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Bobby Hauck names the starting QB Keali'i Ah Yat

Flowers will be starting by the end of the year. Some players are just injury-prone, and Ah Yat is one of them. He bails too early and gets crushed running.
I caught a couple practices and he has put on considerable bulk. I think that will help him. I think most college football players have injuries at some point in their careers. I don't think you can say Ah Yat is any more injury prone than anyone else after one season.
 
That's part of the problem with selecting a sample size to make your point, though, right? You can't take out games against weaker teams and then judge stats, because that isn't how ANY other QB is judged.

He also ran for 7 touchdowns and completed 60% of his passes. If I were to remove his bad games, his stats could look phenomenal. If you are trying to make an argument based on statistics, you are REALLY skewing it when you only take his games against stronger teams.

He was a freshman, so of course there are growing pains. He had a better completion percentage than Arch Manning in Arch's first start.
Sure, that’s fair. But you’re missing the context. I firmly believe that good players will perform well against good teams, and that’s the best way to evaluate who truly is good, and who’s just stat padding against bad teams. We evaluate how good teams actually are the same way.

Now, if somebody were to say he did okay for a freshman, I wouldn’t argue. If they were to say he performed averagely but had some really great flashes, I wouldn’t argue. I was, however, responding to a poster that said he was “good to great”, and yeah, that’s just not true.

Btw, 59.5% completion on 5.8 YPA is very poor, so don’t go acting like the completion rate was good. It wasn’t. Low completion rate on short throws is not considered good by anybody. And yes, 7 TD’s to 6 INT’s. Amazing.

It’s okay to admit he wasn’t very good last year. If anything, it just shows how good the team can be if the QB position plays even averagely for a BSC starting QB.
 
I know. That’s where the TD pass came from. I’ll fully admit it’s not a perfect barometer, as quite a few teams are better than Morehead but played in better conferences. Regardless, it gets the point across I think.

I’ll take your word that the pass to Racc was against starters as well.
I mean, the fact that you included some stats from a game that support your point while ignoring the other stats from the same game that don't and ignoring his rushing stats completely just shows that you're not interested in the stats telling the story, just in showing the stats that support the point you're trying to make.

Like you fully admit here that you probably think playing @UND is a better barometer for judging success than playing Morehead State, yet don't include those stats because you're imposing this arbitrary filter criteria to support your point (that you admit isn't even good!) lol

I think Ah Yat's season last year was a lot more complicated to analyze because he was hurt for a long part of the season, which affected him more than many on here know. Getting away from box scores, I thought he did some really great things from time to time--things we haven't seen from a Griz QB since maybe Dalton Sneed, or even before him. I agree he does have to play better this season if we want to go to the national championship, and unlike a lot of people here, I'm not convinced we can get there solely by relying on our running game and defense (unless both are better than we've seen in a long time, which may be the case).

I get you're trying to be a "voice of reason" on here, but it often really does come across as simply a "voice of opposition" just for the sake of it.
 
So PTbub's point then I guess is that QBs tend to play worse against good teams.


Okay, might be one of the few times he's been correct.
Not the point.

How you evaluate players compared to their peers is how they perform against better teams. That’s how you often evaluate teams at the end of the year. It’s how you evaluate when players are up for the Payton, or Buck. It just makes sense to me.
 
I mean, the fact that you included some stats from a game that support your point while ignoring the other stats from the same game that don't and ignoring his rushing stats completely just shows that you're not interested in the stats telling the story, just in showing the stats that support the point you're trying to make.

Like you fully admit here that you probably think playing @UND is a better barometer for judging success than playing Morehead State, yet don't include those stats because you're imposing this arbitrary filter criteria to support your point (that you admit isn't even good!) lol

I think Ah Yat's season last year was a lot more complicated to analyze because he was hurt for a long part of the season, which affected him more than many on here know. Getting away from box scores, I thought he did some really great things from time to time--things we haven't seen from a Griz QB since maybe Dalton Sneed, or even before him. I agree he does have to play better this season if we want to go to the national championship, and unlike a lot of people here, I'm not convinced we can get there solely by relying on our running game and defense (unless both are better than we've seen in a long time, which may be the case).

I get you're trying to be a "voice of reason" on here, but it often really does come across as simply a "voice of opposition" just for the sake of it.
That’s fair. I was attempting to find some line to draw rather than just picking and choosing teams based on who I thought was good. I thought that was more fair, rather than going off of my opinion.

I am likely being too harsh, as it feels to me that everything I see is all roses and I just don’t feel that way. So yeah, I probably am coming off as more negative than I actually feel.
 
