'11 SC QB Everett Golson (FSU transfer)

[magogian]

There were a lot of open receivers that didn't get the ball last year.

I think that is an underappreciated point.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I think that is an underappreciated point.

Just mixing in the previous point, I thought Everett was as good at buying time as any qb I have seen film on (in h.s.).

And the other open receivers is just the place where the offense takes the light year jump, in productivity. I believe Everett can get it there.

 

[woolybug25]

There were a lot of open receivers that didn't get the ball last year.

Somewhere... TJ Jones is still standing with his hands in the air...

 

[tadman95]

Somewhere... TJ Jones is still standing with his hands in the air...

TJ is exactly who I was thinking about. I was at the Wake Forest game, I was frustrated and it sure looked like TJ was too.

 

[PANDFAN]

Somewhere... TJ Jones is still standing with his hands in the air...

TJ is exactly who I was thinking about. I was at the Wake Forest game, I was frustrated and it sure looked like TJ was too.

i must say, he is someone who needs to be a go to receiver...WHEN he gets the ball he can get some yards after the catch...thinking of Stanford and Michigan game...he was able to get to the outside and tip toe that sideline

 

[Zwidmanio]

Aside from all that, the major problem Golson has is holding on to the damn ball. We heard about it all last year, we heard about it in the spring, and then the spring game comes and he plays phenomenally, but he still had a problem with just holding onto the ball. And not just with contact...I'm talking about the center exchange and hand-offs as well. All this Golson love (and believe me, I'm driving the Golson bus), will quickly turn to anger when he starts putting the ball on the floor b/c of poor attention to detail.

So all this 7 on 7 stuff is fantastic, but it means nothing if we're wasting downs cause he can't get the ball from Cave, or because he's giving the ball to the other team by just dropping it.

If he can protect the ball, learn the offense (and maybe that means BK dumbing it down, not sure) and learn to be a mature leader, we're golden...

I agree with all that's been said above. Golson has had widely reported ball control issues and that aspect of the game is something that the team really struggled with last year. It's something that must be improved upon if there's any hope of having a good to great season with this upcoming schedule.

However, given the alternative, I've been a bit more willing to overlook Golson's ball control issues...to an extent of course. If I recall correctly, Rees averaged nearly two turnovers a game (somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I think I remember around 19 turnovers attributed to him?). Those turnovers might have been more tolerable if they were offset by big play potential (nice scrambles, long-balls to receivers, etc). I think Golson gives us the big play potential that we expected from Kelly's offense but has been sorely lacking these past couple seasons. As long as it's within reason, I can deal with a few Golson turnovers as long as he's able to execute the offense to a level that we haven't seen thus far.

Hopefully, he's spent a good portion of his summer learning the signals/plays and working on keeping his hands on the ball. I know it would make me that much more excited for the upcoming season if he were ready.

 

[DomeLover3]

I'm sure its been said before but Golson turnovers > Tommy Turnovers.

Big play potential with Golson and he gets experience from his freshman season so he can be better in the future.

Golson will be an immediate improvement at QB, still some hiccups, but he will learn from this year and be ready to be a major contributor in years to come

 

[Rhode Irish]

A lot of "if's" in there, but I'm honestly not worried about him protecting the ball. Can it really get any worse than last year's starter turning it over? EG will be just fine once he wins the job and settles in, IMO.

This is my exact thought, too. If the "safe" option here wasn't a turnover machine in his own right, I may feel a little different about it. But I can live with some Golson miscues because it won't be much worse than what we had last year, but everything else will be appreciably better and the ceiling for the offense will be appreciably higher.

 

[Domina Nostra]

EG took almost every snap in high school from the shotgun. He has to get used to receiving under center. If he can't do that over the course of the summer, we don't want him as our QB.

That said, I have no worries. He was a state champion PG and QB in South Carolina. That is not the profile of a guy with "hands" or mental issues. He is going to turnover the ball a little at first, because everyone does, but that is no argument for Tommy (as people have said). There are no BSC expectations this year, so this is the perfect year to break someone in.

Personally, I still think Golson is going to be a star very quickly. Practice is about doing every little thing right. You practice so those little things become second nature which makes you better as a player. Games are about making plays. Cam Newton will improve vastly with practice, but he is still Cam Newton without practice. EG is no CN, but he has a certain athleticism (quickness, coordination, and field awareness) that just cannot be taught. Not many of those guys bust unless they are lazy (our last two, IMO were Golden Tate and the Shark). EG is going to make plays: lots and lots of plays.

 

[irishtrinity]

Golson is the man.. Hold on to the ball and take the Irish to the BCS..

 

[Rhode Irish]

EG took almost every snap in high school from the shotgun. He has to get used to receiving under center. If he can't do that over the course of the summer, we don't want him as our QB.

While I agree with the rest of your post, I don't agree with this. I'd rather get him on the field, even if it means doing everything (yes, EVERYTHING) from shotgun until he shows he can go under center consistently in practice. I don't see why he "has to" get under center. A lot, if not most, spread teams - especially read option teams - are almost exclusively out of shotgun (AFAIK).

If you want to go under center in the goal line stuff, use Hendrix down there. I wouldn't mind seeing a Hendrix package down there, anyways. Otherwise, if they aren't under center all year it won't bother me one iota.

