The following is an analysis of the quarterback position in wake of the Blue-Gold game. It is kicked off by Bayou Irish, with an alternative opinion by Grantland-X.
Bayou Irish
There was a time when I wanted to give Tommy the nickname, “Touchdown.” As in, “Touchdown” Tommy Rees. In 2010, the kid was 4-0 and I thought he was the real deal. Midway through last season, in an alcohol-washed haze, I started calling him “Turnover.” Then, as the turnovers got worse and I drank more, and as I write this I realize this all may have happened during the same game, I abbreviated “Turnover” to “Apple” and I would just yell “Apple” at the screen. I don’t know that any of that was pleasant for those around me. As I write this, I am certain it was not.
Grantland-X and I did the pro-Tommy, anti-Tommy thing a few weeks ago. On Saturday, Coach Kelly fed us the first table-scraps of evidence for September. Based solely on the Blue Gold Game, I am comfortable with my previous position: Tommy cannot be the starter. I saw the same guy on Saturday that I saw two years ago, one year ago and it’s enough already.
I frankly don’t care that Everett Golson may be a “heart attack” waiting to happen. So is a quadruple Huddle Burger. That doesn’t make it any less delicious, or exciting. Golson threw for two touchdowns, 120 yards and broke off a nine yard run. Golson had 15 passing attempts, one more than Tommy, so the comparison is fair: Everett blew Tommy out of the water in the passing game.
Andrew Hendrix started really well. His first drive was beautiful and when he read the corner for the TD route to Tyler Eifert? That was nice. But then, he just kinda didn’t do much, other than throw a horrendous interception. Hendrix only got 9 attempts throwing, so the interception stands out, but it was hideous. HOW DO YOU THROW THAT TO THAT GUY?!
Touching Aside: Everett Golson had Number Five before the game, but he gave it to Gunner Kiel to wear in honor of his deceased uncle, Blair. NBC allowed Blair to wear it for approximately six seconds in the MLS-abbreviated second half. Can you imagine the debate that occurred at NBC Sports Network during that scheduling meeting? “If the Blue Gold Game goes long, we’re gonna miss kickoff at Real Toronto!” Were ones of people waiting on that kickoff? Anyway, Kiel wore Number Five and he’ll be your starter in two years.
Tommy Rees was Tommy Rees. He wasn’t awful (he was bad), but he wasn’t great either. And, we need great. It’s time for great. I’ll actually take an INT, if the guy throwing it can turn a busted play into a nine yard run or a fifty yard run. Something. I’d actually like to see Tommy Rees and Louis Nix III run the 40. My money is on Big Lou.
I think the Blue Gold Game proved my point: Tommy’s not the man. Golson was the “winner,” if one can win the Blue Gold Game. Parenthetically, I’m not sure who came up with the scoring system, but I’m pretty sure that whoever did was a fan of the Washington Treaty. Anyway, Golson played better than Hendrix, both of whom played better than Gunner Kiel, who’s just a senior in high school. They all played better than Tommy Rees. The QB job is now clearly a two horse race between Golson and Hendrix and the only real winners are the makers of AEDs.
Grantland-X
Bayou Irish, as always, makes some very legitimate points, probably the most accurate being that AED makers are the true winners in the quarterback competition this year. First off, I just want to preface with the fact that the Spring Game is just the tip of the iceberg. While indeed, it is the most visible of the spring practices, and a great chance for the fans to see some live action, it is just that — a spring practice, and just 1 of 15 of them. So while certainly it is an opportunity to see how these guys are doing, it is also a huge evaluation tool for them all, that allows them to further see what they need to work on during the summer and particularly in fall camp. But on to what we learned from the Blue-Gold game.
First off, this was not a good showing for Tommy Rees, but it wasn’t as abysmal as some would make it seem. At the base level, you saw Tommy Rees do what he has done in the past: shows great capabilities at the line of scrimmage, calling checks and audibles that lead the Irish to productive plays, particularly in the run game. That being said, he still had several opportunities to roll out and run on 3rd and shorts, but did not take advantage of them, preferring to throw the ball, which led to some incompletions that could have been sure first downs on the ground. In other words, drive-killers. He also threw a terrible ball to John Goodman that ended up in the hands of Matthias Farley going the other way. Not good. But the interesting thing to note was that Kelly was continually calling plays down the field for Rees, looking for him to make more complicated reads and stretch the field, putting more responsibility in his hands. Rees displayed a calm demeanor and his footwork was the best of the quarterbacks, as he was comfortable in the pocket and squared up well on his throws. But as said already, some of his reads that day clearly weren’t the best. Rees was also the only quarterback who had to deal with Bennett Jackson in coverage, and was on the field for most of Manti’s plays. Just something to keep in mind.
