So the QB that they brought in and went through spring and fall, doesn’t know the routes for the plays and WRs don’t know the routes either. Sounds totally normal for year 1 rebuild lol
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If QBs and WRs don’t know the routes, one month into the season, then there’s no reason to be paying their coaches’ salaries because they aren’t doing their jobs.
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What’s interesting to me is that the offenses concept is to run same set of plays but just out of varying formations so it looks more complex to defense. I wouldn’t have expected QB and WR miscues like this after a couple live games.
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I can’t believe there was pre-season hype around Smith as a draft pick. Maybe for the CFL.
Why would you want to put that on Canada?
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Plus Edwards has a great ‘stache.
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If the backups to QB1 & QB2 can’t play better than the VERY low bar being set - then why have them at all?
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How in the world can a team go back to back games not scoring a single point and act like a back up quarterback standing on the sideline that is 7-8 passing with a touchdown in only one series again UNLV isn’t worth another look?
Give Ale the start against TCU Friday night. Crazier stuff has happened than a lightly recruited backup to come into the game and turn out to be good.
Bench Donovan the entire next game. It’s more reasonable to expect Ale to move the ball like he did against UNLV rather than Donovan to show up at TCU in a few days and suddenly start throwing touchdowns all over the field.
And if Zeon Chriss plays then let him throw the damn ball. If we are just going to run him like a wildcat formation then I’d rather see more of Mekhi Mews getting the direct snap.
When the coaching change happened, Fritz said every guy on the team is starting fresh. If that’s the case, let the Donovan experiment end for a game and give Ale another chance. What’s the worst that could happen, we put Ale in and can’t score?
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Injuries
Fodder for the 1st string and 2nd string defense . . . . .
After spending 2 seasons at Texas, QB Maalik Murphy transferred 2 seasons ago and became the starting QB at Duke. Murphy is built similar to Smith, 6’5", 230 lbs. Duke this season is 5-0, Murphy has 12 TD passes this season and completing 60.5% of his passes. He is playing for a new Head Coach and new system this year. Yesterday, Murphy led Duke to a 20 point comeback win against North Carolina.
Could the light turn on similarly for Smith? Smith arguably gives UH the best chance to win, and as frustrating as this season is, he has my support and I hope the repetitions and experience finally yield some wins.
This is a head scratcher. His 5 years of experience has a potential total shelf life of 7 games left. How much more experience can het get?
Whatever number of years of experience Smith has, one thing is clear. It is not enough.
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There is just so many examples of him not seeing the field well. He doesn’t seem to pre read the blitz, can’t make the read on rpo, doesn’t make quick reads, is indecisive in the pocket.
He has all the tools you want in a QB but plays nothing like a senior QB with years of experience
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I’m really puzzled at DSs performance this year.
I mean he was heroic against Horn last year. Something is wrong with his mental state I believe.
At this point I just hope he gets it together by end of the season. Sorry to say but I don’t think we have other options at QB this season.
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It looks like to me that Smith decides who he is going to throw to before the snap of the ball. He locks in on his primary receiver and is they are covered, looks to run. This is why he did not see Carr open in the end zone. From the snap, he followed Sneed the whole way. The other issue is he is often late with the throw. If he makes the throw to Sneed earlier and let him go get it, the DB would not have been able to keep up and would have been a TD.
Chriss, on the few throws he made looks like his arm is hurt. His throws were short or had now arc than you would expect for the distance thrown.
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Smith, historically did well against zone defenses when he had good receivers who could sit in the soft part of the zone and show their numbers to him.
Where he has always had trouble is when the D played press or tight man at the snap. This forced him to wait until someone broke open.
And since he does not see the field well he has to run through progressions.
By time he finds a guy their route is finished. I saw him throw it to our WR who was already out of bounds and it was a really long crossing route where he had a ton of time.
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He’s clearly a better option than Chriss though that’s far from a ringing endorsement. But I would give Ale a shot. It’s not like we can get any worse offensively unless we could score negative points.
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We agree. I would like to see Ale get a shot next week. It seems Fritz is locked on Smith and Chriss, and since Smith is the starter, he has my support. I would support Chriss the same way.
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This was exactly the book on Donovan at Tech. If the first read isn’t open it’s always bad news.
Everyone says he’s a tremendous teammate and a smart guy. His dad’s a respected coach. Something just happens when the bullets start flying and his processor locks up.
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