Tommy Rees arrested…Let the Everett Golson Era begin

(The Trib)–Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees has been arrested and jailed on a preliminary felony charge following a confrontation with officers who were trying to break up a house party off campus early Thursday, police said. Rees, 19, was arrested on charges of resisting law enforcement, felony battery to law enforcement, minor consumption and public intoxication, according to police. South Bend police had received a call about a loud party at about 12:30 a.m. on Notre Dame Avenue, an off-campus area that is home to many Notre Dame students, South Bend police Capt. Phil Trent said. Officers found a “madhouse of people” drinking and congregating outside a home, enjoying the warm night, he said. “It was a nice night, they were drinking, they’re having a loud time, which is the reason we’re there.” As officers approached, five or six people hopped a fence and led police on a chase, Trent said. The officers caught up with the group and used their hands to corral them, but Rees “actively resisted,” Trent said. “It wasn’t terribly violent, but it was enough to be considered resisting,” he said.

 

Honestly, this seems like much ado about nothing.  Even the arresting officer said “it wasn’t terribly violent“.  Sounds like a group of college kids were drinking outside on a nice night and some pain in the ass neighbors called the cops to complain about the noise.  Everyone has been in a situation like that.  I don’t know how it escalated to the point where Rees was charged with felony battery of an officer, but the kid has to know better than that.  In that situation you have to show maturity and good judgement.  Either flee the scene over the fence like the other kids or take your drinking ticket and whatever slap on the wrist comes with it.  Poor decision-making seems to be a problem for Rees on and off the field.

Having said all of that, Rees could have been given a citizenship award last night and I would still argue that Everett Golson should be the starting QB this fall.  Golson is the perfect QB for the spread offense.  I look at him and I see Troy Smith.  An extremely athletic QB with a big and accurate arm who just happens to be a little undersized.  It was said that coming out of High School if Golson was 6’2″ instead of 5’11” he would have been the number one rated player in the country.  He has all the tools.  Golson was very impressive in the latest Blue-Gold spring scrimmage.  He put up the best numbers and was the only QB to not throw an interception.  Kelly says that he needs to improve his overall knowledge of the playbook and needs to make his reads more quickly.  All of that may be true, but that sounds like every QB on the Notre Dame roster.  The difference with Golson is that if he gets into trouble he is more likely to pull it down and extend the play with his legs while Rees will force it into coverage.  Golson has the least amount of experience(other than Kiel), but has the most talent.  I think this Rees incident should finally cement Golson as the number one option heading into the fall.  If Kelly wants to win he needs to let Golson spin.  The Irish have an absolutely murderous schedule in 2012, but Golson is the man to wake up the echoes.  GO IRISH.

 

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Who’s the better Gunner; Kiel or Stahl?

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The internet is buzzing today because Gunner Kiel, one of the highest rated QBs in the country enrolled at Notre Dame.  I am not one of the Notre Dame fans doing cartwheels over this news.  Here is what we know about Gunner Kiel so far…he was originally committed to Indiana.  Indiana football hasn’t been relevant…ever.  His older brother, Dusty, was at IU and had two years of eligibility remaining when Kiel originally committed.  Dusty Kiel lost the starting job and the Hoosiers went 1-11. Kiel then switched his committment to LSU in December before switching again yesterday.  This tells me that Kiel is impulsive and indecisive.  Not exactly the best traits for a QB.  Secondly, the kid is an ugo.  I mean just look at that picture above.  If I have learned one thing about football as a Patriots fan its that if you want to win big your QB needs to be HOT FIRE.  I just don’t see an albino with a weird mullet instilling a lot of confidence in his teammates.

I watched Kiel play twice this year on ESPNU and also watched that Elite 11 documentary.  At no point did Kiel impress me.  His arm is good, not great. He seems a little quiet and didn’t perform all that well in the Elite 11 camp.  He couldn’t bring home an Indiana state championship his senior year, and most importantly…he isn’t a spread quarterback.  I am firmly in the Everett Golson camp going forward.  He is athletic, accurate, more accomplished, and has run the spread offense for 5 years now.  Over his last two seasons in high school Golson threw for 5900 yards, 69 TDs, and only 4 INTS.  That’s unbelievable.  The only knock on him is his size.  I think Golson is the second coming of Troy Smith. That is the type of QB the Irish need going forward.

So back to the original question, Which Gunner are you taking? Gunner Kiel, the ugo albino QB or Gunner Stahl, the guy who got stoned by a girl in a shootout and cost his team a championship?

PS: The ND QB depth chart in 2012 should go Golson, Hendrix, Kiel, Rees.