Andrew Hendrix had a better day than Tommy, that is for sure. He showed his strong, strong arm, particularly on his early touchdown toss to Tyler Eifert. He also is a clear running threat, and displays that he can easily throw the ball on the run too. As noted with Tommy Rees, Kelly also gave Hendrix an opportunity to look down the field a bit and make some reads. While he took advantage of this with his early touchdown, he also threw an absolutely inexcusable interception with no receivers anywhere close, which gave traumatized Irish fans flashbacks to the bowl game versus Florida State. But that is what happens when inexperienced quarterbacks take the field, so it is just part of the growing pains, and something I’d expect Hendrix to eliminate in the future. All in all, a fairly good showing for him in terms of his potential.
On to the most exciting quarterback of the day, Everett Golson. Golson displayed what so many Notre Dame fans are absolutely dying to see — a silky smooth, rocket arm, paired with elite mobility that can break open any play and add it to his highlight reel. He was very efficient, and made very good decisions. The playbook was nowhere near as open to Everett as it was to Rees or Hendrix, as most of his yards came from quick throws to Theo Riddick or dump-offs to George Atkinson, but hey, taking what is there and putting the ball in the hands of your playmakers is part of the job, and something he did very well on Saturday. In the sake of fair analysis, he did have some shortcomings: obviously Kelly called him out on having some trouble with play-calls and pushing the tempo of the offense, so much that they even disabled the play clock, so that is something he needs to work on. He admitted himself that he often ends up confused after having to line up his teammates, make checks, and read the coverage. So if he were to be the guy, the offense would have to be severely simplified. Also, he had a bad tendency to throw off of his back foot, especially when scrambling, trying to use almost all strength. This is a red flag, as you can’t simply try to juke everyone and throw bombs downfield off your back foot against D-1 talent, it just doesn’t work. A big knock on Golson in Spring Ball has been that he wants every play to be a highlight one. Finally, the players that Everett was up against were second and third string guys more often than not, although that is beyond his control. Just some things to think about. But I will admit, much of this is nitpicking at the current time. As said earlier, this provides Everett with great tape of himself, and these are things he can work on as we move toward the season. There is no question that on April 21st, he provided the most excitement from the QB spot.
Not going to delve too much into Gunner’s performance, just because he got such little action on Saturday. Of the 4 guys, he looks like the right guy in terms of physical appearance. He is the biggest of them all, and the most physically impressive even as a pre-freshman. He made a couple nice throws, but then threw an awful interception in triple coverage. He has a typical young QB tendency, in that he looks to make every throw across the middle, right in front of him, and doesn’t scan to the sides of the field. But his poise and quick, strong throwing motion is also apparent. He is almost a lock to redshirt, but will really benefit from that, learning the system without a lot of pressure. As Bayou mentioned, look for Gunner to be the man two years down the road.
All in all, anyone who watched has to be excited about Everett’s performance. While Tommy didn’t impress this time around, it would still take a lot of performances from Everett like this one to pry the job from Rees’ hands, as the most experienced and seasoned leader. It is no coincidence that numerous players having mentioned Tommy as standing about above the rest throughout the spring. One of the most common Rees criticisms is “that it is year 3 for Kelly, he should have somebody under center that is capable of running his full offense.” The sad reality is that none of these guys are able to do this, as Rees isn’t quite mobile enough, even if improved, and Golson has nowhere near the command of the playbook that he should. The playbook would have to be scaled way, way back. As always, Hendrix provides that safer middle ground between Tommy and Everett, in terms of physical balances between the two. He is still getting there in terms of the playbook, but he is more comfortable with the pre-snap duties than Golson is for sure. The most obvious observation that can be taken from the Blue-Gold game is that this is still a competition, and one that will likely continue to rage for a while.
