Mean Green seeks scores, QB to compliment

MootPoint · October 11, 2005

Mean Green seeks scores, QB to compliment playmaking backs and receivers

Rain Johnson

October 11, 2005

After four games, the Mean Green has three offensive touchdowns and eight turnovers, while averaging a Sun Belt worst 198.2 yards per game

To date, the Mean Green offense is not just unproductive, it is all but nonexistent. Youth is playing a key role in NT’s inability to move the ball, but how long can a team continue to use that excuse? After four games, it appears most of the Mean Green’s youthful positions has at least, somewhat figured it out.

The offensive line has eliminated many costly penalties that plagued the offense earlier in the season. Both the kickoff specialist and punter have overcome their youth, granted those positions may not be as daunting of a task as other positions. The defense is still bend–don’t–break, but it finds a way to get the job done.

But the Mean Green quarterback position continues to struggle. The offense is averaging only 96 passing yards per game, including a 59-yard effort against Tulsa.

Part of being a freshman is continuing to grow from game to game and improve. Thus far, NT redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Meager has shown little improvement, at least statistically.

During the Mean Green’s last game, Meager set a season best for passing yards, but also had three turnovers, two interceptions and one fumble. To Meager’s credit, he did have several nice passes against Troy that were dropped by his receivers. But that does not make up for his overthrow to Brandon Jackson on a wide receiver screen, or throwing into double coverage.

The NT offense is at an all–time low. The sad thing is that it has the best group of wide receivers in Dickey’s tenure, and the best running backs in the school’s history. With the quarterback position constantly bringing those groups down, a team should at the very least explore other options at the position, starting with true freshman Matt Phillips.

It will be hard for Phillips to do any worse than Meager. Under Meager, time and time again, receivers have blown past opposing secondaries only to have to grab a ball thrown poorly.

What good is that group of receivers if you cannot get the ball downfield to them?

The worst that could happen if Phillips played would be that he throws poorly, too. But at least then, you know that for a fact.

Maybe Phillips will get the ball over the defense, then you have established a down–the–field threat, and opponents will stop bringing their safeties so far up to stop the run. In his limited time on the field, Phillips has shown the ability to find receivers. He does have the team’s only touchdown pass on the season (25-yard pass to Johnny Quinn late in the Kansas State game), and he has completed two of his three pass attempts.

What does the team have to lose?

A conference game?

meangreendork · October 11, 2005

Try Meager for a quarter. If he can't start to connect, then put in Phillips. There's not a whole lot to lose at this point, so any chance of improvement will be fine. It's not like we have a lot to risk by putting Phillips in, you know.

We've seen Meager thus far and he hasn't improved too much. I'd figure that he'd be set by now, and if he isn't by the start of the next game, bench him. I'd rather put someone in with the chance he may be better than someone who we already know will blow it.

Not to say Meager can't get better- I'd like to see him do it as he has mobility that Phillips can't dream of, which combined with passing ability could make Meager a VERY complete QB.

