A caller just asked RA how many snaps JW will get this season, and he said he would venture to say that against say, Texas, Mason might get 60-65 snaps, JW gets 15-20. He felt against Central Michigan, it could be closer to 40-45 apiece (depending on overall offensive snap count).
This sure seems to corroborate UK's claim about the use of JW as a clear presence in the offensive gameplan...
I'm sorry, I just can't wrap my head around this being an effective strategy for the season. I just can't! I'm also sorry if this re-launches another discussion of perspectives already discussed, but I suppose in the back of my mind I kept hoping this wasn't going to be anything other than an occasional gimmick/trick play here and there...not anywhere from 20% to 50% of the time Mason being on the bench. The ONLY thing that might make sense to me is that we show that much of it early on to give future opponents more to gameplan (which seems to be a prevailing argument for doing this by advocates), but if we're doing this against the likes of the meatier part of our schedule--I just don't see how it gives us a better chance to win vs. Mason being out there the whole time.
Like others have said, I envision a situation where JW comes in on a 2nd and 8, let's say. We try to a zone read or option that ends up for a loss or an incomplete pass, and now we trot Mason out on 3rd and long because, as the passer, he has a better chance of completing that pass. However, due to that switch, we can't move as fast, allow the defense to now adjust to our substitution of players, and it deprives our young QB of the experience of either making a play or learning about how the defense may be playing where he can exploit it later (should he be in the game at that time). Also, there's also the chance that mason could've done more on that 2nd and 8 as he was already in there, had the personnel and matchups already identified, and could possibly make a play.
I hate to have a negative head-scratcher opinion right before the season opens up, but I can't help but have this tap the brakes (heh) on my excitement for what we're going to see out of the offense. Okay--I'll shut up now and won't say anything more about this until we see how the actual game unfolds.
This sure seems to corroborate UK's claim about the use of JW as a clear presence in the offensive gameplan...
I'm sorry, I just can't wrap my head around this being an effective strategy for the season. I just can't! I'm also sorry if this re-launches another discussion of perspectives already discussed, but I suppose in the back of my mind I kept hoping this wasn't going to be anything other than an occasional gimmick/trick play here and there...not anywhere from 20% to 50% of the time Mason being on the bench. The ONLY thing that might make sense to me is that we show that much of it early on to give future opponents more to gameplan (which seems to be a prevailing argument for doing this by advocates), but if we're doing this against the likes of the meatier part of our schedule--I just don't see how it gives us a better chance to win vs. Mason being out there the whole time.
Like others have said, I envision a situation where JW comes in on a 2nd and 8, let's say. We try to a zone read or option that ends up for a loss or an incomplete pass, and now we trot Mason out on 3rd and long because, as the passer, he has a better chance of completing that pass. However, due to that switch, we can't move as fast, allow the defense to now adjust to our substitution of players, and it deprives our young QB of the experience of either making a play or learning about how the defense may be playing where he can exploit it later (should he be in the game at that time). Also, there's also the chance that mason could've done more on that 2nd and 8 as he was already in there, had the personnel and matchups already identified, and could possibly make a play.
I hate to have a negative head-scratcher opinion right before the season opens up, but I can't help but have this tap the brakes (heh) on my excitement for what we're going to see out of the offense. Okay--I'll shut up now and won't say anything more about this until we see how the actual game unfolds.