Love it/Hate It? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet me @GrantlandX
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Irishfootball11
Both make sides makes really good points and i was really surprised and pleased Grantland X didnt go all in and say Tommy wasnt that bad and he was. I was very disappointed a guy ith two years of starts and played like that and i agree Hendrix is in the middle of the other two.I also noticed Golson throwing off his back foot which is a bad sign but you expect that out of a young player like Everett. I agree with bayou that Tommy is not the guy and you cant run the BK offense with Tommy but i believe he will be the starter and split duties wiith Golson and i dont agree with but i think that will happen..I hope one of the young guys (Golson or Hendrix) stand out in the summer and get named.
Follow me on twitter @Irishfootball11
okerland
“This is a red flag, as you can’t simply try to juke everyone and throw bombs downfield off your back foot against D-1 talent, it just doesn’t work.”
Someone didn’t watch the Michigan game last year.
Matt
Rees couldn’t read coverages his first year either, hence the big boards with all the pictures at the end of 2010. And to be frank, he really couldn’t read coverages last year. As someone who has and still does support Kelly, he’d be a fool to start Rees.
Trey
I’m going to be absolutely flogged for this comparison, but I think if you take Golson and Shoelaces, you come to about the same kind of results. Granted, Golson has twice the arm than the One Shoe Bear, but they’re really very similar players. And I think that’s why Golson could be so dominant. All this talk about Rees being superior at checks and audibles is accurate, but I think Everett is the kind of player that doesn’t need that skill, necessarily. First of all, trust in BK’s playcalling first and foremost. If something breaks down because of that, I think Everett would have a great opportunity to turn that mistake into a positive. Look no further than the muffed snap that became a 4-yard gain. Very similar to the TD that destroyed us in the Whore City last year.
Second, Golson looks silky smooth throwing that ball. I was amazed to see how little effort he seemed to waste and the zip that came from the ball afterwards. That was freaking impressive.
TXIrish2
I think Golson has a better arm than Shoelaceless, but my impression is that Golson isn’t as fast as Denard Robinson
kyndfan
Use of the term “Whore City” earns a “like” whether I agree with you or not.
denverirish
Agree with the intent of the comparison. There is a reason Hoke last year decided to forget the new playbook and just run with Shoelaceless while he has him. It is a tougher choice for CBK because he has a decent QB who runs the offense correctly in Rees but has a low ceiling; whereas, UM’s prior competition at that spot was Tate Forcier. Still though, give us a heart attack with EG this year — I still think we win more games than we would otherwise — and in 2013 EG could be close to unstoppable.
Rick
Reese has had 3 springs and a year plus as a starter for ND. His first 4 games were based on a limited play book. He was assigned to manage the game to allow the defence to do it’s thing. This was most evident in the USC game. He is a competent quarter back against a lesser opponent which allows the offence to run at will as seen last year. How against teams that exposed his physical weaknesses and could produce pressure all his knowledge of the playbook and that calm demeanor went out the window. When pressured or when the other team dropped eight and forced him to go vertical or run to make a play he could not. This has not changed this year. The open media day he experienced pressure made wrong choice. Saturday same thing. Even Coach Kelly acknowledged this. He is a great kid that has the image of a good leader but gets the deer in the head lights personality under pressure. He needs the defence and running game to be on form to succeed.
Golson is basically in the same boat as Kiel. As a freshman he was given a special limited package by Kelly. Also he became the scout team quarter back with little access to ND’s offence and little one to one coaching to develop technique. With what he showed last year and this year in the Blue Gold game what is there not to like. Those throws may have been off his back foot but the were on the money and with more zip then Reese could produce with his proper foot work.
Hendrix is an option but lack experience in the spread and seems much more methodical/mechanical in his movements. He has great arm strength but little touch on the ball. Seems to lack vision/ability to see the whole field at this time.
KGIRISH88
“But the interesting thing to note was that Kelly was continually calling plays down the field for Rees, looking for him to make more complicated reads and stretch it the field, putting more responsibility in his hands.”
