as well......probably a little better. But obviously the coaching staff believes that Fine has the "intangible' advantage.

But none of our QB's are going to be very successful if we don't get our OL in place and ready to play this fall.

And unless our defense starts being more dominate, Mason Fine (and Shanbour and Pearson) will always be put in a position of having to outscore the opposition in order to win games.

Felozano · February 13, 2018

7 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Like he did the last NT play against UTSA.

Ha! Exactly! As great as that play was, he got rocked. He did what he had to do (at an extremely high level) for the team to be successful..I’m taking nothing away from him, I just want him to play all season and I don’t want to see him picked up off of the ground so much (QB sweeps included).

Felozano · February 13, 2018

7 hours ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

may have been the best QB play I have ever seen. Threw the ball to where HIS play would eventually be, just as he was getting blown-up by a HUGE man blitzing up the middle....right in his face. Put the ball in play to allow HIS man to catch and run.....for the game winning TD.... IF I had a daughter, she would have his children....

Ha! No argument here. Fine is definitely the best QB I’ve seen at UNT. Just want to make sure he plays every game the next two seasons!

golfingomez · February 13, 2018

i get the topic here, but the real issue we saw at the end of last year was a porous offensive line... if that doesn't improve teams with a legit pass rush will be getting to whoever is handling the snaps.

aztecskin · February 13, 2018

1 hour ago, golfingomez said:

i get the topic here, but the real issue we saw at the end of last year was a porous offensive line... if that doesn't improve teams with a legit pass rush will be getting to whoever is handling the snaps.

Yep. NT gave up nearly as many sacks in the Rice-FAU-Troy games as they did in all the others combined. Maybe more. I forget the exact number. It's not a coincidence that the offense did not perform up to standards in those three games.

I said on the podcast that the three good G5 teams that we played that all were able to get to Fine and exploit our defense. Here's hoping that line is much improved this next year.

MeanGreen_MBA · February 13, 2018

16 hours ago, SilverEagle said:

I don't share any thoughts of doom should Fine go down.

Whenever possible, people need to attend practices and pre-spring game scrimmages on Saturdays, and see for themselves what the talent level is amongst our top three QB's. Cade Pearson has good potential and is the QB of the future. But as of the last time I observed him in practice he is not better than either Fine or Shanbour. He will do well when he becomes a starter, but it will be because he will have worked behind two very good QB's.

Shanbours only down side is that he did not get much game time. And when he did, he was ordered to hand the ball off or run it himself.......which he is just as capable of doing as Fine. Lamar and Rice were pretty much the only games that gave a backup any chance of game time, but Shanbour was not allowed to throw the ball when he got into both of them.

FWIW, Shanbour is equal to Fine in the important QB skills. He throws the ball just as well, and he runs just as well......probably a little better. But obviously the coaching staff believes that Fine has the "intangible' advantage.

But none of our QB's are going to be very successful if we don't get our OL in place and ready to play this fall.

And unless our defense starts being more dominate, Mason Fine (and Shanbour and Pearson) will always be put in a position of having to outscore the opposition in order to win games.

did you forget when he came in against Iowa. led the team down the field and threw a TD pass...a perfect TD pass. Kid got game for sure...

MeanGreenTexan · February 13, 2018

8 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

did you forget when he came in against Iowa. led the team down the field and threw a TD pass...a perfect TD pass. Kid got game for sure...

Definitely his high point.
His low point? Overthrowing a wide open Chumley on THE CRUX PLAY of the conference championship game. Completely unraveled after that. Otherwise, the 1st quarter ends at 10-7 FAU, instead of 17-0 FAU.

If Fine goes down, we're going to need more Iowa performance than FAU performance.

MeanGreen_MBA · February 13, 2018

42 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Definitely his high point.
His low point? Overthrowing a wide open Chumley on THE CRUX PLAY of the conference championship game. Completely unraveled after that. Otherwise, the 1st quarter ends at 10-7 FAU, instead of 17-0 FAU.

If Fine goes down, we're going to need more Iowa performance than FAU performance.

not to be combative...I was at the FAU game... He threw that pass as he was being blown-up by the FAU DE...we was not fooled. It was a perfect call....except that. You cannot lay that over-thrown pass on QS....just to get it off was athletic.

aztecskin · February 13, 2018

We need at least two guys that can win games behind Mason.

