How good can Nate Johnson be with a week of 1st team reps?

[lgt4141]

I am not a football expert but how much better could Nate Johnson be with a week knowing he is the starter, getting the 1st team reps, and having a game plan built around his strengths?

As has been pointed out in Utehub the offense can’t get much worse. I am optimistic that with a Nate Johnson focused game plan the offense will look better.

[22Ute22]

Not much better in 2 weeks. We don’t have a legitimate QB coach, and they don’t trust him. He looked like he was playing loose in the Baylor game and now looks like he is playing nervous.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Whitt has put the turnover fear on him. Which makes him tentative. Doesn’t seem to be able to get the ball in tight spots and the receivers can’t get open and space for him to throw.

He proved he is a gamer against OSU which is a bug positive. He might surprise us all!!

[bopahull]

I can’t put all that on Nate. There were a lot of well thrown balls that were dropped at crucial times. There were caught balls on 3rd down situations where the receiver ran his rout a couple of yards short of the sticks. Yes Nate didn’t do well but his receivers and line could have really helped him.
I have no idea if things will improve much with more practice. I just think there is plenty of blame to go around.

[chinngiskhaan]

We’ll see, assuming his leg is well enough to play.

[Ghost of the HEB]

I don’t think it makes a big difference. Nate is still very raw as a QB. He really didn’t play QB until his senior year of HS, and finished that year with 12/9 TD/INT ratio. He was very much an ATH recruit with the hopes he could eventually develop into a P5 QB. Due to Cam & Brant’s longer than expected absences, Rose’s freak injury, Barnes’ ineffectiveness, Micah’s scooter ride, JJ’s ankle, Pittmans concussion/sickness, and Mikey’s youth, Nate has had to shoulder the task of leading a playmaker-scarce offense in such a way that he doesn’t currently have the ability to do. That’s a recipe for having one of the worst offenses in the FBS, and not something a handful more practice reps will fix.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Great thoughts ghost!! So true.

[Xanthis]

I guess that comes down to a few things. Getting all the reps will make him more comfortable with action of the offense. I think the better option is having him get all the reps with plays that play to his strengths. Changing the offensive identity slightly so he isn’t always dropping straight back. I am not sure how bad his leg is from the OSU game so you might not be able to make a QB run heavy plan for Cal.

[lgt4141]

I hope Nate Johnson surprises all of us vs Cal!🤞

[DataUte]

I hope Nate realizes he is now playing with house money. Play loose. Even if he turns the ball over, who are they going to play? Is there literally anyone left? Haven’t heard about Barnes. Is Rose even ready to take reps?

[bopahull]

I heard from a “reliable source” that Weddle found out he has some eligibility left and will be starting QB against Cal.

[EagleMountainUte]

I have honestly felt that NJ has been told what to do all season.
That’s why we scratch our head on the read option plays. Sometimes it seems like he should have kept it or pulled it.
This is the tightest muzzle I have seen on a qb ever.