Thinking back on Saturday
Hey everyone. I'm just going to free associate some things that have been rattling through my brain since the game ended. I left the stadium around 7, went home, hung out with my wife and went to bed. There were some great ideas discussed last night and yesterday in yesterday's comments.We have some remarkably intelligent and serene discussions here.
- I should have talked more about Jason Bosley and Ryan Pugh yesterday. I wrote about that in the newspaper, but left it out of the blog. Yes, they traded positions yesterday for the entire game. I don't really understand why. Coach Tommy Tuberville said Bosley's shoulder was hurting and, therefore, inhibited his ability to snap. True? I have no idea. Pugh gave that "just doing what I'm told" line. Bosley also offered up the same alibi. Pugh said that 6-3 guys shouldn't be playing tackle "in this league."
Both Pugh and Bosley are listed at 6-4. No idea. - I agree with truth hurts that Kodi Burns was set up for failure yesterday. I don't mean that Tony Franklin's goal was to negatively affect Burns' standing. It's just that he had a very slim chance to really help himself or his team when given the nod in the third quarter.
Auburn's offense was gaining momentum in the first half with Chris Todd under center. Then Burns comes in to open the third quarter, goes three-and-out and the offense really was never the same. I can understand what Franklin is thinking there -- he genuinely likes Burns and thinks he's a talent -- but the timing was detrimental. - Josh and I noticed Todd's indecision about deep passes as well. I can remember a few times when Tommy Trott was wide open down the field and Todd, while looking toward Trott, elected to throw shorter routes. It was almost as if Todd was thinking: I'd like to make that throw, but I can't. Is that because of his arm? Is it because of overall timidity in the pocket? Is it a fear of being yanked for making a risky decision that ends poorly?
- While we're talking about quarterbacks, why not look ahead? Who has a strong arm? Neil Caudle isn't going to play major minutes at Auburn. I like what I've seen from Barrett Trotter. He's a wild card in a sense. What I've heard about commitment Raymond Cotton is that he's more of a runner. If that's the case, and Auburn already has a young runner in Burns and possibly Trotter, why pursue Cotton? I'm sitting here looking at a guy like Ryan Mossakowski, whom Auburn basically passed over and who now is committed to Kentucky, and wondering why he isn't considered more valuable around here. He's playing in this kind of offense. He has a strong arm.
posted by Jay G. Tate at
9:04 AM
20 Comments:
Jay G:
As usual, the random thoughts are web gold. Unfortunately (and also per the norm), those thoughts cloud things that I once thought were clear. I really never gave a second thought to the offensive line shuffle. Pugh's future position will be at center, while Bos is a senior and can play tackle too. Why not get Pugh in there now?
The QB thing is perplexing. Burns was certainly set-up to fail, if you will, though I don't think it was by design. I simply refuse to believe that Tubs would give Franklin the autonomy to play a QB that could get us beat. It is curious though that until he came here, Burns was NOT A RUNNING QB. Todd played better for sure, but right now he is a more mobile Brandon Cox that doesn't have the same intestinal fortitude to attempt a long pass to a wide-open receiver. With his up side, I would prefer to take my lumps now and get Burns the experience he needs.....perhaps that's why I am writing a blog entry and not breaking down film though...
What is even more frustrating perhaps is watching those big receivers (and their QB for that matter) for So. Miss and thinking why not us? We certainly should be able to get guys like that. I might be crazy, but you change the jerseys on those two wideouts and we are a championship caliber team. Maybe with this new offense they will come.
Jay, the last statement you have about Auburn's future quarterback situation is something I have been trying to figure out for a few months now. I can't understand why we put all of our eggs in one basket when Franklin has said that quarterback play is vital for this offense to work. Even if Cotton ends up being great why pass over Moss and say we ran out of room? I feel like we need as many options at quarterback as we can get. I'm pretty sure we could have found a scholorship for him somewhere, hell, alabama just makes people leave the team till they get their numbers down
Watching on TV I obviously couldnt see the whole field, but you could clearly see Todd double pump the ball on five or six different plays(at least). It's good to know that he was pump faking to an OPEN MAN!!! Nice to see that even HE doesnt have any confidence in his arm.
This is not going to end well.
Jay G,
Not to ask a stupid question but do the coaches not notice these glaring problems? And will they be asked DIRECTLY about them?
As in, not general questions about who the starter is or how Todd looked Saturday. But questions like "why did it appear that Todd missed the open man downfield on several occassions."
Are those the kinds of pointed questions a reporter could/ should ask?
The Auburn QB conundrum continues. But my biggest worry is that we are getting thin very fast.
Question for everyone. What do you guys think about the signing of 30 players each year knowing that there will be some players that fall through the cracks. I know this has been TT's M.O for years but we seem to be losing more players lately and I think we only have about 77 only scholarship. Also, we are way behind on recruiting OL. Thoughts?
