I wasn't that big a fan of his last season, but it appears the young man Swoopes is fighting tooth and nail for his job. That impresses me so personally, I'm pulling for him.
Well said. He knows last year was not a good showing and I respect anyone’s effort to improve and earn the job.
I don't think the reports out of training camp indicate that TS is The Answer, but rather he is the best option at this time. Who knows how much Heard will progress by the first game next year or whether there will be a transfer QB or true freshman who will prove better than Swoopes or Heard. The reports are that Swoopes is performing better than Heard at this time. So do you think Heard should start even though he is not performing as well? Heard may prove to have better in-game moxie, but that opportunity won't present itself until the games actually start. Until then, the coaches have to go by what they see on the practice field every day.
Swoopes' season ending melt down is a major concern. Partly that the OL wasn't blocking that well, we all know they were not getting the job done consistently. Swoopes seemed to panic and lose focus under the rush. The last 2 games he did not appear to have any confidence and it showed. We'll see come September in South Bend if he gets the nod to start. the fact that he's working hard is a good sign, but there nothing like the real time, game time.
Horn fans need to accept that Swoopes may be our best QB in 2015. Note that we may have 5 QB's in spring camp next year.
One more thing, which I said before. It may be that Swoopes wasn't mentally prepared to start last year (obviously, based on results of several games). Further, regarding lack of improvement during the season, learning while playing the game is not everyone's forte. Some people need coursework before the real action. In golf, you never learn how to play on the course. It mostly happens in lessons, not while playing. You get too frustrated, etc. to focus on what you need to learn.
Again, I don't think anyone would disagree about Swoopes' progress. And you're probably right about the supporting cast comment, particularly from the offensive line standpoint. But nearly everything seen/written/heard about Heard has shown that he's not ready to play. And when I say "not ready to play," I mean he's not better than Swoopes. I know about his HS prowess and Swoopes' lack thereof. Heard made things happen on the ground, and we're not going to a Georgia Tech style of offense any time soon.
Maybe Dion, we can all hope but Yup, I think that is something we have to accept but many of us have great fear(s) about. Heard just may not be the best QB in camp now or come Sept. 5th in the opener. I will attend the spring game so I will be able in my own mind to make judgments about how far Mr. Swoopes has come since last season / the bowl game. Unfortunately it is not a real game, it is a controlled scrimmage.
If Swoops is the answer, then the result is a 7-5 season. Swoops had the worst performance I believe I've seen in any bowl game in 30 years of watching them. 50 yards of offense in a whole game? I give CS a pass for 2014 - there was nothing at QB. A returning starter who had no business trying to come back from his injury, and to be honest, was never very good to begin with. A backup who'd not taken a snap. OK, the QB postion was doomed from the start for 2014. But there's been zero sense of urgency since then. It's over a year later, and the QB position at UT is as Charlie found it. Correct me if wrong, but Heard was a Mack recruit who stayed on board, so Charlie has done nothing to upgrade that position since then. What QB was taken in last year's class? Isn't it some grey shirt who may/may not sign? QB is the most important position on the field. And UT is going into 2015 with a returning starter who was 8th or so in the league of 10 in conference. Bottom quartile for QB translates to losing seasons, as happened last year.
If the Arkie game were the only one I'd still be on board with giving him a chance. To me it was the final nail in his coffin although I don't get a vote. Give Heard 80% of the snaps to get him ready. Or find a Juco if by the end of spring he aint it.
Well he did go full court press to land Murray, (you don't get them all) and went al the way to Baltimore to land Kai Locksley which was considered a huge get at the time. 6 weeks removed I guess people forget. I don't think there is a lack of urgency to get a QB. Last year CS had to put all his eggs in the TS basket. He had no choice. And it turned out badly. This year he has two baskets, and yet people want for him to put all of his eggs in the Heard basket. Short of burning Heard's redshirt last year, which would have been a panic move IMO, I am not sure what else he could have done to demonstrate urgency.
Strong had no good options in 2014 at QB and OL. How does anyone not understand that? Also, how come people can't let that go? It's a new season. Stop reliving the past that could not be altered even if we had a time machine (and I don't consider playing Heard or keeping the dead weight players as options).
Lifeboat or not, if you are looking at a 5 to 7 win season give your winner a real chance vs your guy who choked on virtually all levels the last half of the season before. I'm not buying the **** the aggy are saying: http://texags.com/forums/6/topics/2615012/2 If Vince had been given 80% of the preseason snaps would Chance Mock have been the starter vs Arkie? Maybe Texas fans will suffer through another few games of Swoopes like we did before Vince overtook Mock. Sure, I'm not saying Mock was ever as bad as Swoopes showed last year nor that Heard will approach Vince-ness. The point is this season is not shaping up as a very confidence inspiring journey anyway. Give your young, proven winner in HS, diaper dandy every chance when the other guy has failed. Heard was deemed too valuable to break the redshirt. Don't stop that thought process by holding back on him now. Wasn't Barnes roundly criticized for not letting his 5 star lottery pick in waiting player the chance to bloom?(I know, I know, Basketball) There are times when past performance, in HS, and after a disastrous college career in one year, are indicators of likely critical moments future choke-inspired play. Free Heard!
You have a good point there. I am sure the coaches know TS is not the future. And if Heard is then there is no sense in wasting a year of his eligibility. On the other hand, they cannot afford another losing season, and if Heard is really as far behind as we're hearing then... So they have to balance the long term Heard project against the urgency to get wins. Plenty of time between now and Sept so we'll see how it all shakes out. This poll is about the Spring though, and I bet TS is the starter coming out of Spring.
The fact is that both QB's need to be prepared in case of injury. Locksley is not a viable option for 2015. Thus, what is wrong with sharing snaps? If Swoopes confidence saps during the game, put in Heard. The fact that Swoopes is ahead of Heard means Heard needs more time. Who knows? Heard could be starting by game 6 (like Malik). None of this gets solved overnight.
I'll have to admit I was fairly skeptical on TS by predicting how much of a change the offense was really going to implement. I was assuming we'd alter SOME, but not overhaul it as much as the Spring has now indicated. I'm much more open to a wait and see approach with TS in 2015 now that the offense looks quite different. My fav 2014 memories of TS were when the coaches limited his thinking by allowing him to go at it quickly and instinctively. If he clearly wins out in a fair, open competition within the new fast-paced scheme, I'm okay with postponing past conclusions. Regardless of who wins out, that guy is our starting QB. He'll deserve a clean slate to begin with in the new offense. But the hook better be waiting on deck if he falls flat.
