I'm still confident in Fletcher. He will be the guy....No way am I convinced Lombardi will walk in here and be the starter, he has to show it and earn it.
To the guy who feels he is now the premier QB with most upside in the MAC, I have to ask.... Do you watch or follow MAC football?
(This post was last modified: 12-27-2020 11:49 PM by NIU05.)
He was inconsistent this year: “After opening the season with back-to-back 300-plus yard games against Rutgers (319) and Michigan (323), Lombardi threw for just 448 yards passing in his final four starts, completing just 36 of 82 attempts (43.9%) and throwing two pick-sixes among his seven interceptions and just two TDs in those games. He finished with nine picks and eight touchdowns, sitting out the Spartans’ final loss at Penn State after getting knocked out late in the second quarter of their Ohio State loss a week earlier.” https://www.freep.com/story/sports/colle...054446001/
From these and others my impressions are: he is athletic and can run and extend plays with his feet; he looks like a pass first dual threat QB; he has a cannon arm and it seems that he doesn’t have much touch on his passes; he looks like a gunslinger – tries to fit passes in tight spaces; at 6’3’ and 225 lbs or so he should be a load to bring down in the run game.
I would say he could be a great pick up if used correctly.
Does he have to sit out a year? I hope not. I still like Fletcher as our QB of the future, and 2 years behind Rocky Lombardi (gotta love the name!) would be perfect to groom Fletcher to start as a RS So.
(This post was last modified: 12-27-2020 10:11 PM by NILAW.)
Fletcher looked good in his limited time. Let's see if Lombardi fits into Hammock's "system". Bowers really didn't. NIU, as with most MAC teams, needs a dual threat QB, and Bowers didn't fit that bill.
With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
(12-27-2020 10:33 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote: Fletcher looked good in his limited time. Let's see if Lombardi fits into Hammock's "system". Bowers really didn't. NIU, as with most MAC teams, needs a dual threat QB, and Bowers didn't fit that bill.
With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
I really think Eidsness needs a true dual threat QB for his offense, and yes, Bowers just didn't fit that need. That is what I meant about using Lombardi the right way - he has to be that true dual threat QB. He seems to have the skills to fit that need, as does Fletcher with the proper grooming to play at the D1 level.
(12-27-2020 10:33 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote: Fletcher looked good in his limited time. Let's see if Lombardi fits into Hammock's "system". Bowers really didn't. NIU, as with most MAC teams, needs a dual threat QB, and Bowers didn't fit that bill.
With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
I really think Eidsness needs a true dual threat QB for his offense, and yes, Bowers just didn't fit that need. That is what I meant about using Lombardi the right way - he has to be that true dual threat QB. He seems to have the skills to fit that need, as does Fletcher with the proper grooming to play at the D1 level.
It is no coincidence that NIU's halcyon days from 2010 to 2018 were with dual threat QB's. Harnish, Lynch, the Hare-Maddie-Graham rotation, and Childers.
All were good runners and got the first downs, and more, when needed.
(12-28-2020 12:50 AM)epasnoopy Wrote: Rocky needs to recruit his WR, Ricky White, to come to NIU now too. We could use a guy who makes lots of great catches.
I did not expect to see that type of touch on the deep ball from him. I really like this kid PLUS he has played a lot of football.
If we didn't bring him in - the QB who has attempted the most passes in FBS football would have been Thompson.
It's nice to bring someone in who has played so much, so recently. This is going to work well I suspect.
(12-27-2020 03:51 PM)Boggs747474 Wrote: I learned my lesson when I was all giddy about Bowers. 8Tds/9int before he lost his job doesn’t scream greatness.
Bowers quietly was really good in 2020 especially considering how young his surrounding cast was.
He was inconsistent this year: “After opening the season with back-to-back 300-plus yard games against Rutgers (319) and Michigan (323), Lombardi threw for just 448 yards passing in his final four starts, completing just 36 of 82 attempts (43.9%) and throwing two pick-sixes among his seven interceptions and just two TDs in those games. He finished with nine picks and eight touchdowns, sitting out the Spartans’ final loss at Penn State after getting knocked out late in the second quarter of their Ohio State loss a week earlier.” https://www.freep.com/story/sports/colle...054446001/
From these and others my impressions are: he is athletic and can run and extend plays with his feet; he looks like a pass first dual threat QB; he has a cannon arm and it seems that he doesn’t have much touch on his passes; he looks like a gunslinger – tries to fit passes in tight spaces; at 6’3’ and 225 lbs or so he should be a load to bring down in the run game.
I would say he could be a great pick up if used correctly.
Does he have to sit out a year? I hope not. I still like Fletcher as our QB of the future, and 2 years behind Rocky Lombardi (gotta love the name!) would be perfect to groom Fletcher to start as a RS So.
He’s throwing strikes in that video, and shows to be a strong kid.
(12-27-2020 10:33 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote: Fletcher looked good in his limited time. Let's see if Lombardi fits into Hammock's "system". Bowers really didn't. NIU, as with most MAC teams, needs a dual threat QB, and Bowers didn't fit that bill.
