DRC: Littrell -- Aune, Ruder, Martin will get shot in QB race

[Brett Vito]

 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Brett Vito

[Brett Vito]

Littrell sets stage for QB race

 

[El Paso Eagle]

So does this pretty much put the red shirt on Drummond? 

[BillySee58]

Hard to imagine anyone other than Aune starting the 1st game. Feels like we probably see Aune and Ruder games 1 and 2 until one of the two separates themselves. Feel good either way honestly.

[BillySee58]

27 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

So does this pretty much put the red shirt on Drummond? 

Yeah that seems pretty assured. Aune technically has 3 years of eligibility left, 3 for Martin, 4 for Ruder, and 4 for Gilmore. Unless Drummond is your starter, it makes sense to redshirt him and give him some separation from the other guys, eligibility wise. 

Also, whoever wins the starting job, it’s not hard to envision the other guys deciding to look for opportunities elsewhere where they can play. Especially since a lot of our QBs are already graduated and engaged/married. Would not be shocking to see Drummond and the starting QB as the lone returners in the QB room come next season. Take this year to study and learn the offense.

[meanrob]

10 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Hard to imagine anyone other than Aune starting the 1st game. Feels like we probably see Aune and Ruder games 1 and 2 until one of the two separates themselves. Feel good either way honestly.

I want to know in what year we started out not knowing who the quarterback would be and we finished above .500? 
 

I’d have a helluva lot more confidence in our offensive minded coach if he could evaluate and select a starting quarterback over a month of practices. Besides when Fine made it obvious, he hasn’t been able to do that. 

[BillySee58]

7 minutes ago, meanrob said:

I want to know in what year we started out not knowing who the quarterback would be and we finished above .500? 
 

I’d have a helluva lot more confidence in our offensive minded coach if he could evaluate and select a starting quarterback over a month of practices. Besides when Fine made it obvious, he hasn’t been able to do that. 

I hear ya. But keep in mind last year we averaged 7 points more than the 2nd-highest scoring offense in CUSA and 96 more offensive yards/game than the 2nd highest yards/game team in CUSA. Our offense produced plenty.

We were equally distanced from the 2nd worse defenses in CUSA in those categories last year. Right now I think that’s where the primary concern is.

[WanderingEagle]

One of those 3 guys has to be *the* guy after Northwestern State. I honestly have more than enough faith in Seth to choose the best candidate at that position but you follow NWSU with @ SMU, UAB, @ La Tech, and @ Mizzou all in succession. Not to be dramatic but that four game stretch could very well decide Seth's fate here. You cannot - cannot - start the year 1-4. 

It ultimately rides on the defense getting better, duh, but I have no doubt the staff knows they can't juggle three guys. It's Aune's job to lose and he only loses it if Ruder or Martin are all-conference level ready for the job. So I have confidence there.

[El Paso Eagle]

1 hour ago, BillySee58 said:

Hard to imagine anyone other than Aune starting the 1st game. Feels like we probably see Aune and Ruder games 1 and 2 until one of the two separates themselves. Feel good either way honestly.

If Ruder and Aune are close enough for the first game to where Aune has not clearly shown to be the pick, I would hope they go with Ruder. They know what AA can do. If Ruder can close the gap this soon then see what he can do.

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

35 minutes ago, WanderingEagle said:

One of those 3 guys has to be *the* guy after Northwestern State. I honestly have more than enough faith in Seth to choose the best candidate at that position but you follow NWSU with @ SMU, UAB, @ La Tech, and @ Mizzou all in succession. Not to be dramatic but that four game stretch could very well decide Seth's fate here. You cannot - cannot - start the year 1-4. 

It ultimately rides on the defense getting better, duh, but I have no doubt the staff knows they can't juggle three guys. It's Aune's job to lose and he only loses it if Ruder or Martin are all-conference level ready for the job. So I have confidence there.

SMU* NWST will tell us nothing

[Udomann]

I hate this take. Pick a car and drive it. The more we keep swapping the less efficient we will be.

Confidence also goes a long way. So pick a winner, give him the keys and go. Our QB by committee has never worked.

[Udomann]

1 hour ago, BillySee58 said:

I hear ya. But keep in mind last year we averaged 7 points more than the 2nd-highest scoring offense in CUSA and 96 more offensive yards/game than the 2nd highest yards/game team in CUSA.

Key point: CUSA. Basically we were a trash can fire next to a dumpster fire. Relative optics are not our friend here.

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, El Paso Eagle said:

They know what AA can do.

Year 1 to Year 2 can be very different.   Hopefully it's for the better.

[BillySee58]

40 minutes ago, Udomann said:

Key point: CUSA. Basically we were a trash can fire next to a dumpster fire. Relative optics are not our friend here.

Good news. We’re still in CUSA.

[RBP79]

I would think who ever starts the smuT game it's theirs to lose....

[UNT 90 Grad]

3 hours ago, WanderingEagle said:

One of those 3 guys has to be *the* guy after Northwestern State. I honestly have more than enough faith in Seth to choose the best candidate at that position but you follow NWSU with @ SMU, UAB, @ La Tech, and @ Mizzou all in succession. Not to be dramatic but that four game stretch could very well decide Seth's fate here. You cannot - cannot - start the year 1-4. 

How about starting 1-5?