NT80 · October 11, 2005

Mean Green seeks scores, QB to compliment playmaking backs and receivers
Rain Johnson
October 11, 2005
After four games, the Mean Green has three offensive touchdowns and eight turnovers, while averaging a Sun Belt worst 198.2 yards per game
To date, the Mean Green offense is not just unproductive, it is all but nonexistent. Youth is playing a key role in NT’s inability to move the ball, but how long can a team continue to use that excuse? After four games, it appears most of the Mean Green’s youthful positions has at least, somewhat figured it out.
The offensive line has eliminated many costly penalties that plagued the offense earlier in the season. Both the kickoff specialist and punter have overcome their youth, granted those positions may not be as daunting of a task as other positions. The defense is still bend–don’t–break, but it finds a way to get the job done.
But the Mean Green quarterback position continues to struggle. The offense is averaging only 96 passing yards per game, including a 59-yard effort against Tulsa.
Part of being a freshman is continuing to grow from game to game and improve. Thus far, NT redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Meager has shown little improvement, at least statistically.
During the Mean Green’s last game, Meager set a season best for passing yards, but also had three turnovers, two interceptions and one fumble. To Meager’s credit, he did have several nice passes against Troy that were dropped by his receivers. But that does not make up for his overthrow to Brandon Jackson on a wide receiver screen, or throwing into double coverage.
The NT offense is at an all–time low. The sad thing is that it has the best group of wide receivers in Dickey’s tenure, and the best running backs in the school’s history. With the quarterback position constantly bringing those groups down, a team should at the very least explore other options at the position, starting with true freshman Matt Phillips.
It will be hard for Phillips to do any worse than Meager. Under Meager, time and time again, receivers have blown past opposing secondaries only to have to grab a ball thrown poorly.
What good is that group of receivers if you cannot get the ball downfield to them?
The worst that could happen if Phillips played would be that he throws poorly, too. But at least then, you know that for a fact.
Maybe Phillips will get the ball over the defense, then you have established a down–the–field threat, and opponents will stop bringing their safeties so far up to stop the run. In his limited time on the field, Phillips has shown the ability to find receivers. He does have the team’s only touchdown pass on the season (25-yard pass to Johnny Quinn late in the Kansas State game), and he has completed two of his three pass attempts.
What does the team have to lose?
A conference game?
←

One of the better written Daily articles. I agree with the play Phillips argument, why not??

MeanMag · October 11, 2005

As I have said before, Rian Johnson is the best writer for the daily I have seen in a long time, if ever.

CorinthEagle · October 11, 2005

The DRC should take some notes on this article and quit being so scared to upset the "sleeping giant"

medpilot21 · October 11, 2005

Good article, but I'm not so sure we are ready to pull the plug on Meager. The kid has made some HUGE misakes, true...but we need to know where this kid can take us. If he comes apart again, then you give Phillips a shot in the second half. Meager was something special at Pierce, and I just think that talent will start to show at some point? Here's hoping he shows it to FIU. I expect Quinn and Cobbs to help this kid get it all figured out. Other young QB's have found themselves in the Dickey-ball offense. The coaching staff has been right before (#11 in your last few years programs), so I'll ride the wave of hope with them for now. I do believe we should have seen Phillips in the second half of the Troy game, and Coach Dickey said he would play him? Meager was having a really bad day, but did run for a score.

We need a QB to emerge for this offense to work. Who that will be...we'll know soon enough. I think we have other issues on offense besides who's throwing the ball. We need someone besides Quinn to be willing to catch the freakin ball if it gets to them. (Drops are just crazy lately? Even Stickler is dropping passes, and I dont think he dropped a single ball during two-a-days???) Oh well...Ce' la Vie. Bring on FIU.

GMG!!!

SilverEagle · October 11, 2005

My thing about Meager is this. If the guy wants to make play with his legs then LET'EM! Don't chew him out for scrambling, especially if it keeps a drive going. He'll get used to reading defenses eventually and will be making better throws as a result. Just let the guy lead the team the way in which he feels most comfortable leading them.

meangreendork · October 11, 2005

Can't do that...can't let him do it his way...I mean, when Danny starts to scramble around, then he'll think he can call audibles, and we can't do that, can we?

gangrene · October 12, 2005

WOW!!!....reading that article sort of feels like I'm talking to myself.

Medpilot...I don't think anyone is necessarily ready to "pull the plug" on Meager but we've given him 4 games to show what he's capable of doing...now we want to see what Phillips' abilities are.

I'll be the first one to give Meager his dues if he starts performing the way everyone keeps saying he can. But, in the meantime, the season is wasting away and the entire offense looks like dog doo doo because we don't have a serious passing threat. I've watched last week's game four times now and each time I cringe whenever Meager misses the wide open Brandon Jackson screen pass that was mentioned in this article. That was a FIVE-YARD pass that could have gained at least 20 yards and put us well within Trojan territory. The very next series is when our defense had Troy in a 4th and 41 situation before the big muff. That set the tone of the game, even though we were given several other opportunites by Troy.

All I keep hearing is how many passes Meager has had dropped but I guarantee that for every dropped pass he's had, he's thrown twice as many horrible passes. And the thing that really gets me is that it seems the shorter the pass is, the more inaccurate it is.