From everything said and written, both Ty Storey and Cole Kelly are undoubtedly good guys. However, the RPO offense is typically much more suited and geared toward an athletic, duel threat quarterback. In this regard, neither Storey nor Kelly are ideal.
KJ Jefferson out of Mississippi may be the long term answer. However, and especially with the new redshirt rule allowing a player up to four games without burning a year of eligibility, I would sure like to see Connor Noland and/or the Jones kid to be given a legitimate shot as a possible shorter term solution. Georgia took a chance last year and seemed to do fairly well with a true freshman behind center. A more mobile quarterback would likely also relieve some of the stress from the Razorbacks’ injury depleted and beleaguered offensive line.
In any event, running an RPO offense without a duel threat quarterback effectively eliminates about one third of the options, in my opinion.
Clay Henry pens an excellent piece today regarding his top ten keys to the Arkansas and North Texas game. At the top of the list is quarterback play, which Henry calls the great equalizer.
With the RPO offense, neither Ty Storey nor Cole Kelly are athletic or mobile enough to be the long term answer. Without a quarterback who can run the football, you are effectively utilizing an offense with only 2/3’s of the [intended] options. As alluded to by Henry, between Ty and Cole, collectively, the quarterback play in Fort Collins was an equalizer - for Colorado State.
Though only freshmen, Connor Noland and/or John Stephen Jones should be given a legitimate opportunity to play. For that matter, Daulton Hyatt is an athletic kid and much better suited for the RPO, in my opinion. Both Noland and Jones ran a similar offense in high school and each had some impressive accomplishments, both throwing and running the football. If not now, when? Auburn, A&M, Alabama?
Do you remember that coach we had a long time ago, a guy by the name Lou Holtz?
Lou took over the then struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program from another High School wonder, Gerry Faust. However, unlike the 1985 squad, which was generally out-coached and outplayed, Holtz’s 1986 edition was competitive in nearly every game. losing five out of those six games by a total of 14 points. That would be his only losing season in ten years at Notre Dame with one National Championship.
Lou was forced to moved guys from defense to offense and vice versa because Faust did a poor job of evaluating talent.
CCM wants to run his RPO style - he Needs Speed… Especially at QB, he must have a dual threat guy.
CCM needs to seriously re-examine his depth charts and realign players that fit into his system - or he has to forgo his system until he gets the recruits here that can run it.
What we saw against North Texas was not competitive.
There didn’t appear to be Razorbacks on the field - what showed up was “Piglet.”
I know there is a lot of talk about the players fitting CCM’s system… I don’t see his system being ran at this point. Very little if any RPO, none of the slant - quick passing routes and of course the option for the QB to take the ball and run. Actually what I see is CBB’s system being run out of a shotgun. That’s what’s troubling to me, that didn’t work last year but it worked better than it’s working this year. I know CCM needs players that fit his system and that’s going to take more than just one or two recruiting classes to correct - very few freshmen are ready for SEC West play. The defense is the same defense, poor angles, bad tackling, no tight receiver coverage and little pressure on opponents QB’s.
Hard to turn this pigs ear into a silk purse overnight and I suspect we’re at least, at least, 3 years before we are really competitive in the conference. That being said we should never,ever, look as bad as we did yesterday. At least not against that level of competition. We will probably look even worse the next 3 weeks. I guess what I’m saying is all the comments about not having the players to fit his style may be true but we’re not running his style so… I have hope but I am not as excited about the future as I was 3 weeks ago… and the light at the end of the tunnel is the SEC West and I’m pretty sure that’s a train…
Interesting and good posts by all. In the same light, Tyler Wilson gave his input on the Razorbacks’ offensive woes to Bo Mattingly earlier in the week. The link is below:
I would agree with Tyler. You cannot disguise a weakness with the RPO and the weakness, in my opinion, is that we have yet to see a quarterback who can effectively run the football. RPO translates to quarterback reads on the defense and thereafter either handing off, passing or keeping the football and turning up field. Easy math. Without a legitimate threat for the quarterback to keep the ball and run, the Razorback offense forfeits about 1/3 of the options, on most every play. As importantly, the defense has one less thing to game plan and worry about.
Given their recent background in operating an RPO offense and athleticism, I still think Noland, Jones and/or Hyatt should be tapped, starting with quality reps in practice as well as some PT. After spring ball, really, that should have happened in the beginning of summer and fall camp. KJ Jefferson seems to have all the tools, but is a year away.
Without a legitimate threat for the quarterback to keep the ball and run, the Razorback offense forfeits about 1/3 of the options, on most every play. As importantly, the defense has one less thing to game plan and worry about.