Rumormongering: Morris taking 1st Team Snaps this Week? [Ed-H: False.]

Submitted by JamesBondHerpesMeds on

I'm not sure where else to inquire about this, but I've heard a few unfounded rumblings that Shane Morris is taking the majority of the snaps this week in practice. At first, this sounds pretty ridiculous until you take into account the tweet re: Gardner's arm being in a makeshift sling earlier this week. 

Mods, I plead that, if this is too incindenary, that you promptly shut down said thread instead of purchasing my one-way exit row seat to La Paz.

[Ed-Heiko: This rumor is false.]

Don

November 29th, 2013 at 8:17 AM ^

What Devin Gardner needs more than anything is a competent offensive line and a coherent offensive game plan. He won't need counseling if he gets those things.

Blue in Yarmouth

November 29th, 2013 at 8:35 AM ^

I'm no football expert but read these posts and shake my head. DG's problems are directly related to his lack of blocking on the oline. Now he is tentative in every facet of his game, whether running or passing. Those things aren't going to change for Shane Morris either. What's worse is he isn't moblle like Gardner. He'll get killed.

Playing Shane Morris at this point would piss me off to know end because it would be the coaching staff saying the problems with this offense are related to him and not the pathetic coaching that has been going on. 

Yeoman

November 29th, 2013 at 11:56 AM ^

It would say that Gardner's too dinged up to perform adequately.

There's no way he gets benched because of performance; it's possible he might not play because of injury. And if that decision would piss you off know end, I don't know what to say.

mGrowOld

November 29th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^

I'm not sure the problem is purely Devin.  I think after "Turnoverpolaza"  midseason he was coached to STOP THROWING INTERCEPTIONS NO MATTER WHAT by somebody.  Like maybe the QB coach perhaps?  And in doing so Borges completely fucked up his QB confidence.

And guess what happens when you start playing scared?  You won't throw into tight windows and you will wait to make 100% your reciever is absolutely open before releasing the ball.  In short, exactly what we're seeing out of Devin right now.  That, and I'm sure he is way more injured than they let on.  And it's the injury that would account for the Morris reps (if true) this week.

fatbastard

November 29th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^

is that he's watching the rush.  I can't say that I blame him too much, I would be too, after MSU and Nebraska..  However, that problem, in itself, is leading to more sacks because he is not loooking downfield and releasing the ball.

You may well have a point about the qb coach, I don't know what's been said.  My impression is that he isn't, necessarily, refusing to throw to tight windows, it's that he has been too tentative to throw the ball at all. 

It's also quite plain that he's really pretty injured out there, and that obviously is playing a role in this.   Where he was athletic enough to get out of some of these situations early in the  year, he cannot now. 

If you remove his athleticsm, Devin is a pretty ordinary BiG quarterback, if you ask me.  If that ordinary quarterback is afraid to throw the ball (for whatever reason) he can't do much for you.  To me this has been more a problem for the last 2 or 3 games than offensive line play.  The line was poor, but not horrible agains NW and Iowa, and Gardner still looked tentative.

Der Alte

November 29th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^

Two-step drops, crossing routes to Dileo, Hayes, whoever. Neither Gardner nor Morris will have time to survey the field for his receiver of choice before lauching a 30-yard strike. Between blitzes and Ohio's D-line behemoths the time either M QB will have to find his target and deliver the ball will be measured in nanoseconds. To whoever's in there, best of luck.

And one more thing . . . is it written in stone that Gardner will return for another year? The consensus is that he will, but even if that's true does he have a lock on the starting QB positon? I suspect the competition will be a lot more open than anyone thought at the beginning of this season.

blueblueblue

November 29th, 2013 at 8:57 AM ^

He will definately be back. Right now, he has no chance at the NFL (which is where he has stated he wants to go). Only if he returns does he have that chance. Returning offers a good test for himself - if he cannot win the starting qb position here next year, then he probably should look for another career. 

blueblueblue

November 29th, 2013 at 9:22 AM ^

Sorry, but this is really short-sighted. Gardner has the physical attributes of a current trend in NFL QBs. He also has the physical talent. He needs to get his mind there. And, perhaps most of all, he needs to work behind a competent OL. His mental mistakes and issues cannot be separated, at this piont, from the incompetent play of his OL. 

blueblueblue

November 29th, 2013 at 10:41 AM ^

Have you ever gone on the job market? Have you ever heard of the fact that people consider how their attributes and experience might fit with certain openings when looking for a job? And that people look to trends in openings when looking at their attributes and building their resumes? What is your suggested job that Devin look for? 

fatbastard

November 29th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^

that if they were inclined to spead it out and go 4 wide, Devin would be the next choice (I don't see that tomorrow, but maybe next year some).  I guess Norfleet and Justice would also be options, but they're not going up to catch high balls like the other guys.

 

ford_428cj

November 29th, 2013 at 8:59 AM ^

The UM crowd will also be wild if Morris gets put in & Devin at wideout. One good momentum play - & it could be a good day for us

DaytonBlue

November 29th, 2013 at 9:37 AM ^

DG's good (not great; needs to learn his fundamentals) when he's limited to a brainfart or 2 a game.   However, last 4 games teams have spotted him in their own 10 yardline and he can't move the team.  Loved the TD pass to AJ Williams last week.  Typically scramble to the edge, ran out of room, looked up and luckily saw him standing there.  Sure, let's put in Shane - He might do better or worse, but we really have nothing to lose at this point.

