Thought Experiment: When Should Nate Have Been Put In The Game?

The timing was not a huge deal to me. That he put Nate in so early probably indicates Tedford’s confidence in Nate (as opposed to putting him in when the game has already been decided). I am glad, however, that Tedford put Nate back in after the first interception. I think to pull Nate after one interception would have set a bad precedent (correct or not) that one big mistake will put either QB on the bench. It hurt to see that pick-six, but I didn’t disagree with putting Nate back in.

remember, Tedford switched quarterbacks at the exact same point in the Armed Forces Bowl. it gives each QB a couple drives to show what they can do, but the switch happens early enough that the game is not out of hand in either direction. tedford can then make an informed decision for the second half (or before).

I really have to wonder how you guys would have reacted had we lost. Nate clearly changed the tempo of the game and nearly cost us the win. Making Kevin go in and fix the mess Nate started was unfair. However, like the champion his is, he saved the day.

I am still puzzled by the amount of support Nate receives on this blog. Is it because you don’t want to question Tedford? Is it because you feel bad for Nate and can’t stand to state the obvious? What gives? What is the rationale behind continued support for him? It’s just mind boggling……

P.S. Way to take a shot at Riley, our starting QB, “Riley’s stats up to this time were a quite unspectacular 5-7 for 26 yards passing…” Whoa, just whoa… It’s good to know I can come here when I need to feel like I am in a genuine Twilight Zone. I love the show, but I can get the real thing here.

The Bears started with the ball, and coming out of halftime doesn’t disrupt Riley’s rhythm like it did in the 2nd quarter. Nate would have had, in a sense, a whole new ballgame to work with. It wouldn’t be like he was coming in as a replacement, it would be like a start. After the game started. We won, doesn’t matter anyway.

I don’t know where you got the idea that I favor Nate being the better QB. I have never stated one is better than the other. You have assumed it.

And I think you’re mistaking this site for the Kevin Riley fan club. This is a place for discussion of our football team. Yet everytime we bring up Longshore, you seem to treat it like an assault on Riley, as if we’re saying “Bench Riley! Put in Nate!” 4

If you can find instances where CGB (or hell, even my site) affirmed this stance, then by all means post them here. Hell, if you can find COMMENTERS who posted sentiments of this sort, post them here. I’d be very interested to see what you consider an attack on “your boy”.

I know Twist wants this blog to be all PG mode, but, CaliSeth, chill the fuck out. Why do you even need such a thing as a Riley committee? As if the Longshore committee would be so large (did you go to the game?). This blog, if anything, hasn’t played favorites. And, there are quite a few regular posters that have taken the same stance.

At this point, no one is going to dispute that Tedford made the right decision to start Riley. I may have been disappointed a week or two ago but Riley certainly made me a believer and I trust Tedford anyway. And, yeah, when it comes to putting Nate in the game when he did, I trust Tedford and even if I didn’t I think it was a good point. It wasn’t like the offense was lighting things up with Riley. Up to that point the offense scored 3 points, so, yeah, unspectacular.

Oh and with regard to your comment that Nate has been less than average, if you are referring to his entire career, that sir would be bullshit. In 2006 he became the second Cal QB ever to throw for more than 3,000 yards. He stands 4th all-time in efficiency, 6th in touchdowns, and 7th in yards. Without question his play has regressed to average, but his overall body of work is above average. But, I’m guessing you think those statistical accomplishments are meaningless and so too is a 10 win season capped with a bowl victory over Texas A&M (not to mention victories over ranked teams like Oregon on the road and Tennessee at home last year).

Lastly, just because you throw two picks in the second quarter doesn’t mean Nate couldn’t lead Cal to a victory. Hell, apparently throwing 4 picks in a half doesn’t preclude victory over a ranked team.

Boys, boys, boys. Please, play nice.

JT put Nate in at the right time, if we assume (and we should) that Nate was over his injury and that his play at camp was a solid indicator of his potential play in the game. Up by two scores early in the game is the ideal time. It gives the QB a chance to play against the other guys’ first team D before anything is really decided.

That first INT was due more to a very good play by the corner than by a bad throw by Nate (from my perspective if the corner doesn’t snag it, it’s caught and a TD). The second INT was horrible, and Nate was done afterwards.

This argument about the tempo of the game, etc is pointless. There aren’t many games in which the tempo is set and unchanged midway through the 2nd quarter regardless of who is playing QB. To say Nate’s play in the early 2nd qtr would have permanently affected Cal for the rest of the game means either the Cal team is psychologically very fragile, or Nate has some sort of super-powers over games.

Good god … that’s it. Nate is some sort of evil ultra-villain developed in the bowels of some Furd lab sent to undermine and destroy everything the Tedfordnator has built in Berkleley! Only Riley can save us from the Furd’s evil schemes!