if it does get ugly and they put in a younger quarterback i hope its maynard. i read an article that said he looks like a mike vick type QB without the jail and stuff. gill is probably looking to see if he can get the option game goin just like him at nabraska.
Hmmmm. Mike Vick type QB.
Having some firsthand insight on that let me stop you there. There probably won't be another Mike Vick. For anyone who saw him play live it was the most amazing thing you've ever seen. He was a threat to score (arm or legs) on every single play. I could remember 3rd and 20+ where I was confident we'd convert. And we almost always did. In fact, he was most dangerous when you gave him a cushion. He'd let his receivers run off and then he'd scramble and make up the ground in between. His runs are still all over Youtube, they speak for themselves. He could throw 50 yards on the run easy. He was an athletic freak like no other.
I know what you're trying to say. Maynard is a mobile QB... and I believe that type of QB is the future at UB (or anywhere for that matter... these days if your QB can't move you're in trouble) but I will bet you everything I own that he won't be next Mike Vick.
I don't think there's even a category for a Vick-like QB because no one comes close to what he could do.
There are plenty of Donavan McNabb/Vince Young/Tavarius Jackson/Denis Dixon QB's out there now and there will be more and more in the years to come. If Maynard can be like any of those guys I'd be ecstatic.
Back to the point of this thread...
We absolutely MUST control the ball and the clock. With their offense (nothing to do with our defense or the defenses they've already faced) I would expect to give up points every time we go 3-out. They just get the ball in the endzone. They can do it so many different ways too. If this becomes a shoot-out we will be WAY outgunned early and often. We don't have their player-for-player talent. We don't have their depth. The only way I see us making this a game or pulling off the miracle is if we dominate the clock and keep it running until we have a shot to score last.
If it's relatively close (two scores or less) going into the 4th quarter we might have a shot. At that point we might be trying to do some more run-and-gun schemes... but before then we better not have any 3-and-out 3 incomplete pass possessions. If we do we'll be in serious trouble.
Our RB's will need big games. I hope Starks can shake off last game and get involved in both running and receiving. Willy is going to have to protect the ball and hit the quick routes and complete as many passes as he can. The more incomplete passes he throws, the more time the Missou points machine will have the ball... and they don't need it very long to make big and long plays happen. I'd take three runs for three yards each than 2 incompletes and a 9 yard catch. We need to move the clock, minimize the game to the just the 4th quarter. If Willy can keep getting the 5-6 passes to Rack, Hamlin, Jackson and keep the clock moving I think we could make a game of it. If he can sneak a Roosevelt pass between the safeties for a long score that would be money. If not, this could get ugly. They are a very good team... with (judging only from TigerBoard.com) a mildly retarded fanbase.
We have to hope they're all (fans, coaches, players) looking past us. I've heard their place is a tough place to play.
That said, I like having these games on the schedule. We should always schedule a top-10 BCS team if we can, even if it means doing a 2-1 deal. The better we get the harder it will be to do. We have nothing to lose in these games. If we win we'll have national exposure like nothing we've ever seen. If we lose, well... that's what almost everyone expects. Even a close loss gains us more respect. We're not going to be competing for the BCS NC anytime soon so out of conference losses don't really mean
Cant wait to see how we match up w/Missouri.