There is no proof of this. Golson and Hendrix both threw the ball downfield (though I cannot judge how hard the reads were). In fact it was Tommy who had that ball on the final drive of the half and all the yardage was accrued through runs and the short passing game. Furthermore Kelly has said that all QBs will have the same playbook and calls so he could make an objective decision.
johnnyb819
It really bummed me out that Tommy didn’t seem to make any changes to what we’ve seen regarding his flaws. His interception by Farley was what drove us all off the wall in the past and made us scream our version of “apple.” On the contrary, he does have a solid command of the huddle and knows (for the most part) when to check in and out of certain plays. Decision making is just so critical for us to be successful, and I hope I’m wrong, but I just have my doubts that will still be an issue.
I too thought Hendo was either hit or miss. The TD bullet he threw to Eiff and the Dig he threw to Daniels were big time throws. Then you have the interception by Ishaq which was as bad as it can be. There’s no question he has the tools to be successful, but will he be able to get over that hump? Another dilemma.
EG I thought played the best like some of the others.The kid can really rip it with his throws. My concern with this is can/will he gain full understanding of how to run this offense by the first game? I’m beginning to think this is my preferred choice, then again I have my doubts. Granted a spring game is where you still try and work out some kinks, the delay of games/unnecessary time-outs drive me crazy. It’s time for the guys to take a step forward and someone earn this job.
Hopefully all will work out, and someone grabs this opportunity and does this, for all our sakes. It’s time to finally get some consistency with the position that makes us go. I’m glad I’m not in Coach Kelly’s shoes.
Irishfootball11
Tommy just didnt look comfortable back there and his throws during the game werent great and in the end zone i was just really unimpressed with him..I agree he does take command of the offense and gets the play in quick but other than that what else does he do? He probably is right now the more accurate qb than the other two but just dont see the offense progressing while he leads them..i still believe he will be the qb in Dublin but dont like it one bit
PAK
“it wasn’t as abysmal as some would make it seem.”
In what way, exactly? Rees looked awful, no matter how you feel about the QB situation. He overthrew a wide open Davaris Daniels on his first pass and got worse from there. He threw a terrible interception. He had multiple shots at the end zone on his drives and failed to complete a single TD pass. The only TD drive he lead gained a large majority of the yards on the ground.
This offense needs the 15 yard out and the 35+ yard pass downfield way more than it needs any kind of mobility in the pocket, and Tommy just cannot get it done on those plays.
NDtex
“But the interesting thing to note was that Kelly was continually calling plays down the field for Rees” — except for, you know, the two minute drill that was all runs until the Irish got near the goal line.
Bayou Irish
The Shoeless Wonder/E-Gol comparison was not lost on me as I watched. He zipped the ball off his back foot. He himself is elusive and fleet-of-foot. I think with E-Gol under center, we become an offensive nightmare, but in a good way.
canuck75
No one has yet mentioned what is driving the nutjobs on the other board crazy- that Kelly talked down EG after the scrimmage. I think there is an obvious answer. First let me digress and say That I thought EG was great and clearly has the magical “it” factor. ( And I was a strong proponent of Tommy until Stanford FSU)
I think Kelly sees what most of us do, but if he even hinted at it, there is a serious risk of losing Hendrix and even Kiel. After all, Everett may well be the starter for 4 years, which is not what Kiel signed up for. But My strong feeling is EG is our man. Imagine, Tony Rice with a rocket arm!!
I think Hendrix will stay as he will get some reps this year, and Tommy stays regardless, but Kiel is at risk. ( I wasn’t imopressed with him as much as others were)
As an aside, I can’t see why another 5star qb would sign up until at least 2014 because we are so stocked.
DBQB12
Remember that Kiel is still a high school kid. I was impressed by the fact that he kept his head fairly well when he should be thinking about going to the prom. Give this kid some time and dont judge him until next spring. That is why you dont have many freshman QBs come in and light it up their first year.
Rob
If Rees is QB1 Irish will lose 4-5 games again. This may also be true for Hendrix and Golson. Why not let the QB of the future get the experience? Rees is not good. I don’t care how well he knows the offense. Maybe he should turn in his uniform and coach bc he doesn’t have it. Sorry TR lovers
Mark G.
