FB: Duke 38, NCSU 20 (woot!)

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

(I don't think this comment is off-limits)... Could Boone still have after-effects from the earlier injury? After all, he started in a game after the injury in which he wasn't expected to play at all...

This is certainly possible. Neither he nor Brandon have had a full, normal season to develop normally. Injuries have interrupted their development during the season.

[Newton_14]

Or, perhaps, avoided suggesting that opposing viewpoints are not only wrong, but altogether insupportable. It was not the opinion I took exception with, but the degree with which the opposing opinion was dismissed, and with a level of reasoning we might call hand-wavy. Thus all I really wanted to show was that there was even a glimmer of evidence that my opinion was reasonable, which I did by pulling some of the worst of Connette's worst. Perhaps I didn't do as well of a job as I would have hoped.

TL/DR:
person A) boone has been bad, connette has been great: unimaginable to start boone!
person B) hold on one second, connette has been bad too, one can still make a case for boone

FWIW, I got where you were going in your original post. That being, it is not clear cut either way. I think one thing we all can agree on is, if we don't get better QB play from somebody, in our next 4 games, than we just got in our last two games, we have a great chance to finish 1-3 from here on out. No one wants that. Miami is struggling but still has enough talent to beat us if our offense can't get back on track. Wake is capable, and it would be similar to the State game if our QB's struggle like they have recently, and UNC has suddenly figured out how to play FB again. We will have a hard time there even with good QB play.

I still think the offense is more dangerous overall if we have the good/great version of Anthony Boone behind center. Not sure what is going on with him, but we need him to figure it out fast and get back on his game. With as good as our defense is playing now, we can beat anyone left if our offense get's back on track. I like Connette a lot, but I just think as a full time QB, Boone has better throwing talent. I do love the "Connette Package" inside the 10, and in 4th and short situations. The guy is just an unbelieveable runner. That cutback Saturday to literally will himself into the endzone was one heck of a play. I am not sure any other QB in the nation would have had the guts to try it. 99.9% would have stayed committed to the outside line Brandon was taking at the time, and most would not have gotten in. I watched the replay several times, and I think he may well have gotten in had he stayed the course, but it would have been tough. I am not sure that people realize the degree of difficulty there on the cutback. I thought he was toast.

As I told a couple of State buddies today at work, if we had gotten the "good Anthony Boone" the last two games, we would have certainly blown out both Va Tech and NC State in laughers. I fully believe that. This team is knocking on the door of something special. One of both of our QB's need to finish the year strong, playing the type of Football both are capable of playing.

The good thing? We have one of the best QB Coaches on the planet to help them figure it out.

[uh_no]

I'm not sure why, but the offense just seems to respond better when Connette is in the game lately.

the numbers seem to tell a different story on that front

3 plays, 31 yards, fumble
3 plays 0 yds punt
3 plays 5 yards punt
6 plays 26 yards punt

Connette's first 4 drives.

I certainly understand the emotional argument...connette had the big 4th down TD a few weeks ago, and then had the drive when we needed it today...but does boone get that conversion? or does he go on a drive as the NCSU defense tires? nobody knows.

[devildeac]

A victory good enough to get one of the nurses I work with to abandon the Pack this year (in the middle of the game!) and start wearing Pantome 287 and hats with blue and/or white horns.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

FWIW, I got where you were going in your original post. That being, it is not clear cut either way. I think one thing we all can agree on is, if we don't get better QB play from somebody, in our next 4 games, than we just got in our last two games, we have a great chance to finish 1-3 from here on out. No one wants that. Miami is struggling but still has enough talent to beat us if our offense can't get back on track. Wake is capable, and it would be similar to the State game if our QB's struggle like they have recently, and UNC has suddenly figured out how to play FB again. We will have a hard time there even with good QB play.

I still think the offense is more dangerous overall if we have the good/great version of Anthony Boone behind center. Not sure what is going on with him, but we need him to figure it out fast and get back on his game. With as good as our defense is playing now, we can beat anyone left if our offense get's back on track. I like Connette a lot, but I just think as a full time QB, Boone has better throwing talent. I do love the "Connette Package" inside the 10, and in 4th and short situations. The guy is just an unbelieveable runner. That cutback Saturday to literally will himself into the endzone was one heck of a play. I am not sure any other QB in the nation would have had the guts to try it. 99.9% would have stayed committed to the outside line Brandon was taking at the time, and most would not have gotten in. I watched the replay several times, and I think he may well have gotten in had he stayed the course, but it would have been tough. I am not sure that people realize the degree of difficulty there on the cutback. I thought he was toast.

As I told a couple of State buddies today at work, if we had gotten the "good Anthony Boone" the last two games, we would have certainly blown out both Va Tech and NC State in laughers. I fully believe that. This team is knocking on the door of something special. One of both of our QB's need to finish the year strong, playing the type of Football both are capable of playing.

