Nobody hit Arnold when he threw the int right to the other team or when he threw the ball backwards (more than once). Lets stop making excuses for him.
BV talked about that specific play in his presser today. A back didn't do his blocking duty, forcing JA to scramble left and was about to be hit when he threw the pick. He also talked about a receiver running the wrong route, causing an interception on an RPO. He said that JA should have read the pattern of the play to hand off the ball. But the receiver made a throw an impossibility.
Bob Stoops used to say that one of the most important factors for a good or great quarterback, and the most underrated trait, is pocket presence and the courage is takes to stand in there. JA has all the talent. But I think sometimes you have to be very careful in QB recruiting, with quarterbacks who play for juggernaut programs. When you play for a team like Guyer, you're not used to much adversity. Your receivers are better than almost everybody else's DB. You OL's keep your uniform pretty clean. And you always have terrific to great running game. JA can play. But his inexperienced talents aren't enough, at least at this point, to overcame a mediocre at best OL. I posted eariler this week that I fear we're going to get our backs and receivers beat up, because they can't block anybody. This isn't about schreme. It's about the failure so far to knock anybody off the ball. That paltry rushing performance against UTenn was pathetic. I know they're good. But we NEVER blocked anybody.
If we get beat Saturday, with a depleted roster, I fear we'll not win a conference game. OUr defense is really good. But we can't expect them to perform with any greatness after three and outs, over and over again. The injuries have killed us. But the recruiting of people like Spencer Brown, who is a dreadlful offensive lineman, is more than a head scratcher. And we seem to have a roster of OL's where over half are at least as not ready to play.
I'm glad for the QB change. I think there's a little more quickness in Hawkings running ability. I also believe that now that future opponents have some tape on him, and will have more after this week. That his inexperience will start to really show up. But there is no doubt that UTenn kept their studs in on defense for the entire game. Hawkins moved the ball. Arnold did not. I think we'll need both of them before the season is over, because they are both going to get beat up.