One that can step in and do 75% of the job.

ONe that can step in and do 60% of the job.

That's bare minimum.

MeanGreenTexan · February 13, 2018

6 hours ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

not to be combative...I was at the FAU game... He threw that pass as he was being blown-up by the FAU DE...we was not fooled. It was a perfect call....except that. You cannot lay that over-thrown pass on QS....just to get it off was athletic.

I suppose that's kinda the argument here, right? How valuable is Fine?
When that same kind of throw needed to be made VS UTSA (with a free blitzer bearing down on him) Fine made it. Shanbour didn't.
Fine is critical to the success of the team against the good teams. If Fine twists an ankle VS SMU, I'm fine with Shanbour finishing that game out and playing Incarnate Word... because they'll both be easier wins. If we need to rely on Shanbour to win @ UAB, that's tougher to be as confident.

22 minutes ago, aztecskin said:

We need at least two guys that can win games behind Mason.

One that can step in and do 75% of the job.

ONe that can step in and do 60% of the job.

That's bare minimum.

If that's all we need, I think we have better than that with Shanbour, if that helps. I think Shanbour can do 90% of Fine's job.

FirefightnRick · February 14, 2018

The only concern a Mean Green fan should have in regards to our offense is the O line. Nothing more.

Rick

SilverEagle · February 14, 2018

15 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I suppose that's kinda the argument here, right? How valuable is Fine?
When that same kind of throw needed to be made VS UTSA (with a free blitzer bearing down on him) Fine made it. Shanbour didn't.
Fine is critical to the success of the team against the good teams. If Fine twists an ankle VS SMU, I'm fine with Shanbour finishing that game out and playing Incarnate Word... because they'll both be easier wins. If we need to rely on Shanbour to win @ UAB, that's tougher to be as confident.

If that's all we need, I think we have better than that with Shanbour, if that helps. I think Shanbour can do 90% of Fine's job.

I've kept my comments about Shanbour at a conservative level, mainly because i'm probably seen as a Shanbour apologist by many on the board,. Which is why I have invited people to attend spring practices and do their own evaluations of the QB's.

Here's my problem with your comparison of Fine/Shanbours situation. First of all, Fine is out there 99.99% (not too much of an exaggeration) and has felt the heat from our opposition 99.99 % more than Shanbour. And even then Fine is less than perfect in his game. He occasionally misses and misreads in a game. When Shanbour has had to go out there COLD he has been put in a position of having to be perfect. One time he WAS, and one time he wasn't. How is that a fair situation in which to assess the long term abilities of any QB?

Now, let's take a closer look at the two situations that you used. In the heroic play that Fine made, who's to say that Shanbour couldn't have thrown it to the same "spot" and had Bussey snatch it out of the air (because Shanbour might have thrown it a little high too) and then (like he did with Fine's throw) do the majority of the scoring heroics. Fine had probably the most experienced and best "go-to" receiver to throw it to, in the FAU game Shanbour did not.

People, FWIW, I have watched QB's from Vidal Carlin to Mason Fine, and it is my assessment that we have probably the best starter/back-up situation that I've seen since when Jordan Case was the starting QB and his back-up was Joe Stevenson. Either one of those guys would have (like Mason Fine.....or Shanbour) stood his ground, and without blinking or flinching, delivered the same throw to Bussey.

Edited February 14, 2018 by SilverEagle

golfingomez · February 14, 2018

15 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Fine is critical to the success of the team against the good teams. If Fine twists an ankle VS SMU, I'm fine with Shanbour finishing that game out and playing Incarnate Word... because they'll both be easier wins.

Edited February 14, 2018 by golfingomez

Withers940 · February 14, 2018

I mean no disrespect to the players and I know Vito has to write something down but are two players that never played a snap on the team really Key Losses in O'Hara and Isadore? Dont get me wrong, I was rooting or Isadore to make an impact but he never touched the field.

Im looking forward to seeing how much muscle Mason packs on during this offseason to make him more durable and less inclined to injury. Mason will stay healthy and be All Conference again.