Imagine how the young man felt after being thrust into the starting job . . . in a bowl game . . . after being buried on the scout team all year. Yet, from the first snap, he seemed calm and cool. He delivered several passes on target despite being clobbered just as he threw, including one excellent screen play. He just missed on a couple of downfield tosses, including the 4th quarter bomb that was inches beyond Lachey's fingertips. I love Lachey, but he HAS to make a better attemp on that ball. It would have been a great catch, but it was reachable, and he didn't leave his feet. That was disappointing.
Joe also showed, on the minimal opportunities he had, that he is quick and fast and can hurt defenses with his feet. As we saw in almost every other teams' games all season, that is a crucial quality in any decent offense. QBs extending plays, turning losses into gains--those things make a huge difference.
And even though the coaches had a straightjacket and handcuffs on Joe most of the game, as always, he made the most of his opportunity. He'll make an outstanding backup behind McNamara, and I hope the coaches will find opportunities early next season to get Joe meaningful snaps and keep him sharp. The team needs that, and Joe has earned it . . . Labas looked like the best QB on the roster, you know, the one who would have given Iowa the best chance to win all season. Yet he was written off by the coaching staff and never given an opportunity until there was no other choice. But that's all just IMHO, of course.
Joe also showed, on the minimal opportunities he had, that he is quick and fast and can hurt defenses with his feet. As we saw in almost every other teams' games all season, that is a crucial quality in any decent offense. QBs extending plays, turning losses into gains--those things make a huge difference.
And even though the coaches had a straightjacket and handcuffs on Joe most of the game, as always, he made the most of his opportunity. He'll make an outstanding backup behind McNamara, and I hope the coaches will find opportunities early next season to get Joe meaningful snaps and keep him sharp. The team needs that, and Joe has earned it . . . Labas looked like the best QB on the roster, you know, the one who would have given Iowa the best chance to win all season. Yet he was written off by the coaching staff and never given an opportunity until there was no other choice. But that's all just IMHO, of course.
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