Nunez, will he be the future at QB for USC? Looks like he had a solid game,

[Greenwood97]

I like how Nunez read the defense and saw that Jacob August was wide open in the endzone. Steve Spurrier and G.A. Mangus were both shocked. Most quarterbacks would have went to Cooper in coverage.

Also, did you all see the block Nunez put on that LB when Coop was running the ball for a touchdown. Nunez is a dangerous threat in our offensive package now. I'm glad South Carolina recruited him. It's going to be exciting to see him in action against Missouri.

 

[dcdayday]

It's clear that Nunez could've benefited from a red shirt year. He definitely needs to work on his throwing mechanics but considering he's just a true freshman I like what I see. From a physical stand point it's impressive that a true freshman can come in right of high school and change his physique to better deal with the rigors of college football. Nunez already looks bigger than both Mitch and Orth and those guys have been in the program for a few years now. Nunez does appear to have strong arm but I expect to see improvement from him as the season progresses. As far as him being faster than Connor Shaw I think he may be.

 

[Greenwood97]

Nuenz is 215 lb.

You are correct. He is 215 lb. Some people assume too much and really don't know these kids.

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

The kid has the size, the arm and speed. It would've been good for him to benefit from a red shirt year.

Would it? What teaches a QB more? Passing to WRs in a controlled environment with nobody covering them, or PLAYING IN REAL FB GAMES? Taking reps 5-10 times a practice with the scout team or running practice full time with the first teamers?

I am calling BS on your statement. Redshirt years are overrated and. OUTDATED. You out your best player out there and let him learn in the fire now, that is FOOTBALL TODAY. All across the country true freshmen are do I acting the game from QB to RB to WR.. Your best players learn the fastest and learn the right way by playing in real football games. We have sat around babying QBs for 2-3 years with RS seasons and practices and they turned out to be garbage. The guys who learned by PLAYING BALL have been our best QBs.

There will be growing pains, but suddenly next season we will return at least two QBs with substantial experience playing ball as our starting QB. Guys who have won games for us and understand what it takes to be successful because they played.

Nunez's performance today was proof of this- he progressed dramatically in his passing from just one HALF of play! Building on that with another week of practice, he will only get better. He learned more TODAY about what he needs to work on to be successful than an entire year of practices would have taught him.

 

[Gamecock Lifer]

His mechanics are terrible. Watch as he often brings his right foot forward when he throws. If we get behind against a good team, we will be in trouble. The coaches need to game plan around his running ability and short passing game. The long passing game is not there and we will pay dearly for forcing it.

He threw off the wrong foot a few times early, sure... But on most of his throws in the second half, that was not the case. Go back and watch- he was standing tall in the pocket, stepping up and DEALING it right into the chest of his receiver most the second half. The first throw of the third Q is a perfect example. His BEST PASS of the day- the long TD to Cooper where he lead him enough towards the middle of the field to complete the pass even though he floated it a bit- was his worst pass of the second half from a mechanics standpoint. Mechanics are OVERRATED especially in the college game. I could rattle off a list of guys who won NCs, Heismans, and got drafted in to he first round of the NFL who did not have great "mechanics". One guys recently who accomplished ALL of those things and actually won TWO NCs was Tim Tebow! He had a better team around him than Nunez does obviously, I am just making the point that mechanics are overrated until you get to the NFL and that mili-second difference turns college completions into NFL strip/ sacks.

 

[sclawman77]

Even if Nunez could benefit from a redshirt season, all that matters is that we can benefit from him playing this season.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

The fact that we can have a qb that runs for over 100, passes for almost 200, and no interceptions and yet people still complains proves that some will never be satisfied. Just a couple weeks ago people were whining about how we can never have a qb start and be good from day one like other schools. Well today we did and it's still not good enough.

Sir, you just made a point about this board that has been due for many years. And today maybe the day that everyone starts to look at things more positively. Let's hope so anyway.

 

[jonesz21]

I am positive we will learn more next week when we are not playing the worst team in div one

 

[superflyby]

If we play this kid within his abilities we will have a good, not great QB. That would work with a great defense but not with the defense we have. He can do the run option...short passes...and QB draws and that would work as long as we don't fall behind and have to play catch up. Shaw had the benefit of having good to great defenses. He could manage the game with his style because it was a part of an overall team talent and effort. This team does not have that combination.....as of yet, and may not get it. Nunez is a bigger Shaw, with Shaw ability, without the Shaw defense to bail him out....that's my take.

