Should Tyer Bray have started at QB earlier in the season?

What should have been the first game Tyler Bray started at QB?

  • Total voters
    0
#26
#26
oklavol said:
Right, the coaches are infallable. Fulmer should still be on the sideline since he saw the players all week and we didn't. :blink:
Click to expand...
This goes beyond that though. You are not only second guessing the coaches, you're assuming that the Memphis version of Bray is what we would have been seeing all year long and I feel safe in saying that probably is not the case.
 
#29
#29
I believe the plan all along was for Bray to start in November once the O-line was a little experience and the competition was reasonable to our talent level. Simms could've won the starting job if he had played outstanding, but I think Dooley knew that wasn't going to happen. Everyone pretty much expected Tennessee to have 2 or 3 wins by the end of October, no matter who the quarterback was. There was no reason to send out Bray who we are hopeful will be our starter for the next few years to be thrown out against Florida, Bama and LSU. Now we are set up that if we win 3 or 4 games this month the team enters next season with momentum and hope.
 
#30
#30
I think it was a good confidence booster for him to get his first start against Memphis. We can take a few hits this year to make us a better team and have a better QB for the next three.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#31
#31
oklavol said:
The problem I have with this line of reasoning is UT lost all those games. Yeah I think Bray could have started and lost all those games too. Outside of LSU, not real competitive.
Click to expand...

The problem has been depth and you don't fix that during the season. How many teams have we not been competitive with for the first 30 minutes?
 
#32
#32
I must be crazy or something.

Bray is your best QB, and from what I've seen, it's not even that close. Why not play him? Yes, I know, he's going to get hit. Yes, I also know that the Memphis version of Bray isn't the guy you're going to see the whole year. I'm just not big on having one QB, who is of a lesser talent, act as more or less of a shock absorber for the guy that you know is going to be the starter later.

Why not just give him the nod at the start, and let him get a full season under his belt as a freshman?
 
#33
#33
nickknx865 said:
I must be crazy or something.

Bray is your best QB, and from what I've seen, it's not even that close. Why not play him? Yes, I know, he's going to get hit. Yes, I also know that the Memphis version of Bray isn't the guy you're going to see the whole year. I'm just not big on having one QB, who is of a lesser talent, act as more or less of a shock absorber for the guy that you know is going to be the starter later.

Why not just give him the nod at the start, and let him get a full season under his belt as a freshman?
Click to expand...
Because the present version of Tyler Bray is a heck of a lot better than than the UT-Martin week version and the coaches made the determination that Simms was better and it was best to develop Bray in practice rather than against top 10 teams.
 
#34
#34
GAVol said:
Because the present version of Tyler Bray is a heck of a lot better than than the UT-Martin week version and the coaches made the determination that Simms was better and it was best to develop Bray in practice rather than against top 10 teams.
Click to expand...

I would expect that Tyler Bray, even against a crappy team like UTM, would've had some jitters for the first game or two. That comes with the territory of a true freshman playing in a place like Neyland Stadium. But that would have gone away after a game or two.

There's no game that we win with Bray that we haven't with Simms, that is true. But there's really no game, maybe outside of UAB(and I'd have no idea about that one), that Bray would have cost us anything by starting over Simms.
 
#35
#35
nickknx865 said:
I must be crazy or something.

Bray is your best QB, and from what I've seen, it's not even that close. Why not play him? Yes, I know, he's going to get hit. Yes, I also know that the Memphis version of Bray isn't the guy you're going to see the whole year. I'm just not big on having one QB, who is of a lesser talent, act as more or less of a shock absorber for the guy that you know is going to be the starter later.

Why not just give him the nod at the start, and let him get a full season under his belt as a freshman?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Bray had better numbers in every scrimmage. Why not start your best player at the position.
 
#41
#41
oklavol said:
The problem I have with this line of reasoning is UT lost all those games. Yeah I think Bray could have started and lost all those games too. Outside of LSU, not real competitive.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

...and the experience may have paid off earlier (i.e. LSU and/or South Carolina).
 
#44
#44
nickknx865 said:
I must be crazy or something.

Bray is your best QB, and from what I've seen, it's not even that close. Why not play him? Yes, I know, he's going to get hit. Yes, I also know that the Memphis version of Bray isn't the guy you're going to see the whole year. I'm just not big on having one QB, who is of a lesser talent, act as more or less of a shock absorber for the guy that you know is going to be the starter later.

Why not just give him the nod at the start, and let him get a full season under his belt as a freshman?
Click to expand...

Maybe Bray didn't start grasping the offense until recently. Imagine how more simple our offense would of been with Tyler only knowing so many plays. It would be a train wreck waiting to happen.

Also, Ive heard that Tyler did not start taking initiative of the QB job until recently. That may have something to do with it as well.
 
#45
#45
nickknx865 said:
I would expect that Tyler Bray, even against a crappy team like UTM, would've had some jitters for the first game or two. That comes with the territory of a true freshman playing in a place like Neyland Stadium. But that would have gone away after a game or two.

There's no game that we win with Bray that we haven't with Simms, that is true. But there's really no game, maybe outside of UAB(and I'd have no idea about that one), that Bray would have cost us anything by starting over Simms.
Click to expand...

True in retrospect, but with Simms we nearly upset LSU, which would have been the highlight of the season by far. With Bray being a gunslinger and not fully grasping the offense, we'd have likely given away some TDs to LSU's defense.
 
#46
#46
nickknx865 said:
I must be crazy or something.

Bray is your best QB, and from what I've seen, it's not even that close. Why not play him? Yes, I know, he's going to get hit. Yes, I also know that the Memphis version of Bray isn't the guy you're going to see the whole year. I'm just not big on having one QB, who is of a lesser talent, act as more or less of a shock absorber for the guy that you know is going to be the starter later.

Why not just give him the nod at the start, and let him get a full season under his belt as a freshman?
Click to expand...

:yes:
 
#48
#48
oklavol said:
Exactly. Bray had better numbers in every scrimmage. Why not start your best player at the position.
Click to expand...

Dooley was serious when he said the following to the Knoxville Quaterbacks Club:

There's an old saying when it comes to playing quaterbacks. It's better to be a year late than a day early.
Click to expand...

Of course, the quote is referring to bringing a quarterback along mentally, not destroying his psyche by starting him too early. The merit of this may be debatable, but Dooley was sticking by his philosophy on it by waiting as long as he did.
 
#49
#49
Would have been UT vs Auburn for the SEC Championship. With the under story being Newton vs. Bray.
 
#50
#50
JAllen18 said:
Maybe Bray didn't start grasping the offense until recently. Imagine how more simple our offense would of been with Tyler only knowing so many plays. It would be a train wreck waiting to happen.

Also, Ive heard that Tyler did not start taking initiative of the QB job until recently. That may have something to do with it as well.
Click to expand...

Might have been. I just don't think holding your QB out of games and relegating him to 2nd team reps is going to ultimately make him a better QB in the future.

And he might not have studied as hard as he has in recent weeks. But it could also be argued that being the 2nd team QB and the heir apparent to the position at Tennessee in the future was what kept his study habits at bay until recently. Not saying that's why, but it's a reason.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top