Column: Don't sleep on Sam

[CycloneErik]

Is this coming up because both (or all three) are performing well, or because none of them stand out yet again?
It really sounds like the same old story.

 

[Wesley]

Any love for JLanning?

 

[jbindm]

Is this coming up because both (or all three) are performing well, or because none of them stand out yet again?
It really sounds like the same old story.

Yeah, that's my concern too. Worst case scenario is that nobody stands out from the three and one of them wins by default.

[video=youtube;dWX7ZobOt3o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWX7ZobOt3o[/video]

 

[cyhiphopp]

Any love for JLanning?

He's a big kid with a big arm but no game experience. I think he's solidly in third for now.

 

[BringBackJohnny]

Lots of folks complaining about no one standing out. I would like to know how you thought that was going to happen and why you think it is such a bad thing?

I would rather have two guys capable of winning me a football game and them in a QB battle than one guy who can win games and one guys that just sucks beans.

Standing out is relative to competition not of actual talent.

 

[CycloneErik]

Lots of folks complaining about no one standing out. I would like to know how you thought that was going to happen and why you think it is such a bad thing?

I would rather have two guys capable of winning me a football game and them in a QB battle than one guy who can win games and one guys that just sucks beans.

Standing out is relative to competition not of actual talent.

Part of the question is whether either guy can win football games.
They've had some good days against bad teams, but no real solid wins between the two of them.

That last line is the actual question I was wondering about. Is this a case where both guys are good and that makes it difficult for them to stand out, or where both guys are mediocre, so there's no real difference?

 

[cmjh10]

Although, it doesnt matter who our QB is if our O-Line cant block for them. We will need better O-Line pay this year. I dont see how it can be worse than last year, so we have that going for us.

 

[SCarolinaCy]

http://cyclonefanatic.com/football/news/williams-don-t-sleep-on-sam/

I like it that we have two experienced QB's. I expect both will get to play.

 

[LutherBlue]

Last year was such a crap show on that side of the ball, just a throw-away year, imo. I don't think we really know yet what we have in either guy.

 

[2forISU]

I can't remember the last season when we didn't have a QB battle/?.Brett M?

 

[Skidoosh]

With all these threats at receiving, we need a man who can deliver the ball, not run it.
I think the nod goes to our most accurate QB which I believe is SR.

 

[Wesley]

Lanning may be our most accurate passer. He just has no experience.

 

[Skyh13]

Is this coming up because both (or all three) are performing well, or because none of them stand out yet again?
It really sounds like the same old story.

Chances are it is.

Hopefully it means they're all average, and not all bad.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Lanning may be our most accurate passer. He just has no experience.

Based on?
If we are signing guys that have accuracy concerns as recruits, then maybe that is our problem.

 

[JCloned2]

I will take the minority view and go against Sam. The thing that I think holds Sam back more than injuries is that he struggles to make good throws under pressure. Even when healthy, he appears to have a very low completion percentage when he gets pressure up the middle. Almost all quarterbacks efficiency suffers some in this situation, but from my observations, Sam is similar to Andy Dalton in these situations. The following discussion of Dalton fits my observations for Sam the last two years...

"Dalton must improve his performance under pass rush pressure. His statistics under pressure are miserable: 39 attempts, 101 completions, 38.6% completion percentage, 3 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 47.3 QB rating. His QB rating drops 46.1 points when you compare unpressured and pressured dropbacks."

Unfortunately I don't have access to this level of stats for college qb's, but that has always been my observation for Sam.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Lanning may be our most accurate passer. He just has no experience.

So much goes into the reads and managing the offense. I think that's where Mangino improves the offense a ton. Teaching the correct reads. Sam and Grant both have those live bullet moments.

Steele Jantz had a great arm when he could just throw, but he struggled making the right reads and getting the offense to produce consistently.

 

[Rhoadhoused]

That drive vs Texas sold me on SR. If he is healthy and can stay healthy he's a guy that can make and has made huge plays.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

I will take the minority view and go against Sam. The thing that I think holds Sam back more than injuries is that he struggles to make good throws under pressure. Even when healthy, he appears to have a very low completion percentage when he gets pressure up the middle. Almost all quarterbacks efficiency suffers some in this situation, but from my observations, Sam is similar to Andy Dalton in these situations. The following discussion of Dalton fits my observations for Sam the last two years...

"Dalton must improve his performance under pass rush pressure. His statistics under pressure are miserable: 39 attempts, 101 completions, 38.6% completion percentage, 3 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 47.3 QB rating. His QB rating drops 46.1 points when you compare unpressured and pressured dropbacks."

Unfortunately I don't have access to this level of stats for college qb's, but that has always been my observation for Sam.

That may be true overall, but the question is how does it compare to the other ISU QBs? His completion % is essentially the same, with far less INTs/attempt. Unless SR was under less pressure, I do not see him being any different than Grant in this aspect. If anything, Grant is too willing to let it fly under this type of pressure.

 

[CycloneVet]

IMO I am ok with who they choose between the 2. Its kind of like the faith I have in Fred Hoiberg as I have in Mangino, I feel like he has the cred to pick the best guy. Right now Mark has no emotional ties to either kid (didn't recruit either so neither is "his guy") This should lead to the correct decision being made. Both give us a chance to win when healthy, both seem to be stand up guys and leaders. I really like what I saw from Sam against Texas last year.

Not even the greatest QB ever could consistently deliver in the face of constant pressure (Manning in the Super Bowl). The only way either of these guys are going to be successful is if the O-Line gives them time. We didn't see it very often last year, until we see it then the jury is still out on both of these kids.

 

[Steve]

What seals the deal for me is that Sam and D'Vario Montgomery were high school teammates. Sam has already proven to have good chemistry with Bundrage. His familiarity with Montgomery is what puts him ahead of Rohach in my opinion.

Mangino wasn't hired to make decisions based on what guys did in high school or even last year for that matter. It's a fresh start for all of the QB's and the one who is most productive in the new scheme will get the nod.