UM picks Freeman ... for now

      [Updated Wednesday, 8-29: You'd click on the following to find today's column by me: Question isn't who starts. A better question: Is either guy any good?]

     Coach Randy Shannon, yesterday: "Kirby Freeman will be the starting quarterback for the Marshall game. We still consider Kyle [Wright] as a starter. You always need two quarterbacks." Shannon was asked if Freeman also would start Game 2 vs. Oklahoma. The question, like an errant pass, was deflected.

     So it's Freeman's job to lose. That's all the long-awaited announcement really means.

     What we know: That Wright or Freeman each would make a veteran, experienced backup. What we still don't know: Whether either guy is a great -- or even above average -- major-college quarterback.

     A few questions to chew on: How do you like Shannon's choice? What's your degree of confidence in Freeman? Do you feel like Wright, a two-year starter, is getting screwed? Do you consider Miami's QB situation firmly settled now or still up in the air?

Comments

[King Canes]

Cote,

Why do you even write a blog? The Herald must hold a gun to your head every time you publish this joke of a section. A five year old could replicate your effort.

[Cane Fan]

You must be a complete moron if you do not know by now whether Kyle Wright is a great or above-average major college quarterback. here's a hint - NO. The only one screwed is Canes Fans by this wimp.

[Canes02]

This is a no brainer just like you Cote! Can't Get Wright had 2 yrs to do it and couldn't pull it off. Time to step aside and let someone else try to do it.

I like this decision to start Kirby. Give this guy a chance, Kyle Wright had 2 years to do it and he failed to lead the team. If they both stink up the field then you choose the lesser of the two evils, Simple!

[Bad Bart]

Note that Kyle Wright started more games last year and had the same amount of TD as Kirby did in only 4 starts.

[imperium]

I posted this in another blog but after seeing the comments here I had to repost it.

Anyone who thinks Freeman should start is an idiot!! I would not blame Kyle at all if he left this program. This poor kid has been put through the ringer since Coker put him into a no win situation for no reason when he was a freshman. He has had to play under 4 different coordinators running three different offenses and has handled himself great through the whole debacle.

In contrast, when Freeman wanted to start a couple years ago and Wright won the starting job Freeman threatened to leave the team and everyone had to walk around on eggshells to try to keep him here because they didn't have anyone else to back up Wright.

You don't take a starter who has stared and lead the team for three years and then replace him as a senior unless the three year starter is horrible and the team is just waiting for some great qb to take his place.

Look at the stats. Freeman is a 50% passer who has thrown more pics than touchdowns (9 td's, 10pics)playing mostly against 3rd stringers when Miami had the game in hand. When he started he won 50% of his games. In contrast, Wright has thrown for a much higher completion percentage (60%, 10 points higher than Freeman) with his td's 53% higher than his pics (26td's to 17 pics).

This is the second idiotic move Shannon has made since he became coach. The first was hiring Nix to run a sandlot one-back offense which will cost us 2 games per year against good teams. We will start to lose good running backs and good drop back pro style quarterbacks because they want to play in a good system. The running backs want to have a full back blocking for them so they don't get killed and the top qb's want to get to the NFL and want to play in a pro-style offense.

I went to my first 'Cane game in '75 and have been a rabid fan ever since through thick and thin. This move makes me so angry I want to contact Shannon to tell him what an idiotic decision this is. Obviously that's not gonna happen but I am soooo frustrated. Again, all of these morons writing saying that Freeman deserves the starting position should not be allowed to watch the 'Canes. They sound like FSU fans who have no clue about college football.

[El Todopoderoso]

Cane Fan, you are 100% on point. Wright's performance screams for a benching.

Imperium is an idiot just for starting his point with an ad hominem.

Wright is not a leader, Freeman is and every UM QB has lived and died off of how the talent around him performs.

[Cane Fan]

I think imperium is Kyle's daddy. Wright had great games against who imperium? Duke and the other patsies. