What is the potential of Jacquizz Rodgers?
by Jake Bertalotto on Oct 15, 2008 7:15 AM PDT
in Oregon State Football
Email
PrintMonday, we discussed what Ryan McCants' role is on this team. Curently, fifty seven percent of the vote thinks that Ryan could contribute on defense as a hybrid linebacker/linemen, but many thing that he belongs right where he is-- running back.
However, Ryan seems to be stuck in the depth chart behind Jacquizz Rodgers- Texas' "Mr. Touchdown" who ran for 2,902 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior and 8,245 yards on 136 touchdowns during his time at Lamar Consolidated High School in Houston. Quizz already has already accumulated 718 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
Not only has Jacquizz Rodgers picked up right where departed senior Yvenson Bernard picked off, but Quizz is well ahead the pace set by Bernard during his senior year-- Quizz is on pace to break all kinds of records at Oregon State.
And, Quizz is making all kinds of waves on the national scene. First, he led the Beavers to an upset win over USC with 186 yards. Now, he leads the Pac-10 in rushing yards (by 14 yards per game), and is the tenth leading rusher in the nation. He's a freshman, folks.
See for yourself: take a look at Jacquizz through his first six games of his freshman year, compared to Yvenson Bernard's first six games of his senior year:
| Quizz | Yvenson | |
| Yards | 718 | 642 |
| Carrries | 147 | 142 |
| Ypc | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| Fumbles | 0 | 0 |
| TD's | 8 | 7 |
As you can see, Quizz is already playing like a seasoned veteran. And he's only a freshman! This brings up the question.... What is this man's potential?
Pac-10 first team? All-American team? Heisman?!?!?
Leave your thoughts in the thread.
GO BEAVERS!
(photo taken by Kirby Lee of US Presswire, via espn.com)
50 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Quizz has been great so far...
But I don’t think you have to necessarily compare his output his true frosh year to Bernard’s his senior year. Bernard was not an unknown to the league—people figured out what they needed to do to stop him, how he could hurt them and what kind of runner he was in general.
Now don’t think I’m trying to take anything away from Quizz, but this being his first year he’s an unknown, albeit valuable, talent. He’s proving he can do a lot of things but the PAC 10 hasn’t exactly figured out who he is as a runner yet or what kinds of things need to be done to game plan for him.
Am I making sense? I have a horrible cough so like UGK I’ve been sip-sippin’ on some sizurp all morning. I’m in a ‘Tussin induced haze and I wish I was lovin’ it. In summation, I guess I’m saying apples and oranges here. Two relatively different backs at different points in their careers.
All that said, I think Quizz will put up MONSTER numbers before he leaves, barring any type of injury or slump.
Or addiction to the Tussin.
Robo-trippin’, Arby
I would agree with you, except that I know that Quizz is the Orange Jesus!
But I don’t think you have to necessarily compare his output his true frosh year to Bernard’s his senior year. Bernard was not an unknown to the league—people figured out what they needed to do to stop him, how he could hurt them and what kind of runner he was in general.
Except that Bernard had almost identical (though slightly declining as they phased him out of the passing game) output all three years that he started.
You could have a point.
But then again, this Tussin is telling me I’m right.
I just think that it’s early. I have high, high hopes for Quizz. I’m just hesitant to anoint him as orange jesus at this point.
I think he’s going to be special without a doubt. Hell, he’s done some pretty great stuff so far. But again, my Tussin’ swillin’ brain tells me to ease up and wait this out. See what the man does through the end of the season. Will he stay healthy? Will he finish year in and year out? One of the impressive things we’ve had from RBs in the past has been durability and toughness. So far he’s passing the test by simply staying healthy, but as an undersized back will that always be the case?
I say the jury is still out.
That and treat your self to some sips of sizurp tonight.
Yep
And who knows about the O-line over the next few years. Looking very good now but lose a couple starters next year (I think?), so you don’t know. I mean we can’t overlook what they are doing and the chemistry they have with Quizz right now.
