Lol! I like the fact that there was an actual completion… It seems like Luton and Hodgins have a better connection… when it’s neck and neck can’t blame them for choosing that… I know you don’t like him but for once can you admit that it makes sense and it’s not some grand conspiracy?
Where is the evidence he is worse? Gebbia has lost the whole battle twice. I think that says something. Sorta like when Yeskie gets passed over for a head coaching position multiple times. Maybe they figure they can always move on to Gebbia if Luton struggles but not the other way around as easily.
Exactly… too me it sounds like a very close competition… nothing like McM vs Seth where it was clear who was superior…i don’t see a downside with this decision
Where is the evidence he is worse? Gebbia has lost the whole battle twice.
McM lost the starting battle 3 times, I think. Means nothing as to who is better. A lot of politics and other factors involved and it’s not just about who is better, unfortunately.
Gebbia’s film is great. He’s the better QB…just needs a shot. He’ll get it at some point this year and prove himself.
Gebbia was beaten out at Neb by a hand picked recruit of the new head coach with a skill set more closely aligned with his offense. The one year sample looks to say that Frost made the right call.
Martinez is game changer because of his running ability, so no shame to Gebbia.
It is critical to show progress and win this year so Smith is going with the guy with the experience.
It’s a logical pick, but hopefully they plan on getting Gebbia snaps, because with Luton’s injury history, he will see the field at some point.
My biggest issue with Luton in the past has been the sacks for major losses(maybe not entirely his fault but at least chuck the ball away) and he telegraphs his handoffs to the running back so the defense can read run plays and get in the backfield quicker, and we almost never turn that into a play action pass. Our running backs had more success with Blount than Luton. I havent seen Gebbia enough to know if he is any better in that regard.
Also, unrelated, but bummer that Bradford and Moore are out for OKState. We’re already down 3 starters for game 1 with a full week to go.
There was a series last year ( I can’t remember which game), where between penalties and sacks created a third and 55 situation!! That has to be some kind of record. Yes, the sacks and penalties, need to be addressed.
Big mistake going with Luton. We have a kid who could be here three years and eventually take us somewhere. Now, we might win a few games (not enough for a bowl), and the quarterback is gone after the civil war game. We waste a year of potential growth and experience for what could be a very good quarterback. The scramble touchdown run he made last weekend at the scrimmage is way beyond what Luton could have done. Bad couching decision.
I think JS and his staff have a better idea of the talent on this team than some hack posting comments on a blog. Gebbia has essentially ZERO experience as a starting QB and you think he should get the nod over a QB that has 12+ games plus of experience. Gebbia will get his shot but Luton has the skill set and his QB efficiency rating last season was I think 5th in the conference while Herbert’s was 7th. The Beavers will be just fine with Luton if the O-line does their job. The kid has a really live arm and some great receivers to throw to. Gebbia hasn’t proven anything yet except in practice while Luton has shown he can get it done in games despite being a QB on a horrible team, i.e. last season beavers led the league in sacks allowed. I don’t who the QB is…if you can’t protect him in the pocket, the QB won’t be successful.
Agree Gebbia is much more mobile and also has better technique as a passer. Way more upside. Luton probably knows the system better and has chemistry with Hodgins. Those are the upsides with him but there are a lot more downsides. It sounds like the competition was close, and if that’s so, go with Gebbia. My guess is we see him by game 3 and he winds up being way better than Luton. OkState has bad corners per the reports so Luton might look good for a few weeks.
Every player will eventually mean revert into what they are. I’m glad Luton got the 6th year. He’d make a good backup and gives depth. As a starter? Limited upside.
Noticed in the recent photos of Beavers WBB trip to Italy that Andrea Aquino didn’t make the trip. I’ve heard from a very reliable source, former asst. coach to Rueck at George Fox, that Andrea will not play this season. That’s a tough break for Andrea as I’d sure love to see her on the floor. Hopefully, he medical situation changes and she is cleared to play next year. Despite that, the Beavs WBB still has lots of talent in 2019-20.
Ron Callan was on a podcast a little over a week ago with Kerry Eggers; he discussed the Pan-Am games and the playing of several Beavs WBB there. He noted that Andrea Aquino would have played for Peru(?) CORRECTION Paraguay IF she was medically cleared. His bet is that she’ll not play this year.
Not surprised she’d still be included in the trip to Italy. She seems to stay engaged and has that contagious enthusiasm which adds to the team chemistry. Rueck sells FAMILY
I look at Gebbia as a Drew Brees / Aaron Rodgers type. Crazy arm talent + mobility. When they finally realize this aming coaches watch out p-12 and national contenders like Alabama!
