They got there, so much for the "you need a junior QB to win at Wazzu" narrative. Took a gift for the officials and capitalized on it. Falk was nails in the 2nd half. Go Cougs!
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- Thread starter Brent H.
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Still holds the ball too long, and picked some weird times to check into a run, but in the fourth he was locked in. Again. Dude's clutch, and he's a sophomore.
What sophomore QB's have ever done this well at WSU? Chad Davis was a game manager, so we'll throw him out. Bledsoe was good as a sophomore, but nothing like this. Leaf wasn't nearly as polished, but you could see his potential. Gesser wasn't physically ready as a Sophomore.
Because of the nature of our program, we typically have needed a QB to perform at an extremely high level for us to be any good. That's normally meant junior or senior QB. Falk certainly has been a more efficient and careful QB than any that I've ever seen at any point in their careers. He had a couple rough weeks with a couple sketchy choices but I am amazed at his TD:INT ratio as much as anything else.
He is, but there are reasons for that. Price's teams tended to mature together and were only good with senior laden teams.
Leach knows the importance of the offensive line more than any coach that I have seen at WSU. For that reason, WSU will not have the two years of very bad football before a break out season. I said it before the season, with the offensive line and receivers returning, it was set up for Falk to be successful right away.
It's not just the Sophomore factor of Falk that makes him good. It's the way the system is implemented and taught. That's why Leach can reload QBs and next man up them. After Falk the next WSU QB under Leach will also put up ridiculous numbers just like all the QBs Leach had at Texas Tech.
Part of it is the players, but a big big factor is Leach and his system and how he trains and cultivates their development.
Part of it is the players, but a big big factor is Leach and his system and how he trains and cultivates their development.
Not on the level of Falk, but Brink was pretty good for a soph. To compare...
AB: 57%, 24 TDs to 13 Ints, 8.08 YPA, 140 QBR (per ESPN)
LF: 70%, 33 TDs to 7 Ints, 7.42 YPA, 151.4 QBR
Tron...so you believe if
Falk got hurt in the PSU game and missed 3/4's of the season we would be where we are now?
Once again living in what if hypothetical world... 1st of all Falk isn't injured every other game like most of our QBs were because we have a decent offensive line. Also he's in an offense that isn't total crap lead by the wizardry of Team USA's finest.
We are where we are because we have an offensive line. because we have a good scheme. we have quality practice, and we have quality players at those practices. We have not 1 but 3 RBs... not 1 but 8 receivers and we have an offensive line.
So we are worlds away from 2011. In fact in this year alone we've beaten as many Pac-12 teams as we did the entire 4 years from 2008-2011.
Historically it does seem that Leach can reload at QB every year. However, I would say that has more to do with his emphasis on OL than on developing QB's. Where I think Falk is "special", and this has been said before, is his demeanor in the pocket and the willingness to take a hit to sustain a drive. He's a leader, a team player, he's pretty smart with the football and he is more comfortable checking down and letting the playmakers on the team (RB's, etc..) have the ball.
No doubt I do believe that after Falk Leach will reload with a great QB, but I just think we have something special with Falk at the moment. It's too bad about the missed 3-point conversion against Stanford (Pac-12 North title this year? WHAT?!), but honestly I am so pumped for next year with this team.
I think Falk has all the tools to be one of the greatest Air Raid QBs...the only thing is the speed of making decisions. That will come with time, but he's calm...focused, and when the game is on the line he delivers. He's getting better and better. A lot of this is a learning process for him as he goes along, and he's doing an outstanding job.
I just love the story of this. Falk starts at his Utah HS as a sophomore. Falk moves to California and Oaks Christian HS. He wins the starting job, loses it after a few games to Brandon Dawkins and moves back to Utah. Has a very good year, but teams forgot about him. Walks on at WSU and is setting records as a sophomore. Brandon Dawkins, the QB who took over the starting job at Oaks Christian is a RS freshman at Arizona and may not get playing time until he is a senior.
While that was a nice attempt, it sure didn't answer the question. Everyone gets Leach's system, but don't pretend like it is just plug and play. Just like it wasn't last year when Falk was 1-3. (Counting USC game) Bender looked like hell throwing picks in a game against an inferior team, as did Falk to be honest.
The greater point is two things- Falk is not like other QB's. He did struggle a great deal. All QB's are going to put up numbers in Leach's system. They have to. They throw it 60 plus times a game. The key is to have a QB who is calm under fire, and that is what makes Falk so unique. It is his personality. That is what makes him so unique compared to the others we have mentioned. If it was just "system", Tuel and Halliday would have been successful from day one cause the reps they took in spring, and Bender as well.
Woulda, coulda, shouldas about injuries aside, I agree with Tron's comments about Falk. "I think Falk has all the tools to be one of the greatest Air Raid QBs...the only thing is the speed of making decisions. That will come with time, but he's calm...focused, and when the game is on the line he delivers. He's getting better and better. A lot of this is a learning process for him as he goes along, and he's doing an outstanding job."
