2022 Spring Practice

[Irish4life]

I am with you. A high percentage of this board thinks it's Buchner's job.

Buchner didn't show me anything from last year to just give him the keys to the offense and I blame Coan. Coan was damn good last year.

I like Pyne's attitude- the light's don't seem to be too bright, the opponent doesn't seem to be too big for him, and I liked what I saw from him last year.

Every single member of the ND beat has reported that Buchner is at worst the HEAVY favorite to win the job.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I hope if Pyne wins the job it's because he's really really good, not because he sucks less than Buchner.

 

[Valpodoc85]

High likelihood you will see some Pyne next year. TB will make some yards on the ground next year until he doesn't. His frame just doesn't look like it can absorb a D1 full speed car wreck of a hit.

 

[Irish4life]

High likelihood you will see some Pyne next year. TB will make some yards on the ground next year until he doesn't. His frame just doesn't look like it can absorb a D1 full speed car wreck of a hit.

He's 6'1 215 lbs lol

 

[BrownerandFry]

I anticipate seeing Pyne on the field in Columbus.

Not because he won the job, but because it would be Buchner's first start and he may get a little overwhelmed by it all.

Pyne was highly effective in relief of Coan against Wisconsin.

And Buchner is comfortable, by experience with the starter being relieved for the good of the team.

 

[ThePiombino]

I hope if Pyne wins the job it's because he's really really good, not because he sucks less than Buchner.

He's not, so be be prepared to be disappointed if Buchner can't grab this thing by the horns.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Dale]

If they decide to roll with TB, allow for mistakes. Interceptions are going to happen. The defense will need to compensate for the learning curve. But don’t neuter TB too early. Freeman made a comment about what he’s looking for in a QB recently, and one of his first comments was a QB who protects the ball. Naturally, we want this, but it has to be an evolution with flaws in exchange for TB’s potential. The only circumstance I can see Pyne getting the nod is if he is genuinely better/more productive in this scoring-to-turnover ratio. Otherwise, simply another game manager would be frustrating and disappointing.

The thing about turnovers though, Pyne by most accounts frequently and consistently throws picks in practice. So if he’s the more efficient choice, they either have to just trust that the less talented QB is just a “gamer” or he’s going to have to show it in relief

 

[ulukinatme]

Listen, I like Pyne's moxie, but I don't have a real favorite. I just want the best guy on the field regardless. That said I do expect we'll see Pyne in some capacity this year just because it's the nature of the QB job and Buckner being a mobile QB. Something will surely happen in at least one game where Buckner's helmet will come off, or he'll get dinged up (God forbid, and hopefully if anything does happen it's not a big deal). If and when Pyne does come in I like what I've seen so far in limited action, I think he could carry the team the rest of the way to a victory.

 

[Irish#1]

Not this guy
<-----------

One of my all favorite clips. Right up there with Tate launching into the Sparty band.

 

[Irish#1]

Reading the tea leaves, TB is the guy. Break it down to the basics.
1. He's getting the majority of the reps.
2. Pyne is going to get some reps regardless. If he wasn't we should be questioning the staff.
3. Reports are TB is much better than last year. Not surprised as he's got a year of experience under his belt and he's acclimated to the rigors of school and FB.

 

[stlnd01]

If the last, I dunno, decade of Notre Dame quarterbacking is any indication, Pyne will play a major role in at least one Notre Dame victory this season. But if Pyne's the starting quarterback it's because Buchner has failed to live up to his potential (at least yet). It's not the outcome we should be rooting for if we want Notre Dame to be better team than it has been.

To me the trick is keeping Pyne engaged/on the team through at least the end of this season. He's not our best QB, but without him we're F'd. Fortunately he seems like the sort of guy who wants to be at Notre Dame, which probably buys at least one more year until (hopefully) Moore arrives to back up and learn the ropes.

