Reviewed the BTN2go OSU replay last night to get a better look at Rettig's throws in response to a question on a comment I made on another thread. Analyzed each throw below, just like many have done on Laviano's throws early in the year. After seeing replay of these throws I'm left wondering why some people were enamored with Rettigs performance on this day and felt it earned him a start . Maybe they all left the game and only saw the highlight of his long completion to Agudosi. Quite possible, since there were not many RU fans left there with me at the end of the game. In my view he made one good throw and the rest of his throws were below average or just bad. Feel free to go look yourself at the replay and confirm what I observed below. Even his completions were not well thrown.. .including the TD. If this is how he has typically performed like this in practice over the many months he and Laviano have been competing ... with a lack of precision and consistency, then there should be no surprise the coaching staff has opted for the other QB as the starter . But of course myself or no one else on this board has had that opportunity to view the bulk of what Rettig is capable or incapable of doing.
First series:
His first throw on 2nd down, occurred as he was being hit on a blitz, which clearly caused the errant throw and incompletion. Perhaps another QB may have seen the blitz coming and able to step up and avoid it.? Maybe not, but who knows ? Didn't look at that play too closely.
On 3rd and 7, at the 12:58mark, he threw to Agudosi down the left sideline. Rettig had time on this play, with no pressure and he clearly underthrew the receiver. Agudosi had a half step on the defender and had to slow down for the ball. This allowed the defender to close the gap and to make a play and knock it away. If Rettig had led him better he would possibly have maintained, or increased the gap on the defender and would have been able to complete the catch and taken it to the house or at least hit him in stride for a long completion. This was not an easy completion, but he had adequate protection and a good throw could have led to a TD or long completion.
Second Series:
At about RU's 30 yard line it was 3rd and 4... with 1:05left in the game. Rettig threw a short pass to Patton to the right, and completed the pass for the first down. Nice he completed this, but on closer look you can see Patton was heading toward the right sideline with the defense to his back. Rettig threw behind him and Patton had to turn his body around back toward the defenders to make the catch. Fortunately the defender wasn't close and he was able to make the catch, but not a good throw. Should have led him toward the sideline, especially since we were trying to preserve clock and get out of bounds on a completion.
On the long completion to Agudosi... nice throw, but not perfect. Watching the replay, a better throw could have led him a bit more and perhaps hit him in stride for a TD.
After the long completion to Agudosi, on first and goal play with :24 seconds left, Horrible throw. He severely overthrew the receiver heading towards the end zone. That throw came out like a wounded duck wobbling, and sailed what looked like ten feet over the receivers head. He was clearly not throwing it away, ....and they had a close up of him saying it was his bad.
Then on second and goal with :21 left, he had Arcidiacano open with a defender on his back running along the goal line toward the left sideline. The throw was not near the receiver as he could not even get his hand on it. The only defender was trailing Arch. and it was definitely a complete-able pass. This was a bad throw and a missed TD opportunity.
And reviewing the replay of the TD... that was actually not a very good throw either. Good enough for a TD in that spot, but far from a being a good throw. Heard people be critical of several of Laviano's throws like this over the past 2 months, so just being consistent. Watching it in person from my seat I could not see exactly where the ball was thrown and was just happy we scored. But, on the replay you could see the receiver was running from R to L along the end line with no defender in front of him. Not easy to see in the replay at full speed, because the early part of the route was cut off... but in slow speed you can clearly see, the pass did not lead him but was thrown behind him and forced the receiver to twist backwards to get to the ball. Defenders were behind him and fortunately it was not thrown that far behind him for a defendable throw or an INT.
Made one nice throw, but the others were nothing to write home about. Clearly Rettig will likely improve with more playing time, but in my mind, the performance on this day clearly did not elevate him to where he should jump over the current starter .. and still not sure where people were getting that impression.
First series:
His first throw on 2nd down, occurred as he was being hit on a blitz, which clearly caused the errant throw and incompletion. Perhaps another QB may have seen the blitz coming and able to step up and avoid it.? Maybe not, but who knows ? Didn't look at that play too closely.
On 3rd and 7, at the 12:58mark, he threw to Agudosi down the left sideline. Rettig had time on this play, with no pressure and he clearly underthrew the receiver. Agudosi had a half step on the defender and had to slow down for the ball. This allowed the defender to close the gap and to make a play and knock it away. If Rettig had led him better he would possibly have maintained, or increased the gap on the defender and would have been able to complete the catch and taken it to the house or at least hit him in stride for a long completion. This was not an easy completion, but he had adequate protection and a good throw could have led to a TD or long completion.
Second Series:
At about RU's 30 yard line it was 3rd and 4... with 1:05left in the game. Rettig threw a short pass to Patton to the right, and completed the pass for the first down. Nice he completed this, but on closer look you can see Patton was heading toward the right sideline with the defense to his back. Rettig threw behind him and Patton had to turn his body around back toward the defenders to make the catch. Fortunately the defender wasn't close and he was able to make the catch, but not a good throw. Should have led him toward the sideline, especially since we were trying to preserve clock and get out of bounds on a completion.
On the long completion to Agudosi... nice throw, but not perfect. Watching the replay, a better throw could have led him a bit more and perhaps hit him in stride for a TD.
After the long completion to Agudosi, on first and goal play with :24 seconds left, Horrible throw. He severely overthrew the receiver heading towards the end zone. That throw came out like a wounded duck wobbling, and sailed what looked like ten feet over the receivers head. He was clearly not throwing it away, ....and they had a close up of him saying it was his bad.
Then on second and goal with :21 left, he had Arcidiacano open with a defender on his back running along the goal line toward the left sideline. The throw was not near the receiver as he could not even get his hand on it. The only defender was trailing Arch. and it was definitely a complete-able pass. This was a bad throw and a missed TD opportunity.
And reviewing the replay of the TD... that was actually not a very good throw either. Good enough for a TD in that spot, but far from a being a good throw. Heard people be critical of several of Laviano's throws like this over the past 2 months, so just being consistent. Watching it in person from my seat I could not see exactly where the ball was thrown and was just happy we scored. But, on the replay you could see the receiver was running from R to L along the end line with no defender in front of him. Not easy to see in the replay at full speed, because the early part of the route was cut off... but in slow speed you can clearly see, the pass did not lead him but was thrown behind him and forced the receiver to twist backwards to get to the ball. Defenders were behind him and fortunately it was not thrown that far behind him for a defendable throw or an INT.
Made one nice throw, but the others were nothing to write home about. Clearly Rettig will likely improve with more playing time, but in my mind, the performance on this day clearly did not elevate him to where he should jump over the current starter .. and still not sure where people were getting that impression.