Drew Brees isn’t mobile, but I think the Rodgers thing is accurate. Gebbie has some mobility, moxie, and terrific arm + mechanics.
Luton said he wasn’t surprised to hear he was the starter. That to me says they told him going in and there wasn’t a real competition. Not sure you can say Luton beat him out when there only the illusion of an open competition. Pretty disappointing from Smith.
That’s call confidence in your own abilities. Weather its is warranted is another matter. No one told him he was starting before the competition started, name another example of where that’s happened under Smith.
Poll up with a reality check on Luton’s career W/L and passing Stats. Just like people fell for Seth’s hurdle, they’re falling for Luton’s “rocket arm”. Proof is in the pudding.
Luton is on of the most frustrating QBs I’ve ever seen. On paper you’d think he’d be an elite talent, but he’s got some stubborn issues that have really plagued his career.
His high-school film is ok. He made a lot of plays, but suffered from very poor natural throwing mechanics. At times it looks almost like his upper-body and lower-body are running at different speeds. His high school film in particular shows his tendency to throw with all upper-body strength and rotational energy. He looks like a slightly side-armed pitcher throwing sliders on the corner all day. He was able to get away with that in high school, but I think that’s why most D1 schools didn’t give him much of a look. His poor mechanical ability and lack of strength in his core and lower-body is very obvious to the trained eye. It’s not that he’s a bad player or that he didn’t make plays, just that he did so despite having very poor mechanics.
There’s a reason most athletes taller than 6’5 specialize in Basketball. Football is a game of leverage and it’s played very low to the ground, not “above the rim”. It’s very difficult for such tall bodies to be efficient with their lateral kinetic energy at the hips. Jake suffers from this A LOT.
His JC film is sort-of better. It’s clear in his time at Idaho/Ventura that he received coaching that was intended to help him develop proper mechanics. The problem is that it’s so hard to retrain your body/mind to rid old habits and you can tell this slowed him way down mentally.
The vast majority of his JC film shows him making mostly accurate throws with decent mechanics to wide open receivers while under no pressure, or using his athletic ability to scramble after the play breaks down and reverting back to his poor arm-only mechanics. He made a lot of throws that sailed or hung in the air, but he didn’t pay for it at the JC level. Overall he looks much more comfortable throwing on the run then he does in the pocket, and still tends to throw with all upper body rotation off his back foot, although you can tell he was trying to slow down and sync things up.
It makes sense that GA was the only coach to bite and give him a Power 5 offer based on his JC stats. Literally no one else did, and I think that says a lot about what they were seeing in the details on his film.
He showed up in Corvallis as a massive 6’7 work-in-progress but was thrust into not just the starting role but with the expectation that he’d be the elite playmaker/game changer that GA was looking for. The decision to start him over a proven McM coming off two great Pac-12 performances to finish the prior season has got to be one of the dumbest personnel moves I have ever witnessed, and ultimately very damaging to Luton’s career.
That first year he looked like a deer-in-headlights just trying to keep up with the speed of the Power 5 game. That’s almost impossible to do when you’re trying to stay within yourself and develop new mechanics. But I put that on the coaches for having him out there in the first place. As a result, he played in slow-motion in 2017 and it was just a matter of time before he got seriously injured.
It looked much the same to start last season. It looked like he was trying to manage and process so much in his body/mind at once that the speed of the game was 100 mph ahead of him. The pocket presence and ability to feel pressure was abysmal. Deep balls sailed, intermediate throws were uncatchable lasers on back shoulders, and on routine short routs it looked like he would stand straight up and do this weird sidearm noodle motion.
Look at that photo from Nevada last year. The good is that he’s at least trying to step into the throw with his lower body. The bad is that he’s so torqued up and trying to use so much upper body strength that he pulls his whole body and throwing motion off-axis. Look how much tension he’s holding in his left hand. That’s because his upper-torso is doing so much work trying to throw hard that he’s rotating like he’s doing a mid-air spin like a figure skater. This causes his whole leading shoulder to drop and his upper-torso tilts wildly as it rotates.
Here’s a good look at this kinda motion from the other side, although this is from 2018 and is improved (but still not great). Notice how far forward his upper-body is leaning off axis.
That being said, after he came back from injury, Luton made some great plays last season and showed that on occasion he could settle in and play with decent enough mechanics and still keep up with the speed of the game. Some of the throws he made to Hodgins at Colorado we’re absolute dimes, even though many of the mechanical issues were still present and he was under no pressure. Other times he fell back into old habits but less so the last half of the season. Credit that to quality coaching and his personal work ethic/resiliency.
