Butch Preaches Patience; QB Race Talk

[Titans Fan]

'Behind the offensive line, competing in the SEC begins with having a reliable quarterback.

Josh Dobbs will need to grow into a more mature quarterback when spring practice begins. Just like all of the other positions, the right to be the Vols' signal caller next fall is up for grabs.'
Butch Jones Addresses Offseason; Team 118

I think Ferguson is the guy, what does everyone else think?

 

[A Bigger Orange]

Worley was getting better and looking decent prior to his injury. Since he is a senior and has the most game experience I would expect him to be the guy next year while the others develop and hone their skills at the QB position.

 

[Titans Fan]

Worley was getting better and looking decent prior to his injury. Since he is a senior and has the most game experience I would expect him to be the guy next year while the others develop and hone their skills at the QB position.

If Ferguson does end up being the guy, he needs to start the first two games and then in Norman.

 

[perico]

Sounds like Dobbs will enter spring as 1A, regardless. Maybe this is just a partial quote, but he's the only qb mentioned with anybody having a chance to take the job. Considering Riley has yet to take a snap in college, we'll have to see.

 

[vol-un-tear]

It's good to hear from our HC during the off season. Zip from our previous coach. It's refreshing.

 

[Titans Fan]

It's good to hear from our HC during the off season. Zip from our previous coach. It's refreshing.

Agreed.

 

[MFL]

Worley or Petterman will win it

 

[dduncan4163]

My guess is Worley will be our Starter at the start of the Season. He was starting to come into his own when he got injured. I also think if the Moment he starts showing any of his old habits he will be pulled for good.

 

[MFL]

If Ferguson does end up being the guy, he needs to start the first two games and then in Norman.

Why not start at Norman. The others were thrown to the wolves. Then deemed no good. Lets be fair.

 

[DERELICK_MY_VOLS]

May the best man win.

 

[UTProf]

'Behind the offensive line, competing in the SEC begins with having a reliable quarterback.

Josh Dobbs will need to grow into a more mature quarterback when spring practice begins. Just like all of the other positions, the right to be the Vols' signal caller next fall is up for grabs.'
Butch Jones Addresses Offseason; Team 118

I think Ferguson is the guy, what does everyone else think?

Wut? The part about Dobbs isn't even a CBJ quote but what the article writer inserted between the quotes (you can go back and look and see the quote above ends and then below that statement a new one begins).

Even so, I wouldn't take that as anything to read into. Where CBJ is quoted is in the "every position is up for grabs" bit which 2 years running tells me it's his standard position going into camp to promote competition. I'd *thought* last year that CBJ took that stance because he needed to evaluate a team he was new to but apparently not.

That said, I do hope CBJ picks a starter earlier than last year. Give everyone a chance but I think it helps for QBs to know where they're at even if all he says is "right now x is our starting QB. Now he needs to work on keeping the job as we go into the final weeks of fall."

 

[terrypedigo]

I hope Fergie can throw it 10 yards without the ball hitting the ground, no fun intended.

 

[terrypedigo]

Why not start at Norman. The others were thrown to the wolves. Then deemed no good. Lets be fair.

Starting there is still better than starting in the big boys league.

 

[jasonvol18]

Just dont see where the improvement was in Worley when he got hurt. He played a decent second half against a depleated GA. In the SCe game most of his yards came on a few passes to North that he bailed out Worley on, and 2 could have been intercepted. He did nothing against Ala before getting hurt. Keep hearing about his improvement and there wasnt much. He did nothing the first half against GA and outside of the unreal catch by North nothing in the 2nd half against SCe. And definitely nothing in the first half against Ala before he got knocked out. If Worley is our starter come sept we got problems. Hoping like hell Riley lives up to the hype and wins it.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Worley or Petterman will win it

Both could put up monstrous numbers

























If our WRs routinely house screen passes.

 

[UTProf]

Sounds like Dobbs will enter spring as 1A, regardless. Maybe this is just a partial quote, but he's the only qb mentioned with anybody having a chance to take the job. Considering Riley has yet to take a snap in college, we'll have to see.

National media, less emotionally invested than local media and fans, love Dobbs' potential. They're looking at QB performance not W-Ls (which they expected) or when the rest of the team just got plum worn out (they fought to the end but after USC are boys were beat up and exhausted). His stats as a true freshman are actually pretty dam good and his mistakes were nothing that wasn't to be expected by QB analysts evaluating a true frosh.

However, that doesn't mean Ferguson or Worley or even Peterman won't burn it up in camp.

I like what I've seen of Dobbs' potential. I also like what I've heard about Ferguson. Worley I just like but I think he's behind the 8-ball due to being a Senior next year. Peterman has yet to impress me as a QB but he also hasn't been given much time prior to CBJs arrival.

 

[sjt18]

I think Ferguson is the guy, what does everyone else think?

I think those who keep naming Ferguson "the guy" based on nothing more than scattered practice reports are so annoying that they make it hard not to dislike "the guy" for no good reason at all.