JilesDauz

November 29th, 2013 at 2:55 PM ^

The point they are making is that we have no production on offense to lose. Look at the second half drive summaries against IOWA. 6 yards of offense until the final drive where your Hero Devin fumbled the ball for the loss. 

 

I mean... it's hard to do worse than 6 yards and a turnover. We aren't gonna win with that anyway. So there is nothing being lost by trying Morris. At worst it has no effect on whether or not we win. 

maizenbluenc

November 29th, 2013 at 9:48 AM ^

What exaclty has he done that shows he'll be better than Devin Gardner?

Devin Gardner was a 4 star prospect ranked number 1 in his class. He kicked ass at the Nike Elite Eleven, and had a lot of praise from Winfield and the Mannings this past summer.

Shane Morris was a 4 star prospect ranked number 4 in his class. He struggled to get to the Elite Eleven, and did not have the greatest season his senior year. In the games he has played in this year, he has a lower completion percentage than Devin, and YPC is pretty much the same. And then there is game experience (remember Bellomy).

The point is, Shane is a totally unknown entity over Devin Gardner. Can Shane be The Guy, sure ... but right now Devin Gardner is our best chance to win. As far as next year is concerned, they should compete for the starting position (bet Gardner wins it), and we need them both at QB for depth reasons.

That said, in 2007, I thought Ryan Mallet was our better chance to beat Ohio State over an obviously one armed Chad Henne. (My Buckeye friends were worried when Mallet went in, and then couldn't figure out why we went back to an ineffective Henne.)

If Devin is that hurt, then maybe a few series with Morris in the game to see if we can get something rolling is the way to go.

HeadAsplode

November 29th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^

I don't think he will start personally, but if he did, it wouldn't surprise me. It has been an offense based on gimmicks for three years and this would be yet another one.

Sten Carlson

November 29th, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^

Idiots are sprouting up everywhere!

My favorite asinine assertion is that, "DG most likely won't get any better next year anyway." Yeah because NO QB ever improves after their first full season as a starter behind a young OL. Never ever has a kid actually learned from his mistakes and come back for his 5th year as a better QB. Might as well just ship him off to the glue factory!

God bless America so many of the posters in here a pathetic fatalistic wusses. How about the guy that said he hopes the offense plays so bad Hoke will have no choice to fire Bores, then later says that he hope we win. C'mon man!

DaytonBlue

November 29th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^

Sounds like you just disagree and your'e basic argument is that those that disagree w/ you are "asinine."  That's weak.

Whether Devin learns from his mistakes or not going into next season, we do know that he hasn't learned over the past year and a half.  While he's cut down on turnovers, he too quick to leave the pocket, doesn't get rid of the ball or terminate plays when necessary, doesn't go thru his progressions, etc.  What's the probabiliyt he learns all that and changes his bad habits before next and last  season?  Given that this season is shot, if Morris is capable, I say play him and lets move forward w/ the offense that the coaches want to run.  Borges has already dumbed it down due to inabilty to execute.

fatbastard

November 29th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^

You're right about one thing, there sure are a lot of pathetic fatalistic wusses on here lately.  I have assumed that comes from the same type of kittenesque attituted Brian comes here with every single day (edit -- make that days when he's here and not shopping for Kitty Kollars at Walmart).

PS.  I don't think DaytonBlue's comment warranted yours, and he's at least partially right about Devin's failure to throw the ball away. 

Muttley

November 29th, 2013 at 4:36 PM ^

Gardner was magnificient against a ferocious ND rush.  (Do you think our O-Line somehow had a good game?) 

From then all subsequent D-Coordinators knew our weakness.

QBs normally play best when the O-Line is a sieve and the D-Coordinator can count on it as he plans his coverages.

Frankly Scarlet

November 29th, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^

As a 40-something lifelong Buckeye fan and long-time lurker on this board, I can honestly say that I want both teams to be completely healthy and playing at their very best going into The Game. No excuses, no stupid penalties, no bad calls or controversial anything - just line 'em up, play hard and clean, and may the better team win.

Cville Blue

November 29th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^

I agree with your logic here.  The great thing about this game is that the team that has supposed to win has lost many times.  The old "throw out the record" thing can be true.  That said, I have serious concerns about tomorrow.

Having grown up in Ohio, it's nice to see a level-headed Buckeye fan.  Both fan bases have their share of idiots.

Princetonwolverine

November 29th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^

This is great strategy. This game is meaningless. Save Gardner for the Big Ten championship game when everything is on the line.  

What ? We aren't in the BTCG? How did that happen?

bronxblue

November 29th, 2013 at 7:06 PM ^

I would have hated to see a murder on the field had Morris tried to run this broken-down offense against OSU.  At leat Gardner could conceivably get out of the way.

Cold War

November 29th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ^

I'm not sure where else to inquire about this, but I've heard a few unfounded rumblings...

Good to see we're holding up the ol' standards around here.