Josh Heupel Press Conference (9.13.21)

[Sara Clark]

Perhaps. Milton does best in practice, Hooker, then Bailey. Then that's your starting order. I don't think Bailey comes into the game on Saturday if he is the worst at practice and Hooker has us within a touchdown. I see your point, just not sure how it plays out on a Saturday. Maybe he get the opportunity to see the field this week.

I don't disagree with you, but I do go back to Dobbs...he was known for horrible practices, yet turning it on during a game. Coach needs to figure out if Bailey is a game time baller or not. JMO....

 

[dovervolz]

Well, he said that Milton was a practice warrior.

Good at practice and sh***y during games.

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

I'm going to give Heupel the benefit of the doubt here. No reason at this point to believe he would sabotage his big opportunity at this level just cause he's stubborn or stupid. If in practice Milton is clearly the best passer of the 3 plus he has the size to get some tough yards for crucial 1st downs, it would be awful hard to not think he's your best chance of winning games. Based purely on what we have seen, it's an easy decision to go with Hooker. But...we haven't seen nearly the number of reps of all 3 QBs that Heupel has. It's not a good situation. You want a guy to take the job and run away with it. So far, nobody has. Maybe Milton will be better coming off the bench. I'd like to see that Saturday.

 

[BigALWiLson]

He hit Hyatt 60 plus yard down field, but it was dropped (holding call would have brought it back also). I think Heupel's thinking on Milton is that he can make the right decisions in the short game and get it to the receiver in a hurry, and that he has shown he can make those 60-80 yard throws in practice and in the Hyatt throw previously referenced. Heupel probably doesn't want to throw away the most talented arm too soon, thinking that he can work on trajectory and timing issues. As you will recall, last year Harrison's deep ball trajectory was too flat and he improved in the spring as evidenced in the O&W game where he placed some dimes. Heupel probably thinks that Milton can correct it with repetition. He's basically got a young Nolan Ryan who is walking too many batters/throwing too many wild pitches. What to do? Trade him (let Milton transfer), demote him to the minors (2nd/3rd string), or work through the control issues hoping that he will become the all-star that his talent rates? I don't have the answer to that, and I'm not sure Heupel does either.

Dude the ball ball to Hyatt was late as FK. He held the ball to long and put too much air under it. Else Hyatt walks in untouched. Hyatts athletic adjustment to the ball is the only thing that made it look even remotely like it was on target. Oh and guess what our best deep threat was knocked unconscious. Great way to build chemistry with your guys hanging them out to dry. It is football Hyatt will bounce back but lets not act like it was a good ball it wasn't

 

[Dudleys87]

I think if Milton was still QB1 he would have said it. He was directly asked if Milton was healthy would he start, and heupel refused to answer

because he knows it would go over like a loud wet fart in church.

 

[jwilliams]

* “I think we all believe we have a chance to be a good football team.”


Well, that is contingent on whether you keep trying to make a quarter horse run the derby like it’s a suddenly a thoroughbred. Milton will not suddenly start performing like Johnny U when the lights come on and he’s playing against sec defenses. Instead, you need to play Bailey and Hook equally on this easy, unimportant, game and see who’s our baller. Inquiring minds want to know. Because all we know is Milton should be competing in the javelin in the next Olympics…not for any SEC football team (including ours). Lastly, you can’t judge everything on practice when all you all are doing is playing two hand touch with the QBs. Clearly your best “practice QB” isn’t what you said/thought he was. GBO!

Great post. Totally agree.

 

[VAVol85]

except that Milton may still be QB1 (reading the tea leaves there)

I think Milton gets the first half to work on his accuracy and Hooker gets the second half to work on taking care of the ball. Their improvements determine who starts at UF.

 

[Vol737]

I agree with Basilio's take on today's pc. If Heupel didn't name Hooker the starter today and kept mentioning Milton "graded out higher" than Hooker, then he's all but telling us he's going to trot Milton out there if he's healthy. I hope this turns out to be incorrect.

 

[Orange_Crush]

I like Heupel, and I believe he will do good things here. I haven’t ever said that about any of the previous three dunderheads that sat in his desk.

However....

He needs to understand, somebody should warn him, not to burn the capital and the early good-will he has with the fan base with being stubborn about the QB position. That capital won’t last forever, and this place can be miserable for everybody when it runs out. If Milton is the guy....make your case and stand with it. If there is any doubt, now is the time flesh it out and try the other guys.

I can see why he’d want Milton to work out. The upside seems to be really high. On the other hand, maybe this team needs an efficient game manager instead of Superman.

If he starts making personnel decisions based on pleasing fans, all is lost.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

If he starts making personnel decisions based on pleasing fans, all is lost.

Hopefully he is making personnel decisions to help UT get wins.

 

[Orange_Crush]

I think it was stock, and then barrel.

It's a REAL off day for you, amigo.

(That was awesome.)

 

[OrangeTsar]

If you want the cliff notes version.......said almost nothing of substance about the QB situation.

Not true…he said that Milton makes those throws successfully in practice. Now WHERE have I heard that before?

 

[orangebloodgmc]

We are so screwed.....

Yes, y'all lost to ETSU.