 

[SuperDave]

Worley > everybody..

 

[Hoghater]

I think those who keep naming Ferguson "the guy" based on nothing more than scattered practice reports are so annoying that they make it hard not to dislike "the guy" for no good reason at all.

Same way I felt about Dobbs before Worley got hurt.

 

[jarnol32]

If Ferguson can't take the job it will be Worley again. Dobbs is not very good.

 

[jarnol32]

National media, less emotionally invested than local media and fans, love Dobbs' potential. They're looking at QB performance not W-Ls (which they expected) or when the rest of the team just got plum worn out (they fought to the end but after USC are boys were beat up and exhausted). His stats as a true freshman are actually pretty dam good and his mistakes were nothing that wasn't to be expected by QB analysts evaluating a true frosh.

However, that doesn't mean Ferguson or Worley or even Peterman won't burn it up in camp.

I like what I've seen of Dobbs' potential. I also like what I've heard about Ferguson. Worley I just like but I think he's behind the 8-ball due to being a Senior next year. Peterman has yet to impress me as a QB but he also hasn't been given much time prior to CBJs arrival.

59.5% completion percentage 6 ints 2 tds. Sacked 7 times. If you think that is pretty damn good then you don't know a whole lot about football. Dobbs will be lucky to be 3rd string.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

'Behind the offensive line, competing in the SEC begins with having a reliable quarterback.

Josh Dobbs will need to grow into a more mature quarterback when spring practice begins. Just like all of the other positions, the right to be the Vols' signal caller next fall is up for grabs.'
Butch Jones Addresses Offseason; Team 118

I think Ferguson is the guy, what does everyone else think?

Those "comments" are paraphrased, taken out of context and represent, in part, the author's conclusion. Here are Butch's comments pertaining to the quarterback position battle and they are quoted verbatim:

(On the QB competition)
"All even starting from ground zero. Every position is all even starting at ground zero. You are responsible at creating your football identity. Because some individuals may have had success in the past, that doesn't guarantee them success in the future. You have to earn everything that you get, it is by a body of work over time and that position, just like every other position will be up for competition."

(On the health of QBs)
"Everyone will be healthy. We have had some individuals stay over and do the extra rehab. Justin Worley is one of those individuals and he is back to throwing a football now."

(On Riley Ferguson)
"Anytime you have that valuable of experience being in that system for a year now and being involved in a program for over a year. Some will be their first spring practice. It will be Riley's first spring practice, it will be Josh's first spring practice. Continuity and consistency is critical, so having those individuals in the system for a year will expedite the learning curve, they are able to focus more on the fundamentals and fine details that it takes to play winning football at the quarterback position."

(On how the quarterbacks can prepare for spring football)
"While they are away it is self accountability, improving each and every day. Throwing on their own while they are on break, working out. Once they get back, overall leadership, the fine details that it takes, the quarterback characteristics that it takes. From a leadership standpoint, the ability to lead in the weight room, the ability to lead in the classroom, living their life the right way, being an example. The quarterback should be the example. They are the equivalent of a coach when they are on the field. It is their football program. The command presence that it takes as a quarterback, doing things the right way and the high level of consistency. We talk about consistency is performance, that is extremely critical at every position but it is really critical in winning football games at the quarterback position. And then once we get into specific drills and spring football it is who manages our offense the best, who takes care of the football and who can create plays. It is going to be an ongoing process and that evaluation tool already started Monday when we hit the ground running."

For the full transcript and video of this press conference, see Butch Jones Press Conference (Dec. 19) - UTSPORTS.COM - University of Tennessee Athletics.

 

[k-town_king]

If Ferguson can't take the job it will be Worley again. Dobbs is not very good.

Calm down. No one knows who will be qb. You made two post back to back and no one disputed your opinion. Ferguson would have done just as bad or worse with the talent Dobbs had around him and the schedule he played. The only people who claimed RF was so great are anonymous sources. The team praised Dobbs leadership and playmaking ability. Either could play.

 

[KoachKletus]

59.5% completion percentage 6 ints 2 tds. Sacked 7 times. If you think that is pretty damn good then you don't know a whole lot about football. Dobbs will be lucky to be 3rd string.

As a true freshman, it showed. But he displayed flashes that we had not seen in a UT QB for quite some time. It's going to come down between Dobbs and Fergie but at this point I would give the nod to Dobbs. Nobody can make a case for fergie simply because we have not seen him in SEC action.

 

[UTProf]

59.5% completion percentage 6 ints 2 tds. Sacked 7 times. If you think that is pretty damn good then you don't know a whole lot about football. Dobbs will be lucky to be 3rd string.

3 tds (1 rushing) and others negated by stoopid penalties by other players. And a total offense that's pretty amazing. You have to compare this to TRUE freshman to evaluate properly. And FWIW, Worley was sacked 6 times had 10 TDs (5 of those tds came against 2 cupcake teams) and 8 INTs. For whatever reason, our O-line didn't do as good a job protecting the QB this year.