With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
I really think Eidsness needs a true dual threat QB for his offense, and yes, Bowers just didn't fit that need. That is what I meant about using Lombardi the right way - he has to be that true dual threat QB. He seems to have the skills to fit that need, as does Fletcher with the proper grooming to play at the D1 level.
Bowers was a dual threat than stopped running after his concussion and nasty hit against Toledo.
(12-27-2020 03:51 PM)Boggs747474 Wrote: I learned my lesson when I was all giddy about Bowers. 8Tds/9int before he lost his job doesn’t scream greatness.
Bowers quietly was really good in 2020 especially considering how young his surrounding cast was.
Exactly. Bowers wasn’t bad. He needed a better o-line and another consistent target.
(12-27-2020 10:33 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote: With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
WTF, why could it get "real ugly"?
Are you expecting anything other than two losses from having Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule? Shouldn't the outcome of games with Wyoming and Maine be a bigger concern as a lead-in to MAC play?
(12-27-2020 03:51 PM)Boggs747474 Wrote: I learned my lesson when I was all giddy about Bowers. 8Tds/9int before he lost his job doesn’t scream greatness.
Bowers quietly was really good in 2020 especially considering how young his surrounding cast was.
Bowers got better as the season went on - can we also talk about how many strikes he threw that were dropped? Robinson alone could have made Bowers look great.
To Bowers credit he never stopped throwing to an open Robinson, even though the odds were better than 50% that the ball would be dropped.
The only complaint I have with Bowers is that he got happy feet - and didn't run. His brain was scrambled on a few hits in the past so I can understand his fear now...plus he's a Dad. When you become a dad some risky stuff all of the sudden actually SEEMS risky.
Bowers wasn't going to the NFL. His family surely needs him at full strength - not risking it all on a 3rd and 8 vs EMU or whatever.
(12-27-2020 03:51 PM)Boggs747474 Wrote: I learned my lesson when I was all giddy about Bowers. 8Tds/9int before he lost his job doesn’t scream greatness.
Bowers quietly was really good in 2020 especially considering how young his surrounding cast was.
Bowers got better as the season went on - can we also talk about how many strikes he threw that were dropped? Robinson alone could have made Bowers look great.
To Bowers credit he never stopped throwing to an open Robinson, even though the odds were better than 50% that the ball would be dropped.
The only complaint I have with Bowers is that he got happy feet - and didn't run. His brain was scrambled on a few hits in the past so I can understand his fear now...plus he's a Dad. When you become a dad some risky stuff all of the sudden actually SEEMS risky.
Bowers wasn't going to the NFL. His family surely needs him at full strength - not risking it all on a 3rd and 8 vs EMU or whatever.
Yea I wonder what his numbers would have looked like with a more consistent WR crew.
(12-27-2020 10:33 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote: Fletcher looked good in his limited time. Let's see if Lombardi fits into Hammock's "system". Bowers really didn't. NIU, as with most MAC teams, needs a dual threat QB, and Bowers didn't fit that bill.
With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
I really think Eidsness needs a true dual threat QB for his offense, and yes, Bowers just didn't fit that need. That is what I meant about using Lombardi the right way - he has to be that true dual threat QB. He seems to have the skills to fit that need, as does Fletcher with the proper grooming to play at the D1 level.
Bowers was a dual threat than stopped running after his concussion and nasty hit against Toledo.
I looked up Bowers stats for 2020 and was quite surprised. His great play was overshadowed by our losses
123-212 58% completion rate
1365 yds for 10 TDs and only 2 INTs.
And like most of you are calling out. That's pretty damn good considering he was tossing balls to Dennis Robinson and Cole Tucker, and calling plays behind the line he had.
Reading from Mich. State fan site the overall feedback on Rocky is great teamwork & hard worker, but lacks consistency, accuracy in short-mid throws, but excels in deep ones. Will forever be a Spartan for his great game & win against Michigan and a tough NW team. According to the site, our offense is similar to MI State- if true this will be a plus.
Seems like a project. Obviously he'll have to hit short and mid-range passes as well as long ones. 53% completion % won't be good enough here either, particularly if there are more than a few interceptions. Haven't seen the replays but his running stats don't look like much, though sack yardage is probably taken out of that. Doesn't look like he was sacked that much though.
(This post was last modified: 12-28-2020 01:16 PM by NIU007.)
(12-27-2020 10:33 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote: With Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule next year, let's hope Hammock pulls it all together. It could get real ugly of he doesn't.
WTF, why could it get "real ugly"?
Are you expecting anything other than two losses from having Michigan and Georgia Tech on the schedule? Shouldn't the outcome of games with Wyoming and Maine be a bigger concern as a lead-in to MAC play?
It wasn't too long ago NIU was competing with, and sometimes winning, games against P5 opponents. Credit to Hot Rod, his bowl record was horrible but he had a game plan against the P5 teams. We scared the daylights out of then #1 Ohio State, taking it to the wire.
"Real ugly" means total blowouts in the P5 games. And let's hope Hammock pulls it together.
