In defense of Nico

[volfeeva]

Anyone watch that Arch Manning kid at Texas. He is not the starter, yet was asked to come into a game and start the next two for the injured Ewers kid. They didn’t miss a beat. It’s like he has started for two years instead of two games. Nico has started seven games….hmmm! A world of difference in talent.

Good comparison. Manning would be starting for a lot of college teams now if not backing up at Texas. I also notice he's not afraid to take off and run for a first down or even score. Who knew running was part of football ?

 

[GulfCoasterVol]

In this New College Football .... With big bucks comes big responsibility ...Similar to the NFL....just the way it is now days... as everyone loves to say... There aint no goin back.

 

[lostsheep]

That's a pretty unfair statement. Milton gets a lot of unnecessary hate for a QB that statistically put up one of the best QB seasons in Vol history, despite losing 2 great WRs to the draft and a 1st round RT. Yes he looked bad in our losses last year (except for Bama, which we lost due to poor coaching). But he wasn't a bad QB by any means. Just because he wasn't a Heisman candidate, doesn't mean he underperformed.

As far Nico, he's had 2 bad games and 1 mediocre game to go along with 4 great games. And yet he is still 6-1 as a starter. Maybe the problem is that people are putting unfair expectations on a red shirt freshman with 7 career starts after everyone was calling him a Heisman candidate after 3 weeks?

Fair point.
Perhaps I should add the qualifier, "Sometimes unrealistic expectations..."

 

[VolMarine1371]

Nobody is wearing 20 year old underwear?

I am!

 

[VolMarine1371]

I'm thinking, actually praying, that this group has enough pride and moxy to start bringing their A game to game day. They have to out desire the other guys and win those battles. Believing in themselves is a start. Come-on Cooper get these guys rolling.

What if this is their A game? We know Mays can be better, but everyone else we do not know for sure what they can do for a full season. Heard left LSU last season and no one there was disappointed to see him go.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

If he was a normal recruit only on scholarship then he deserves time and patience.

If he truly is being paid 2 million a year he needs to grow up fast cause he isn’t worth that.

NIL makes these guys business decisions. Straight business decisions.

Yes, but unlike the NFL, we can't really make straight up trades for a great new QB.

Whether Nico is successful or not, using Gaston Moore vs Bama and GA a really scary thought. Merk almost certainly isn't ready.

For 2024, Nico is it. Coach Josh Heupel put his eggs in that basket.

 

[BP4Prez]

But the deep balls missed is no pressure on him and receiver has spaced from the defender.

He missed squirrel by 3 inches. Nimrod pass was on the money. He hasn’t played well of late, but I feel like he’s close on the deep ones.

 

[BP4Prez]

So TX & TN have a common opponent, Miss St.

Arch's stats against Miss St: 26/31 for 325 yds with 2 TDs/0 Ints

Assuming Nico is of equal talent & football IQ then we should see similar stats for Nico on Nov 9th

MS State gave up 40 points and lost to Toledo. Given up more than 30 points in all but the Eastern Kentucky game. They aren’t good. They are terrible.

 

[knox73]

Hope Nico turns out like Tee Martin. Nico has more skills than Tee and when the light comes on and he gains confidence- look out with this defense! Tee seemed limited the initial games in 1998 and then he clicked with Peerless and school was out. This could happen this season starting with Saturday vs. Bama.

 

[utVolFanInVA]

Miss St scored 30 points on GA in Athens this past weekend. Do you think TN scores 30 on GA in Athens on Nov 16th?

TN hasn't scored 30 on GA since 2016.

 

[jmcarr33]

Giving up on a kid this young in the program is just silly. He is going to make some boneheaded mistakes, misreads, and poor execution. He has to be allowed to grow. I'm not making excuses for him because his play has been below average the past few weeks, but I hold out faith that he will grow and develop. I am more disgusted with the play-calling and planning this coaching staff is/is not doing. It's like they are clueless and plan for something totally different than they are seeing come gametime.

Receivers are open. The play-calling is fine.

 

[LWSVOL]

But the deep balls missed is no pressure on him and receiver has spaced from the defender.

lot of deep balls get missed by veteran QBs all the time. Even those NFL guys. Saw Beck miss a couple this past Saturday. Milroe also.

 

[tennesseeduke]

Davis and Lampley need to start

Agreed. What happened with Spraggins? He used to be the dog of the line!

 

[Sea Ray]

Nico looks like a first year starter. I saw him start to attempt throws into tighter windows toward the end of the game. That was encouraging IMO.

Anyone throwing in the towel on Nico already is being ridiculous.

Us Vol fans are tough. We know that. It's what makes us loveable

 

[SamuraiVol74]

Receivers are open. The play-calling is fine.

No, actually, it's not. It's predictable and very vanilla and drab. And before you want to say that's on Nico, go back and watch some other games where he actually played well including the bowl game. It was none of those things. Play-calling absolutely is not fine.

 

[superdave1984]

This video is a few weeks old, but still worth a watch.

 

[MiramarVol]

Cooper Mays is bringing it each game. Probably not fair to blame the entire line. I think Heard is still not 100%.

Cooper needs to get these dudes in the right assignments. Blue Font. No Blue Font.

 

[Voljayton]

So TX & TN have a common opponent, Miss St.

Arch's stats against Miss St: 26/31 for 325 yds with 2 TDs/0 Ints

Assuming Nico is of equal talent & football IQ then we should see similar stats for Nico on Nov 9th

I actually think Nico could pull this off. BUT your statement assumes all other players on the field with Nico are the same caliber as all the other players on the field with Arch. Not sure about that.