A challenge that Golson is going to have is that the stuff he most needs to work on — reading plays quickly from the Red Army on the sideline, getting the play called, getting the offense lined up, checking out of an obviously wrong play because of what the defense is doing, etc. — are things that are very hard to work on during the summer during optional workouts. These are the things that you need 11 on 11 scrimmages (full speed or not) and others on the sidelines to do. He can work on other things during the summer (taking snaps from under center, which he sometimes has a problem with, etc.) but his most glaring weakness (which was obvious to those of us in the stadium) is on the mental side. This is beyond just “learning the play book” and doing film study.
I hope he can improve because of what we all saw (I was there live). But if he can’t he will not see the field. If he cannot play within the system, he will not play, talent or not.
Chuck
Remember the thing that developed in regard to Steve Beuerlein and Terry Andrysiak? Terry had good mobility and Steve had size-15 shoes. The fans clamored for Terry, but Lou Holtz said: “Steve is our best QB”. And Lou stuck to his coach vision, and was succesful. Of course, Lou had LOADS of help from an eminent inventory of talent, including Tim Brown and many others.
I have a strong hunch this QB thing is best solved with coach vision. Kelly had better coach those candidates so that they will each take very strong responsibility in their own hands and minds.
Whitecoat
Lest we forget. Rees was a 3-star Rivals QB recruited by Charlie Weis who it was mentioned knew his father from the pros, from Lake Forest IL, where he had a dismal senior HS year — showing the same weaknesses of interceptions, weak arm, and questionable decisions. Living in the Chi area, I followed him. I knew he would never make it for for Kelly because he had zero mobility, but fate is fickle.
The bigger question I have is about Kelly’s decision making not Tommy Rees, or Hedrix, or Golson. Through the past 2 years we have seen a coach say and do some very stupid things — like putting a wedge between Weis’ recruits and his own – like benching Crist and never letting him play again, and staying with Rees? And many, many other decisions like field goals, etc. Did any of you guys ever think that perhaps we need a different coaching staff?
Mark G.
Whitecoat, in answer to your question, let me point out the following.
For the first time in years, we have a group of talented offensive linemen who have been developed both in terms of strength and technique, and play together as a unit (with a good group of backups and developing players behind them). For the first time in years we have a group of talented defensive linemen who have been developed both in terms of strength and technique and play aggressively within the scheme. For the first time in years we have a true stable of talented running backs, some of whom are experienced and others of whom are developing . On the other side we have a solid and deep linebacking corps, with enough depth of talent to have competition at every position, except the one occupied by an all American. Solid at safety at the back end of the defense, and while entested it looks like the coaches (shout out to Kerry Cooks) have quickly coached up inexperienced corners to what should be serviceable to solid. Our receiving corps, though inexperienced in the depth chart, looks to be somewhere between OK to very good. Add to that perhaps the most talented and deepest tight end group in the country.
My point is that the program is in the best shape it has been in many years. We are adding talented depth to every position group every year (OK … except corner), and have enough talent in depth to be able to (i) create real competition for playing time at almost every position and (ii) ability to red-shirt.
I have to give Coach Kelly credit for the shape we are in. We are poised to continue to improve, and to reach the level of consistency that is necessary for championship football. We have reached some modicum of stability of scheme and of coaching staff, which we have sorely lacked for years and years. I love Kelly’s decisions on coaching assignments and hires (Martin as coordinator, leaving Diaco alone, adding Hiestand and Elliott, promoting Booker, etc.). An on top of that we have a disciplined and effective approach to recruiting.
If it were not for the glaring uncertainty and weaknesses at QB, I do not think the question you are asking would be asked. (I recognize that is like saying that except for the little dust up, Mrs. Lincoln very much enjoyed the play.)
Brad
Here is one thing/comparison that I noticed above all others.
Hendrix and Rees both made bad interceptions. But in a lot of ways, I think Hendrix’s is more excusable. Hendrix can learn from that pick, and become better for it.
If you look at that play, Hendrix clearly just didn’t read the field properly, and didn’t see the Cat backer dropping off into coverage. Its a bonehead mistake, but its something you can fix and learn from. It looked identical to the pick he threw against FSU, and also reminds me of that infamous bonehead pick Clausen threw against North Carolina in the second half. Remember that even a guy like Clausen made a lot of bonehead throws when he was young, but by the time he was a junior he was a fantastic quarterback. In short, these are throws that are caused by an error in reading the defense.
