We ended last year on a good run, not withstanding some relatively weak opposition. That being said, we still had some "momentum" coming into this year.

What concerned me from afar was making a quarterback change when we were doing so well. Not sure if a switch from a senior to a freshman was the right thing.

So my question (s) is this. Was Karam clearly beaten out in spring practice? Was this the right decision?

Thanks for your thoughts? I did not see the game last night, but the qb switch concerned me from day one.

The offensive line stinks and the receivers drop passes. But if we are going to be so vanilla we might as we play Karam.

Nothing wrong with the change. It is just going to be a bumpy year but in time it will be worth it especially with the recruits Fuente is pulling in. No need to panic at the moment.

Unless Memphis is going to win a National Title, it seems best to stick with the young kid and let him take his lumps and get experience. Give him a long leash, since he will be here for three more years. Don't kill his confidence in the middle of his first year starting wondering if he'll get the hook for every mistake.

(09-15-2013 09:37 AM)salukiblue Wrote:  Unless Memphis is going to win a National Title, it seems best to stick with the young kid and let him take his lumps and get experience. Give him a long leash, since he will be here for three more years. Don't kill his confidence in the middle of his first year starting wondering if he'll get the hook for every mistake.

I think at this point, Karam should get a series or two in every game. Let's see what he can do.

(09-15-2013 09:39 AM)mapdude Wrote:  

(09-15-2013 09:37 AM)salukiblue Wrote:  Unless Memphis is going to win a National Title, it seems best to stick with the young kid and let him take his lumps and get experience. Give him a long leash, since he will be here for three more years. Don't kill his confidence in the middle of his first year starting wondering if he'll get the hook for every mistake.

I think at this point, Karam should get a series or two in every game. Let's see what he can do.

For what purpose? Unless it is for teaching, and not punitive reasons, shuffling qb's now serves no long term purpose...assuming Lynch is the kid you want to be running the team the next three years.

People are now calling for a QB change. They are in a panic and don't need to be. You suffer the growing pains now by playing the younger players and it will pay off in time. Karam had very little experience before last year and did have a solid year. If we give up on Paxton now, when is he gonna get the experience that people complain that he doesn't have? With Karam leaving after this season, Paxton will have to be the man and if he doesn't play this year, we will be in the same boat next year. We will have a redshirt soph. QB with little game time. Fuente is building our future now and we have to trust his decisions. I am positive he doesn't like to lose but he knows by getting Paxton the experience now, it will benefit the program in the future.

(09-15-2013 09:44 AM)Sheldon Cooper Wrote:  People are now calling for a QB change. They are in a panic and don't need to be. You suffer the growing pains now by playing the younger players and it will pay off in time. Karam had very little experience before last year and did have a solid year. If we give up on Paxton now, when is he gonna get the experience that people complain that he doesn't have? With Karam leaving after this season, Paxton will have to be the man and if he doesn't play this year, we will be in the same boat next year. We will have a redshirt soph. QB with little game time. Fuente is building our future now and we have to trust his decisions. I am positive he doesn't like to lose but he knows by getting Paxton the experience now, it will benefit the program in the future.

Seems like people should be calling for 5 new starters on the O line, rather than a new QB, at this point at least.

The kid has thrown a handful of "bad" passes in his first two college games. I think overall he has played pretty solid.

(09-15-2013 09:59 AM)uofmcamaro Wrote:  The kid has thrown a handful of "bad" passes in his first two college games. I think overall he has played pretty solid.

I think the "gut feeling" about it that has people complaining is not his passing, it is the seeming ineptness of the offense in much of the game time we have seen so far. People, myself included, wonder if that is not due to his inexperience leading to misreads or not seeing the D fully and thus not allowing the O to function properly. Certainly, in the 3rd qtr last night it ran well. I wonder if Karam could have done that for much more of our 8 qtrs so far. And I wonder if Karam's senior leadership might serve to get up in the face of some guys (O-line last night, receivers in Game 1) and get their heads in the game.

Of course, you can't say for sure. Karam probably can't get the yards running that Lynch has gotten, and the D might play us differently knowing Karam doesn't have the deep threat arm that Lynch does.

To answer the OP: as reported, Lynch has a stronger arm and more foot speed, and apparently it was a significant enough advantage that Coach Fuente felt the physical pluses outweighed mental or intangible or operational things which might be less than Karam offers. Lynch was named starter after the first week of Fall camp I think. It was early in camp. Lynch didn't beat out Karam in the Spring, but it was reported he looked impressive with what he could do physically. I don't agree with the common refrain around here that Fuente went with this year Lynch to get him experience for the future. I think he felt Lynch offered the better chance to have a more complete offense, and thus be a more difficult opponent.

(09-15-2013 11:31 AM)Herff Tiger Wrote:  Of course, you can't say for sure. Karam probably can't get the yards running that Lynch has gotten,

Lynch had 13 carries for 1 yard, the longest was 9 yards. That means the other 12 carries netted -8 yards. Not very hard to do better than that.

I just think he should at least get a series or two every game, just to keep him sharp.

(09-15-2013 01:24 PM)mapdude Wrote:  

(09-15-2013 11:31 AM)Herff Tiger Wrote:  Of course, you can't say for sure. Karam probably can't get the yards running that Lynch has gotten,

Lynch had 13 carries for 1 yard, the longest was 9 yards. That means the other 12 carries netted -8 yards. Not very hard to do better than that.

I just think he should at least get a series or two every game, just to keep him sharp.

31 yds gained. 4 sacks for -28. <<<<< Therefore, 9 actual runs for 31.
Against Duke: 7 runs for 42 yds gained. 1 sack for -8.

I'm not saying he's Cam Newton, I was just replying that it was said that the reasons for starting him over Karam were arm strength and running ability. I recall Karam had some important first-down getting and other such runs last year. He wasn't strictly a hand it off, throw it or get sacked guy.

And I think Karam should have definitely played in the 2nd half against Duke. I can see their thinking being that they wanted to see how the adjustments worked, however.