In regards to Gebbia, it’s not really comparable. His HS film is fantastic. He doesn’t have a perfect throwing motion and shows signs of a weak core and over rotation as well, but his footwork and consistency in release point is really great, especially for a high school player. That’s why he found himself with a dozen Power 5 offers (including Alabama and Miami), and Bike Smiley was lucky to get him to Nebraska. He doesn’t fit into Scott Frost’s offense at all and I don’t think he ever really had a chance, but their loss is our gain (thanks Riley). He’s not quite a Spencer Petras level of prospect (that one still hurts), but he’s a legit 4-star and has all the tools to be an elite and productive Pac-12 QB with time given for his body to develop.
In regards to giving Luton the nod… I’m ok with it.
From all accounts, both have played well throughout spring and fall camp and he certainly hasn’t done anything to give the job to Gebbia by default (yet). He obviously has good chemistry with his teammates as they voted him captain this past week.
I think it was really the only sensible hand the coaching staff had to play. They can give Luton one last opportunity to show that he’s matured and put it all together, and if he clearly hasn’t they can clear the way to develop Gebbia through his growing pains all without upsetting the locker room. But if Luton struggles in our first few games, I think you have to sit him down and focus on developing Gebbia for the future.
I’ve been very critical of Luton in the past and still feel that criticism is valid. He’s the type of player I would have loved to see play at a lower level (I love small-college ball). He could have played at FCS or lower and had a record-breaking career because the deficiencies in his game and mechanics aren’t punished by the speed of the game at the lower levels. He would have been a fantastic fit for a program like Linfield or Western Oregon coming out of high school.
That being said, I’m rooting for him and hope he’s put it all together, and if not that the coaching staff knows when it’s time to sit him down and develop Gebbia. I’m pretty high on JS’s approach so far and believe that when the time comes they will.
It comes down to psychology. Luton hasn’t really shown that he can handle the pressure of being a starter. He has shown to be a fixer, no pressure when the team is already down, and given the context of the game, he looks awesome whilst only playing average (compared to the starter who was playing like shit).
Still going to trust all the reporters, coaches, and teammates who have praised Luton. Gebbia has done well but I think everyone has been impressed by the improvement of Luton. Things may change in course, but if the other argument for Gebbia is only HS film than that is no argument at all.
Same reporters who praised Luton over McM and Del Rio et al over McM? They had McM has the worst QB on the roster.
There are other arguments, but I’ll just let time do it’s thing and be proven right again.
Riley had a lot of flaws, but I’ll give him props for starting the young, inexperienced, better QB in Mannion over Katz. Smith is afraid of the unknown with upside risk and is instead taking the safe route, even though it has zero upside.
The upside is Luton is better. I felt McM was the better pick too. But back then, the feeling was the same as now, Luton had “great upside” and McM was the safe pick. It’s all about perspective. Luton has earned the shot based on all the reports. If he doesn’t then give Gebbia a chance. I have heard little to now reports that Gebbia ever outperformed Luton. Rather both have looked sharp and Luton a little better. Not much more to it.
The difference angry is Mannion was the superior QB… it’s not the case in this situation… I think folks will be surprised with the numbers Luton puts up this year, he’s legit
Someone posted a espn article about new coaches taking over programs on the down swing in the past. Basically that coach said you recruit for the future but you play to win games with the best 22 players every week. There is no giving players experience just because “the future”. I think it was Dabo, but I might be incorrect, anyway I have to agree. If luton is the best QB in camp then he should play until that’s proven wrong.
Anybody catch the washington QB that lost their QB competition is hitting the transfer portal. Pretty sure Smith recruited him at Washington. Hes a redshirt sophomore who played a few games last year.
Gun Slinger for sure! 3 ints, 4 TDs, 26 of 34 attempts………..5 min into the 3rd qtr.
Beavs DB’s gonna be tested, frustration likely to lead to penalties if Blue doesn’t get ’em to spend some time with the staff sports psychologist. We’ve got one, right??
Personally I would start Gebbia because I’d be looking for the future.
That said, it seems like Luton legit won the battle. He was also voted captain. Seems he won it fair and square.
McMaryion looked better at the time and the team knew it. GA picked his guy and there wasn’t a real competition.
I don’t have reason to believe the same thing happened this time. if anything Gebbia is the guy Smith brought in so you’d think the bias would be toward him.
I assume Gebbia will be the starter later in the year (injury seems likely) but I’d be surprised if it makes a difference in the W/L. Next year is when we should finally be out of the basement.
I honestly don’t even know what the bowl game sponsors are anymore. What the lower tier games we could be competing for? It’s been so long!
Good point, Scotty. I never looked at it that way, but you’re correct. Luton was sort of GA’s admission that he didn’t know shit about the QB position and had to find a more traditional QB as the heat was being turned up.
