In Praise of Josh Dobbs, Passing Quarterback

#1
Dobbs 4 Heisman

Dobbs 4 Heisman

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#1
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Pretty cool article on just how great a passer Dobbs was this season.

In Praise of Josh Dobbs, Passing Quarterback - Rocky Top Talk

One of the biggest casualties of Tennessee’s disappointing 8-4 finish: we’re underrating an all-time great year from a senior quarterback who belongs on that list.

.....

Who shows up on all three lists, having single seasons with 8+ yards per attempt, 60+ completion percentage, and 25+ touchdowns? Peyton Manning's Heisman runner-up year in 1997, Heath Shuler's Heisman runner-up year in 1993...and Josh Dobbs.

Now consider the quality of competition. Dobbs faced four of the Top 16 defenses in passing yards per attempt allowed and half of Tennessee's schedule was in the Top 40 in yards per play allowed.

Now throw in all that running stuff.

This has been an all-time great year for Josh Dobbs. If the Vols don't lose to South Carolina and Vanderbilt we're talking about way more than just first-team All-SEC for him. When we turn our eyes to the future and think, "Hey, we'll have a better passer next year,"...I wouldn't be so sure about that.

The finish was disappointing, but Dobbs' performance ensures he will leave more memories than just being the guy who helped get Tennessee back in the national conversation. And his impact on this program and the community off-the-field will continue to be a positive for Tennessee for years to come.

If you're looking for a reason to care about this bowl game, getting to watch Josh Dobbs play quarterback for Tennessee one last time should be high on your list.
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#2
#2
Yeah he was pretty amazing as long as you ignore the league leading interceptions..
 
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#8
#8
No troll, just recognizing a player for his accomplishments this season as a leader. He owned up to everything, good and bad. He never was happy with a bad performance, nor gloated in victory. He's the most level headed and young man we've had in a long time. It's not his fault you never received love from Mommy and Daddy or accomplished anything worth while in your life like Josh has.
 
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#11
#11
Love Josh Dobbs and I'm in large part a numbers guy. There's no doubt that Josh improved in a lot of areas throwing the ball this year, especially downfield. Yards per attempt was an issue for him prior to this year and he took a big jump in that area. To go from a career average of about 6.5 to 8.3 was a huge improvement.

But we also have to recognize that he was having a pretty "meh" statistical season until the last 4 games ..... versus Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Missouri and Vandy. Until that point, through 8 games, he was completing well under 60% of his throws and had nearly as many interceptions as touchdown passes (15 tds, 11 ints).

All that is not to say that he didn't, overall, have a very good season throwing the ball. And when you throw in his running, well that takes him to a different level. But that last 4 game stretch (69 of 86, 80.2% completions, 11 tds vs 1 interception) vs some really bad defenses made all the difference in his passing stats.

Finally, as Fade said, Dobbs was not the problem this year. With the exception of the SCar and Bama games, he played winning football all year long and very easily could've been First Team All-SEC. The glaring, obvious issue with this team on the field was on defense.
 
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#14
#14
Take allthe int's and lost yards at crucial times of Condredge when he played in the 70's and it may be close.
 
#17
#17
Dobbs was way underrated by most UT fans. His passing was significantly better this year out of the gate. He was very accurate on deep balls this year and made relatively good decisions. When there was a problem, it was mostly when he had no time and almost no blocking which made deep routes really difficult. He was able to Houdini his way out of messes and still throw the ball to an open receiver. The times he struggled at all was when he had been rushed like crazy in that game and he had to get the ball off too quickly, but he still made plays when other QB's would be on their rear. It might take us 10 years to realize that you just don't see his level of talent (combination of running, throwing, leadership) very often.
 
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#18
#18
Dobbs' second half against UF was amazing. He elevated his play and all those around him.

Side Q here: Did he miss any game (full or partial) due to injury in his career as starter?
 
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#19
#19
McDad said:
Dobbs' second half against UF was amazing. He elevated his play and all those around him.

Side Q here: Did he miss any game (full or partial) due to injury in his career as starter?
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No, incredibly durable.
 
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#23
#23
What impressed me the most is not just his talent on the field, and make no mistake he is talented, but rather his conduct off the field as well. He is truly a gifted student-athlete that should be held up for emulation by any program out there as how to succeed on the field, in the classroom and off the field.
 
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#24
#24
McDad said:
To me, that is likely the MOST impressive stat considering his style of play and some of the hits he took.
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Agreed. We're really gonna miss this kid for a myriad of reasons. He's been so much better than a lot of fans, who still say he can't throw, give him credit for being. And answering the bell every week, especially given his style of play as you mentioned, has been remarkable.
 
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#25
#25
KBVol said:
But we also have to recognize that he was having a pretty "meh" statistical season until the last 4 games ..... versus Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Missouri and Vandy. Until that point, through 8 games, he was completing well under 60% of his throws and had nearly as many interceptions as touchdown passes (15 tds, 11 ints).

All that is not to say that he didn't, overall, have a very good season throwing the ball. And when you throw in his running, well that takes him to a different level. But that last 4 game stretch (69 of 86, 80.2% completions, 11 tds vs 1 interception) vs some really bad defenses made all the difference in his passing stats.
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IMO, this is not an accurate description for any QB. Each QB faces differing levels of competition and to single out Dobbs because of the last 4 games is not fair IMO. At the end of the season, the other QB's he's being compared to all faced similar circumstances. Furthermore, Dobbs faced the best defense in the country.
 
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