Wisconsin vs. Illinois game thread

[worm81]

I heard the announcers say that Mertz is a life long Packers fan. Hadn't heard that before. Something additional to like about him.

[pacopete4]

It still ticks me off that Coan (who is a normally fine Badger QB) played over him last year but even more so that the Badgers were going to start him over this kid this season. Absolute madness.

Coan would start for all but about 15 DI schools. He's a very good QB... but Mertz is just a whole 'nother level.

 

Sorry but this isn’t true. Top 15? No way. Either way, this Mertz guy wouldnt be playing even though anyone with eyeballs can see that he’s clearly the superior player.

[bjkrautk]

I don’t think Mr. Coan will be getting his job back. What a first half for Mertz.

 

I've taken to calling him Coan-y Pipp ever since the injury.

While I expected Mertz to be good....I didn't expect this good this quickly.

[wildcat83]

Patrick Mahomes is tweeting about him, I think he’s drawn some attention, lol.

[LouisEly]

Sorry but this isn’t true. Top 15? No way. Either way, this Mertz guy wouldnt be playing even though anyone with eyeballs can see that he’s clearly the superior player.

He was tied for 19th in the nation (with Sam Ehlinger) last year in passer rating, and at least four of the guys ahead of him are in the NFL. Only Fields and Morgan in the Big Ten were ahead of him and if Coan was on Minnesota I'd bet he would start over Morgan. Put Coan in Minnesota's offense and he'd have better numbers than Morgan.

[pacopete4]

Sorry but this isn’t true. Top 15? No way. Either way, this Mertz guy wouldnt be playing even though anyone with eyeballs can see that he’s clearly the superior player.

He was tied for 19th in the nation (with Sam Ehlinger) last year in passer rating, and at least four of the guys ahead of him are in the NFL. Only Fields and Morgan in the Big Ten were ahead of him and if Coan was on Minnesota I'd bet he would start over Morgan. Put Coan in Minnesota's offense and he'd have better numbers than Morgan.

 

Sorry. Just don’t buy it. His passer rating was boosted by a very conservative passing attack that allowed for a higher completion percentage than if he would’ve been asked to throw the ball. I don’t think Coan is/was terrible. He just isn’t in the upper echelon of college QBs. This guy playing tonight will be. And it was a farce that he would’ve been held back by this coaching staff.

[yourout]

That's a enough of the Jack Dunn wide receiver screen for the evening.

[worm81]

The oline and RBs have looked pretty bad.

[LouisEly]

Sorry. Just don’t buy it. His passer rating was boosted by a very conservative passing attack that allowed for a higher completion percentage than if he would’ve been asked to throw the ball. I don’t think Coan is/was terrible. He just isn’t in the upper echelon of college QBs. This guy playing tonight will be. And it was a farce that he would’ve been held back by this coaching staff.

The conservative offense hurt him as much as it helped him because yards and TDs are a big component of passer rating.

 

I watch enough college football to see that for all but about 15 or so teams he would start. You only see the big-time schools on national TV, and other than those top 15 schools he's as good or better than anybody else. Please name who he wouldn't start for, at least in the Big Ten.

[yourout]

The oline and RBs have looked pretty bad.

+1....oline in particular getting pushed around quite a bit.

[yourout]

They have no one carrying the ball that can break a tackle.

That was one of the things that made Taylor so special is that in the open field it was rare when one guy could bring him down.

[pacopete4]

Sorry. Just don’t buy it. His passer rating was boosted by a very conservative passing attack that allowed for a higher completion percentage than if he would’ve been asked to throw the ball. I don’t think Coan is/was terrible. He just isn’t in the upper echelon of college QBs. This guy playing tonight will be. And it was a farce that he would’ve been held back by this coaching staff.

The conservative offense hurt him as much as it helped him because yards and TDs are a big component of passer rating.

 

I watch enough college football to see that for all but about 15 or so teams he would start. You only see the big-time schools on national TV, and other than those top 15 schools he's as good or better than anybody else. Please name who he wouldn't start for, at least in the Big Ten.

 

Ohio State

Penn State

Minnesota

 

He’s probably right around the QB from Michigan.

 

 

I think the homerism is showing true here.

[LouisEly]

He was slightly better than Clifford last year, and neither Clifford nor Morgan had Jonathan Taylor in the backfield taking away passing attempts. I'd still argue that if you put Coan in Minnesota's offense he'd outplay Morgan - just re-watch the Minnesota game last year and Coan outplayed Morgan by a mile. It wasn't even close.

