Why did Key play late?

Bulldog from Birth

All-Conference
Jan 23, 2007
2,562
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I would’ve thought we would’ve at least give a shot this year at using him in 4 or less games to get the extra year. Kind of disappointing.
 

HamSammich

Freshman
Nov 9, 2016
910
63
28
Because our head coach has already publicly stated that they will not redshirt him this year
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
61,270
32,959
113
Key ain’t redshirting. That was never going to happen. You don’t redshirt your #2 QB.
 

karlchilders.sixpack

All-American
Jun 5, 2008
21,355
5,066
113
Would you expect Nick to take every offensive snap

for the rest of the season?

Not going to happen...Key is needed now.
 

Bulldog from Birth

All-Conference
Jan 23, 2007
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Seems stupid to me with the new rule of being able to play in 4 games. I agree that you play him if you need him. But I’d at least see how it works out. If you need him to win games, you play him. But I’d roll the dice and not burn a game played for 90 seconds of handing the ball off in garbage time. Maybe you get to the end and it works out.
 

HamSammich

Freshman
Nov 9, 2016
910
63
28
Another thing, with it looking like Moorhead will be using the QB run you always wanna have that backup QB ready to go in
 

Dawg1976

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
8,484
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I would like to see KT get one meaningful series a game. Needs the experience for the long haul.
 

Bulldog from Birth

All-Conference
Jan 23, 2007
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No. I don’t expect to not play Key. But I think there’s a chance Key is needed in only 4 or less games.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
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36
Key ain’t redshirting. That was never going to happen. You don’t redshirt your #2 QB.

With the new rules, you can at least try. Practice reps can be the same as if he wasn’t redshirting...you just don’t play him unless you have to. It’s silly to limit your options when a whole potential year of meaningful eligibility is at stake. No need to put him out there today.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
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for the rest of the season?

Not going to happen...Key is needed now.

Dumb take. You need to brush up on the new redshirt rules. Going into today, we had 6 whole games out of 11 remaining where we can play Key or Mayden and not lose eligibilty for either one. 3 for Key and 3 for Mayden, since both played against SFA. You save the required appearances for those players for when they HAVE to go in, like if Fitz gets his bell rung, loses his helmet, or heaven forbid misses a game due to injury. Do that, and you are likely to get an extra year for Key. Today, we could have kept Fitz out to kneel it or hand off, but we burned a game for Key needlessly to do the same thing. It doesn’t make sense.
 
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Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
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Another thing, with it looking like Moorhead will be using the QB run you always wanna have that backup QB ready to go in

He can be ready to go in without actually going in. That logic makes no sense. He played practically the entire game just last week.
 

HuskyBDawg

Sophomore
Nov 26, 2017
297
102
43
You guys do know that JoMo will be recruiting more quarterbacks in the future, right?
 
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Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
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You guys do know that JoMo will be recruiting more quarterbacks in the future, right?

Yes, what is your point? We shouldn’t worry about wasting a year of eligibilty of the most highly touted QB we have ever signed because we MIGHT sign one just as good 2 years from now?
 

Dawgtini

Redshirt
Aug 13, 2007
953
8
18
Signed one just This past year. And have one committed, and another about ready to commit. Relax Francis.
 

Bulldog from Birth

All-Conference
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Go Budaw gets it. I think it’s dumb to assume we will have a better or equal QB on campus than Key as a 5th year senior. Maybe we will. If so, great. But it’s ridiculous to say that it’s a near certainty.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
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Need Key available in every game this season for Fitz's helmet coming off.

Yep. And if Fitz’s helmet came off 7 times in 7 different games, all on plays that didn’t leave us with a 4th down, then we could say well, we tried to redshirt KT but it just didn’t work out. It still makes way more sense to give it a shot.
 

PineGroveBully

Redshirt
Nov 13, 2007
8,508
2
0
He's just as available either way. It's not like you have to announce prior to the game that KT will not be active today. I don't see how some of you aren't getting this. On second thought maybe I do.
 

Bulldog from Birth

All-Conference
Jan 23, 2007
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Exactly. Nobody here is saying Key should 100% redshirt. We certainly had to play him last week. The situations we face in the year may dictate Key has to play in 5 or more games. And if so, then so be it. This has the chance to be a special year. It’s all hands on deck. But we ought to at least give it the best possible chance to work out to redshirt him.
 

HuskyBDawg

Sophomore
Nov 26, 2017
297
102
43
Yes, what is your point? We shouldn’t worry about wasting a year of eligibilty of the most highly touted QB we have ever signed because we MIGHT sign one just as good 2 years from now?

My point is that we shouldn't waste opportunities to give him valuable in-game experience. We need a game-ready quarterback going into next year, and playing time for Keytaon Thompson this year will pay off sooner rather than later. Does he even want to sit out eight games this season?

I believe that Coach Moorhead's offensive gameplan will attract talented, competitive players who want to showcase their skills in the SEC. You're right, that's in the future, but we have Key for two more years, so worrying about an extra year of eligibility is taking us out three years.

I'm not suggesting that our team should be foolish with planning, but confident people don't stutter-step in their decisions.
 