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/north-texas/2002-schedule.html

Still won the conference AND beat Cincinnati in the bowl game. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by UNT 90 Grad

[MeanGreenTexan]

12 hours ago, Udomann said:

I hate this take. Pick a car and drive it. The more we keep swapping the less efficient we will be.

Confidence also goes a long way. So pick a winner, give him the keys and go. Our QB by committee has never worked.

This is a pretty standard Chess move by Littrell.    You're thinking checkers.

Aune hasn't done anything special to go ahead and name him the starter right now.
If Littrell named Aune the starter right now, he wouldn't be pushed by any of his backups during Fall practice to get better.   Competition breeds improvement.
Littrell has seen all of 1/2 of a week of Ruder.  Can't name him starter right now.   
And Martin hasn't been able to earn much PT so far.   Are you really going to name him starter right now over the other two?

Now, I agree with you on last year's QB-swapping.   

I expect Aune's name to be atop the depth chart on 8/30.  No "OR" like last year.  Just Aune.    He should go out there on 9/4, and put up about 300yds & 4-5 TDs in 3 quarters of work, then Ruder (or maybe Martin) will come in and hand the ball off a bunch in the 4th quarter. 
Aune's true test will be the next week.  He'll either cement himself as the starter, or hand the job over to Ruder.

[Udomann]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

This is a pretty standard Chess move by Littrell.    You're thinking checkers.
 

In fairness, Mumbles hasn't had the greatest record with his brand of chess.

It's rare, but occasionally QB by committee can work if you have some exceptional talent. Ohio State had it a few years back, Baylor pulled it off once too, but those are teams with exceptional talent. We have ok talent, so the luxury of swapping them out just isn't one of our strengths

Now, I'm not saying Aune should be or will be the starter, but by end of camp you pick the best and put all your chips on him (slammed a poker reference alongside checkers/chess). 

 

[C Rod]

12 hours ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

How about starting 1-5?

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/north-texas/2002-schedule.html

Still won the conference AND beat Cincinnati in the bowl game. 

Good lord, look at that non-conference schedule. '02 was my freshman year at UNT and I thought every year would be like this. Haha, boy was I wrong.

[MeanGreenTexan]

57 minutes ago, Udomann said:

In fairness, Mumbles hasn't had the greatest record with his brand of chess.

It's rare, but occasionally QB by committee can work if you have some exceptional talent. Ohio State had it a few years back, Baylor pulled it off once too, but those are teams with exceptional talent. We have ok talent, so the luxury of swapping them out just isn't one of our strengths

Now, I'm not saying Aune should be or will be the starter, but by end of camp you pick the best and put all your chips on him (slammed a poker reference alongside checkers/chess). 

 

His chess game has certainly slipped the past few seasons, that's for sure!

Also, I think you're forgetting about a pretty memorable swap in game 2 of 2016 when the all-in starter ('Bama transfer Alec Morris) was subbed out for a scrawny, undersized, slinger from Oklahoma.

Not saying we have another Mason Fine on the roster now, but that swap worked out OK.
The QB-by-committee we saw last year was not good. I agree.   That can't happen again this year.

But it would be hard-headed for Littrell to name a starter during Fall Practice, and stick with it through the year no matter what.   Heck, Ruder has only been here for a few weeks.  He probably doesn't even know where Wooten Hall is yet.

[Udomann]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

His chess game has certainly slipped the past few seasons, that's for sure!

Also, I think you're forgetting about a pretty memorable swap in game 2 of 2016 when the all-in starter ('Bama transfer Alec Morris) was subbed out for a scrawny, undersized, slinger from Oklahoma.

Not saying we have another Mason Fine on the roster now, but that swap worked out OK.
The QB-by-committee we saw last year was not good. I agree.   That can't happen again this year.

But it would be hard-headed for Littrell to name a starter during Fall Practice, and stick with it through the year no matter what.   Heck, Ruder has only been here for a few weeks.  He probably doesn't even know where Wooten Hall is yet.

I was worried you'd find the Morris/Fine flaw in my argument... I thought of it right after I hit submit.

And yeah, I agree. If the wheels fall off you definitely need to be ready to swap. That's what the backups are for after all. I just think mistakes need to be allowed so we can grow our guys. They all have a few years left, and this year is most likely a write-off. Let them ball and learn.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Udomann

[Cr1028]

On 8/11/2021 at 12:24 PM, Udomann said:

I was worried you'd find the Morris/Fine flaw in my argument... I thought of it right after I hit submit.

And yeah, I agree. If the wheels fall off you definitely need to be ready to swap. That's what the backups are for after all. I just think mistakes need to be allowed so we can grow our guys. They all have a few years left, and this year is most likely a write-off. Let them ball and learn.

Still relevant.

On 8/10/2021 at 9:46 PM, UNT 90 Grad said:

How about starting 1-5?

Premonition much?

[UNT 90 Grad]

3 hours ago, Cr1028 said:

Still relevant.

Premonition much?

Whoa.  Scary.

 

Side note:  Someone needs to fix the violent title of this thread.  Either it's missing an "a" or Littrell puts too much pressure on his quarterbacks to perform.

[MeanGreenTexan]

9 hours ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

 

Side note:  Someone needs to fix the violent title of this thread.  Either it's missing an "a" or Littrell puts too much pressure on his quarterbacks to perform.