Quarterback Questions

Ibleedgreen · December 3, 2009

If Thompson played on a regular basis I am sure we'd learn he is human/capable of making mistakes.

gangrene · December 3, 2009

I know RV and others has been high.

Well, that explains a LOT.

December 3, 2009

I hope I haven't engaged in character assassination towards Riley, and have criticized those who have claimed he was faking injuries or otherwise not doing his best. It is widely perceived by many who follow football in this area, whether true or not, that there won't be an open competition for quarterback at North Texas under the present circumstances. And I do think the saying that the most popular player on a team is always the backup (or third string in our case) QB only holds true for losing teams. However, I have found the things said about Knott to be even more reprehensible, suggesting that we "hate" him. Isn't it reasonable though, to question why, regardless of who has been kicking or punting for North Texas during the Dodge era, that their performance, as well as that of their supporting cast, and the kicking game overall, has regressed? I for one don't claim to know any one person to blame for all this, but I do believe it's the responsibility of the head coach, Todd Dodge, to see that our kicking game gets better.

To the first part, if the quarterback competition is closed that's not Riley's fault. There's nothing wrong with implying that Todd doesn't give a fair chance to others. That may or may not be true. I still think that Riley's the best quarterback that we have and statistics will back me up on that. He was definitely better in high school...Offensive Player of the Year in 5A, PARADE All-American, etc. He hasn't adjusted as well to the college game but I believe that he will.

The problem with criticizing Knott is that he is just 1/3 of the kicking tandem, albeit the most important part. Jeremy was 2nd team all-conference in his CC conference but I have no idea the strength of the kickers at that time. He has decent leg strength. He has been in the middle of the pack nationally on kickoff length. But, do we know why he is in the lower realm of field goals and PATs? I know that several misses have been due to bad snaps and one or two due to bobbles by the holder. Many, if not most, of his misses are due to blocks. Some of the blocks are due to a low trajectory which is necessary on the longer kicks. Some field goals miss due to wind but the kicker needs to adjust to those conditions. Still, it's like a golf shot; the best pros do not always play the wind correctly. Other blocks are due to a blocker missing his block and letting a defender in too close. What I'm trying to say is that every miss is not Knott's fault. The deep snapper, the holder, and the blockers can each be a reason for the miss. Still. Knott is not the worst kicker in the FBS.

Atterberry has the tools to be a fine punter but it seemed to me that he rushed his punts after having one blocked. It's probably a mind game. He needs to concentrate on the kick and not the rush. Maybe we need to sacrifice coverage to give him protection.

Yes, it is Todd Dodge's responsibility ultimately. However, he needs to tell Coach Gandy to fix it and possibly make suggestions. It's Shelton's responsibility to fix it.