Actually they were not that good either. They gave up a combined 345 yards of offense to USM who is a bad offense and they also gave up a combined 8-17 on 3rd and 4th downs. The only reason the game was close was because USM's freshman backup QB through 2 INTS. USM won in every statistical category except for turnovers and this is from a really weak offensive team.
And while some of you still lament the downfall of Chandler from his starting job the people who went to Cajun Field the other night were treated to a guy who completed passes to 10 DIFFERENT receivers in one game. Most professionals go their whole careers & never complete a ball to 10 different guys in one game. That is even more amazing than the 5 TDs which he surely would have had more if he had more than 45 minutes to play. I swear to Sweet Jesus some of you people have no freaking idea how to understand greatness, or potential greatness when it's swooning all over your behinds. What was it I heard the other day? Some of you people could fall in a barrel of playboy bunny titties & come out sucking your own ding a lings.
Well we'll get to see a treat tomorrow night then, won't we? Because if this guy goes out & puts a beat down on USM. You can book it Dano. He might not be known here amongst the the blind & dyslexic. But around the country, they're gonna start wanting to know who the hell is this Ben Wooldridge kid.
Nobody here wants Ben to fail and I think everyone here is happy to see the success Ben is having. I hope it continues, I really do. I hope whoever lines up under center has great performances for the Cajuns and I don't think anyone would disagree with that, even Chandler Fields wants Ben to succeed. I think what most are saying is:
1--the 2 QB system hampered both QB's, Chandler and Ben.
2--Ben is benefiting from the fact that he is the QB right now and is getting 100% of the first team reps.
3--Ben is benefiting from the fact that he is not getting pulled every 3rd series or something similar to that.
My only fear with Ben and I have seen this for two straight games, and mind you these are games that he has performed extremely well, is that He had a couple of sideline throws on Saturday vs Arkansas State that looked sketchy to say the least. I went back and watched the game vs Marshall and ASU and my only and I mean only criticism of Ben is his 10 yard or so out patterns to the sidelines. In both games it appears that this is his weakest throw and granted this is possibly the most difficult pass in football. I have counted in 2 games 4 passes that had the defense been in a little better position they would not only have been interceptions but would have been pick 6's. Every time I see him throw the sideline out between 7-12 yards I cringe. Luckily he has not been intercepted on that play in the last 2 games, but it is the one and only criticism I can give of him in these games. I think he is playing very well and hope it continues, but that being said he needs to be more careful on that particular throw. Outside of that, kudos to Ben, keep up the good work.
And I know you are going to say, but he hasn't been intercepted and I agree with you. I am just saying a few of these have been way to close for comfort.
I agree with the majority of this post. In fact, I agree with almost all of it. so let me just point out what I don't quite agree with. I understand what you are saying about the pass against Marshall. I didn't like it. And I didn't like either of the passes against ASU. But this is where you & I might part company. First of all, that one against Marshall didn't get picked. And the only reason it didn't was Ben's arm strength. Like I said before, I don't think Chandler makes that throw. But Ben made it because he believes he has the strength to make it & he did make it.
And the other point I have, is that while I am whole heartedly in agreement with you on all of the throws in question. I will say this. Those are throws & plays Mike wants being made. So you might think you're questioning Ben, but in reality you should be questioning what Mike is doing & why. Like I said before, Ben is the perfect extension of what Mike wants on the field. Mat & I both saw a play the other night when Flemming was running wide open for an easy 6 points & ben didn't even look at him. Mat was going a little crazy about it, but it was a shorter completion to another player. It was still a good play, but it could have been an easy 6. But the play Mike wanted was obviously to the guy Ben threw to. So a lot of times when we see QBs make epic mistakes like the almost pick 6 that led to the TD, it's because the player is being told who the coach wants in the play. So we all need to keep that in mind. But I am with you. Personally, I wish mike would file those plays away. But he has them for a reason. And only he & his staff understand that reason. I would guess it's just to give the other defenses things to think about & prepare for.
That is a fair assessment, but I will have to disagree with you about the fact that you think, that I think it is about he arm strength, to me it is not. It is about where he throws it, on that type of pass you have to throw it where only your receiver can catch it, all 4 of those throws have been close to 50/50 balls that our receivers had to make plays on to keep them from being picked. His arm strength is not the issue, it is where the ball is being thrown that is the problem
It has to be a catch or an incompletion out of bounds, their are no other options, because the other option is a Pick 6.
I think Mike thinks he can make the pass that is why he is calling the play, my concern is how close he is to getting them picked.
Look, I understand that the odds of his making it in the NFL are not "great" at this point. AT THIS POINT. But this guy has already exceeded any & all expectations any person I read, or heard of with this school having for him. It's called self motivation. It's called maturation. Can you imagine anyone thinking Mitch Trubisky was going to be the 2nd pick in the draft before his junior season? People might not like Mitch Trubisky, but never the less he was the number 2 pick. And I won't even bore anyone with what Tom Brady has done. Does anyone think for one minute Bill Bellichick actually wanted Drew Bledsoe to go down so he could install bony marony who didn't even start for Michigan? The fact is none of us know for sure. If we did, there's no way that guy Ben ever gets out of Fresno.
Ben may finally skirt the ills of history. The history that has had his college coaches placing him in second place. He has had two great games. This game against a formidable defense may be the game where he beats history or it may be the game where history repeats itself, again. Making it to the NFL, hell, he needs to work on making it to next week as the starter at Louisiana . . .
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