September 14th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^
Just enough to put the games in the bag.
September 14th, 2010 at 10:36 PM ^
This is the only answer.
September 14th, 2010 at 6:45 PM ^
Play him in the first half against UMass and then against Bowling Green until the game is in the bag. While I am all for Denard making a push for the heisman, I want him as healthy and rested as possible heading into the Big Ten season. Plus we need to see what Devin can do, and how far Tate has come in his second year to make sure we will be okay if Denard should miss a series or two.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:19 PM ^
Why should we limit to it to a time limit or to a stat? Isn't it about the team, The team the team the team. Once we get a comfy lead we yank him.
September 14th, 2010 at 6:49 PM ^
September 14th, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^
in any form.
September 14th, 2010 at 6:54 PM ^
I have nothing to contribute to this discussion but just wanted to reply using the new Mgoblog app. Carry on.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:05 PM ^
It doesn't show your subject bar or name. Just your comment, avatar and everything else below that.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:29 PM ^
Same for safari
September 14th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
It's something wrong with the CSS, I think. When the subject line is blank (not sure how it becomes blank), the subject line collapses, since there's nothing there.
September 14th, 2010 at 6:56 PM ^
None. We have other QBs that can lead the offense to win and we can't risk him getting injured before Indiana or even MSU.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^
September 14th, 2010 at 7:25 PM ^
I would play him a half unless we need him to play longer to win. Remember, he is a sophomore who has started two games and the toughest part of the schedule is ahead of us.
There is no substitute for game experience. Let's hope that our RB's are able to reduce some of the load.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:49 PM ^
Yeah, and three years ago, we had other tailbacks available besides Mike Hart, which is why we didn't play him in the 2nd and 3rd quarters against App State after he suffered a minor injury in the first. Whoops.
You cannot go into any game with that attitude. Put the game away, then clear your bench.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:08 PM ^
Put him in for the first couple of drives, let him get 14 points, then let Devin get game experience.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:22 PM ^
His status isn't the issue. The issues, in order:
1. winning
2. limiting the abuse Robinson takes
3. getting Forcier (and Gardner if we can't still finagle a redshirt year*) some reps
In both games, I would keep him in as long as we have a lead of 16 points or less.
*As I understand it, players can take medical redshirts if they play 2 games or fewer. If Forcier is indeed the #2 now and Gardner the #3, I would not play Gardner if a redshirt is still a possibility, but I'm not sure that the NCAA would or should accept an exaggerated claim of an injury for Gardner.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^
That's how many Junior Hemingway played in 2008 before he got the kissing disease.
So Gardner could play the next two, get a "Massaquoiectomy" and redshirt. But it sounds like he really has moved ahead of Tate and if so, it's not worth sitting him.
September 15th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
Actually, it's 3. NCAA rules say less than 30% of your regular season games. 4 games would be 33%. I thought I might be remembering the rule incorrectly when you said 4, so I looked up his playing time on ESPN and it says he only played in 3 games.
http://espn.go.com/ncf/player/gamelog?playerId=240981&year=2008
September 14th, 2010 at 7:29 PM ^
My guess is that Denard will play the entire first half and the first series of the second half in both games if they are the blowouts they have the potential to be. I definitely hope, as Geaux_Blue projected, that the RB's are carrying a little more of the load.
As for Denard's stats, about which he apparently doesn't care, it shouldn't take nearly as many plays to amass them as it does against better teams. I could envision a 350-yard first half with a big play or two.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^
September 14th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
What if UMass isn't that bad of a team? They have played I-A opponents before and haven't gotten blown out. They are likely closer to App State than DSU in quality. We should win, and handily - but I don't expect a 60-point thrashing. Without Denard, it could be legitimately iffy.
September 14th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
Denard is awesome, stipulated. But he's got so much room to improve. He needs as much game experience as possible making reads and adjustments. It's not about padding stats, it's about giving him as many opportunities to learn as possible before the conference season starts.
At the very least, keep him in for the first half, and make sure the exotic areas of the playbook are explored. He needs to keep learning and growing.
September 14th, 2010 at 10:55 PM ^
and he needs to have the opportunity to see new defenses and to trust the coaches' playcalling, and then trust his own instincts to beat them on the field. It builds confidence in himself and in his coaches. I think we'll see even more spectacular downfield blocking for him, as the OLine gets used to beating up other teams instead of themselves (as in practice time).
We're building synchronicity, one play at a time.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:01 PM ^
these games will be like live scrimmages in which they can try EVERYTHING. And they should. Just dazzle us with the RichRod playbook and get everybody in the mix, dudes.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:56 PM ^
these games will be like live scrimmages in which they can try EVERYTHING. And they should. Just dazzle us with the RichRod playbook and get everybody in the mix, dudes.
Like a young child touched by a creepy uncle, have you forgotten THE HORROR already? Toledo? Indiana? Have you even been alive the last 4 years?
Why show more in the playbook than the minimum it takes to win? Less film for other teams = better chance to win vs. MSUs, Wiscys, and PSUs of the world.
September 15th, 2010 at 9:40 AM ^
return. Thanks for the heads up. I think you gotta see what the kids can do, and there's nothing like real games for that. Obviously you don't show every wrinkle, but I'll bet dollars to donuts RichRod isn't hung up on hiding like Lloyd was. The point of the spread is that if you read the D right then you will gain yards.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:10 PM ^
going away which would allow us to bring in Tate/Devin for significant reps. If the games are close, he will have to play more. The next few games should be interesting from a time of possession/number of plays perspective. These games would be the perfect time to run 90% jet and see if we can blow the doors off opponents early enough to allow for significant back up PT.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:23 PM ^
I've got it! All of our QBs go in on every play and we split the reps! See, that way, they all go into the game, we use motion and play action calls, they all get a few snaps, all get to experience "game speed", the defenses are completely confused, and our B10 opponents shit themselves studying the film! What's not to like?
September 14th, 2010 at 8:40 PM ^
How can we possibly predict how much he will play until we see how the game actually unfolds.
Would you have expected that we would have gone to the wire with Toledo? Lost to App State (whom UMass is on par with in 1-AA)?
I don't think that RR is taking anything for granted after the last two years, nor should we.
We should win comfortably, but so should have VT against W and M.
The top 1-AA teams are, as you have seen, capable of beating BCS programs so lets not get cocky kid.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:41 PM ^
going to a rotation over the next couple weeks. Denard will start but Tate and Devin wll get a series or 2 early..if we blow them out early the Denard won't go back in...if the game is still in question he will come back in after the gang has had a couple posessions each.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^
I think we come out like gang busters from the first snap, just like we should against any team.
If we do that, we'll build a 21+ point lead sometime in the first half, and then you can start giving Tate/Devin some series.
If things continue to go well, then Denard is done for the day. If it get close at all, he comes back in.
At the end of the season a W this week will count the same as every other W, making it equally as important.
I just hope people don't freak out if DRob were to get hurt in this game. NO ONE benches their starting QB for a whole game just because of the opponent. In a lot of ways its disrespectful to UMass.
Bottom line is that if Denard gets injured because he has to stay in the game for 2-3 quarters, the blame will fall more on the team as a whole IMO because it will mean that they did not take care of business from the start.
September 14th, 2010 at 10:50 PM ^
September 14th, 2010 at 11:01 PM ^
Its going to be just like Delaware St. Denard will play the first series, Devin the next 3 or so, Tate and JFK the rest.