 

Give Coan two NFL WRs and no Jonathan Taylor and he'd blow away Morgan. And Michigan's QBs are terrible. McCaffrey may be better if he develops, but sure isn't right now.

[pacopete4]

He was slightly better than Clifford last year, and neither Clifford nor Morgan had Jonathan Taylor in the backfield taking away passing attempts. I'd still argue that if you put Coan in Minnesota's offense he'd outplay Morgan - just re-watch the Minnesota game last year and Coan outplayed Morgan by a mile. It wasn't even close.

 

Give Coan two NFL WRs and no Jonathan Taylor and he'd blow away Morgan.

 

One would argue that Taylor helped him. Teams loaded the box and allowed Coan to have more success. Couple that with a lot of safer type throws and you get yourself a Badger QB. I think he’s on the higher end of the Badger QB spectrum. Just not nearly as high as you are with him nationally. Never happy about an injury but this one comes close. It was a shame that Coan was just going to be handed the job for a second season in a row.

[wildcat83]

Last two drives the running game looked like it wore out the IL front. No homeruns but they consistently got push up front. Solid 4th quarter for that group after being held in check early.

[yourout]

While I love what mertz is doing he has had some of the easiest touchdown passes in the history of college football tonight.

[LouisEly]

And one for the thumb.

 

Have a day, Graham Mertz.

[PinaMadness]

Pour it on! No mercy.

[MrTPlush]

While I love what mertz is doing he has had some of the easiest touchdown passes in the history of college football tonight.

 

Yah, he has been good and made some great accurate throws...but Illinois has been absolutely terrible and they haven’t challenged him at all.

 

I think Mertz is worth all the hype and think he will live up to expectations...even this year, but let’s see him face a defense that will actually challenge him a bit more.

[PinaMadness]

That was disappointing.

[wildcat83]

There have been a lot of big contributions from freshmen tonight. Bright future for sure!

[homer]

That was fun. Hard to judge after one game but I think Illinois was supposed to have a decent defense and UW just steamrolled them for the most part. UW did hardly any pre snap motion in the 1st half which had me worried but then they did a lot in the 2nd half. I love the jet sweep action and I'm glad they actually ran it a few times to get it on film early in the year so teams have to respect it.

[HiAndTight]

While I love what mertz is doing he has had some of the easiest touchdown passes in the history of college football tonight.

 

 

Well, that's a given. But he has also put the ball right where it's needed to go on a few occasions. Of course the PA's on the goal line are throws Hornibrook could have made(though he deserves some credit for selling the fake). He also dropped in an NFL type throw to Ferguson on the sideline(I think it was Ferguson, whoever it was, he dropped it right in there).

 

He was flawless when guys were wide open, but also hit guys in stride and didn't come close to making a mistake. Pretty much the perfect game for a young, highly touted QB.

 

He was also pressured at times and instead of looking at the rush, kept his eyes downfield and made the throws.

 

Even when it looks easy, there are still things you can take away.

[nate82]

The TD he threw before the half ended even in the NFL at times that ball is over or under thrown to the WR even when they are wide open. That was a nice pass and he hit the receiver in stride down the field that is not something that happens with Badger QB's even Wilson had trouble doing that.

[HiAndTight]

He was slightly better than Clifford last year, and neither Clifford nor Morgan had Jonathan Taylor in the backfield taking away passing attempts. I'd still argue that if you put Coan in Minnesota's offense he'd outplay Morgan - just re-watch the Minnesota game last year and Coan outplayed Morgan by a mile. It wasn't even close.

 

Give Coan two NFL WRs and no Jonathan Taylor and he'd blow away Morgan. And Michigan's QBs are terrible. McCaffrey may be better if he develops, but sure isn't right now.

 

 

Agreed. If you put him on a team that threw the ball more and had two big, athletic threats on the outside(including one who's a projected top 10 pick by some) he would have been more productive IMO.

 

Plus...it's not like Minnesota didn't have a rushing attack. They had 3 backs who averaged 5 YPC, a guy who went for ~1200 another for 600 and a 3rd for 400.

 

I feel like people forget that Jim Sorgi and Scott Tolzien were both among the top 15-20 best QB's in the country(if not higher) and they spent a combined 13 years in the NFL...and neither were "projected" to be NFL draft picks are as highly regarded at this point in their careers. Coan is rated ahead of Morgan and behind only Fields and Clifford in at least one services rankings.

 

 

So it's certainly not an outlandish argument to say he'd start for all of 15 D-1 teams and I doubt you meant exactly and literally 15 teams. Maybe it's 18 maybe 14...the underlying point was he is a very good QB. Mertz is just on another level in terms of talent and upside.