-RVM
yes.
3 new starters on the O-line next year, unless Perry can get a medical redshirt (which is a possibility). Stroughter and Morales will also be gone. Will Catchings be able to fill in that production? Will James become more of a true receiver? Who will Lyle throw to next year, or will the Beavs just run more and include McCants as well?
However, back to this year (as long as he stays healthy): I expect him to be a Freshman All-American and I expect him to be a 1st Team All-Conference selection. I think it’s Jaison Williams that he will lead the conference in rushing or have any other interesting accolades beyond that.
The thing about Quizz is that he knows his stats and he keeps track of his stats and he doesn’t compare himself to the Pac-10, he compares himself to the Nation because he knows that he belongs in that discussion.
BIG future ahead of Quizz...
But when you start talking about national recognition such as an All-American or Heisman Trophy candidate then a lot of that will depend on the Beavers as a football team and what they are doing those years. We can’t start 2-3 every year and expect Quizz to get the attention he deserves. Now if we could win out and go to the Rose Bowl this year then people would take more notice of both him and our program heading into next year. Quizz is a VERY special talent without a doubt but you can’t forget how good Yvenson was. He was one of the top 11 Pac-10 rushers of all-time yet hardly anyone else in the country could probably tell you that. Why? Cause the Beavs weren’t ranked enough or in the national spotlight enough for people to see how good he was. So I guess I’m saying that Quizz has both All-American and Heisman potential but a lot of it is going to depend on how the team plays as a whole. If we can get ranked early in the year and stay there then he will get the proper recognition he deserves.
GO BEAVS!!!
Pac-10 first team? All-American team? Heisman?!?!? = all of the above
Beavsfan10 above basically said what I was thinking and probably said it better!
-RVM
But, the Beavers were a Top 25 team the last two years with Bernard.
Bernard was 6th in conference history, Steven Jackson is now 11th.
Steven Jackson was more famous because he led the conference in rushing twice, while Bernard was overshadowed by JJ Arrington, Marshawn Lynch, and then ol’ glass ankles himself—johnathan stewart as they led the league. The other main difference between Bernard and all of the other guys I just mentioned is that they could all go the distance on any play, and Bernard would tend to be caught from behind (4.8 speed will do that). Quizz is as fast as those other guys, and while he hasn’t broken a 60 yarder yet, he has 3 or 4 plays over 30 yards in his first few games and you can tell that it’s only a matter of time before he starts busting the really long ones.
More people know about Steven Jackson now than they did when he was playing at OSU due to his prolific career as an NFL Pro Bowler, but…more people know about Quizz right now because of his huge game against USC than they knew about Steven until his junior year.
The thing that separates Quizz.
Is his respect in the national media, as opposed to former OSU players (Bernard) who seemed to be overlooked. As evidenced in Jake’s recent fanpost, Bernard is leading the CBS freshman of the year poll.
The USC win did a lot for Jacquizz. People know his catchy name across the country, which makes an All-American first team appearance possible at some point. I don’t think he has a shot at Heisman… There are rarely non QBs that get Heisman, and the ones that weren’t were Reggie Bush, Archie Griffin, Charles Woodson, etc. I don’t think Quizz is on that list of players when he is done at OSU.
Some many variables and a long way to go...
BUT, if he continues to play at this level into his junior and senior years his name will be part of the Heisman talk, IMO.
Again though that is a long way to go and so much can happen between now and his senior year. Though I have to be honest to say I cannot remember a player at OSU who projects what Quizz does. Jackson was close but we knew he was on to the NFL early for his senior year, which I don’t think Quizz will be, and this is when I think the buzz would’ve been big for Jackson if he stayed.