Remember, Seth Collins was preordained as the starter before he was even on campus because GA “knew” all about dual-threat QB’s even though McM was actually a highly-rated dual threat. God forbid, he was a Riley recruit.
Ironically, Riley recruited McM to try to quiet the noise around the college game passing him by with his immobile NFL type QB’s even though I don’t know that MR was ever going to play McM either.
Did Hawaii pull their starter because of all the interceptions? I just read an article about the back-up leading them to victory and he’s done it in the past also. I sure the hell hope the Beavers defense has truly improved.
Yes…. the kid threw at least four picks. Made some really bad decisions. He walked to the end of the bench and pouted after being pulled. Would wager he’s #2 going forward.
The replacement is a local kid that was the high school backup to the QB at Alabama.
Their defense is fast and aggressive. A linebacker chased down Tate at the one yard line with no time left on the clock to preserve the win. Not a good early season matchup for the Bears.
I think Gebbia will be the starter for two years, right? And there’s good chance Luton doesn’t make it through the season or play in every game as past history cleary indicates.
Hawaii has quietly been putting together a roster filled with several P5 transfers. This team has some talent and figures to have even more next season. Rolovic has been able to sell the Islands as a destination for guys looking for a change of scenery.
And now they have an extra week to prepare for OSU. Week 2 is not looking very good for OSU. Why do we always catch G5 teams that are on an upswing?
Of course after I say that I think back to some other recent G5 teams we lost to. Nevada and Colorado State. They both looked like teams on an upswing, but part of that was just that they got to play the Beavs.
CSU won 7 games the year they beat us and only 3 the next year.
Nevada won 8 games, but lost to the good MWC teams on their schedule.
Basically, the Beavs are the team that helps other programs rebound.
It’s been a rough past decade for OSU. Since Cooks left for the NFL it’s been a downward spiral, but it’s bound to get better sometime, right?
I’m hoping Luton has success not just because of the beavs but also because of him continuously coming back after injury. Particularly the spine injury. If anything the guy is pretty tough. I trust coach Smith and his staff and have no doubt that they are better than Anderson and his group. That means Luton is better. Also Gebbia has made him better and by all accounts he has made himself a better athlete. Proof will be Saturday because it all depends on performance. It’s great to have what coach Smith considers to be 2 solid QB’s on the roster.
Not impressed by the nickname, but I think Bill pretty well nailed the rationale for Luton starting at the end of the last stream.
Mr. Melon works, too, if that helps you out.
No, but by all means enjoy it if it rings your chimes.
Mmm my nickname gets no respect aargh.
:-)
What’s a Widget?
We’ll have the byu advantage this year at QB.
Remember BYU at #TPB in Riley’s first game there? Good times, good times
You mad, Angry? ;)
No.
I love when we pick the wrong QB (every year). Gives a lot to write about.
That said, Luton might be decent given it’s his 20th year.
Lol! I like the fact that there was an actual completion… It seems like Luton and Hodgins have a better connection… when it’s neck and neck can’t blame them for choosing that… I know you don’t like him but for once can you admit that it makes sense and it’s not some grand conspiracy?
I never said I have a huge issue with it.
He’s a worse player, but it’s not as bad as something like McM vs Seth.
Agree on Hodgins, too.
Where is the evidence he is worse? Gebbia has lost the whole battle twice. I think that says something. Sorta like when Yeskie gets passed over for a head coaching position multiple times. Maybe they figure they can always move on to Gebbia if Luton struggles but not the other way around as easily.
Exactly… too me it sounds like a very close competition… nothing like McM vs Seth where it was clear who was superior…i don’t see a downside with this decision
Where is the evidence he is worse? Gebbia has lost the whole battle twice.
McM lost the starting battle 3 times, I think. Means nothing as to who is better. A lot of politics and other factors involved and it’s not just about who is better, unfortunately.
Gebbia’s film is great. He’s the better QB…just needs a shot. He’ll get it at some point this year and prove himself.
Gebbia was beaten out at Neb by a hand picked recruit of the new head coach with a skill set more closely aligned with his offense. The one year sample looks to say that Frost made the right call.
Martinez is game changer because of his running ability, so no shame to Gebbia.
It is critical to show progress and win this year so Smith is going with the guy with the experience.
It’s a logical pick, but hopefully they plan on getting Gebbia snaps, because with Luton’s injury history, he will see the field at some point.
My biggest issue with Luton in the past has been the sacks for major losses(maybe not entirely his fault but at least chuck the ball away) and he telegraphs his handoffs to the running back so the defense can read run plays and get in the backfield quicker, and we almost never turn that into a play action pass. Our running backs had more success with Blount than Luton. I havent seen Gebbia enough to know if he is any better in that regard.