 

[NDdomer2]

might be an unpopular opinion but if you go back and watch his throws vs wiscy quite a few of his throws/completions aren't pretty: a lot of starring things down and/or floating like a he's flying a kite on 12th street beach.

It's funny to hear people even championing for Pyne. After 3 years of saying Book/Coan weren't what ND needed to get over the hump how you could even remotely want Pyne to take center knowing he's def not better than those 2.

 

[Rogue219]

From the snippets that the beat guys have been able to see, everyone has positive things to say about how Tosh Baker has performed while there have been eyes on him. That is encouraging.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

I am with you. A high percentage of this board thinks it's Buchner's job.

Buchner didn't show me anything from last year to just give him the keys to the offense and I blame Coan. Coan was damn good last year.

I like Pyne's attitude- the light's don't seem to be too bright, the opponent doesn't seem to be too big for him, and I liked what I saw from him last year.

He didn't show you anything? I would say re-watch the Toledo game; we don't beat the Rockets in September without Buchner's services. He saved our asses that day.

And then go watch VT; there is some good and some bad with that highlight tape but he certainly flashes his potential with his legs and arm.

He came in with a lot of hype but he was only a freshman...freshman make mistakes. Look at Quinn, Clausen, etc as in-house examples. Don't be so quick to judge. He also didn't get to play a senior year of high school ball due to COVID, FWIW.

There were also some really head scratching decisions by BK and the staff last year that put him in some tough spots. IMO, there was no reason for them to put him in against Cincy in the 2nd quarter. It was desperate and you could tell the stage was a little to big for him that day. That's on the staff.

I think Lion put it perfectly; there is a well-known floor with Pyne, it's not like the staff doesn't see it. But the ceiling is much higher with Buchner and they have plenty of time between now and September to work on the little things.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

He didn't show you anything? I would say re-watch the Toledo game; we don't beat the Rockets in September without Buchner's services. He saved our asses that day.

And then go watch VT; there is some good and some bad with that highlight tape but he certainly flashes his potential with his legs and arm.

He came in with a lot of hype but he was only a freshman...freshman make mistakes. Look at Quinn, Clausen, etc as in-house examples. Don't be so quick to judge. He also didn't get to play a senior year of high school ball due to COVID, FWIW.

There were also some really head scratching decisions by BK and the staff last year that put him in some tough spots. IMO, there was no reason for them to put him in against Cincy in the 2nd quarter. It was desperate and you could tell the stage was a little to big for him that day. That's on the staff.

I think Lion put it perfectly; there is a well-known floor with Pyne, it's not like the staff doesn't see it. But the ceiling is much higher with Buchner and they have plenty of time between now and September to work on the little things.

Adding to this: Buchner played 2 seasons of high school ball against lower level competition. He played his freshman and junior seasons and then jumped to ND. There was bound to be a huge learning curve but let's hope he's continuing to make massive strides.

 

[DONALDIII]

I am with you. A high percentage of this board thinks it's Buchner's job.

Buchner didn't show me anything from last year to just give him the keys to the offense and I blame Coan. Coan was damn good last year.

I like Pyne's attitude- the light's don't seem to be too bright, the opponent doesn't seem to be too big for him, and I liked what I saw from him last year.

Yeah that 9/22 against Cincy really made him look great!

 

[Irish4life]

Yeah it's absolutely nuts to say Buchner didn't show anything last year lmao Jesus.

 

[IrishLion]

	COMPLETIONS	ATTEMPTS	CMP%	YDS	TDS	INTS	RUSHING YDS	RUSHING TDS
Buchner	21	35	60%	298	3	3	336	3
Pyne	17	33	52%	236	2	0	-2	0

I think Pyne gets a little too much credit for his performance against Wisconsin, and some people may also be worrying too much about Buchner's accuracy and experience compared to Pyne.

Pyne deserves a ton of credit for his efficiency against the Badgers, and also for not totally imploding against UC's defense (even with a terrible completion %).

