Tale of a freshman quarterback
Once upon a time there was a freshman quarterback at Michigan who was thought to be a gift from heaven. This freshman started and won his first game, in spite of going 2 for 10 passing with 3 interceptions. He was unimpressive in his second game, a 19-19 tie. In his third game he was benched in favor of the backup.
This "tale" is a true story. And the quarterback's name was Rick Leach.
I don't care who you are, if you play quarterback as a freshman you will have your ups and downs. Tate has had his (and so has Denard), but if we're patient and we let the coach coach, there is a good chance one or both of them will have a career rivaling that of Mr. Leach.
Let's keep our eyes on the big picture and Go Blue!
October 12th, 2009 at 8:17 AM ^
How about one R. Mallett?
Many, not all, but many (including LC) really didn't think that kid had what it takes mentally. Yeah, physically, he's a beast... But look at him now...a little seasoning, a lotta maturing (OK, maybe SOME maturing)...and the kid is flinging the ball, being a leader, etc.
And we're in a situation with two TRUE FRESHMEN at the helm. They're light years ahead of where Mallett was, so, not wanting to project some "to infinity and beyond" upside, but our guys have the potential to be stellar by their junior years. (Hell, maybe even their sophomore years!)
Carry on! GO BLUE!
October 12th, 2009 at 9:28 AM ^
I had season tickets to all four years of Philip Rivers' college career. Forcier isn't quite the passer that Rivers was (he's got a stronger arm than Rivers did as a frosh), but they show a lot of the same qualities and they make a lot of the same mistakes.
The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.
October 12th, 2009 at 9:39 AM ^
I'll tell you what I saw from Tate in the Iowa game, besides trying a little too hard to make big plays, resulting in his being pulled:
On one particular play, I can't recall exactly when, Tate did his normal 'run out and try to beat the corner' thing. In every time past, he's either run out of bounds for a loss, or gotten creamed after a half yard gain. This time, for once, I saw him stop and think. He seemed to realize, for once, he couldn't beat the corner, pull up, and tossed a fantastic first down pass.
God love you and your play making ability, Tate. And so does your coach. But never forget you've got a lot of other good players out there. They can make plays too.