However, both Hendrix and Clausen have a natural ability to put a lot of velocity on the ball, and to get accurate placement on deep throws. If you look at the throws Hendrix made right before GA3’s first fumble, thats a big-time throw. His TD throw was quick, showed great recognition of coverage with the blitz, and had a lot of velocity on an accurate throw. Lastly, he also threw a great deep ball to Eifert which was uncharacteristically dropped. In short, he has the ability, and can learn and grow from his mistakes.
I feel Rees’s pick was far different. For one, the defense had 3 deep safeties sitting over the top on a 3rd and long just waiting for the deep ball. He was baited, and threw the ball up. However, it wasn’t a pick because he made a terrible read (he did make a terrible read, but again, that can be improved upon). It was a terrible pick because he had a very, very slight window in between the center field safety and the left safety within which to quickly fit that ball into, and he just could not do it. He just doesn’t have the ability to throw that ball with enough accuracy or velocity to get to where it needed to be. So the ball sailed on him, and was a gift to the safety.
I guess in short, regardless of who is the starter next year, the real question is who can we expect to consistently improve at the QB spot? Rees cannot improve on his mistake unless he learns “I just cannot throw the deep ball….I need to check down and throw 5-10 yard routes.” Hendrix, on the other hand, can improve, by understanding that teams will occassionally use a zone-blitz, and learning to watch for OLBs sneaking into coverage.
Long story short, I think Hendrix and Golson both showed a level of ability which, when combined with added experience and mental learning, means that we can and should expect them to improve consistently.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that we can expect that from Tommy Rees do a ceiling on his natural ability. While that doesn’t mean he cannot improve as a QB (I wholly expect him do), I do think it means that in order for him to improve as a QB, this offense needs to be limited to the horizontal passing game we saw last year, and the 5-10 yard routes that he can complete, along with an occassional PA ball lobbed down the field up for grabs to Eifert. But Rees does not possess the ability or the arm to stretch defenses vertically in the passing game, and never will.
SDI
I think this is an important point–the interceptions were very different. Rees is an experienced QB who sees the field fairly well but continually tries to squeeze the ball into his first or second read even when they aren’t open, or would only be open with pinpoint accuracy which he does not possess. That’s been his m.o. since HS and it hasn’t changed yet. Whether it’s overconfidence or something else, he keeps making bad decisions.
Hendrix is still an earlier developmental phase due to his lack of playing time and passing opportunities is both HS and college. One of the first things that young QBs have to learn is to ignore many of the defensive players on the field while dropping to pass. In this day and age of blitz recognition, site adjustments etc. that may seem like a crazy thing to say, but it’s true. If a QB can’t look past all of the distractions that are going on in the front seven and concentrate on the downfield action, he has no hope of finding open receivers and getting them the ball. The second step is locating your receivers and determining if the defender covering them is in position to make a play on the ball. This is where Hendrix is in his development. He hasn’t reached the third step of looking off defenders and seeing other potential threats in the area. He sees his man, locks in, and lets it rip. When he locked in on Eifert he not only lost his ability to see Ishaq, but he led Ishaq into perfect position to make the play. The question is, will he advance past this stage of development and if so how soon?
Unfortunately for Hendrix, Golson might be further ahead developmentally–not necessarily in understanding of the offense and game management, but in terms of seeing the whole field and reading defenses. We won’t know until he gets some real playing time, but he seems to have good vision and doesn’t seem to lock in on receivers. At this point, it would seem to be a race against time to see if Golson can improve his game management skills by September. If so, Hendrix may never get the chance to play enough to develop.
Paul Hass
Hendrix is the best I saw, overall. If Tyler doesn’t drop the deep pass that was in his hands, the Hendrix stat line has a bunch more yards, and maybe a score. He is tough, strong armed, smart, and CAN run the offense. He needs the reps. Gunner Kiel would be good too, pretty quick, but a redshirt is likely, I think. Tommy Rees is 4th as a starter in my book. If there was an end of half or game situation, where passing is an absolute necessity, I might run him in if the others. Right now, it is Hendrix and Golson in the race. I wouldn’t consider Rees, no matter what.