Also, unrelated, but bummer that Bradford and Moore are out for OKState. We’re already down 3 starters for game 1 with a full week to go.
There was a series last year ( I can’t remember which game), where between penalties and sacks created a third and 55 situation!! That has to be some kind of record. Yes, the sacks and penalties, need to be addressed.
And i think that was coming off of a 2nd and short situation
My nickname for Luton is Air Mail because of all the overthrows
So he got hurt on his first pass last year in Ohio, then he got hurt the next time he played, at Nevada. Maybe his nickname should just be “Glass”
Seconded
How about “First Glass Air Mail”
From what I just read, Moore is questionable…..it’s not definite he won’t play.
Luck o’ da Beavs
Big mistake going with Luton. We have a kid who could be here three years and eventually take us somewhere. Now, we might win a few games (not enough for a bowl), and the quarterback is gone after the civil war game. We waste a year of potential growth and experience for what could be a very good quarterback. The scramble touchdown run he made last weekend at the scrimmage is way beyond what Luton could have done. Bad couching decision.
I think JS and his staff have a better idea of the talent on this team than some hack posting comments on a blog. Gebbia has essentially ZERO experience as a starting QB and you think he should get the nod over a QB that has 12+ games plus of experience. Gebbia will get his shot but Luton has the skill set and his QB efficiency rating last season was I think 5th in the conference while Herbert’s was 7th. The Beavers will be just fine with Luton if the O-line does their job. The kid has a really live arm and some great receivers to throw to. Gebbia hasn’t proven anything yet except in practice while Luton has shown he can get it done in games despite being a QB on a horrible team, i.e. last season beavers led the league in sacks allowed. I don’t who the QB is…if you can’t protect him in the pocket, the QB won’t be successful.
Agree Gebbia is much more mobile and also has better technique as a passer. Way more upside. Luton probably knows the system better and has chemistry with Hodgins. Those are the upsides with him but there are a lot more downsides. It sounds like the competition was close, and if that’s so, go with Gebbia. My guess is we see him by game 3 and he winds up being way better than Luton. OkState has bad corners per the reports so Luton might look good for a few weeks.
Every player will eventually mean revert into what they are. I’m glad Luton got the 6th year. He’d make a good backup and gives depth. As a starter? Limited upside.
Noticed in the recent photos of Beavers WBB trip to Italy that Andrea Aquino didn’t make the trip. I’ve heard from a very reliable source, former asst. coach to Rueck at George Fox, that Andrea will not play this season. That’s a tough break for Andrea as I’d sure love to see her on the floor. Hopefully, he medical situation changes and she is cleared to play next year. Despite that, the Beavs WBB still has lots of talent in 2019-20.
Luck o’ da Beavs
Go dust off your glasses and and your crystal ball and take another look swami
still can’t find her in any of the photos or maybe she’s incognito
Top left in the team photo in front of the Coliseum. Doesn’t mean she will play next year though.
Just saw an updated pic and she was crouching in the top row but you’re correct, I don’t think she’s going to play this year.
Ron Callan was on a podcast a little over a week ago with Kerry Eggers; he discussed the Pan-Am games and the playing of several Beavs WBB there. He noted that Andrea Aquino would have played for Peru(?) CORRECTION Paraguay IF she was medically cleared. His bet is that she’ll not play this year.
Not surprised she’d still be included in the trip to Italy. She seems to stay engaged and has that contagious enthusiasm which adds to the team chemistry. Rueck sells FAMILY
Angry prefers GLuton free, period.
I’m thinking Gebbia will be starting by game 4.
Me too, and we will have sacrificed wins again to learn reality.
I look at Gebbia as a Drew Brees / Aaron Rodgers type. Crazy arm talent + mobility. When they finally realize this aming coaches watch out p-12 and national contenders like Alabama!
Drew Brees isn’t mobile, but I think the Rodgers thing is accurate. Gebbie has some mobility, moxie, and terrific arm + mechanics.
Luton said he wasn’t surprised to hear he was the starter. That to me says they told him going in and there wasn’t a real competition. Not sure you can say Luton beat him out when there only the illusion of an open competition. Pretty disappointing from Smith.
I would say all this conspiracy theory talk from you is disappointing too, but we all knew it was coming.
What’s more disappointing though, Luton being the starter, or Conforto’s play in the big leagues?
Reality bites, huh?
That’s call confidence in your own abilities. Weather its is warranted is another matter. No one told him he was starting before the competition started, name another example of where that’s happened under Smith.