The good thing? We have one of the best QB Coaches on the planet to help them figure it out.

When you think about this question of QB health and performance, think back to Ryan Kelly's return to the basketball team last year. He had an out of this world performance his first game back and was not able to rise to that level again. I mention this to say that Anthony came back sooner than expected because Brandon was injured. He had a fantastic game. After that he has needed to catch up in all the development he missed while out. Then consider Brandon who was developing to a pretty high level before that injury after practice eventually caused him to take himself out of the Navy game just before kickoff. His rhythm and development were interrupted. Now they both are trying to get reestablished on the field.

I don't know what we'll see Saturday, but I look forward to it with some optimism... this is not the past!

[Wander]

Brandon Connette has the 16th highest quarterback ranking in the country. He had a bad game vs Pitt in terms of interceptions, but he has shown an outstanding arm and lately, his decision making has been excpetional.

Connette is also poised to become Duke's all-time rushing touchdown king. No telling what he could do if he was any good at anything. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of Duke Football!

Connette's stats are inflated by how Cutcliffe uses him - i.e., often subbing him into the game in goal-to-go situations when Boone or Renfree drove down the field. I'm not complaining about that strategy or suggesting that Connette is a bad player - I'd probably lean toward starting him to be honest - but these types of stats aren't good indicators.

[jjasper0729]

...I watched the second half of the VT game and the second half of the NCSU game. And Boone just looked really bad. I don't think there is a way to really describe it any other way. When Connette came in, he looked so much better: passing accuracy, passing to the appropriate player, and toughness. His one bad fumble was really good D by NCSU.

I respectfully have to disagree with the bolded statement. When they showed the replay (and I rewatched it on watchespn), he had shifted the ball from his left arm to his right arm and he flat out dropped the ball as the tackler was wrapping up his legs. It wasn't punched out or stripped. He just dropped it.

[killerleft]

Connette's stats are inflated by how Cutcliffe uses him - i.e., often subbing him into the game in goal-to-go situations when Boone or Renfree drove down the field. I'm not complaining about that strategy or suggesting that Connette is a bad player - I'd probably lean toward starting him to be honest - but these types of stats aren't good indicators.

I would agree that stats are very often used incorrectly. But the 16th ranked passer in the land, who also scores rushing touchdowns at an alarming rate, has something special going for him. He's not a gifted quarterback, but Coach Cut uses him liberally. He's not a gifted runner, but Coach Cut uses him liberally. He's just one of those guys who consistently produces at a higher level than his skillset indicates he will.

If you looked back at many of the players who scored lots of touchdowns through the years, they were used just as Connette is used at Duke. Lots of them were fullbacks or specialty backs.

I highlighted the stat from mike88 and my own observation to point out that Brandon Connette is on the field for a reason. He just gets things done. I'd give him the start, but that's just a fan yapping like everybody else. I'm perfectly fine with Boone coming back, but we need the confident and decisive Boone, the one who follows his instincts and follows through when he throws the ball. I wonder, too, if he still isn't recovered fully, though.

[mike88]

Connette's stats are inflated by how Cutcliffe uses him - i.e., often subbing him into the game in goal-to-go situations when Boone or Renfree drove down the field. I'm not complaining about that strategy or suggesting that Connette is a bad player - I'd probably lean toward starting him to be honest - but these types of stats aren't good indicators.

The NCAA passing efficiency is ((8.4 x yards) + (330xTDs) + (100xcompletions) - (200xINT)) / Attempts.

Looking at that you might see how Connette's stats could be inflated by his usage (particularly for passing touchdowns), but this year (and his 16th rated efficiency is for this year only), he has spent a good bit of time as the sole quarterback (and for the Navy game, he was out, so he didn't get the usage "advantage there).

Here are the numbers:
Games Eff Completions/ Attempts/ INT % Yards TDs Avg Yards
Anthony Boone 6 117.4 99-159-9 62.3 1061 5 176.8
Brandon Connette 8 156.8 83-131-6 63.4 1128 12 141.0

Doing a quick scan of the box scores, Connette had a short (<10 yards) TD pass vs NCCU; another one vs Pitt, and two vs Troy - only in the NCCU game was that "special usage"
Boone had a short one vs Navy (when Connette was out) and one vs UVA
So I don't think we can attribute the differences just to usage in the red zone (Connette often runs it in, and that doesn't affect passing efficiency)

BC has had more touchdown passes; Boone has had more interceptions. Connette has more yards per completion (13.6 vs 10.7)- completion % is the same.

Before Boone's injury, I would have rated him a much better passer, but BC really stepped up his game after the interceptions at Pitt.