But the raw stats say that Buchner is more accurate and more likely to score TD's (and more likely to throw an INT, but I'd bet the analytics say the increased completion %, yardage, and rushing add-ons are worth it in a big way).

And another thing to consider is that Pyne got thrown to the fire for two semi-extended auditions, while Buchner got opportunities in a more sporadic way. His only extended audition was VT, and that was a terrible game script he was fighting (like Pyne against UC). I have high hopes for Buchner when he gets a chance to take control and find a rhythm, rather than running the telegraphed 'RPO or Split-Back Read' offense. I'm excited to see him unleashed like he was against VT, but with the benefit of a friendlier environment and game script... It's a shame that won't be in week one though lol.

 

[IrishLax]

Adding to this: Buchner played 2 seasons of high school ball against lower level competition. He played his freshman and junior seasons and then jumped to ND. There was bound to be a huge learning curve but let's hope he's continuing to make massive strides.

From everything I have heard, this is exactly what the issue is. He doesn't know how to read defenses and is uncomfortable in the pocket because he doesn't have enough reps playing high level football. But I've also heard he continues to make "steady progress" and is not regressing/plateauing.

 

[317Irish]

From everything I have heard, this is exactly what the issue is. He doesn't know how to read defenses and is uncomfortable in the pocket because he doesn't have enough reps playing high level football. But I've also heard he continues to make "steady progress" and is not regressing/plateauing.

I’m genuinely not directing this towards you or your comments, but I chuckled when I read this. God I hope the kid who: was our best QB recruit in years, came in and played against exponentially better defenses than he had last faced a couple years, and was given fairy limited snaps this in his only season here so far- hasn’t plateaued. I say that knowing our recent history of what year 2 means in the ND QB development cycle.

 

[Irish4life]

Fwiw, Prister said that he had faith in Buchner and that he thinks he'll be a good QB in the Irish Illustrated podcast today.

 

[Irish#1]

	COMPLETIONS	ATTEMPTS	CMP%	YDS	TDS	INTS	RUSHING YDS	RUSHING TDS
Buchner	21	35	60%	298	3	3	336	3
Pyne	17	33	52%	236	2	0	-2	0

I think Pyne gets a little too much credit for his performance against Wisconsin, and some people may also be worrying too much about Buchner's accuracy and experience compared to Pyne.

Pyne deserves a ton of credit for his efficiency against the Badgers, and also for not totally imploding against UC's defense (even with a terrible completion %).

But the raw stats say that Buchner is more accurate and more likely to score TD's (and more likely to throw an INT, but I'd bet the analytics say the increased completion %, yardage, and rushing add-ons are worth it in a big way).

And another thing to consider is that Pyne got thrown to the fire for two semi-extended auditions, while Buchner got opportunities in a more sporadic way. His only extended audition was VT, and that was a terrible game script he was fighting (like Pyne against UC). I have high hopes for Buchner when he gets a chance to take control and find a rhythm, rather than running the telegraphed 'RPO or Split-Back Read' offense. I'm excited to see him unleashed like he was against VT, but with the benefit of a friendlier environment and game script... It's a shame that won't be in week one though lol.

And with the game experience he gained last year, the INT's should go down.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

If anyone is worried about Buchner's INTs, keep in mind last year that Pyne and this year. throws the most INTs in practice. And reporters have questioned his decision making at times. Much less so with Tyler

 

[Luckylucci]

Everything Notre Dame’s Chansi Stuckey Said This Weekend

Notre Dame had some players and coaches speak with the media following practice on Saturday in South Bend. Here is everything receivers coach Chansi Stuckey had to say.

247sports.com

Everything Notre Dame WR Braden Lenzy Said This Weekend

Notre Dame had some players and coaches speak with the media following practice on Saturday in South Bend. Here is everything receiver Braden Lenzy had to say.

