Jordan Wynn
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 11, 2011 10:45 AM MDT
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Print Jordan Wynn was the main topic of conversation coming into the game against USC, and I think it is time to dissect his performance and see what he has to offer. First, the stats: Wynn went 23/46, throwing for 238 yards with a TD and no picks, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. Second, the intangibles: Wynn got the ball with 7 minutes left and flubbed it, but then drove the team down field with poise and skill in the final minutes of the game. Finally, the physical: Wynn threw many wobbly passes and was rescued by skilled receivers on several big passes; he also held onto the ball too long and turned his back on pressure. He did get hit hard, and both threw as he was getting hit and got back up and kept playing. I felt that he lost arm strength and accuracy as the game went on; perhaps he lacks endurance.
My thoughts after the break...
Wynn is a good quarterback, and may even be a great quarterback next year, as he continues to improve his arm strength and understanding of the offense, and as the receiver corps continues to improve (they looked fantastic this week). What he lacks is size, strength, and an NFL arm. After watching Matt Barkley and Brock Osweiler, it is clear that there is something missing from Wynn's game. I think a 6-4 QB doesn't get those passes batted down, and holds up better to those big hits. I think Wynn is a good quarterback, but he isn't a Pac-12 quarterback
All that aside, he certainly has the talent and ability to keep us in games and win them in the closing minutes. After watching ASU on Friday, and USC and Utah yesterday, I feel very good about the Utes chances to be playing in the championship game with Jordan Wynn under center. If our defense keeps it close, he could certainly be driving down the field as time expires, putting the Utes in a position to win the game. That's what he did last night.
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I agree...
there are definitely several things Wynn still needs to improve on: technique (he still throws off his back foot way too much), not turning his back on the defense, and just overall confidence in his arm. What he really needs is a breakout game where he can fully gain confidence in his shoulder. However, at the end of the day he still made plays when we needed him to. I agree that his receivers definitely bailed him out at times, but he still made plays and relatively few major mistakes. The fact that he came away without throwing any interceptions is a huge plus.
What really bothers me is that people are so quick to blame Wynn. While he absolutely deserves some level of criticism, I place most the blame on our offensive line. Our offensive line was out-played virtually the entire game by a VERY good defensive line, probably the best we will see all year. I’ve been saying this ever since last year after the TCU game: our biggest weakness on offense is our o-line. Wynn of course took all the blame and criticism, and it seems he will once again this year if things go south. However, our biggest weakness that needs to improve is our offensive line. Anyone who knows football, knows that games are won and lost in the trenches, and USC absolutely won the war in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
lifelong,
that is a bit different than the viewpoint from figueroa & eposition. our trojan lines have been surrounded by question marks on all of our message boards for several years now. i WAS pleased by our d-line play yesterday, but after your comments i think that there still maybe some of those left over. i was also pleased by our o-lines performace because they were, by far, the biggest ????s
Your right Wynn is not a Pac-12 QB
He was recruited and committed to a team who played in the Mountain West Conference.
Comparing him against Pac-12 QB is a disservice to him. Same with all our players.
The question isn’t whether Wynn is a Pac-12 QB, the question is can Wynn win as a QB in the Pac-12?
I don't mean it as a criticism
I was just able this week to put a finger on what it is about Wynn that so many Ute fans don’t like. I personally want him under center until he graduates, unless Wilson turns out to be a prodigy.
I think he can win in the Pac-12. I think he will win. I think we’ll play in the Pac-12 championship game this year. We won’t play a better team than USC, and we get ASU at home.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 11, 2011 9:48 PM MDT up reply actions
I realize you didn't mean it as a criticism..
I was just using your post as a comment against all the people making that comment, both as a criticism and a comment.
It just frustrates me because I think there are a lot of fans who were putting too much pressure on Wynn’s Shoulders (pun intended), and on the team in general. There’s a lot of people who expected Wynn to be a Pac-12 QB, as well as some of the players to be Pac-12 quality players.
We’ll compete the next few years, but it’s going to be a couple years before we are filled with Pac-12 players.
What I think is weird
Is that everyone predicted 6-9 wins for the Utes before the season began. There are very few people who said we’d get double digit wins (not counting a bowl game). This was one of the 3-6 games everyone thought we would lose… now we’ve lost it, and people are acting disappointed.
I was impressed! This is as much a rebuilding year as we allow ourselves to have, and we are still in the thick of the theoretical race for the South championship.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 12, 2011 10:44 AM MDT up reply actions
I'm not disappointed.
Even in Jazzy’s recap thread I made the comment that I feel better about this loss than I did about the win against MSU.
Even in Jordan Wynn I feel that way. I think Wynn does have some left over issues from his surgery, but he’s adjusting to it. He’s gotten smarter as the season went along and is playing within himself.
A lot of Wynn’s struggles right now, aren’t actually related to his physical limitations, it’s his mental confidence. I think the drive at the end of the game will help him with that.
He played better this week than last week
And that’s the important thing. I’m hoping he’ll continue to progress throughout the year. I think the rust in his passes are because he hasn’t fully recovered his throwing motion yet. Going months without throwing a ball means you lose muscle memory, so I hope the wobble is because he’s thinking about how to throw it instead of just doing it on instinct.
Yes, the receivers bailed him out a time of three, but why are they still running the routes a yard short of what they need? What’s with these third- and fourth-down pass completions that fall just short of the flag?
If anyone found my snowboarding gloves after storming the field following the 2004 TDS game, I want them back!
The just short
passes fell equally on Wynn and the receivers. Sometimes, they cut too soon. Other times, Wynn under threw them, and they had to take a step towards the line to make the catch.
by Joseph Silverzweig on Sep 13, 2011 8:50 AM MDT up reply actions
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