Not the point.

How you evaluate players compared to their peers is how they perform against better teams. That’s how you often evaluate teams at the end of the year. It’s how you evaluate when players are up for the Payton, or Buck. It just makes sense to me.

You cherry picked data to support your negative opinion, which is fine. Just is what it is.

Another question you posed is why do I think our run game will better. Better oline coach, Gilman with another year of experience and size and presumed strength to carry more of the workload this year, depth to keep him fresh fonoti (i think fonoti will be an area of improvement) , and a better offensive line. I dont think we'll see much fall off from those that won't return, and botner has taken the job from one of the returners. Additionally, we'll see improvement from the TE room, with schaffer back w more experience, gale better than Grossman in the run game, and rohrer a bigger presence.
 
If you want my honest opinion of the top-end trajectory comp we could see from Ah Yat this year, look at Gevani McCoy going from a dogshit Idaho team when he was first asked to start in 2021 (15-32 for 205 yard, 1TD 4INTs) to a much more talented Idaho team with an improved run game in 2022 (2735 yards, 27 TDs 7INT) when he had more command of the offense.
 
Sure, that’s fair. But you’re missing the context. I firmly believe that good players will perform well against good teams, and that’s the best way to evaluate who truly is good, and who’s just stat padding against bad teams. We evaluate how good teams actually are the same way.

Now, if somebody were to say he did okay for a freshman, I wouldn’t argue. If they were to say he performed averagely but had some really great flashes, I wouldn’t argue. I was, however, responding to a poster that said he was “good to great”, and yeah, that’s just not true.

Btw, 59.5% completion on 5.8 YPA is very poor, so don’t go acting like the completion rate was good. It wasn’t. Low completion rate on short throws is not considered good by anybody. And yes, 7 TD’s to 6 INT’s. Amazing.

It’s okay to admit he wasn’t very good last year. If anything, it just shows how good the team can be if the QB position plays even averagely for a BSC starting QB.
You think he was below average for a starting QB in the Big Sky? You had just said you wouldn't argue if someone said that he performed averagely, but then say he was below average? That's a lot to digest.

To your point about the YPA, that is partly the offense. KAY through for roughly 6 YPA. Fife threw for 7 YPA on 63% completion. McDowell was just over 7 YPA with 58% complete and took us to the national title game. Contrast that to Mellott, who we would all agree was not a very good passer his freshman year, and he threw for over 9 YPA on 52% complete and took his team to the national title his freshman year. Tom Brady's BEST college season was 60% complete and 7 YPA. Nobody is calling him a bad QB.

Our offense asks the QB to read the RPO and check down for a short gain a LOT of the time. We can debate that philosophy, but it is just the way our offense runs and is not an indictment on Ah Yat, in my opinion.

This is the problem with statistics. You can paint a lot of pictures with them if you are trying to. Personally, I felt Ah Yat was good to great for a freshman before the injuries started piling up and a concussion. He has room to grow, of course, but I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle between you and the poster you were responding to.
 
Outside of perhaps intensity, what is Norcross teaching differently? Different technique? Scheme? Just better at teaching?
The last coach was intense too, but his communication style was rough, and based on what I've seen, Norcross has a substantially better ability to get the best out of the guys. This will be confirmed or not with game reps.

Technique is very different. Pass pro is back to the more traditional style of kick step and hand placement focused, vs what thr last guy tought which was much more high school style. Shuffle fert, basically (over simplifying it, but you get the point). Scheme wont change a ton although I suspect we'll see more power and counter in the run game, we seemed to go away from it a bit last season. We were heavy power and counter in 2023 .
 
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That’s fair. I was attempting to find some line to draw rather than just picking and choosing teams based on who I thought was good. I thought that was more fair, rather than going off of my opinion.

I am likely being too harsh, as it feels to me that everything I see is all roses and I just don’t feel that way. So yeah, I probably am coming off as more negative than I actually feel.
Honest question; not meant to be smack: Why do you have "Grizzly" in your handle?
 
You think he was below average for a starting QB in the Big Sky? You had just said you wouldn't argue if someone said that he performed averagely, but then say he was below average? That's a lot to digest.

To your point about the YPA, that is partly the offense. KAY through for roughly 6 YPA. Fife threw for 7 YPA on 63% completion. McDowell was just over 7 YPA with 58% complete and took us to the national title game. Contrast that to Mellott, who we would all agree was not a very good passer his freshman year, and he threw for over 9 YPA on 52% complete and took his team to the national title his freshman year. Tom Brady's BEST college season was 60% complete and 7 YPA. Nobody is calling him a bad QB.

