PhillipFulmersPants

June 14th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^

Used to live in Atlanta and my son still follows UGA a bit. He likes Aaron Murray (not as much as Denard or Devin, mind you).   As I recall, Huston Mason asked for RS and they were able to get it for him, so now he and Murray are separated by a year of elibigility

I was curious who else took snaps, so looked it up.  Christian Lemay and Parker Welch had some garbage minutes, it seems. 9 attempts between the two of them.

http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/teamcume.html

Erik_in_Dayton

June 14th, 2013 at 12:02 PM ^

It's hard for me to imagine that not being necessary at some point.  How many seasons do you have when your QB isn't nicked up for at least a few plays during meaningful minutes?

I Like Burgers

June 14th, 2013 at 1:48 PM ^

I read somewhere a few months ago that only one school from a BCS conference had a QB that played every single snap last year. I want to say it was Iowa. Or maybe Purdue. Definitely a B1G school.



So yeah....odds are about as high as they get that Michigan will need someone to take some snaps other than Gardner.

Ali G Bomaye

June 14th, 2013 at 2:46 PM ^

There's a difference between "needing" someone besides the starter to take some snaps and having someone else take snaps.  If we're up 45-0 over Akron in the second half and we pull Gardner, may as well throw Cleary out there rather than burn Morris's redshirt.  Almost every school is involved in a blowout at some time during the year, but the fact that they use a 2nd QB doesn't mean that they needed to do so.

GoBlueInNYC

June 14th, 2013 at 4:23 PM ^

I brought up the same point further down, about just using Cleary during early season blow-outs. To which reshp1 replied:

That gets into the whole debate about whether you try try try to not have him see the field ever, or if you assume it's an inevitability and make sure he gets garbage time reps so he gains in game experience. My personal feeling is the odds of Shane never being needed this year is pretty damn slim, so I'd rather get him out there sooner rather than later.

It's a valid concern, and the obvious risk of using Cleary to hand the ball off during OOC blowouts is that if you ever need Morris to step in later, he won't have any in-game experience. So you're rolling the dice that Gardner never has to come out later in the season, otherwise you're faced with either rolling with Cleary as your permanent #2 or throwing a true freshman who has never taken a college snap (meaningful or otherwise) out on the field.

funkywolve

June 14th, 2013 at 6:31 PM ^

While it's true that if Cleary is put in to hand the ball to the running backs at the end of the games that are blow outs, Morris then doesn't get any experience.

If Morris is put in to hand the ball off to the running backs at the end of the blowouts is that little bit of experience really going to help him much if he's forced into say the ND or MSU game and the score is close? 

If you really want to get Morris some valuable reps and experience, you play him against say CMU and Akron once UM has a decent lead but while both sides still have the starters in and Borges can still utilize the full play book - or at least as much of it as Morris knows.

Personally, I'd rather Cleary go in if it's a blowout.

GoBlueInNYC

June 14th, 2013 at 7:45 PM ^

I'm not really sure how that's a catch-22.

But to respond to the thrust of your post, if they choose to give Morris the reps in early blowouts, I'd like to see them let him throw it at least a few times. I wouldn't put him in any games that aren't well in hand (that's really asking for trouble), but let him do more than just run the clock out.

If all you're going to do is hand it off, there's no reason to not just use Cleary.

jericho

June 14th, 2013 at 12:07 PM ^

The most interesting quote of the article to me was:

 

Hoke and Dantonio shared a hearty handshake before speaking to the players Friday.

 

Later, Dantonio was asked about Hoke.

"I've known Brady Hoke for a long time," Dantonio said. "I have my way about myself relative to Michigan, but it’s not personal with Brady. I like Brady. He's a good man, he's a good coach, he's had success everywhere he's gone."

Hoke also has kind works for Dantonio.

"Those guys (at MSU) are all good guys," Hoke said. "Mark and I have been friends for a long time before we became the head coach of Michigan and the head coach of Michigan State. "

 


 

DaFrenchy

June 14th, 2013 at 12:08 PM ^

They'll have to burn his redshirt if he the 2nd in the depth chart.

If we are winning a game by a large margin' or Gardner loses his helmet during a play we will unfortunately have to make Shane play.