 

[JohnnyJava]

Dude the ball ball to Hyatt was late as FK. He held the ball to long and put too much air under it. Else Hyatt walks in untouched. Hyatts athletic adjustment to the ball is the only thing that made it look even remotely like it was on target. Oh and guess what our best deep threat was knocked unconscious. Great way to build chemistry with your guys hanging them out to dry. It is football Hyatt will bounce back but lets not act like it was a good ball it wasn't

I disagree...It was a great throw that Hyatt dropped (Jalin has had a problem with drops not only in games but in practice), and Milton is the only QB on the team that could have made that throw. Milton did not hold the ball too long on that play, he had to step up in the pocket to avoid a sack from #9 after the ball fake, and he did not hang Jalin out to dry because Pitt's #14 barely grazed him coming over the top as he was falling to the ground. Contact with the ground was what shook Jalin up. Milton doesn't seem to be destroying team chemistry, he seems to be the receivers' preferred QB, overthrows notwithstanding. The receivers dropped quite a few hints leading up to the season from the obvious (Calloway) to the subtle (Tillman) that Milton was their choice. Milton has indeed had an obvious problem with overthrows, no one is trying to gaslight about that. The throw in question, however, revealed what Heupel likes about Milton.

 

[Remy]

Reading between the lines: Heupel is convinced Milton is the guy, sees him hitting those receivers in practices and scrimmages. Somehow avoided saying the obvious cliche, "He gives us the best chance to win" but based on what he said Milton is the guy. Does not believe his own lying eyes watching what happens when the lights come one and zebras take the field. This is the JG syndrome Part II, book it.

 

[Delmar]

Separate subject. I knew Bob Kesling was too much of a company man to ask the tough question after the game but I haven’t seen Heupel address it anywhere else either. What was going on in their brain to call that idiot shotgun on 4th and 6 inches when they have a chance to tie the score? Worst call you could possibly do in that situation. Do none of these reporters have the nads to bring it up?

 

[FïreBall]

Pruitt was horrible in these pressers. Heupel handles it much better. But I see how these coaches get frustrated.

One of the questions was, have you talked to Milton about his touch on the ball and over throwing receivers? I am way too sarcastic to field any questions like that.

I would have answered... "I'm not aware of this issue you are speaking of..."

 

[08Vol]

I don't disagree with you, but I do go back to Dobbs...he was known for horrible practices, yet turning it on during a game. Coach needs to figure out if Bailey is a game time baller or not. JMO....

Dobbs did better in games than practices b/c his skill set was running the ball really well when the pocket broke down. That is harder to see in practice than what Bailey’s skill set is, being an accurate pocket passer.

 

[JohnnyJava]

All Milton needs is a shot of muscle relaxer in his right arm before the game.

Ha, better get some super-duty horse tranquilizers from the vet hospital as overthrown as some of his throws have been.

 

[orangemadam]

I will be surprised if Milton is not the starter Saturday, and Hooker won't see meaningful snaps unless Milton overthrows 4 or 5 receivers again.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I am just a keyboard football enthusiast, so what do I know, but it definitely feels like Milton has enough game experience at this point where he isn't going to just magically evolve into the mythical QB Heupel believes his physical attributes suggest he should be. He throws the ball 100 MPH and 10-yards past the receiver no matter what, and I don't think that is going to change.

Hooker seemed to do fine coming off the bench on short notice, so I would be interested to see how he does with a full week of prep. Still, it doesn't seem like he is that great of a passer either. I'd love to see Bailey get a chance, but clearly Bailey must be absolute dog water on the field if he couldn't even get one drive on Saturday. I guess Heupel is determined to have a mobile QB no matter what, even if it means our offense is somewhat one-dimensional.

 

[BigALWiLson]

I disagree...It was a great throw that Hyatt dropped (Jalin has had a problem with drops not only in games but in practice), and Milton is the only QB on the team that could have made that throw. Milton did not hold the ball too long on that play, he had to step up in the pocket to avoid a sack from #9 after the ball fake, and he did not hang Jalin out to dry because Pitt's #14 barely grazed him coming over the top as he was falling to the ground. Contact with the ground was what shook Jalin up. Milton doesn't seem to be destroying team chemistry, he seems to be the receivers' preferred QB, overthrows notwithstanding. The receivers dropped quite a few hints leading up to the season from the obvious (Calloway) to the subtle (Tillman) that Milton was their choice. Milton has indeed had an obvious problem with overthrows, no one is trying to gaslight about that. The throw in question, however, revealed what Heupel likes about Milton.

I was sitting there looking dead at it. It was not on time nor was it a good throw. The ball hung.

 

[Vfl2407]

Well, he said that Milton was a practice warrior.

Just like JG was. Argh.

 

[BigALWiLson]

The way it was thrown was a tough catch. Call it what you want. But a good throw he never leaves his feet. Not to mention earlier in the route hes has the guy beat by 5 or 6 steps. Everyone in X3 saw the same damn thing.

 

[VolInNW]

I agree with Basilio's take on today's pc. If Heupel didn't name Hooker the starter today and kept mentioning Milton "graded out higher" than Hooker, then he's all but telling us he's going to trot Milton out there if he's healthy. I hope this turns out to be incorrect.

I am stunned why we have been unable to attract a serviceable SEC QB for the past 5 years. There is just no good reason for this that I can see. I am all for giving Heupel his time, and the guy has been here all of about 10 minutes, but if we see Milton week after week overthrowing and getting hit by strip sacks, yet still starting, then I will need to see substantial activity in the off-season to get a decent QB on campus, or I will check out early on Heupel.