This is funny. We were so bad the two prior years (this dude has been the starter 3 years in a row now lol) they say “no team” haha.
https://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/o/oregon_state/2015-2019_yearly_results.php
Poll up with a reality check on Luton’s career W/L and passing Stats. Just like people fell for Seth’s hurdle, they’re falling for Luton’s “rocket arm”. Proof is in the pudding.
https://twitter.com/angrybeavs/status/1165395795274633216
Some real real talk (aka “conspiracy” by the dopes who continually get fooled).
https://twitter.com/Waycooljr62/status/1165397108259602433
Luton is on of the most frustrating QBs I’ve ever seen. On paper you’d think he’d be an elite talent, but he’s got some stubborn issues that have really plagued his career.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/665773/5721b59fe984d413d4f11509
His high-school film is ok. He made a lot of plays, but suffered from very poor natural throwing mechanics. At times it looks almost like his upper-body and lower-body are running at different speeds. His high school film in particular shows his tendency to throw with all upper-body strength and rotational energy. He looks like a slightly side-armed pitcher throwing sliders on the corner all day. He was able to get away with that in high school, but I think that’s why most D1 schools didn’t give him much of a look. His poor mechanical ability and lack of strength in his core and lower-body is very obvious to the trained eye. It’s not that he’s a bad player or that he didn’t make plays, just that he did so despite having very poor mechanics.
There’s a reason most athletes taller than 6’5 specialize in Basketball. Football is a game of leverage and it’s played very low to the ground, not “above the rim”. It’s very difficult for such tall bodies to be efficient with their lateral kinetic energy at the hips. Jake suffers from this A LOT.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7729638/57d84372da50b037a08ed2fd
His JC film is sort-of better. It’s clear in his time at Idaho/Ventura that he received coaching that was intended to help him develop proper mechanics. The problem is that it’s so hard to retrain your body/mind to rid old habits and you can tell this slowed him way down mentally.
The vast majority of his JC film shows him making mostly accurate throws with decent mechanics to wide open receivers while under no pressure, or using his athletic ability to scramble after the play breaks down and reverting back to his poor arm-only mechanics. He made a lot of throws that sailed or hung in the air, but he didn’t pay for it at the JC level. Overall he looks much more comfortable throwing on the run then he does in the pocket, and still tends to throw with all upper body rotation off his back foot, although you can tell he was trying to slow down and sync things up.
It makes sense that GA was the only coach to bite and give him a Power 5 offer based on his JC stats. Literally no one else did, and I think that says a lot about what they were seeing in the details on his film.
He showed up in Corvallis as a massive 6’7 work-in-progress but was thrust into not just the starting role but with the expectation that he’d be the elite playmaker/game changer that GA was looking for. The decision to start him over a proven McM coming off two great Pac-12 performances to finish the prior season has got to be one of the dumbest personnel moves I have ever witnessed, and ultimately very damaging to Luton’s career.
That first year he looked like a deer-in-headlights just trying to keep up with the speed of the Power 5 game. That’s almost impossible to do when you’re trying to stay within yourself and develop new mechanics. But I put that on the coaches for having him out there in the first place. As a result, he played in slow-motion in 2017 and it was just a matter of time before he got seriously injured.
It looked much the same to start last season. It looked like he was trying to manage and process so much in his body/mind at once that the speed of the game was 100 mph ahead of him. The pocket presence and ability to feel pressure was abysmal. Deep balls sailed, intermediate throws were uncatchable lasers on back shoulders, and on routine short routs it looked like he would stand straight up and do this weird sidearm noodle motion.
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/quarterback-jake-luton-of-the-oregon-state-beavers-throws-a-pass-the-picture-id1038416986
Look at that photo from Nevada last year. The good is that he’s at least trying to step into the throw with his lower body. The bad is that he’s so torqued up and trying to use so much upper body strength that he pulls his whole body and throwing motion off-axis. Look how much tension he’s holding in his left hand. That’s because his upper-torso is doing so much work trying to throw hard that he’s rotating like he’s doing a mid-air spin like a figure skater. This causes his whole leading shoulder to drop and his upper-torso tilts wildly as it rotates.
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/gazettetimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/5f/95fd02a7-6615-5fd8-ba35-2a3e2c3a25c4/5b7f62e9ed2eb.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C962
Here’s a good look at this kinda motion from the other side, although this is from 2018 and is improved (but still not great). Notice how far forward his upper-body is leaning off axis.
https://amp.businessinsider.com/images/581769d8362ca478018b5e18-750-500.jpg
http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/video/2017/09/07/0ap3000000840581_video_cp.jpg
Tom Brady for contrast, look how balanced his shoulders are and how relaxed his left hand is in comparison.