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College Football Week 4 Quick Hits

Great weekend of college football.  Conference play is getting underway and October is when the real season starts.  Here is what we know following week 4:

1.  People who were kind of sleeping on Florida before the season(a.k.a people like me) were dead wrong about the Gators:

Florida looks like they are back.  Demps and Rainey are as exciting as any players in the country and have that ability to score every time they touch the ball.  Florida last year was suffering for Tebow withdrawals, injuries, and a burnt out coach.  Urban Meyer left the cupboard STOCKED with talent.  A fresh face and an offensive system that fits QB John Brantley better has Florida looking like they could challenge for a conference championship. Next two weeks will tell the story for the Gators. They host Alabama then travel to Death Valley to face LSU.  Any way you slice it…the SEC is still king.

2.  LSU’s defense is SCARY

If I were John Brantley or anybody else on LSU’s schedule, I would literally SHIT myself if I had to play those guys.  They are crazy good.  Playmakers all over the field and they play mean.  LSU looks like they want to hurt people(not injure. There is a difference).  This might be the college football version of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.  This is one of the most dynamic defenses I have seen in a long time.  I can’t wait for the Florida and Alabama games.  I wonder if Jarrett Lee can be good enough to win a close game against another great team.  Either way, this LSU defense should be recognized as one of the best in recent history.

3. Notre Dame’s offense is TERRIBLE

Notre Dame is wasting the best defense they have had since the early 1990’s with this dog shit offense that they have.  It’s a team game, but really the only thing holding them back is quarterback play.  Rees has been largely terrible and its time for ND to make a drastic move.  I really don’t think ND can go back to Crist at this point.  Its time to start giving Everett Golson some playing time.  Give Ohio State credit for recognizing that their veteran QB wasn’t getting it done and then turning to their freshman QB Braxton Miller.  If Rees is bad and only has half field reads, why not let Golson have a shot.  At least if things break down, Golson can use his legs to make something happen.  The read option game would also open things up for dynamic running back Cierre Wood.

4. The MAC is pretty decent

Week in and week out the MAC is competing hard against BCS level teams and has snagged a few wins.  Toledo, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, and Temple have all had impressive games against top competition.  This is probably the deepest MAC field in years and will be one of the better Non-AQ conferences in 2011.

5.  mmm…Samantha Steele. So hot right now

I am in love and I don’t care who knows it.

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Crist vs Rees Debate: I Need a Do-over

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about why I thought Dayne Crist should be the starter over Tommy Rees. The four reasons I cited were talent, learning curve, advanced metrics, and the future of the program.  I felt like the combination of those four points gave Crist the edge in what many(including Coach Kelly) said was an extremely even quarterback competition.  Well…when you are wrong you are wrong and I was certainly wrong about this.

I underestimated Rees’s edge in accuracy and perhaps undervalued his intangibles.  Rees may not have NFL arm strength like Dayne Crist, but he does a much better job of putting the ball on his receivers.  After rewatching the broadcast there were several examples of Rees’s accuracy being well beyond Crist’s.  Crist missed Michael Floyd on simple curl and comebacks routes that stall drives and kill momentum.  Rees was able to execute the offense much more effectively because his accuracy put the Irish in 3rd-and-manageable situations.

While the accuracy disparity became evident, it’s the intangibles that ultimately separates the two quarterbacks.  Crist seems to be a bit of a front-runner.  He led a terrific drive on the opening possession before Jonas Gray fumbled the ball away for a score.  On Crist’s next redzone possession he made a terrible throw and a terrible decision that ended in an interception in the endzone.  Crist’s body language was noticeably different after that play.  His throws became even less accurate and he seemed to shrink in the moment when the team needed him to be the leader.  Compare that sequence to Rees’s first interception that went off of TJ Jones shoulder as he wasn’t looking(seriously…WTF TJ?).  Rees came back on the very next possession and led the Irish to a 66-yard touchdown drive.  Rees certainly wasn’t perfect. He seemed to be too locked into Floyd at times and did throw the INT that essentially ended the game, but Rees did enough to merit being the starting quarterback for Notre Dame going forward.