GoBlueInNYC

June 14th, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^

Depending on how Cleary has looked, he could come in for one play (in the case of Gardner losing his helmet) or garbage time to just hand the ball off. If Gardner gets knocked out for something like a quarter, then yeah. But I don't think it's automatic that Morris will need to play. (I have the sneaking suspicion, though, that the coaching staff feels more comfortable about burning Morris's redshirt than we do.)

reshp1

June 14th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^

That gets into the whole debate about whether you try try try to not have him see the field ever, or if you assume it's an inevitability and make sure he gets garbage time reps so he gains in game experience. My personal feeling is the odds of Shane never being needed this year is pretty damn slim, so I'd rather get him out there sooner rather than later.

GoBlueInNYC

June 14th, 2013 at 12:28 PM ^

Not putting him in for garbage time early in the season is definitely a risky move. And, like I said, I think the coaches will be much more comfortable with the idea of burning his redshirt than we are. So I'm guessing you're right, that they put him in early.

MGoRob

June 14th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^

Has anyone done a study to see if garbage time really makes a player more ready to play? If Shane has to start any game next year, I'd think we would be pretty much in trouble anyway. I'd let the 3rd string handoff for garbage and hope the redshirt can stick for the season

taistreetsmyhero

June 14th, 2013 at 12:10 PM ^

of Morris getting spot minutes in the first couple games to get acclimated to the college competition, and then receiving a "boo-boo" and getting a retroactive redshirt coming into his junior year a la Gardner? (And only forgoing that redshirt if we need him later in the season...)

maize-blue

June 14th, 2013 at 12:15 PM ^

Not very confidence inspiring. We have to hope Bellomy regroups and comes back strong or a true freshman hits the ground running. Does anyone know Bellomy's injury status?

PhillipFulmersPants

June 14th, 2013 at 4:44 PM ^

regarding Bellomy's potential return. Optimistic predictions for Ryan have been around for a while, but everyone seems mum about Bellomy. Granted,  I may have missed some chatter.  Would be nice if he could return for at least that November stretch to have some options if somehow Devin couldn't go.  

mgobaran

June 14th, 2013 at 12:31 PM ^

But Jake Ryan is doing good! Every time I hear the time table is October, I have more and more faith that it is a realistic time table. 

Ben from SF

June 14th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^

Morris can play this year and redshirt next year if Bellomy comes back and is capable of being the #2.

no joke its hoke

June 14th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^

I still think Shane can red shirt. people keep bring up qb's getting hurt, but its not that common. Yes it can and does happen, but as long as our line isn't trash I think Devin stays healthy.

funkywolve

June 14th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^

I think a lot of it depends on his health.  If he's healthy I think it'd be nice for him to get a game or two under his belt before the tough stretch.  Let him get acclimated to playing again.  Let's the coaches see how he's holding up in a game situation.

Perkis-Size Me

June 14th, 2013 at 1:23 PM ^

Confirms what we essentially already knew. Any QB worth his salt wasn't going to want to transfer here and ride the pine behind Gardner. Yeah, free education, but guys that are good enough want to play.



Hope Morris is burying his head in the play book this summer.

GoBlueInNYC

June 14th, 2013 at 4:27 PM ^

That has to be the case. There are players who will transfer down for the one season then transfer back up rather than sit out a year transferring within FBS. Cam Newton, for instance, left Florida to play one season at some junior college* in Texas before playing at Auburn.

*I realize junior colleges aren't the same as FCS, but he was just the first example I could think of. Other players have done the same thing.

uminks

June 14th, 2013 at 6:59 PM ^

He loses one year as a starter but there is a chance that Gardner could leave for the NFL if he does have a very successful season. I'd rather have Morris ready to go in 2014, then learning on the job. Even if Gardner stays the 2014 season, Shane will step right in and be a solid starter in 2015 with good playing time for two season as backup. I would let Morris play a quarter or more in our cup cake games...and that is not just handing off the ball to the RB. Bellomy will be back in 2014 and should get a medical RS this season.

All Hoke needs to do is keep recruiting a good QB every other year and we should be fine.

uminks

June 14th, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^

Wilton should get his RS with Bellomy back in 2014!  In 2016 he will back up Morris in his senior season. I like Wilton and I think he will be a great QB here!

Magnus

June 14th, 2013 at 7:21 PM ^

We wouldn't be thinking about a transfer QB if we would have pursued a high school QB in the class of 2012. I've always thought that was a mistake.

NoMoPincherBug

June 15th, 2013 at 1:47 PM ^

Cleary looked pretty good in the spring game, better than expected.  He made some nice accurate throws on the short passes in particular.  Maybe Hoke and Borges see him as a sort of Brian Griese type, who is smart and will protect the football.