https://youtu.be/HZCxv1nhRGY
That being said, after he came back from injury, Luton made some great plays last season and showed that on occasion he could settle in and play with decent enough mechanics and still keep up with the speed of the game. Some of the throws he made to Hodgins at Colorado we’re absolute dimes, even though many of the mechanical issues were still present and he was under no pressure. Other times he fell back into old habits but less so the last half of the season. Credit that to quality coaching and his personal work ethic/resiliency.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/4367965/589bb65a041d6d2180ebfba4
In regards to Gebbia, it’s not really comparable. His HS film is fantastic. He doesn’t have a perfect throwing motion and shows signs of a weak core and over rotation as well, but his footwork and consistency in release point is really great, especially for a high school player. That’s why he found himself with a dozen Power 5 offers (including Alabama and Miami), and Bike Smiley was lucky to get him to Nebraska. He doesn’t fit into Scott Frost’s offense at all and I don’t think he ever really had a chance, but their loss is our gain (thanks Riley). He’s not quite a Spencer Petras level of prospect (that one still hurts), but he’s a legit 4-star and has all the tools to be an elite and productive Pac-12 QB with time given for his body to develop.
In regards to giving Luton the nod… I’m ok with it.
From all accounts, both have played well throughout spring and fall camp and he certainly hasn’t done anything to give the job to Gebbia by default (yet). He obviously has good chemistry with his teammates as they voted him captain this past week.
I think it was really the only sensible hand the coaching staff had to play. They can give Luton one last opportunity to show that he’s matured and put it all together, and if he clearly hasn’t they can clear the way to develop Gebbia through his growing pains all without upsetting the locker room. But if Luton struggles in our first few games, I think you have to sit him down and focus on developing Gebbia for the future.
I’ve been very critical of Luton in the past and still feel that criticism is valid. He’s the type of player I would have loved to see play at a lower level (I love small-college ball). He could have played at FCS or lower and had a record-breaking career because the deficiencies in his game and mechanics aren’t punished by the speed of the game at the lower levels. He would have been a fantastic fit for a program like Linfield or Western Oregon coming out of high school.
That being said, I’m rooting for him and hope he’s put it all together, and if not that the coaching staff knows when it’s time to sit him down and develop Gebbia. I’m pretty high on JS’s approach so far and believe that when the time comes they will.
Spot on. I’m rooting for him but know he will fail and know it’s the wrong decision for all the reasons/flaws you bring up.
Luton is a good backup, bad starting option.
It comes down to psychology. Luton hasn’t really shown that he can handle the pressure of being a starter. He has shown to be a fixer, no pressure when the team is already down, and given the context of the game, he looks awesome whilst only playing average (compared to the starter who was playing like shit).
Another reason why getting a fast start vs OkState is critical; game could be determined in the first 10 minutes. IMHO
The experience argument is logically flawed.
https://twitter.com/angrybeavs/status/1165423202153058304
Still going to trust all the reporters, coaches, and teammates who have praised Luton. Gebbia has done well but I think everyone has been impressed by the improvement of Luton. Things may change in course, but if the other argument for Gebbia is only HS film than that is no argument at all.
Same reporters who praised Luton over McM and Del Rio et al over McM? They had McM has the worst QB on the roster.
There are other arguments, but I’ll just let time do it’s thing and be proven right again.
Riley had a lot of flaws, but I’ll give him props for starting the young, inexperienced, better QB in Mannion over Katz. Smith is afraid of the unknown with upside risk and is instead taking the safe route, even though it has zero upside.
The upside is Luton is better. I felt McM was the better pick too. But back then, the feeling was the same as now, Luton had “great upside” and McM was the safe pick. It’s all about perspective. Luton has earned the shot based on all the reports. If he doesn’t then give Gebbia a chance. I have heard little to now reports that Gebbia ever outperformed Luton. Rather both have looked sharp and Luton a little better. Not much more to it.
The difference angry is Mannion was the superior QB… it’s not the case in this situation… I think folks will be surprised with the numbers Luton puts up this year, he’s legit
Someone posted a espn article about new coaches taking over programs on the down swing in the past. Basically that coach said you recruit for the future but you play to win games with the best 22 players every week. There is no giving players experience just because “the future”. I think it was Dabo, but I might be incorrect, anyway I have to agree. If luton is the best QB in camp then he should play until that’s proven wrong.
Anybody catch the washington QB that lost their QB competition is hitting the transfer portal. Pretty sure Smith recruited him at Washington. Hes a redshirt sophomore who played a few games last year.
Arizona does not have a good defense. The Beavs better have improved or they will get blown out in Hawaii.
Hawaii up over Arizona 14-0 in the first… gonna be another dismal Pac-12 season?
anyone got a link for hawaii zona game
It’s on cbs sports network.
Or google reddit cfb streams
thanks
Wow. Arizona looks fucking terrible.
Beavs better get pressure on Hawaii and they better come up with multiple interceptions. Hawaii qb is a gun slinger.