Rees looks about 11 years-old, he doesn’t have a big arm, he isn’t very athletic, but he just has ‘It’. Intangibles, a winner’s mentality, a calmness, leadership, what the french call a certain…I don’t know what.  Flashback about ten years ago and you’ll see another quarterback controversy that is eerily similar to this one.  The New England Patriots had a highly touted, veteran, quarterback with all the physical tools you would want in a quarterback and he was backed up by a young and gangly 6th round draft pick.  Drew Bledsoe, like Crist last year, lost his job to injury and was replaced by the younger Tom Brady.  Brady and Rees aren’t going to wow anybody with measurables, but they both have a quality that can’t be taught.  The Patriots decided to go with Brady even when Bledsoe was cleared to play.  Brady led the Patriots to the AFC Championship before injuring his ankle and being replaced by Bledsoe.  Bledsoe was ready and his performance gave the Patriots a win and place in the Superbowl.  Notre Dame can only hope that Dayne Crist handles this situation with the same class and professionalism as Drew Bledsoe.  Crist’s job is still to help the Irish win games.  He needs to be a leader on the sidelines, in the classroom, in practice, and in the locker room.  The Irish, like the Patriots did in 2001, may need to call on Crist again should something happen to Rees.

PS: While I wouldn’t want Crist to transfer, I think Notre Dame should give him his release should he ask for it.  Crist still has another year of eligibility and should be awarded a 6th year if he appeals to the NCAA for a medical redshirt.  Crist provides depth at the position, but if he wants to leave the program for a school like Cal or UCLA then he should be allowed to do so.

PPS: I still agree with Coach Kelly’s decision to award Crist the starting position.  Crist is the veteran, Crist has better physical tools, and Crist originally lost his starting position due to injury.  Crist worked extremely hard to rehab from two major knee surgeries and he deserved the chance to prove he could lead the team on Saturdays.  It’s unfortunate that this decision resulted in a loss for the Irish, but Kelly made the correct call by giving Crist a chance…and is also making the correct decision now by awarding the starting job to Rees.

PPPS: I want to see some Everett Golson packages.

PPPPS: To all the commentors from the Crist blog who wanted Rees….You were right, I was wrong.  You’re smart, I am stupid. You’re good looking, I am…not attractive.

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Notre Dame QB Battle: Four Reasons Why Dayne Crist MUST Be The Starter

The four-man quarterback competition taking place this fall at Notre Dame is getting plenty of media coverage and everyone seems to have an opinion.  It is easy to get into Tommy Rees’s corner.  The kid went 4-0 down the stretch with wins against “quality” opponents like Utah, USC, and Miami, while Crist went 4-4 with embarrassing losses to Stanford and Navy.  Having said that, Dayne Crist MUST be the starting quarterback for Notre Dame.  Giving the nod to Dane Crist is the best move for the Irish in both the short and long-term.

Crist is just better. Even though it often looked like Coach Kelly hated Dayne Crist on the sidelines, the truth of the matter is that Crist gives the offense a greater ceiling than Tommy Rees.  Crist has far superior physical skills that enables the Irish offense to threaten defenses both vertically and horizontally.  As much as I like Tommy Rees, there are certain throws that he simply can’t make.  Notre Dame’s offense will be far less predictable with Crist running the show.  Crist is also the superior athlete, and all reports are that he has regained his mobility after his second major knee surgery.

Year Two in the System. If Dayne Crist looked completely lost on the field at times last year, it’s because he was.  Crist and Rees had essentially the same amount of time to learn the new system as both quarterbacks participated in the 2010 spring practice.  Crist’s participation was even somewhat more limited than Rees’s due to his knee surgery.  However, being the upper classman, Crist had much more of the playbook thrown at him in comparison to Rees.  By the time Rees became the starter, the 10 other guys on the field were also more comfortable in the new system.  Crist had to deal with not only his learning curve, but that of his teammates as well. 

Numbers Don’t Lie: Crist actually faced tougher competition.  Rees certainly knocked off some impressive names, and ND fans everywhere will remember him as the starting QB who finally beat SC.  The truth of the matter is that the Irish faced much tougher teams in the beginning of their season.  Crist played against 6 teams that played in bowl games including two conference champions in Michigan State and Stanford.  Advanced metrics show that Crist played much higher quality defenses than Rees.

The Future of the Program: No matter who wins the starting job this fall, neither Dayne Crist nor Tommy Rees are the future of the position.  I believe that title will belong to freshman Everett Golson.  Golson is the most mobile of any quarterback on campus, but Golson isn’t just an athlete.  Golson has an explosive arm and was rated as the most accurate high school quarterback when he attended the ELITE 11 camp.  If Golson were 6’3″ and 210lbs, he would have been the top rated player in the country coming out of high school.  Golson has all the tools to be a great college quarterback that can lead the Irish to a national title.  He is a Troy Smith clone who seems to have been born to play in the Kelly spread offense.  If Rees becomes the starter this season, that could stunt not only the growth of the program, but the growth of Golson.  The quarterback position would be again unsettled next season and possibly the 2013 season as well.  Allowing Crist to be the bridge to Golson is the best route for the future of the Notre Dame football program.

wake up the echoes. Go Irish

 

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