I think its sadly ironic that, when I look at the depth of the football team (defined as players with enough experience to actually earn and play game minutes without demonstrating an inability to do the assigned job properly), we appear unusually deep for a Miami team at pretty much every position on both sides of the ball…
EXCEPT at QB, a position which is one of the most vulnerable to injury involving the ability to stay in the game. These include, arm, leg and concussion injuries as high risk likelihoods of taking a QB out of a game. And, yet Miami only has one backup who appears somewhat capable (???) of stepping into a game and playing QB. So, when AV had to enter the game last evening, he had no game experience this year and was obviously rusty…AND, dare I say that, behind AV, Miami stands basically naked at the most important position in football and at a position in which Miami QB #3, whoever he may be, is only one play away.
As Warren Buffett says, you don’t see who’s swimming naked until the tide goes out and, as I said my prayers last night for Brett, I also added my hopes that the tide doesn’t go out for Miami…but it may have started.
Looks like a compound fracture for Brett. It’s out on Twitter but I’m not posting it here. It’s not pretty
How many MAC schools have a backup that has more game experience than Smith? Or a third string that has seen game reps? This idea that every other MAC team is loaded with game-ready QB’s is wild to me. And the coaches did bring in another QB with starting experience. Unfortunately the NCAA is a POS and isn’t allowing him to play.
Maybe Chuck learned a lesson in not giving more than 1 QB meaningful snaps…
Western does
In the transfer portal era it is increasingly difficult for coaches to build any depth of experience or even to stockpile decent talent at the QB position. If they’re not playing, they’re leaving.
Most competitive programs have two QB they can plug in and play. Very few have three. That’s why it’s important to try to keep the #2 and 3 fresh with as much meaningful playing time as possible.
I have seen some defend this play call of Gabbert running from the two yard line. I have seen some say “well Brett runs other times and he could be hurt there.” Yes, but let me tell you in my opinion how this is different. When Brett does a designed run from midfield or anywhere not on the goal line he is generally running in open space. Not in a tightly confined area. And you may ask, “Well what difference does that make?” Well, the difference is on the 2-yard line all 22 players are tightly compact. Multiple three hundred pound OL and DL are falling on top of one another and the ball carrier. For any player, this raises the risk of injury. For an injury-prone QB like Gabbert, the risk of injury is particularly heightened. If CM felt compelled to run Gabbert from the 2, then call a fake handoff and have him run around the end of the pile, not straight into it. At the very least this call was ill-advised.
I woke up today pretty well deflated over Miami’s prospects minus our starting QB Gabbert. I woke up today deflated over another injury to a QB who has had his share of injuries. I woke up today deflated knowing there were better options to call on that play. I woke up today deflated knowing a young man who has given his all to Miami football may never play another snap in the game he loves. I woke up today deflated, knowing we had all the momentum, our defense playing inspired outstanding ball in the second half, knowing it was a game we very likely would have won had we not lost our starting QB. Word of the day, “deflated”.
True none of them are good
I agree. There is still a path to a MAC Championship. CM has to adapt to precisely what you have described. We need ball control. Throw the ball 10-15 times. We have a stable of solid RBs. Aveon is not a passer, but he can run RPO and pass some. Plus, he’s likely the most loved player on the team. They will rally around him. Lastly, keep Brett in your prayers.
Similar to the Mississippi State cowbells.
The first half they were the best team we have played
. Not so much the second half.
Bluesman - very well said. What is also most deflating is this mediocre to extremely poor offensive play calling and coaching will continue unless or until CM hires someone who will change our approach or CM leaves- he never has been and probably never will be a total game coach - we will continue to have 500 or below seasons - wast good recruiting classes and have at most 17000 thousand in the stands. Miami has so much potential that we continue to piss away. Prayers to Brett and his family.
Have you not watched the last 5 seasons. This is the 4 th year in a row that Brett has been injured running the ball and had to miss a lot of games. Plus in his freshman year he was removed from two games because of Injuries suffered running the ball.Earlier in the year they were careful in not calling inside runs for Brett and he was always sliding before getting hit. The last two weeks he or the coaches have thrown caution to the wind, calling inside runs and not sliding in the open field, with predictable results.
Thank you.
Dick if you are responding to me you have misread my posts- Brett should never have been running inside the tackles from the Toledo 2/3 yard line. See above posts.
AGREE with everyone who said Brett has no business running from the 2 in ANY game. Just stupid call
Brett has had a tough deal with injuries. But, if I had a crystal ball and saw what the future looked like the day we signed him, I’d still have signed him. He’s done great things for MU. Won a MAC. Beat UC. Stopped that wretched 8 year losing to Western. I think it goes without saying, but the idea that a coach would willingly hurt him is just plain wrong for so many reasons. I actually feel like he has had a lot of latitude in what he runs as a QB. Now, I can’t argue with anyone who says “yes, but maybe that’s what needs to change” as we do have a repeating pattern here that needs to be viewed as a trend and not an outlier.
Ps, Up until the fumble, I actually thought we were gonna win. I still think we can have a big year, but it’s gonna take a serious bit of soul searching on the part of the staff for the most effective way to do that.
Just win out.
Wolfe is not good? Did he start the year hurt or as a 3rd stringer? Seemed quite capable when he came into the game against us. I thought he did fine against OU, completing over 70% of his passes
Blues. Your response is spot on
I’m not deflated yet though. I actually have plenty of faith in Aveon. His throwing mechanics are so much better than last year. He can be a weapon
This will come down to the coaches. They will have to make an adjustment to not only the playcalling but also their temperament. They did nothing to calm Aveon down to not press to hard. They also just went to pass only, with plenty of time on the clock, time outs and a run game that was working well enough
And the temperament item….you ever watch how Chuck gets in everyone’s face about everything? It would be immediate “feedback”, if his non verbals were different….but they’re not, his indifferent. It comes across as everyone is an idiot, everyone sucks. It lacks EQ….it reminds me of Tim roses style. Even Hep knew when to get excited and when to chill, which he did most times (albeit I saw as a position coach)
Miami had all the player talent it needs to win. We need better management and leadership. Sorry. This is important to me and it is becoming reprehensible