Gun Slinger for sure! 3 ints, 4 TDs, 26 of 34 attempts………..5 min into the 3rd qtr.
Beavs DB’s gonna be tested, frustration likely to lead to penalties if Blue doesn’t get ’em to spend some time with the staff sports psychologist. We’ve got one, right??
Personally I would start Gebbia because I’d be looking for the future.
That said, it seems like Luton legit won the battle. He was also voted captain. Seems he won it fair and square.
McMaryion looked better at the time and the team knew it. GA picked his guy and there wasn’t a real competition.
I don’t have reason to believe the same thing happened this time. if anything Gebbia is the guy Smith brought in so you’d think the bias would be toward him.
I assume Gebbia will be the starter later in the year (injury seems likely) but I’d be surprised if it makes a difference in the W/L. Next year is when we should finally be out of the basement.
I honestly don’t even know what the bowl game sponsors are anymore. What the lower tier games we could be competing for? It’s been so long!
Now that you mention it, are we really going with an Anderpants QB? Yiiiiikes.
Good point, Scotty. I never looked at it that way, but you’re correct. Luton was sort of GA’s admission that he didn’t know shit about the QB position and had to find a more traditional QB as the heat was being turned up.
Remember, Seth Collins was preordained as the starter before he was even on campus because GA “knew” all about dual-threat QB’s even though McM was actually a highly-rated dual threat. God forbid, he was a Riley recruit.
Ironically, Riley recruited McM to try to quiet the noise around the college game passing him by with his immobile NFL type QB’s even though I don’t know that MR was ever going to play McM either.
Thought I mentioned that here already, but it was on Twitter.
Yeah, we are starting a GA guy who had zero P5 offers.
Looks like we will see if Smith can truly coach QB’s up.
Wow, Hawaii letting Arizona back in this game by bonehead mistakes and turnovers
4ints and 2 fumbles. 2 other ints cancelled by penalty?
And they still have a 3pt lead… Crazy!
Arizona had their chance and blew it… Oregon state is gonna have to shoot it out with Hawaii to beat them
Shotgun or pistol?
Did Hawaii pull their starter because of all the interceptions? I just read an article about the back-up leading them to victory and he’s done it in the past also. I sure the hell hope the Beavers defense has truly improved.
Yes…. the kid threw at least four picks. Made some really bad decisions. He walked to the end of the bench and pouted after being pulled. Would wager he’s #2 going forward.
The replacement is a local kid that was the high school backup to the QB at Alabama.
Their defense is fast and aggressive. A linebacker chased down Tate at the one yard line with no time left on the clock to preserve the win. Not a good early season matchup for the Bears.
There are already 4 QBs who thought they would win a starting job in camps, but are now in the transfer portal this week.
Mississippi State – Keytaon Thompson
North Carolina – Cade Fortin
Boise State – Kaiden Bennett
Washington – Jake Haener
Coach Bray started following Fortin shortly after he hit the portal
Maybe Jack is in the transfer portal for sports blogs?
Please Gebbia stay….
I think Gebbia will be the starter for two years, right? And there’s good chance Luton doesn’t make it through the season or play in every game as past history cleary indicates.
SanJose State, Fresno St and Hawaii appear to be the front runners for UW QB transfer Haener. Would be a pretty good find for all 3 programs
Looks like the Colts are out of Luck.
Hawaii has quietly been putting together a roster filled with several P5 transfers. This team has some talent and figures to have even more next season. Rolovic has been able to sell the Islands as a destination for guys looking for a change of scenery.
And now they have an extra week to prepare for OSU. Week 2 is not looking very good for OSU. Why do we always catch G5 teams that are on an upswing?
Luck O Da Beavs…
Yep.
Of course after I say that I think back to some other recent G5 teams we lost to. Nevada and Colorado State. They both looked like teams on an upswing, but part of that was just that they got to play the Beavs.
CSU won 7 games the year they beat us and only 3 the next year.
Nevada won 8 games, but lost to the good MWC teams on their schedule.
Basically, the Beavs are the team that helps other programs rebound.
It’s been a rough past decade for OSU. Since Cooks left for the NFL it’s been a downward spiral, but it’s bound to get better sometime, right?
I’m hoping Luton has success not just because of the beavs but also because of him continuously coming back after injury. Particularly the spine injury. If anything the guy is pretty tough. I trust coach Smith and his staff and have no doubt that they are better than Anderson and his group. That means Luton is better. Also Gebbia has made him better and by all accounts he has made himself a better athlete. Proof will be Saturday because it all depends on performance. It’s great to have what coach Smith considers to be 2 solid QB’s on the roster.
New thread up discussing this a bit more.