Let’s play Nico

[DrTNT]

The issue was not his completion percentage. The issue was the inability to throw the ball down the field and the threat of being able to sling the ball to all quadrants. You can’t be successful offensively playing within a 5-yard perimeter of the line of scrimmage. If this isn’t corrected, losses will happen.

It’s not inability when receivers are dropping the balls you throw to them there.

 

[RavinDave]

Milton was on the ground for a bit after one play that’s when they showed Nico warming up, but Joe hopped up & kept going

In retrospect that makes more sense. I did see Joe take that lick after going down and not getting right back up.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

As they say, the most popular player on a team is the backup quarterback. I’m not sold on Milton but you don’t start Nico at Florida.

Fans wanting Nico to start have no basis to know whether he could handle that or not. He knows he going to start next year, he is fine with that and knew it when he came here.

 

[DrTNT]

Thanks captain obvious...... The wr dropped a few, but any wr is bound to drop a ball. I really only remember 1 GOOD dropped ball, the rest hit gloves, but they were bad throws. The wr also bailed Milton out on a few horrible throws, so there's that. The fact we had to dumb the game down to screen passes to settle our 6th year sr qb down against a team that got blown out by Southern Illinois is NOT a good sign. I don't care how you try to spin it. IF Nico can't do better than that, we're back up the sht creek, but none of us know what we have in Nico, do we? We see freshman qbs come in every year and ball out at a high level. Why can't it be us? Especially in this offense and thre #1qb.

Milton is an inaccurate head case that is going to cost us some games and a lot of embarrassment. Good backup when we're up 5 tds, horrible starter that can't carry the team.

So you’re willing to excuse receivers drops, while at the same time want to send Milton to the bench for not having perfect placement on every pass?? You do realize you’re shooting your own argument on the foot, right?

 

[DrTNT]

He's human, humans make mistakes. ESPECIALLY coaches with qbs

Where has there been any indication that Heupel isn’t fully aware or intentional in what he’s doing? Please point to a time in Heupel’s coaching career where he has “made a mistake” with a QB.

 

[driscokid]

We should go after Milroe in the portal so he can be that #2 everybody wants

 

[tennesseeduke]

I agree. Nico needs to be on the field.

Yep on the sidelines watching

 

[jarnol32]

Yep, drive by fans. He ended up 21 of 32 for 228 yards 2 TDs no interceptions. First quarter was 1 of 7 but 6 drops not perfect throws but if you want to play in NFL and you get 2 hands on the ball no matter if its low or high you are expected to catch it.

Thank you! I couldn’t agree more.

 

[UTFanHades]

At least 15 completion’s were behind the LOS. Do you think that will continue to win football games ?

This exactly, the longest pass was 43 yards and the next longest were 2 passes at 20. Average was 10.9 yds. We padded the stats like we did with Guarantano. To be clear I’m not in favor of benching Joe.

 

[Remy]

As they say, the most popular player on a team is the backup quarterback. I’m not sold on Milton but you don’t start Nico at Florida.

Fans wanting Nico to start have no basis to know whether he could handle that or not. He knows he going to start next year, he is fine with that and knew it when he came here.

If Milton's play does not lead to victories, after 3 or 4 losses, you'll see Nico take the reigns. If it comes to that point there is no need to save Milton's year, it then becomes a thing of developing Nico and younger players and sitting any seniors who aren't cutting it.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Let’s commit to this kid. Let him learn as he goes. It can’t be any worse. Milton is a good guy but he was cut by Michigan, lost job to HH and now he trying again with the same old issues. For every one good pass there are many misses. Look. I guarantee there are tons of guys on campus that can throw a football a country mile and throw it 90 MPH but they aren’t playing because they can’ t place it with consistency. Why HOPE for something that just isn’t going to happen. I would rather put the ball in the kids hands knowing that we have him as our starter for the next few years hopefully. Although the scary part is the portal.

Couldn’t get any worse? Your post is a joke. Nico could come in and throw pics like crazy. You mean to tell me a guy throwing picks would be better than one who isn’t? Tell us how many bad misses he had yesterday.

