I like most of you watched alot of football over the last two weeks and one thing is abundantly clear. The good teams and even some not so good got to 6 to 10 wins by having a go to receiver. I hate to say it but D. Parker of L-ville IMO won at least 4-5 games for them this year. These teams when they had to make a play there was at least one receiver who was money. Who do we have among our stable of young receivers can make that leap as a "go to receiver"? A very good tight end can also play this role but you get my point.
Receivers ?
- Thread starter Trubluepopeye
- Start date
We've got a lot of talented guys but they are very young. Stoops publicly criticized their poor route running and bad drops at times. They often struggle to beat press coverage and to get open. This is mainly just a sign of youth and should improve with time. (Having inconsistent QB play doesn't help either). All should improve for next yr, but how much???
My first thought is Timmons. He needs to improve his hands, but he could be guy that gets 5 catches/game next yr. And depending on how he develops, Baker has the ability to be a big time "go to" guy.
My first thought is Timmons. He needs to improve his hands, but he could be guy that gets 5 catches/game next yr. And depending on how he develops, Baker has the ability to be a big time "go to" guy.
No way we lose at Louisville if they don't throw blind eye deep balls to Parker. He absolutely destroyed us.
I have to think he might redshirt next year unless his injury rehab goes perfect. Since we lost Blue and Robinson, we need to nab at least one new one who can play right away.
Never understood why we didn't throw his way more in the last 5 games...seemed we would throw it up and let him make a play til the last half of the season we didn't even try it...he had several one on one matchups against ul that i thought we should've taken a shot..we have gotten a huge upgrade the last two years and it will start showing next year...makes your qb and running game look much better...
I think some of our receivers got a little aggravated with Patrick because of his throwing mostly left. When he started with the happy feet Pat rarely would look to his left and would throw to his right some 70% of the time. My friend who is a defensive coach at a div 2 school said the last 4 games teams where locking man to man on receivers on the Will side because Pat rarely looked there. Basically cutting the field that you have to defend in half. Hind sight being perfect Patrick missed alot of open receivers while running for his life!
I was not overly impressed with Towles QB skills once UK got into the meat of their SEC schedule. I hope that if UK can get better play from the OL and WRs that he will show improvement. He must do a lot of work on his accuracy, reads, and must get the ball out much quicker if he is to make a big splash in the SEC.
IMO Towles is going to be in a real battle to keep his starting job next year. I do not think he keeps it unless he improves a lot.
IMO Towles is going to be in a real battle to keep his starting job next year. I do not think he keeps it unless he improves a lot.
We have a great group of young receivers, and more on the way. Someone(s) will emerge. I am not losing sleep over this position group at all.
Towles has some basic problems some of which may not be correctable. First he has poor recognition on the timing of routes. In many cases receivers did get open but weren't open when he threw it. A QB has to know whne the WR is going to break on his route and start delivering the ball ahead of time so the WR can turn and catch. If the WR has to wait he probably won't get the chance to catch it. Towles was consistenly 2 to 3 seconds late with his throws. That is not only late but late by a lot. Patrick seems to expect the WR to run his route, get open, turn around to face him and then he throws the ball. That's too late.
Patrick also has poor footwork. He seems to hop and dance around a lot in the pocket. Again you can't do that. When the throw needs to be made you need to make it. You don't have time to readjust your feet and then throw. You also can set back there patting the ball. Towles has too much wasted time invested in his mechanics.
Towles also seems to have trouble throwing the ball without the laces. On the short screens that you see in the Air Raid the ball needs to be gone right away. Taking the snap from the shot gun means you normally have to throw the ball how get it. You can't readjust the ball to grab it by the laces because again that's too late.
Timing is everything for a QB especially if you are running the Air Raid. Right now Towles is too slow in his delivery to play in the Air Raid. This is why he looks much better on deeper routes.
We had both running back and receiver by committee this year but I think towards the end of the year Williams separated himself from the pack at running back. Receiver is still wide open. Lots of young talented guys but none of them has yet to step up and take charge. I see Bone and Baker as the most likely candidates on the outside and redzone, while Garrent Johnson seems to get better every game and could be the slot guy of the future if Timmons continues to be injured and/or have ball security issues.
We should see marked improvement at WR this year, regardless of QB. Just too much talent back and assuming Badet, Montgomery and Baker are healed up, we'll have some solid experience there as well.
Towles may make another leap forward like he did this year or maybe Barker takes the reigns. Football season can't get here soon enough!
Towles may make another leap forward like he did this year or maybe Barker takes the reigns. Football season can't get here soon enough!
Well, # 1 there is no way Towles was 2-3 seconds late with his throws, because the majority of the time, he didn't have 3 seconds to throw the ball. Now, as far as having happy feet, most QBs don't stand back in the pocket flat-footed and throw the football, you have to be moving your feet as you go through your progressions, so that your feet are ready to step and throw to that receiver in that direction, you step where you throw, so that is a wasted argument as well, as far as him having poor footwork.
The biggest thing wrong in Towles' game from my perspective is his inability to get through his progressions, that is where is is lacking in speed is in his ability to get through the progressions, and find the open receiver. He took off way too many times when he had an open receiver and didn't see him, and had he stepped up into the pocket instead of bailing out of the pocket, he could have made the throw to the open receiver.