-RVM
Might be Next Year
If you look at the OSU schedule at the beginning of the year next year combined with the personnel that are coming back for the Beavs, you might get some hot exposure right off the bat…especially if you end this season well with some media hype. Quiz could have some big games to start the year next year to get the ball rolling. Big games this year will add to the momentum
--Dominic
Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die." - J. Brady McCullough, The Michigan Daily.
A quick addition
I will note that in no way I’m saying he will win the Heisman during his college career, I’m saying he will be in the mix if he continues this type of play and continues to receive the national respect mentioned above. I mean he has been mentioned directly or indirectly in games that had nothing to do with the Beavs, like I think it was the Pitt vesus South Florida on ESPN and they were talking about small backs and referencing Quizz’s USC performance. Sure it was a week after and the USC game was still fresh on the ESPN minds, but still.
This image is from the current Yahoo sports front page for the mid-season report. The Quizz shot was in reference to the USC upset but it still the connections people are going to make are big IMO.
I hope the image link stays current for awhile, if not I’ll repost it.
I also am not sure what the pot stirrer is really saying because it seems to me that if you are the featured back and yes you get a lot of carries you have a much better chance of being recognized. If someone has 10 yds/per run and only 500 yards total I don’t think that will as important as someone with 4.5/yds and 2000 yards total (just making up numbers off the top of my head but I hope you get the point). Plus yes as noted in rebuttal below we can throw and he’s not bad out of the backfield either!
Yes, I know, I know, I support Lyle M. and I rave about Quizz. I can’t help it I think they are good, and I will say I think Quizz is VERY good.
-RVM
I don’t really want to spell out every single detail, if I don’t have to. But between the cherry picking, the strawman arguments, and the fact that correlation does not mean causation, I might have to.
I am not disagreeing that Jacuquizz is a fantastic player. – and I think he has tremendous potential. But statistically, and mathematically, I think it is a sizable stretch to be calling him the BEST back in the Pac-10.
With the example of the yds/run vs total yards argument; that’s why I was talking about weighted averages. It’s what I would like to call the “Colt Brennan factor”. He was a decent QB, and he had a lot of great statistics. But if someone throws 44 times per game over their career, I would expect them to rack up tons of yardage and tons of TDs. In my opinion, his accolades are unwarranted. It’s impressive stuff, but with weighted statistics (And the nature of his conference), he was incredibly overrated. OSU proved that to me in ’06.
I’m not comparing Jacquizz to Brennan. I’m just saying that the statistics to me aren’t surprising. For the number of carries he gets vs. the rest of the league, I would expect him to be the leader in total rushing yards and yards/game, and at this current stage, when you objectively look at the entire conference, they aren’t anything to get all-americany/heismany excited over.
He’s a great player, and he’s going to be a better player, but I think you guys are setting the bar ridiculously high for him.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
He’s a great player, and he’s going to be a better player, but I think you guys are setting the bar ridiculously high for him.
I’ll agree with this.
But still disagree with the stats deal. If Quizz continues to rack up games where he is the main reason the team is able to beat the #1 team in the country and people are talking about him then he will become part of the larger conversations.
Will he continue to do this? I don’t know. Teams will start to stack the box against him and it will become harder that’s for sure. But at the same time going off a mere six games (which don’t get me wrong is not enough to hand him anything as a freshman let alone a senior) I’ve seen teams like Penn State and Utah stack the box on him and he still delivers.
By the way I don’t think I called him:
I think it is a sizable stretch to be calling him the BEST back in the Pac-10.
. I was addressing the question of his possible potential.
I think the Colt example is actually very good for he did become part of the Heisman conversation just because of they way he played and the exposure he got. Yes he was overrated (Georgia also proved that very well), but still…he had the attention of many.
-RVM
But if you really want to go there...
Go ahead and ask me who I think the BEST back in the Pac-10 is so far in the 2008 football season as of October 15th?
-RVM
By the way I don’t think I called him:
I think it is a sizable stretch to be calling him the BEST back in the Pac-10.
