The comments from Peter Ariz on today's show about Cam Ward were absolutely disgusting. Cam Ward was the best quarterback we've had in 20 years—a Heisman trophy finalist, the number one pick in the draft—and you expect fans to give credit to *checks notes* Shannon Dawson!? Is it all about the Jimmys and Joes or not?
(Pete, we were at UM at the same time, nothing against you personally, but I've had it with the Cam Ward hate)
We've been in close games all season because this offense can't put any team away. Let's pretend Carson Beck is as good as everyone on the Wednesday show talked him up to be in the preseason, then who else besides Dawson should we blame for the way the offense has stalled out in every game besides USF? You start to run out of people to place the blame on. Let's be rational, nuanced, you say!? Very well, the offensive failures fall on everyone: a highly penalized offensive line, the lack of a third receiver, the quarterback, the offensive coordinator, the head coach and the O-line coach for their conservative run scheme? Guess what! Nearly all of these things existed last year. We were a highly penalized team last year, and the receivers, according to Pete, were less talented, and we still had the number one offense in the country. THAT was Cam Ward.
Dawson has said this himself many times—when he called the wrong play for the moment last year, Ward could make him right and did so countless times. That first drive against Florida last year was sustained by Ward breaking the pocket and picking up first downs with his legs. Florida's defense had won the rep, and then they hadn't. Beck does not have that ability. Which leads me to my next point.
There's a lie, likely multiple lies/flaws on our team that we're overlooking. If the offensive line is so good, why are we so afraid to put four and five receivers on the field and throw the ball downfield? Check out RO's Student of the Game. It seems pretty clear that Louisville knew every time we went into an empty set, we were throwing a quick pass. Who don't we trust? The offensive line? The quarterback? If our offensive line is so good, then why is widening the splits just a little and diversifying the run game completely out of the question? Either the players aren't as good as we/the coaches, have hyped them up to be, or Mario's conservatism is sucking the life out of our offense.
And another thing, you know what happened after we got a false start penalty and wound up in 3 & 15 last year? Cam Ward and Restrepo made a play and completely wiped away the mistake. Comparing Carson Beck to Cam Ward might be a form of mania. How many times did Ward drive 60, 70, even 80 yards down the field for a touchdown last year? He was playing against the other team's defense AND our defense. Even with his horrible interceptions against Duke and Cal, Carson Beck already has the same number of interceptions as Ward had all of last year.
I like your commitment to the Boss' phrase: Game Aint Based On Sympathy.
I'm seeing a lot of sympathy pushed in Beck and Dawson's direction
and hate being sent Ward's way.
(Pete, we were at UM at the same time, nothing against you personally, but I've had it with the Cam Ward hate)
We've been in close games all season because this offense can't put any team away. Let's pretend Carson Beck is as good as everyone on the Wednesday show talked him up to be in the preseason, then who else besides Dawson should we blame for the way the offense has stalled out in every game besides USF? You start to run out of people to place the blame on. Let's be rational, nuanced, you say!? Very well, the offensive failures fall on everyone: a highly penalized offensive line, the lack of a third receiver, the quarterback, the offensive coordinator, the head coach and the O-line coach for their conservative run scheme? Guess what! Nearly all of these things existed last year. We were a highly penalized team last year, and the receivers, according to Pete, were less talented, and we still had the number one offense in the country. THAT was Cam Ward.
Dawson has said this himself many times—when he called the wrong play for the moment last year, Ward could make him right and did so countless times. That first drive against Florida last year was sustained by Ward breaking the pocket and picking up first downs with his legs. Florida's defense had won the rep, and then they hadn't. Beck does not have that ability. Which leads me to my next point.
There's a lie, likely multiple lies/flaws on our team that we're overlooking. If the offensive line is so good, why are we so afraid to put four and five receivers on the field and throw the ball downfield? Check out RO's Student of the Game. It seems pretty clear that Louisville knew every time we went into an empty set, we were throwing a quick pass. Who don't we trust? The offensive line? The quarterback? If our offensive line is so good, then why is widening the splits just a little and diversifying the run game completely out of the question? Either the players aren't as good as we/the coaches, have hyped them up to be, or Mario's conservatism is sucking the life out of our offense.
And another thing, you know what happened after we got a false start penalty and wound up in 3 & 15 last year? Cam Ward and Restrepo made a play and completely wiped away the mistake. Comparing Carson Beck to Cam Ward might be a form of mania. How many times did Ward drive 60, 70, even 80 yards down the field for a touchdown last year? He was playing against the other team's defense AND our defense. Even with his horrible interceptions against Duke and Cal, Carson Beck already has the same number of interceptions as Ward had all of last year.
I like your commitment to the Boss' phrase: Game Aint Based On Sympathy.
I'm seeing a lot of sympathy pushed in Beck and Dawson's direction
and hate being sent Ward's way.
I think he got issues with giving him credit for whatever reason lol..