 

[Irishman77]

Golson has never tuned the ball over once in game. Take it easy fellas Rees is done and the future is very very bright. Go Irish!

 

[Domina Nostra]

I don't see why he "has to" get under center. A lot, if not most, spread teams - especially read option teams - are almost exclusively out of shotgun (AFAIK).

I agree. All I meant was that if EG can't master such a basic skill, he is not as good as we thought.

 

[arrowryan]

HE does hold the ball out too much, that won't work with the big boys.
I like that he keeps his eyes down field, seems to see the field better which helps everyone. We've got some talent out there if they can get the ball. There were a lot of open receivers that didn't get the ball last year.

Ben Roethlisberger and his two super bowl rings disagrees with your statement

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Now that we are all agreed . . .

 

[IndyIrishFan1]

Now that we are all agreed . . .

Who sends this tread on to BK?

 

[GBdomer]

Tj was not happy at all last year and that was well documented. Took some places off because of it. Not sure if he was in the dog house or because all Rees saw on 22 players jerseys were #3

 

[tadman95]

Ben Roethlisberger and his two super bowl rings disagrees with your statement

He would be the only one. I stand by what I said.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

He would be the only one. I stand by what I said.

Oh, so Brett Favre never scrambled around with the ball swinging all over the place?

Michael Vick never moved the ball around, faking defenders out?

 

[tadman95]

You guys really think running around holding the ball in one hand is good idea huh?

If he's putting the ball on the ground running around with one hand on the ball, he's not going to see the field. This isn't high school where he's the best player on the field.

He ain't Michael Vick, Brett Favre, or even Ben Roethlisiberger.

You really think that's good idea? Seriously? Well have at it, I want to hear your rational.

 

[RuntheBall]

You guys really think running around holding the ball in one hand is good idea huh?

If he's putting the ball on the ground running around with one hand on the ball, he's not going to see the field. This isn't high school where he's the best player on the field.

He ain't Michael Vick, Brett Favre, or even Ben Roethlisiberger.

You really think that's good idea? Seriously? Well have at it, I want to hear your rational.

Phew... I was worried he would be killing dogs, unzipping his jeans or raping women... he's good guys

But seriously, some people can run with the ball others can't. It depends on the WR as well...

IF Golson is starter Im not sure he will be given enough free reign to do that, especially given our turnover last year. Could he do it? maybe.

 

[Rhode Irish]

As long as he protects it when he gets hit, I don't really mind it. He is a QB; he isn't going to tuck it behind the LOS, and even keeping a second hand on it while scrambling can slow you down/make it take longer to get a throw off. Obviously, if that is causing him to lose the rock, I'd rather slow him down than give up the football. But if that isn't the root of his fumbling then I'm fine with it.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

People is a little testy.

 

[tadman95]

You think?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Hey, isn't that my line?

My answer, not if I can avoid it.

 

[arrowryan]

You guys really think running around holding the ball in one hand is good idea huh?

If he's putting the ball on the ground running around with one hand on the ball, he's not going to see the field. This isn't high school where he's the best player on the field.

He ain't Michael Vick, Brett Favre, or even Ben Roethlisiberger.

You really think that's good idea? Seriously? Well have at it, I want to hear your rational.

Im not saying its a good idea but some big plays can happen when the pocket breaks down and they have to flush out of the pocket

 

[OCIrish]

Somewhere... TJ Jones is still standing with his hands in the air...

Wooly, I tried reppin ya, but I don't know if it went through or not......I laughed my A$$ off when I read your post. Aside from his deer in the headlight look last year, I felt this was the one area that Tommy really regressed in. His fixation on certain targets during games were too much to take at times.

 

[NDhoosier]

Phew... I was worried he would be killing dogs, unzipping his jeans or raping women... he's good guys

But seriously, some people can run with the ball others can't. It depends on the WR as well...

IF Golson is starter Im not sure he will be given enough free reign to do that, especially given our turnover last year. Could he do it? maybe.

free reign to what? run the ball or scramble? that is what makes Golson so lethal, he is a good QB who can run... you dont tell a quick QB to never scramble. Besides, if you watched the BG game, you could see him tuck the ball under his arm... though it was the wrong arm.

 

[RuntheBall]

free reign to what? run the ball or scramble? that is what makes Golson so lethal, he is a good QB who can run... you dont tell a quick QB to never scramble. Besides, if you watched the BG game, you could see him tuck the ball under his arm... though it was the wrong arm.

To do what roethlisberger does and hold the ball for an eternity looking for a pass. I would think the instructions/ what BK hopes would be look for a pass- if nothing is there, see if you can run, if not throw it away. Roethlisberger never really looks to run from the pocket- he can't really- and rarely throws the ball away until pressured heavily (and he is hit 2-3 times).

 

[Black Irish]

To do what roethlisberger does and hold the ball for an eternity looking for a pass. I would think the instructions/ what BK hopes would be look for a pass- if nothing is there, see if you can run, if not throw it away. Roethlisberger never really looks to run from the pocket- he can't really- and rarely throws the ball away until pressured heavily (and he is hit 2-3 times).

Not to mention that Roethlisberger is as big as some O-linemen are, and can take the hits.