Oh! Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you did say that. It was more directed at the discussion as a whole.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
But to have you walk away with some warm feelings
I will say that USC and UO actually have the best overall backfields in terms of the running attack.
Give us time though and we’ll come back to this question…
-RVM
I know what you're trying to say...
For the number of carries he gets vs. the rest of the league
…you really, really, really want to make the case that Blount or Johnson are better than Quizz, except that don’t get enough carries.
And then you look at their performance against USC and you stop yourself. But, I know that you were thinking it because I am Big Brother and the Thought Police are on my side.
Nope. In fact, if you read what I said, instead of putting words in my mouth, you might figure out what I’m trying to say.
Thanks though. :-)
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
I already said that I knew what you're trying to say.
We’re past what you’re saying, and now we’re going into the thought process. :-)
And we’ll ask you a reverse question: by the reverse logic of your earlier statements, would James Rodgers not be twice as good as Johnathan Stewart last year, since Rodgers had more than twice as many yards per carry as Mr. Stewart?
Ha. I thought so.
Strawman?
How much more pretentious could you get? That wasn’t my thought process at all, so I would appreciate it if you could keep your flawed assertions to how I am thinking to yourself. You’re assumptions will only result with making an ass out of U, and an “’mption”.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
Not sure I want to come between you two on this one
But I will be honest to say that is kind-of how I was reading your comments in the “Stirring the shit pot” post below. Some of what I reacted to in my postings was indeed this assumption that you were putting yds/carry as most important.
Mathematically, if you use the weighted average, he’s a good runner, but he’s not the best in the Pac-10.
Your arguments about Brennan seemed to also be going this direction.
Anyway, not trying to take up CV’s arguments, (I’ll let him game-on with those!) but just letting you know some of my arguments were in response to my assumptions about your points.
-RVM
forgot this one
And this comment got me thinking that too:
I’m just saying some consideration needs to be taken in that he’s averaging a LOT more carries per game than any other back, and his average per carry isn’t All-Pac10 when you look at the other backs in the conference.
-RVM
I was not trying to make case for Blount or Johnson. Not by a mile. The snarky assumption that he could trace my thought pattern, and then set up a stupid strawman argument to make his case is what I had a problem with. Sure, Blount and Johnson should be factored in to the Pac-10 equation. Just like McKnight, Best, Gerhart, and Grigsby, who are all having pretty good seasons (save injuries), should be factored in.
I’m not saying I’m a proponent of judging every back by their average yards per carry. I was saying that you need to take into account the total carries with the fact that he has the most rushing yards. It’s pretty simple if you ask me. Someone that can rush the ball 350-400 times in a season shouldn’t automatically get labeled the best rusher in the conference because they have the most yards than anyone else. (By that measure, Matt Forté and Kevin Smith were a gods last season)
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
I think in the end
We are saying very similar things. Personally the whole your making the case for your backfield stuff is between you and CV.
My point is that I thought you made too much a case for the yds/carry as you thought others were making too much a case for total yards.
But in the end I think we can agree (I sure hope so!) that Quizz has a lot of excellent qualities in him as a player and that we are pretty excited to see where it all goes.
-RVM
You’ll have to excuse me. I don’t want to appear rude or anything – save I my “CV tolerance” is low. :-) I have a lot of respect for nearly everyone on this blog. I just thought things might have been getting a tad out of proportion. He definitely deserves some praise though.
I think the best gauge of performance is the S&P+, which I haven’t been able to calculate yet, as it takes time to input all the box scores.
I think Jacquizz has been a total steal, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by him. He’s made a lot out of nothing, and a lot of runs I’ve seen him, he’s reminded me a bit of a Reggie Bush. (He’s got that instant acceleration and rocket speed.)
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
Absolutely. Never had a problem. With anything you’ve said or discussed. :-)
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
Matt Forte is damn good in Chicago at least
Quizz and Jahvid Best get 50 yards from scrimmage per game more than any other backs in the conference. It’s one thing to have more carries and catches, but when it’s 50 yards a game more…then there’s an obvious disparity between them and others.