Falk is doing an outstanding job and if he remembers to keep track of the internal clock in his head, he will end up setting career records that may not be broken. Leach will typically start his older QB's when he gets a chance so this is a rare opportunity for a Leach QB to get 3+ years on the field. Whether or not he is Heisman worthy is silly to me since he's just a sophomore and he's got a lot of room to grow yet, but we should just enjoy the guy while we can.
Falk is doing an outstanding job and if he remembers to keep track of the internal clock in his head, he will end up setting career records that may not be broken. Leach will typically start his older QB's when he gets a chance so this is a rare opportunity for a Leach QB to get 3+ years on the field. Whether or not he is Heisman worthy is silly to me since he's just a sophomore and he's got a lot of room to grow yet, but we should just enjoy the guy while we can.
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Falk is doing an outstanding job and if he remembers to keep track of the internal clock in his head, he will end up setting career records that may not be broken. Leach will typically start his older QB's when he gets a chance so this is a rare opportunity for a Leach QB to get 3+ years on the field. Whether or not he is Heisman worthy is silly to me since he's just a sophomore and he's got a lot of room to grow yet, but we should just enjoy the guy while we can.[/QUOTE]
Ummm...Flat, it wasn't about 2011. It is about experience at qb. This system is not just as simple as next man up as it was described by Tron. Leach will start a soph or junior qb next time. It won't be Bender, but they will be older and versed in the offense.
Falk is built special. It is one of those truly undefinable things. He has a rare ability to do special things in the last two minutes, and my point was without that ability you aren't just plugging another guy in at QB and coming up with the same results, thus Falk has that special gene which puts us at 6-3, and probably would be 7-2 if Falk didn't get hurt against PSU, and that is what differentiates himself from any other QB that has played here. He is one year ahead of where Gesser and Leaf were at the same age.
Ummm...Flat, it wasn't about 2011. It is about experience at qb. This system is not just as simple as next man up as it was described by Tron. Leach will start a soph or junior qb next time. It won't be Bender, but they will be older and versed in the offense.
Falk is built special. It is one of those truly undefinable things. He has a rare ability to do special things in the last two minutes, and my point was without that ability you aren't just plugging another guy in at QB and coming up with the same results, thus Falk has that special gene which puts us at 6-3, and probably would be 7-2 if Falk didn't get hurt against PSU, and that is what differentiates himself from any other QB that has played here. He is one year ahead of where Gesser and Leaf were at the same age.
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"It is about experience at qb. This system is not just as simple as next man up as it was described by Tron. Leach will start a soph or junior qb next time. It won't be Bender, but they will be older and versed in the offense."
Won't be Bender? You got a crystal ball or sumpthin?
Won't be Bender? You got a crystal ball or sumpthin?
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The system is easy to learn, but executing at a high level is unusually difficult because its predicated on both the QB and WR seeing/interpreting the defense the same. It requires great rapport between the QB and skill groups.
Technically, if a sophomore QB has talent, understands the system and has a GREAT relationship with his WR's he'll be able to "plug'n'play" just fine...
Actually, a person that shares your genes doesn't get Leach's system. Not sure about you either.
But I think we can say the theory that QBs must struggle until their junior year, if not longer, before history allows them to succeed, might be a tad, dated. I'm trying to be polite.
You have a great point. The system is supposed to be VERY easy to learn. It's based on, not only that rapport you are talking about, but execution as well. CML has been VERY open about how his system has no secrets. The opposition can know EXACTLY what play you are going to run but with the execution he wants/requires, they won't be able to stop it. So unless you "buy in" completely, the system won't work real well. My stutter step, excel in lurches but consistency won't be there with that "buy in".
Congratulations on setting aside your preconceived notions of what must occur in WSU football. Still being polite.
two words: Jameis Winston. Pretty sure he was a pretty good QB as a freshman prior to last Saturday.
What happens at any other school is completely irrelevant.
It was dated from the beginning. Your upperclassmen mantra was always wrong. Nothing changed on Saturday.
Damnit! Just when I think I've got this game figured out, the rules change.
That's fine if that's what you are getting at, but it sure sounds like you were referencing 2011 when you were talking about missing 3/4 of the season. Sorry for assuming that was what you were referencing.
Not at all double E. Bender threw into double coverage three times, should have been picked at least one more time. There is no mudding the waters. Falk accomplished something the greatest QB's failed to attain, and should be congratulated for it.
How was he going to throw multiple picks in one possession?
I'm pretty sure the counter for this is under my "P" file for Passed Him By, The Game Probably Has. Or "W", for Winning Plays, Leach's Ego Won't Let Him Make.
The Db's dropped two picks. He threw in to double coverage three times. One got picked. So let me be more exact. He threw into double coverage to receivers who weren't open. When he did that the DB should have picked it, but dropped it. Happened a second time, again a drop, Unfortunately third time was a charm. So it would have been one pick per possession. I sure hope that clarifies it for you.
The conversation may have started out WSU-specific, but the question of whether a soph could succeed had evolved into a more general sense when I proffered up JW:
So if you want to stick to your more WSU-specific narrative, then why can freshman and Sophs succeed elsewhere, but only juniors or above can have success at WSU?
Brink had Harrison behind him, good receivers, and the last fully functional offensive line WSU would field until this season. With better defense that team should've won at least 8 games. It was all downhill from there.