You know what’s funny? I keep seeing people say crap oh he didn’t throw downfield. That’s laughable. This same people would be complaining if he was throwing picks or missing guys downfield.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

At least 15 completion’s were behind the LOS. Do you think that will continue to win football games ?

Yes it could.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Thats because no one on offense or defense can catch his flaming passes.

Really? They catch them in practice. They also catch them from jug machines that throw them harder than Milton can. Stop with the BS excuses.

 

[Arrested Devolopment]

Let’s commit to this kid. Let him learn as he goes. It can’t be any worse. Milton is a good guy but he was cut by Michigan, lost job to HH and now he trying again with the same old issues. For every one good pass there are many misses. Look. I guarantee there are tons of guys on campus that can throw a football a country mile and throw it 90 MPH but they aren’t playing because they can’ t place it with consistency. Why HOPE for something that just isn’t going to happen. I would rather put the ball in the kids hands knowing that we have him as our starter for the next few years hopefully. Although the scary part is the portal.

 

[DrTNT]

Honestly, you have to respect a QB who knows he is going to get the heat that he does from his own “fan” base; has receivers dropping balls and when asked about it post game, doesn’t throw them under the bus (like many here want to do with him and other players), but instead he says they’re the best receiving group in the nation. Glad he’s a Vol, looking forward to the rest of this season!

 

[Checker_the_Shire]

At this point where’s the poison. Inconsistent Milton or Nico who can begin to prove himself? I like my chance with Nico!!!

The poison is what happens when an irrational fanbase has high expectations that a true freshman, 18 year old kid doesn’t live up to

 

[papatomany]

I'm very disappointed in myself for joining this, but: I counted 2 uncatchable balls and not one difficult catch made. No, and I mean no, QB can put up decent numbers like that. He'll get his timing down (and, unlike many on here, I think he has actually overadjusted and is taking too much off the mid-range throws, thus the late throws).

I'm way more concerned with the receivers than with Joe.

And I'll add, since there were a few "we're horrible in every way" comments: we ran for 200+ and over 7 a carry, just like we were supposed to do.

And, we've had back-to-back 10+ TFL games, and are 12th in the country in yards per play allowed. (Too early to start comparing such things, but we are exactly where we should be in those categories at this point.) The negatives were: two bad busts on defense, and a touchdown drive on predominantly backups.

WAY too early to start panicking.

 

[Volfan1000]

If Milton struggles and Nico's wrist issue is terrible, then perhaps Gaston Moore gets a few series and Heupel leans heavily on the run game.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I wonder if Crompton knows anything about playing QB?

 

[LittleVol]

Milton needs to run more. When Hendon did that sometimes he energized the team. And he would talk smack afterwards. He was a competitor.

Milton is different. However, IMO.. he showed poise Saturday.
- Should he have thrown with more consistency? Yeah.
- Did the WRs help? Not really.
- Does Milton let out negative energy. Sometimes. He keeps fighting tho.


Start Milton against Florida. If he messes up...the obvious choice is Nico at that point. No need to start Nico.
Let Joe decide his own fate.

 

[PowerT83]

Let's put in our true freshman quarterback, let's not put him....let's start him in the swamp.

That would really catch UF by surprise

 

[UTblood4life]

First start in the Swamp.

That worked out so well the last time.

Worked for Clausen twice

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Can’t be worse? You could divide the team and fanbase, make future QB’s nervous that even if they win they might get yanked, end up rushing a future block of your program when he isn’t ready and screw him up, end up where he’s slightly worse or the same and be flipping back and forth…sure couldn’t be worse.

Some people on this board blow me away with how smart with football they are. Others…

Seem to have several that suffer from athletic Napoleonic Complex.

I am told every program has them. Not much consultation there.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Thats because no one on offense or defense can catch his flaming passes.

If that’s the case, then our WRs have no chance making it to the NFL.

 

[Fullfillmer]

I’m convinced there are fans out there who wouldn’t be happy if he threw for 80% completions with 480 yards and 7 TDs; they’d say he shoulda had 500 + yards & completed 90% of his passes with 10 TDs in that game…

1 for 8 for 10 yards I am not happy with. Also a very low qbr. He needs to pick it up.