And both of them run out of very balanced, spread ace, not gimmicky-at-all offenses.
And Quizz is more durable and a much better pass blocker than Best, plus he hasn’t fumbled yet.
Other than that, he’s also dreamy.
Of course Forté is good. Quizz is good. Best is good. They are all good. I’m not arguing the fact that they aren’t good. My point, my whole point is that total yards isn’t the best indicator of talent. It’s a telling indicator – and it has value, but you have to look at the whole thing.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
Stirring the shit pot.
First, and foremost, Jacquizz has really made a huge splash. The guy is good – damned good. Possibly All-American Freshman.
Realistically though, he’s got a long way, and major competition for All-Pac10 talk, much less Heisman buzz.
Mathematically, if you use the weighted average, he’s a good runner, but he’s not the best in the Pac-10. While he’s had probably the best single-game performance, he hasn’t had the same spunk in all the games.
There are too many variables in the way to make it so clear-cut. But there are a few things to comment on.
First: I would hope that the player that’s been given the ball more than any other runner in the pac-10 (By 36 attempts), that he would be the league’s leading rusher.
Second: Due to Riley’s reluctance to split the rushing time, you have to take into consideration the USCs and the Oregons that run a tandem or committee running.
Third: The guy is ridiculous.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
you also should consider
that OSU actually has a passing game. not like the ducks. we can throw for more than 40 yards in a game. every game.
by orangetyler on Oct 15, 2008 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions
That still doesn’t answer USC, Cal… etc.
I wasn’t trying to compare UO and OSU. I’m just saying some consideration needs to be taken in that he’s averaging a LOT more carries per game than any other back, and his average per carry isn’t All-Pac10 when you look at the other backs in the conference.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
he gets carries because he can run the rock...
…if other backs were as good as him, then their coaches would call plays to put the ball in their hands as often as Danny Langsdorf does for Quizz. Would you have wanted Blount to have 37 carries against USC? Not unless you wanted zero more yards. Nine was plenty enough to see that he was running like my dead grandmother against that defense. Same thing with Jeremiah Johnson who was running like my living grandmother.
Jacquizz is NOT the only good player in this very balanced offense. Oregon State also has the leading passer in the conference, and 3 of the top 10 leading receivers.
Jahvid Best is the only back in the conference that you can put in the discussion with Quizz because they are both so versatile and productive. Right now Quizz and Best are equal, but Best had a lot of stats pile up in Cal’s gimme games at the beginning of the season, and he’s not very durable, so we’ll wait and see what happens to the pair’s production in the meat of the conference schedule.
http://cfbstats.com/2008/leader/905/player/split01/category28/sort01.html
Hey nobody laughed at UO when they were talking about JJ being in the Heisman talk
After his performances against UW and Utah State. Well, we didn’t laugh publicly anyways. Yes, he carries the ball 30-40 times a game. But he is still averaging 4-5 yards a carry. He’s a threat for a first down every time he touches the ball. Heisman talks are unrealistic. But let’s face it, the kid is a talent and will continue to be a talent for years to come.
I mean, he TORE USC apart. They couldn’t do anything to tackle him.
The Artist Formerly Known as OrState GoBeavs
I thought the Heisman talk was a bit silly then, and it clearly was now. Utah State – well.. he had one run and then got injured.
Quizz clearly destroyed USC, and they’ll be paranoid about him next year too. He hurt them so bad that USC was freaking out a bit prior to the “big bad rushing offense” of Oregon. And we got bitch slapped from that. Most of the rational duck fans knew we didn’t play anyone that would gauge our running O, so I was nervous before that game.
Jacquizz is definitely the real deal, and is a premier player in the Pac-10.