HuskyBDawg

Sophomore
Nov 26, 2017
297
102
43
Fact: Handing the ball off 4 times today did nothing to further develop Key.


Probably not, but he did get to take snaps in his first away game against a P5 opponent. We don't know what kind of coaching he gets or the mental preparation he undertakes when he is likely to play versus a likelihood of not playing at all.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
My point is that we shouldn't waste opportunities to give him valuable in-game experience. We need a game-ready quarterback going into next year, and playing time for Keytaon Thompson this year will pay off sooner rather than later. Does he even want to sit out eight games this season?

I believe that Coach Moorhead's offensive gameplan will attract talented, competitive players who want to showcase their skills in the SEC. You're right, that's in the future, but we have Key for two more years, so worrying about an extra year of eligibility is taking us out three years.

I'm not suggesting that our team should be foolish with planning, but confident people don't stutter-step in their decisions.

Good grief. There is nothing “valuable” about the in-game experience of going out there and handing the ball off a couple of times to run out the clock. Especially when you compare it to the in-game experience he already has. You know, like that time he started and played the entire Gator Bowl and outdueled a Heisman Trophy winner and 1st Round draft pick. Remember that?

It’s silly to think it’s anything other than foolish planning to not at least try to go for the redshirt year. And I don’t give a damn what you say about confident people’s decision making. There are a hell of a lot of people that are confidently stupid. SMART decision makers gather as much data as possible before being forced to make a decision. We clearly aren’t doing that if we decided before the season even started to not RS, when that decision doesn’t even have to be made until Game 5 at an absolute minimum.
 

HuskyBDawg

Sophomore
Nov 26, 2017
297
102
43
Good grief. There is nothing “valuable” about the in-game experience of going out there and handing the ball off a couple of times to run out the clock. Especially when you compare it to the in-game experience he already has. You know, like that time he started and played the entire Gator Bowl and outdueled a Heisman Trophy winner and 1st Round draft pick. Remember that?

It’s silly to think it’s anything other than foolish planning to not at least try to go for the redshirt year. And I don’t give a damn what you say about confident people’s decision making. There are a hell of a lot of people that are confidently stupid. SMART decision makers gather as much data as possible before being forced to make a decision. We clearly aren’t doing that if we decided before the season even started to not RS, when that decision doesn’t even have to be made until Game 5 at an absolute minimum.


I do remember the Gator Bowl and the Egg Bowl and understand your rationale for wanting to reserve the possibility of a redshirt for Keytaon Thompson so that he may be available for 2021. It may be that Key doesn't want to stay around for a fifth year or that he doesn't want to take a break from participating on the field and growing his skillset this season. He may not have played much today, but there are a lot of games left. Being able to continue his onfield momentum may be important to him and the coaching staff.

Joe Moorhead impresses me as being a confident coach, and confident people do make straightforward decisions and stick with them. As you pointed out, confident people also make mistakes. I believe that our coach is very strategic in his planning and thinking.
 
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Puppychow

Freshman
Nov 5, 2014
387
94
28
This thread is head scratching. How can you argue against TRYING to redshirt a good player - if you can and it won’t hurt the team? Why would you not try? It’s a very valid point.
 

HuskyBDawg

Sophomore
Nov 26, 2017
297
102
43
What's in it for Keytaon to sit out eight games during his sophomore year? Athletes want a chance to play now. Part of UMiss's semi-success in recruiting (aside from the impermissible enticements) was in promising playing time. Our previous coach did build a program on redshirting freshmen while building their skills, but we are shifting into a new era in MSU football.

A player who is good enough to lead an SEC West football team at quarterback is likely to believe that he has a shot at the NFL and doesn't want to be in school for a fifth year. How many of us would have wanted to audit a year of classes in our sophomore year, with a plan to spend a fifth year at MSU?
 

PineGroveBully

Redshirt
Nov 13, 2007
8,508
2
0
Bc him playing garbage time will do nothing to improve his NFL stock. If he's good enough to go then he could still bolt after a redshirt sophomore season. But if he isn't good enough then it gives him an extra year to get good enough. And if Fitz was to get hurt he still right there to jump in.

Christ almighty it's like I'm sitting here playing cards with my brothers kids or something.
 

tbaydog

All-American
Feb 25, 2008
3,040
5,754
113
My thoughts, Key get in with 2 minutes to go in game. Why don't we run our 2 minute offense for him to gain valuable game time management experience.......
 

PineGroveBully

Redshirt
Nov 13, 2007
8,508
2
0
If I was going to play him at that's exactly what I'd do. Get some value out of his appearance.
 
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Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
Redshirting him doesn’t make him stay 5 years. It just gives him the option. If he’s good enough to go to the NFL after a RS Jr year, then by all means he should. But if he’s not quite that good, just like 99.9% of college QB’s aren’t, he can develop further in a 5th year and get another year on film for scouts. This whole thread is about keeping options open. There’s no reason not to do that. Playing mop up duty in 6 or 7 games vs. 3 or 4 is extremely negligible in terms of overall development and experience, and the upside of an extra year is a huge perk both for KT and for MSU.
 
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