 

[FORKCOCK]

If McIlwain comes, he'll be our #1 QB.

 

[Gamecawks]

LOL, now that's funny, don't care what anyone says

How exactly? He's a true freshman, he's got size AND speed (connor had one of those), and he made some really great throws yesterday.

You're expecting too much from the first game of a true freshman

 

[Pruittmatt44]

I am willing to bet when Conner Mitch comes back and is healthy he will be out starting qb again. Nunez had a good second half yesterday against a poor UCF team but that could be the confidence booster for him to say "hey I can do this!" So with saying that, this is a rebuilding year so I'm going to sit back and let them go play with out a lot of expectations. I am ready for Brandon Mcilwain to come in. Idk where that puts the other 4 QBs on this roster.

 

[DarkCock]

How exactly? He's a true freshman, he's got size AND speed (connor had one of those), and he made some really great throws yesterday.

You're expecting too much from the first game of a true freshman

Fans are thinking about Connor from the perspective of all that he accomplished. But I remember when, as a true freshman, he was nearly decapitated by an Arkansas defensive back. I recall a certain poster on this forum who called CS a midget (you know who you are). Former USC assistant coach Barry Sanderson tweeted that CS was a "southern conference quarterback" (quite a few Gamecock fans agreed). Personally, I thought he was too small to be any other than a game manager type quarterback. Man, did CS ever proof all the doubters wrong. I can't think of an another college football player who came closer to reaching his full potential.

So to say Nunez has more upside, is only to say that Nunez appears to have more potential than CS at the same point in their development. He looks like he could be a good to very good SEC quarterback, which I never thought possible of CS when I saw him play his first year. It's up to Nunez and the coaching staff now to realize that potential.

 

[Fbarn2001]

Entirely too early to say one way or another. He played relatively well, but let's not annoint him anything just yet. I expect to continue to see what is already evident: a young QB who is quick to show off his running skills, but who is not totally confident and in command in planned passing situations. Let's talk after the non-stop 6 game SEC gauntlet that begins at Missouri Saturday. I hope he does well, but running against violent-hitting top shelf SEC defenders seems a bit of a higher injury risk to me. He's experienced nothing like what is coming. I will be surprised -- pleasantly -- if he has some medium level of success without an injury that sidelines him for a game or more. Here's wishing him well, and that he can grow as a passing threat quickly.

 

[snucock63]

i heard he had the most rushing yrds of any usc quarterback since the early 70"s i believe....im sure someone on here knows the date and the name of the quarterback

Sunshine Ron Bass, 1974?

 

[usaguy40]

Sunshine Ron Bass, 1974?

yes, i believe you are correct....what a great name

 

[basses]

Nunez played well but the way our line blocks, he better run and get down. He won't be able to take hard hits the entire year, especially against some of the physical teams we have coming up. But he can not be any help to our pitiful defense. Don't think anything will get fixed with it. We have a long year coming

 

[CoachT13]

He's a true freshman starting his first game. For "terrible mechanics" he has more upside than any other qb on the roster. Like the zip he puts on the short passes. That throw to Cooper into double coverage (though very dangerous) was a beautiful pass. I don't want to dog other players but Connor Mitch has been in the system for 3 years and I haven't seen him make that throw in a game.

Oh I do think we have to go with Nunez this season, but he needs a ton of work. Those saying how great his arm is, let me know what you think when we play some good teams. He can be successful with his run game and a few short passes, but the long ball is not there.

 

[CoachT13]

He threw off the wrong foot a few times early, sure... But on most of his throws in the second half, that was not the case. Go back and watch- he was standing tall in the pocket, stepping up and DEALING it right into the chest of his receiver most the second half. The first throw of the third Q is a perfect example. His BEST PASS of the day- the long TD to Cooper where he lead him enough towards the middle of the field to complete the pass even though he floated it a bit- was his worst pass of the second half from a mechanics standpoint. Mechanics are OVERRATED especially in the college game. I could rattle off a list of guys who won NCs, Heismans, and got drafted in to he first round of the NFL who did not have great "mechanics". One guys recently who accomplished ALL of those things and actually won TWO NCs was Tim Tebow! He had a better team around him than Nunez does obviously, I am just making the point that mechanics are overrated until you get to the NFL and that mili-second difference turns college completions into NFL strip/ sacks.

