GT: Bucky at Northwestern

[Ron Swanson]

Stave starting vs Illinois. 5 games too late. Way to go Gary. Wasted the season with a guy who can't complete the "layups." This team should be 5-0. Sad.

Yeah, like that "layup" he rifled right into the Northwestern defender's arms in the endzone on 1st down? I also don't see how he would've converted any of those passes against LSU considering our WR's couldn't even get separation from a D-III secondary if they tried. The odds are incredibly likely that we're still 3-2 with Stave starting.

The Stave nonsense is ridiculous hindsight and needs to stop. His issues aren't "mental", he's just an untalented QB that makes terrible decisions. It's like Jay Cutler with Bears fans, and after 4 years of his mediocre to awful play, at some point you have to just realize that he sucks and you aren't going anywhere with him as your starting QB.

It's not Andersen's fault for starting McEvoy, it's Andersen's fault for not coming up with an adequate game plan built around McEvoy's strengths. More read-option with McEvoy starting and we might be 4-1, but I'm not confident enough to say we'd be any better than that.

[JimmyTheKid]

Stave starting vs Illinois. 5 games too late. Way to go Gary. Wasted the season with a guy who can't complete the "layups." This team should be 5-0. Sad.

Yeah, like that "layup" he rifled right into the Northwestern defender's arms in the endzone on 1st down? I also don't see how he would've converted any of those passes against LSU considering our WR's couldn't even get separation from a D-III secondary if they tried. The odds are incredibly likely that we're still 3-2 with Stave starting.

The Stave nonsense is ridiculous hindsight and needs to stop. His issues aren't "mental", he's just an untalented QB that makes terrible decisions. It's like Jay Cutler with Bears fans, and after 4 years of his mediocre to awful play, at some point you have to just realize that he sucks and you aren't going anywhere with him as your starting QB.

It's not Andersen's fault for starting McEvoy, it's Andersen's fault for not coming up with an adequate game plan built around McEvoy's strengths. More read-option with McEvoy starting and we might be 4-1, but I'm not confident enough to say we'd be any better than that.

Not exactly ideal to get your first action of the season after the half, on the road, in the Big Ten. And its only "hindsight" because I'd never watched Tanner McEvoy play quarterback before this year. But the coaches have. Which makes this all the more depressing. And I highly doubt McEvoy was making all the throws in practice, including the layups, only to forget how to make the same throws during the game.

Yeah, Stave had a terrible game (half) vs Northwestern. But he had enough good games last year to be the obvious choice going in to this season. And yes, we can also blame Anderson for not building a game plan to fit McEvoy's strengths. Also inexcusable if you make the decision to go with your dual threat guy at QB.

[midranger]

I'm no Stave fan, but he was thrown to the wolves in that game. He was 3rd on the depth chart 8 days before the game, likely had very limited reps, we were two scores down, on the road, in the wind and rain, in NW's Superbowl. Bad spot to walk into.

That doesn't excuse the terrible INT and consistent lack of pocket presence that we've seen out of Stave in years past. But given the situation, he moved the ball MUCH better than McEvoy who I wouldn't trust to QB a Pop Warner team.

EDIT: It should be noted that Stave's Badgers won the half he played in 14-10 despite the 3 INTs. Andersen et al really suck.

With better talent, Stave has proven to be a barely adequate Big Ten QB. With this talent, McEvoy has proven to be historically terrible. I'm willing to see what Stave does with these guys.