Metz to start against La Tech
- Thread starter Minerforlife
- Start date
Why not Simpson? We have seen Metz, what is wrong with giving Simpson at least 1-2 starts before he transfers out?
This makes no sense whatsoever. Kugler recently said Leftwich was his starter and Simpson was the second string QB. Metz needs another year under his belt to gain some confidence. You should not play him against the best team in the league. Simpson has been punished enough. Give your team a shot at competing with La tech.
He is not going to let anyone say I told you so about Simpson. That attitude is killing the program.
I dont think there is any conspiracy. Simpson has had maturity and attitude problems from the beggining. I dont think hes not getting playing time because he's a Price recruit. I think there are only three price recruits left Golden, Roberts Harris and Simpson. Kugler made Golden and Roberts Harris captains so i dont think there is any bias. I think Simpson's attitude is what has derailed his UTEP career.
Even if someone's attitude is twisted, at some point you've got to find a middle ground where you can co-exist to get the job done. Simply shelving someone because of a perceived attitude doesn't help anyone. It would be interesting to sit down with him and find out why he has an attitude and work through that for the common good. Frankly, we know why he had an attitude this past season. Simpson's transfer at the end of the season is about the surest bet you're going to get.
MFL - great post. What is bad is that I was looking at CBSSports draft board and there were four players from UTEP that were "draftable". Golden and Roberts-Harris were two of them. Long snapper was one and forget the other one. Price may have not been a great coach but was a hell of a recruiter. If Simpson has issues let him transfer and use the scholarship for a player you will use. Probably too late to use him this year if he has a redshirt left, but if he doesn't put him out there and "kick the tires".
Give up on Simpson People, isn't it obvious he will never play QB here, Kugler has made that point. He's on his way out at the end of the year, why now all the sudden would you think he's gonna play one game then leave in 2 months get real!
He burned Powell's redshirt because he's walk on. They have a couple of scholarship backs they are high on. Im guessing they didnt want to burn the redshirt of a scholarship player.
Kugler has face to lose if he play's Simpson and he looks good. Have to save face , c'mon.
That decision is very baffling. I dont understand the rationale behind it at all.
Indeed. Perhaps the only thing more baffling than pulling the kid's redshirt is pulling the kid's redshirt and then not playing him.
One of my many criticisms of this program is the apparent lack of a strategic vision and plan. Long term planning for Kugler looks like Louisiana Tech. Think about it. Three years on the job and this program has neither recruited a big-time QB prospect nor signed a JC prospect. Worse yet, there's nobody in the pipeline being developed. Then you burn a prospect's shirt and don't even play him? That makes about as much sense as pulling another QB's redshirt 8 games into his freshman season.
Johnson was going to play this year he was never a redshirt, he played 3 series in the Arkansas game. Kugler hasn't burned any redshirts of scholarship players. TJ is a walk-on who was "redshirted", he's needed, he plays, simple. Metz is going to have to step up and hope we can find an offense somewhere because if we can't score a little to keep our D off the field we are in for long night. The La Tech coach is not a nice guy he will let his team put up 70 if he can and will not take his foot off the gas.
Sorry, I'm an outsider, but I do not understand your post. Are you saying Kavika Johnson is a walk-on? Also, a player has five years to play four seasons. One play = one year of used eligibility (save for a medical redshirt), so Johnson has three years of remaining eligibility. Technically, he could redshirt at any year thereafter, but that is highly unusual and would make no sense. You redshirt a freshman, especially a QB, to groom, develop, mature, grow, learn the system, etc. Plus, I seriously doubt Kugler is on a three year plan going forward...
And yeah, good luck against Holtz this weekend. He's like the former coach at Tulsa, he'll run it up just for the sport of it. Plus, they're good. Real good.
UTEP doesnt attract blue chip qbs. Just looking back at recent history our most successful qbs, vittatoe and palmer, werent highly recruited. Palmer only had an offer from UTEP, CAL came in late but wanted him to gray shirt. We were Vittatoe's only FBS offer. In high school he ran the the triple option at Euless Trinity.
Juco's are a complete crapshoot. You have no clue what you're getting. Mike Price at the end of his tenure tried the juco route. He brought in Nick Lamison and that blew up in his face. Lamison was easily the worst qb at UTEP in the last fifteen years. Giving a juco the keys to the car was one of the things that cost Price his job.
Kugler actually has brought in pretty highly touted qbs. His first recruit was Showers who a highly sought after transfer. He had interest from Arizona State and Baylor. In the end it came down to Houston and UTEP and we won out. The same year he gray shirted Metz who became part of the program in 2014. Last year he recruited Kavika, who was a big get. He had eight FBS offers. I think Kavika is the future, but not redshirting him was a mistake. Metz has the tools, but I dont know if he can mentally handle it, he is extremely fragile. I think everything worked out well, because if Metz goes into the tank again then he can just be moved to reciever full time in the spring. Leftwich has defied everyones expectations and become a dependable reliable qb. He's our most productive qb since Vittatoe. The thing is he is injury prone so either Metz or Johnson needs to step up and take the reigns. In a perfect world Kugler wants a dual threat qb under center. Kavika will be given every chance to take the job in the spring. We still need some depth at qb next year look for a graduate transfer.
I'm really hoping Kavika takes the reigns, and puts this program on his back. What I am deeply concerned with is the lack of quality WRs. Idk what the heck Kugler is thinking. I know it's hard to recruit stud WRs with Kugler-ball, but UTEP needs at least 1 guy on the team that knows how to wrap his hands around a football.
Kavika Johnson was going to play this year as a true freshman. And was mentioned as one of the freshman Kugler thought could play right away. He is on scholarship, TJ Powell is not.
He did not have his redshirt pulled because he was part of the plan for Arkansas (1st game) Powell was a redshirt up until last game, when he played a down. My post was in reference to "Then you burn a prospect's shirt and don't even play him? That makes about as much sense as pulling another QB's redshirt 8 games into his freshman season". Powell was a redshirt but a walk-on. Who's prospect shirt was burned? TJ or Kavika? Kugler made it pretty clear Kavika was going to play this year in training camp and for a true freshman he played quite a lot.
How many kids does that make now that have left the team? I've lost count.
I also think that was the kicker that got him to sign....he would play right away and play quarterback.
My earlier reference was to Kavika Johnson. And while obviously a bit of an overstatement on my part - he has played but with less than 300 yards in total offense for the year - he has been essentially a non-factor this season. Point remains, in three years, this staff has neither recruited nor developed a legit, dual threat QB. Johnson looks athletic and he may have killed it in high school, but he still looks like a major project at QB. Show me a good team in C-USA or ANY conference and you'll see a talented, typically dual threat, QB. You'll see one next Saturday.
I did an unofficial head count and got eight. lol. doesn't matter, more than two is a question mark.
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