Mechanics are NEVER overrated. The followthrough and stepping with the correct foot affect both velocity and accuracy.

 

[gamecockblack]

The final score and box score are fairly misleading. He was 12/22 with 180 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. However, there were many underthrows and at least 2 easy INTs that UCF mysteriously dropped. One was on the first play of the game.

I did like his ability to pick up 1st downs with his legs. Other than that, I'm not sold on anything.

There were throws that were right on the money. He would have had a better percentage throwing if the coaches weren't trying to have him throw deep so much in the 1st half. They were asking him to do too much early on. You may not be sold on Nunez but he's a hell of a lot better than Orth.

 

[chucktowncock]

as impressive in his first start as anyone in recent memory

tough kid

 

[yeasos]

He has potential to be very good if not great if he keeps on improving and gains more confidence, IMO. For a kid just out of high school, I thought he did fantastic.

 

[achilles#]

as impressive in his first start as anyone in recent memory

tough kid

I agree. But most freshman qb's have some wacky throws and interceptions in them. And our passing system gets them from seniors.

A lot of that can be minimized with playcalling. But I think Spurrier will get into one of his passing frenzies and just have to chuck it all over the field.

Despite Nunez's throws, we won that game on his legs, not his arm. Which is the way a lot of teams win games. I'm just worried someone is going to pound a square peg into a round hole. Whatever Nunez becomes passing the ball, this isn't the season to have him throw the ball 30 times a game.

 

[FORKCOCK]

Yeah you on coke

Say what?

 

[bosoxcock]

BM will not be starting... It won't be another True freshman starting. Are you high it something... nunez time is bow. Give BM two years and then ge will get it. But Nunez will start for the next 3 years or transfer. Babk on that.
QUOTE="FORKCOCK, post: 839267, member: 8102"]Say what?

[/QUOTE]


Mr. Forkcock IS right and YOU are wrong. BANK THAT as you would say

 

[mbsurfside]

Nunez was impressive and it makes sense to go with him. It was his first game and he is a true freshman who wasn't here until summer. Very impressive if you ask me

 

[gamecockblack]

Mr. Forkcock IS right and YOU are wrong. BANK THAT as you would say

Dude please. Do not be surprised in what happens with Nunez. If anyone thinks Mitch needs to be our starter, you are dumber than Spurrier. Thats a fact. Spurrier will have to make Mitch sit, and of course he doesnt want to, but he will have no choice. And BM isnt going to start a game for us til at 2017. That is something you can bank on. You tell me how many True SEC freshman have did what Nunez did?[/QUOTE]
I agree with this guy. Nunez has been a pleasant surprise & I seriously doubt he loses the starting job. To say that BM will come in & start as a true freshman when he's yet to take a college snap is kinda dumb. We didn't know Nunez would be the gamer that he is & to assume that Mcllwain will come in & be better is ludicrous. Mitch threw for over 12,000 yards in HS & has been in Spurrier's system for two years but the guy is not the dynamic QB that Nunez is. Mcllwain is a good QB by what he's accomplishing in HS right now but until he plays well in a collegiate game, its not smart to say or think he's better than Nunez. That's my take on it

 

[Gamecawks]

Fans are thinking about Connor from the perspective of all that he accomplished. But I remember when, as a true freshman, he was nearly decapitated by an Arkansas defensive back. I recall a certain poster on this forum who called CS a midget (you know who you are). Former USC assistant coach Barry Sanderson tweeted that CS was a "southern conference quarterback" (quite a few Gamecock fans agreed). Personally, I thought he was too small to be any other than a game manager type quarterback. Man, did CS ever proof all the doubters wrong. I can't think of an another college football player who came closer to reaching his full potential.

So to say Nunez has more upside, is only to say that Nunez appears to have more potential than CS at the same point in their development. He looks like he could be a good to very good SEC quarterback, which I never thought possible of CS when I saw him play his first year. It's up to Nunez and the coaching staff now to realize that potential.

Yes, that's what having more upside means exactly. No need for the History of Connor Shaw Criticism 101