Our offense asks the QB to read the RPO and check down for a short gain a LOT of the time. We can debate that philosophy, but it is just the way our offense runs and is not an indictment on Ah Yat, in my opinion.

This is the problem with statistics. You can paint a lot of pictures with them if you are trying to. Personally, I felt Ah Yat was good to great for a freshman before the injuries started piling up and a concussion. He has room to grow, of course, but I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle between you and the poster you were responding to.
I said performed averagely as a freshman QB. He was below average for a starting BSC QB, statistically, not below average for a BSC freshman QB.

I don’t give a rip what Tom Brady did almost 30 years ago in college. That was a completely different style of football with different defensive rules. You want to criticize cherry picking stats, that’s the biggest one yet!

I understand what the offense is doing. I understand there aren’t a lot of deep throws. I wasn’t criticizing the yards per attempt, I was stating that the completion percentage wasn’t all that impressive when taking the YPA into account.
 
The last coach was intense too, but his communication style was rough, and based on what I've seen, Norcross has a substantially better ability to get the best out of the guys. This will be confirmed or not with game reps.

Technique is very different. Pass pro is back to the more traditional style of kick step and hand placement focused, vs what thr last guy tought which was much more high school style. Shuffle fert, basically (over simplifying it, but you get the point). Scheme wont change a ton although I suspect we'll see more power and counter in the run game, we seemed to go away from it a bit last season. We were heavy power and counter in 2023 .
Thank you. This is what I was looking for! Never sure what people mean when they say better, it’s nice to have some substance behind it.
 
Honest question; not meant to be smack: Why do you have "Grizzly" in your handle?
I cheer for them and graduated from the PT school. I’m admittedly not a homer, I’m not for any of the teams I follow. My brain, unfortunately, won’t allow me to. I question most things I see, makes me come off as overly negative. I also enjoy going against the status quo occasionally to drive conversation. I know I come off as an ass, I promise I’m not in real life.
 
I said performed averagely as a freshman QB. He was below average for a starting BSC QB, statistically, not below average for a BSC freshman QB.

I don’t give a rip what Tom Brady did almost 30 years ago in college. That was a completely different style of football with different defensive rules. You want to criticize cherry picking stats, that’s the biggest one yet!

I understand what the offense is doing. I understand there aren’t a lot of deep throws. I wasn’t criticizing the yards per attempt, I was stating that the completion percentage wasn’t all that impressive when taking the YPA into account.
Yes, and my point to you was that he is in line with past starters, including one who took us to the national championship, and has had a better completion percentage than other freshmen who were very successful as a QB in their career.

And yes, I certainly cherry picked the Brady stat. That was the point I was making to you about cherry picking statistics. As I said, you can selectively choose them to paint a picture and fit a narrative.
 
I cheer for them and graduated from the PT school. I’m admittedly not a homer, I’m not for any of the teams I follow. My brain, unfortunately, won’t allow me to. I question most things I see, makes me come off as overly negative. I also enjoy going against the status quo occasionally to drive conversation. I know I come off as an ass, I promise I’m not in real life.
Genuinely, I don't think you come off as an ass. Just a guy with firm opinions who likes to debate them. I've been accused of the same, and of coming off as an ass. ;)

I've enjoyed the conversation when you've reached out in the past, and thank you for the debates. Go Griz.
 
I cheer for them and graduated from the PT school. I’m admittedly not a homer, I’m not for any of the teams I follow. My brain, unfortunately, won’t allow me to. I question most things I see, makes me come off as overly negative. I also enjoy going against the status quo occasionally to drive conversation. I know I come off as an ass, I promise I’m not in real life.
My eyes hurt from rolling.

You're not an ass; we just don't have any respect for you. You're a bobcat. We've all known it for years, and you've admitted it on this board. Just man up for God's sake.
 
My eyes hurt from rolling.

You're not an ass; we just don't have any respect for you. You're a bobcat. We've all known it for years, and you've admitted it on this board. Just man up for God's sake.
I know I’ve said I like to cheer for the players from Montana, don’t recall ever saying I’m a Bobcat. I have a lot of family that went to MSU and have strong connections there, I’m not going to pretend to dislike them like most here do. It’s just football, not that deep. I figure the state has two very good football programs, and two very good universities. That’s a good thing. So, you may think what you like, nothing will convince you otherwise and I’m not going to spend the time trying.
 
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