247sports.com

Everything Notre Dame WR Deion Colzie Said This Weekend

Notre Dame had some players and coaches speak with the media following practice on Saturday in South Bend. Here is everything receiver Deion Colzie had to say.

247sports.com

 

[Luckylucci]

Safety Xavier Watts: ‘I Want to be Really Physical and Scare People.”

It didn’t take Watts long to get up to speed last season when he was moved to Rover and then safety. The hard-hitting Nebraska product has continued his physical ways this spring as he learns the nuances of the position.

247sports.com

Sounds like Freeman gave X the choice before Spring ball to pick his spot (between WR and S) and he wanted to stay at S.

 

[DONTH8]

Safety Xavier Watts: ‘I Want to be Really Physical and Scare People.”

It didn’t take Watts long to get up to speed last season when he was moved to Rover and then safety. The hard-hitting Nebraska product has continued his physical ways this spring as he learns the nuances of the position.

247sports.com

Sounds like Freeman gave X the choice before Spring ball to pick his spot (between WR and S) and he wanted to stay at S.

I'm excited to see Watts continue to get better. I thought he looked really good last year coming up in run support a couple of times. He seemed fast, physical, and a good tackler to boot. Not sure how he looked in passing situations so much.

Watts is a guy that just needs reps somewhere. Too good to leave on the sideline.

 

[stlnd01]

I'm excited to see Watts continue to get better. I thought he looked really good last year coming up in run support a couple of times. He seemed fast, physical, and a good tackler to boot. Not sure how he looked in passing situations so much.

Watts is a guy that just needs reps somewhere. Too good to leave on the sideline.

Not sure why they didn't keep him at WR, to be honest, as we all knew Hamilton was a three-year guy. But, what's done is done. The skill guys who are good enough athletes that they move around positions often find a way to contribute eventually.

 

[Luckylucci]

Reminds me of Jamoris Slaughter, with a better athletic profile. Though, I don't know how much is there for him to play S in the NFL. I think he can be a highly effective run/hit S at the collegiate level.

 

[ulukinatme]

	COMPLETIONS	ATTEMPTS	CMP%	YDS	TDS	INTS	RUSHING YDS	RUSHING TDS
Buchner	21	35	60%	298	3	3	336	3
Pyne	17	33	52%	236	2	0	-2	0

I think Pyne gets a little too much credit for his performance against Wisconsin, and some people may also be worrying too much about Buchner's accuracy and experience compared to Pyne.

Pyne deserves a ton of credit for his efficiency against the Badgers, and also for not totally imploding against UC's defense (even with a terrible completion %).

But the raw stats say that Buchner is more accurate and more likely to score TD's (and more likely to throw an INT, but I'd bet the analytics say the increased completion %, yardage, and rushing add-ons are worth it in a big way).

And another thing to consider is that Pyne got thrown to the fire for two semi-extended auditions, while Buchner got opportunities in a more sporadic way. His only extended audition was VT, and that was a terrible game script he was fighting (like Pyne against UC). I have high hopes for Buchner when he gets a chance to take control and find a rhythm, rather than running the telegraphed 'RPO or Split-Back Read' offense. I'm excited to see him unleashed like he was against VT, but with the benefit of a friendlier environment and game script... It's a shame that won't be in week one though lol.

He really was thrown to the fire, so to speak. It's really apples to oranges. As far as reps, Pyne almost exclusively faced two pretty good defenses in Wisconsin and Cinci, while half of Buckner's attempts came during the weaker 2nd half of the season.

 

[Dale]

He really was thrown to the fire, so to speak. It's really apples to oranges. As far as reps, Pyne almost exclusively faced two pretty good defenses in Wisconsin and Cinci, while half of Buckner's attempts came during the weaker 2nd half of the season.

Cincinnati was also playing a ton of soft drop 8 versus Virginia Tech was a battle. It’s hard to really pick and choose harder situations, neither were ideal in their biggest runs.