It's spelled "S-h-u-f-a-i-l"
It's hard to call a true freshman a premier player
But he is definitely a gamer. Even Joe McKnight struggled down at USC last year- he showed flashes of greatness, but had freshman mental errors. That is where I think the biggest thing for Quizz is- his mentality. He hasn’t fumbled or made any big mistakes yet, and I think that helps the kids confidence. If you can rush for 186 yards against USC, you can do anything. What will be interesting is to see how he responds to that first fumble, the first time he can only rush for 60 yards on 25 carries, etc. Does he bounce back or fall into the freshman head games once he realizes he is not invincible. So far, he has done everything right. But it won’t last forever. Even Chase Daniel threw for 3 picks last weekend, which has amounted to 75% of his total interceptions all year.
The Artist Formerly Known as OrState GoBeavs
by The VD Special on Oct 16, 2008 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Here's what I'm hoping for...
I’d like to see Quizz make a run at the 4 1000 yard rushing seasons that Kenny came so close to getting. I think his size helps here because there wont be the huge temptation to leave early for the NFL.
He’s got a ton of raw talent, but there are still a few areas he could improve upon. He doesn’t bounce it outside like you’d like to see when there’s no hole in the middle. He also doesn’t have that extra gear in the open field allowing him to run away from guys in the secondary.
It does look like McCants and Francis have some good talent, but I think they can be put to good use situationally, and I’m really comfortable with them as backups.
is there any possibility of McCants transferring away if he is going to be stuck behind Quiz for 4 years?
--Dominic
Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die." - J. Brady McCullough, The Michigan Daily.
There has been a lot of worry among here about that.
But there has been no mention of that from him or anyone around the program. Personally, I hope he stays, but he certainly may decide it’s in his best interest to go elsewhere.
I wish he would try out defensive end/LB like Demarcus Ware of the Cowboys. He played DE in high school.
by Cablinasian on Oct 16, 2008 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions
If that happens, it will be an all of a sudden thing
You don’t hear about those things in advance.
I think we will see more of McCants as the season goes on.
We don’t need him or want him playing defense. We just need to give him the ball more.
The obstacle he faces in getting more playing time is that he’s not as good of a pass blocker as Quizz.
I would love him to stay
As we all would, but no one could blame him if he left. He could be a starter at 7 other Pac 10 schools
The Artist Formerly Known as OrState GoBeavs
by The VD Special on Oct 17, 2008 3:19 AM PDT up reply actions
As Chris Berman says "HE COULD GO ALL THE WAY!"
Quizz’s stats speak for themselves. Here is a list of the few people he had more touchdowns in Texas High School Football: Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson, Therman Thomas, Craig James and hell I’ll even throw in LT and Adrien Petterson just because I know I can. Now you be the judge. Could he possibly be a new and improved Barry Sanders? I think YES! OSU fans get ready for 4 amazing years from Quizz. I drove over 17 hours and 1,000 miles to see Quizz do his fizzle in the state championship game! He’s amazing! For those who don’t know about Quizz, now you know.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Building The Dam
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Beavers Football Schedule
| Sacramento St. | Sat 09/03 | L 28 - 29 |
@
Wisconsin
|
Sat 09/10 | L 0 - 35 |
|
UCLA
|
Sat 09/24 | L 19 - 27 |
|
@
Arizona St.
|
Sat 10/01 | L 20 - 35 |
|
Arizona
|
Sat 10/08 | W 37 - 27 |
|
BYU
|
Sat 10/15 | L 28 - 38 |
|
@
Washington St.
|
Sat 10/22 | W 44 - 21 |
|
@
Utah
|
Sat 10/29 | L 8 - 27 |
|
Stanford
|
Sat 11/05 | L 13 - 38 |
|
@
California
|
Sat 11/12 | L 6 - 23 |
|
Washington
|
Sat 11/19 | W 38 - 21 |
|
@
Oregon
|
Sat 11/26 | L 21 - 49 |