If we get Cotton then he will definitely redshirt in 2009 then he will be a freshman during Kodi's senior year. I don't see that as a problem. Trotter is a passer first with the benefit of good mobility, but he won't be mistaken for a running QB.
Cotton will redshirt, placing him three years behind Burns. Trotter will take over the pocket-passer role when Todd leaves and Cotton will take over the daul-threat role when Burns leaves.
Caudle will continue to be in the "Coach, I want to play!" position
Guys, Cotton is actually a pretty prolific passer. He can make things happen on the run but he's a legit threat to sit in a pcoket and fire away.
I've seen him A LOT.
The way we used Cox and Burns in the bowl is the obvious answer to me for the QB situation. Todd is further along and anyone that spent a couple years in the Texas Tech system with Leach probably learned a lot more about the passing game than anyone who spent one year under Borgus.
I think Todd is the obvious choice for your main passer right now but Burn's wasting away on the bench running one or two series is a joke. There is a whole different set of plays that can be added to the offense by bringing in Burns for a play or two at a time.
The last two BCS champs UF and LSU both featured a pocket passer and change of pace runner playing 15 or so snaps a game at QB. Seems like a no brainer.
Yea, Cotton is no joke. He's a talented player. Rivals has him as a 4-star guy and I think that's legit.
His arm is strong. His footwork is not strong. He likes to jump-and-throw a la Brett Favre. There's only one Brett Favre, though.
Cotton's one weak spot at the Elite 11 was the footwork driils that he had never seen nor practiced before. That stuff's going to be easy to work into his skill set. Trotter's got a pretty good arm and he has always been confident. But he also tends to get a wild arm sometimes. Further, Trotter's a good athlete who can also run. He's not Chris Todd or Cox in that regard.
My biggest issue with Kodi is that he doesn't go through the receiver progressions. He may get to the 2nd guy before he runs, but many times he runs if the primary is covered. The idea for the spread is that SOMEONE will be open b/c of the #'s mismatch.
If Kodi can know where the other receivers are and find them, then he should be the starter. Kodi does need more footwork and throwing fundamental work. He still gets "lackadaisical"(CTT's word)and throws the ball with his chest facing downfield as if he is throwing darts in a bar.
I've not watched film on Cotton or Mossakowski, so I have no valid comment.
They said Cal Booker could fix his footwork, too.
Jay, Booker was nothing like Cotton in high school. Booker looked prototypical but he couldn't pass worth a flip. He wasn't mobile. HE was steroetyped if anybody ever has been. Booker didn't even get any legit PT at GT. He wasn't very good. Cotton is. You'll see soon enough. Of all people, I think you'll get a few thrills watching him do his thing in practice next season albeit scout team honors most likely.
You'll been looking for legit blue chippers at QB and WR at Auburn. You know as well as we do that most of the teams we play have better talent at those positions. You're about to be impressed. Trust me.
Cotton,
will remind people of Jason Cambell when its all said and done... if you get talent early enough you can coach them up and CTT isvery good at coaching them up!!!!
I offer this as a casual observer of living in Mobile and watching Macarron and Cotton last year and told several Bama posters that Cotton had the better upside of the two prospects.... Macarron (the New Savior) was only as good as all that talent he had around him last year.... check his numbers now... I believe I was right... people said the same thing about Tyler Watts which I saw in HS and he never threw a ball more than 20 yards downfield and I told people he would never be a good QB and they all thought I was crazy adn being a homer... history has a way of repeating itself... Trust me Cotton will be BAD!!!!
Ditto, AUN. McCarron woo'd one entirely too technically critical writer for Rivals. McCarron's all about drills. Drills don't do much for balls in a real game situation. McCarron is sort of a generic Croyle. Croyle actually had a cannon. McCarron's arm is good enough. But he's not been a gamer yet.
Cotton, on the other hand, is a gamer. He shows up and he does his thing. He's smooth as butter doing it.
FWIW Cotton completed 16 of 22 for 245 yards and 3 TDs in his first game this weekend in Maryland. He also ran for 80 yards and another TD.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/09_06-28/HIG
I sure hope the coaches have a legitamite way to settle this QB issue. They are handling Kodi bad and that may be a problem in the near future for this team as well as future recruits.
Yeah, just to reiterate what everyone else has said re Cotton. The kid is the real deal. He's probably a taller and stronger version of Dameyune Craig.
The comments about his footwork being poor is something I've read in multiple places, however one thing that was pointed out on the ESPN breakdown was that Cotton was the only qb who participated in the Elite 11 that didn't have his own personal quarterbacks coach. Most of those guys have been groomed from a real young age, while Cotton has mostly gotten by on natural ability, and lately the tutelage he has received during summer football camps.
From what I've read, I think Cotton has more upside than probably any qb in this year's class. The kid has potential to be really special.
And Bammer can have McCarron. Brodie Croyle part deux. The kid looks like he needs about 3 years in the weight room, and even then Tray Blackmon could break him in half just by looking at him.
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