Imagine what Carroo could have done with even an average QB the past 3 years?
- Thread starter MS-RU
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Nova was better than he was given credit for.
Well compared to Laviano he looks like Tom Brady but in no way will he ever be referred to as a good or above average college QB.
You are nuts. Nova (although he was mistake prone) was one of the best QB's here at Rutgers. Don't blame him for having a new coordinator every year. We wish we had him this year.
Imagine if Carroo had played with QBs who got decent coaching. Imagine what kind of QB Nova would have been if someone had actually taught him to play the position before his senior year.
Saying he was one of best QBs at RU doesn't exactly put him in very elite company. It's not like we have former Heisman winners, O'Brien award winners, NC winners, NFL all pros, NFL starters, 1st round picks, etc...Every QB that's ever played here has been a JAG in the college football and pro football landscape.
OP I will have to respectfully disagree. Carroo made the genius decision that many more players are making these days, which is to make sure to go to a school where you trust the coaches, where you have a real chance at getting solid playing early, and where you have seen previous players at your position and in the program in general succeed both on and off the field.
At Rutgers in the past 5-10 years we have put a bunch of players into the NFL as well as WR's specifically. When Carroo was getting recruited, he was smart enough to see that he could follow that path to the NFL that was already blazed at Rutgers and he could also set records and play against the very best competition at Rutgers and play in bowl games every year, etc.
And Nova and Laviano both clearly LOVE(D) Carroo and always looked to him first which helped make sure he got plenty of opportunities to get his TDs. If he had gone to another school with different QB's who knows what would have happened for him. I would argue that he was the FOCAL point of our offense for the past 2 years and you can't ask for much more than that.
And again, Nova was much better than people give him credit for. And this thread is about Carroo, so specifically the connection between Carroo and Nova definitely helped them both earlier in their career because it gave them a competitive edge over the defense they were playing despite the defense being older and having more experience. I would argue that as a Sophmore Carroo couldn't have have a better place to be than with his QB Nova looking to him first every time and making sure he always was properly fed. And of course, after the success as a Sophmore it gave Carroo tons of confidence. You never know how a players psyche can effect his overall development. (Even though in the case of Carroo, I think he is just too good and too dedicated and that he would have made it to the NFL no matter where he went...he just might not have had the fame and the records he has thanks to his choice to attend Rutgers and by having the career he has had here.)
At Rutgers in the past 5-10 years we have put a bunch of players into the NFL as well as WR's specifically. When Carroo was getting recruited, he was smart enough to see that he could follow that path to the NFL that was already blazed at Rutgers and he could also set records and play against the very best competition at Rutgers and play in bowl games every year, etc.
And Nova and Laviano both clearly LOVE(D) Carroo and always looked to him first which helped make sure he got plenty of opportunities to get his TDs. If he had gone to another school with different QB's who knows what would have happened for him. I would argue that he was the FOCAL point of our offense for the past 2 years and you can't ask for much more than that.
And again, Nova was much better than people give him credit for. And this thread is about Carroo, so specifically the connection between Carroo and Nova definitely helped them both earlier in their career because it gave them a competitive edge over the defense they were playing despite the defense being older and having more experience. I would argue that as a Sophmore Carroo couldn't have have a better place to be than with his QB Nova looking to him first every time and making sure he always was properly fed. And of course, after the success as a Sophmore it gave Carroo tons of confidence. You never know how a players psyche can effect his overall development. (Even though in the case of Carroo, I think he is just too good and too dedicated and that he would have made it to the NFL no matter where he went...he just might not have had the fame and the records he has thanks to his choice to attend Rutgers and by having the career he has had here.)
What percentage of QB's on big time programs win those awards? No one is arguing that. Let's be real. Nova to Carroo would have been awesome this year. Nova hits Carroo in stride during the Indiana game. Carroo would have played the past 2 weeks.
We were talking historically in that post. He said Nova was one of the best QBs ever at RU and I was just pointing out that not very difficult or elite company to be in. Over the last 10 years I believe that Ryan Hart, Mike Teel, and then Gary Nova all held passing/QB records at RU. That says something about our history with QBs. It's not like we are USC, ND, Oklahoma, etc. where statistically being the best QB ever is extremely impressive.
Here's what a competent coach/QB could have done with Carroo.. force them to double team him on every down or every passing down and then USE that to make other plays work. We should have been seeing RBs and TEs (with LBs trailing them) on wheel routes and in the seams where DBs shaded to Carroo and opened slots.
You all know what that looks like because our D gets burned by that often enough... as does every D except the Ds we face.
You all know what that looks like because our D gets burned by that often enough... as does every D except the Ds we face.
Nova could have been a great QB. He had all the physical tools to be a good Qb just never received proper coaching and lacked proper decision making skills. He was another in the long list of Ru players to be thrust into playing time before they were ready. He would have benefited from a redshirt year and watching an additional year from the sidelines. Starting as a RS sophomore vs true freshmen.
Nova was talented, but insanely inconsistent. The difference between Good Nova and Bad Nova was rather stunning.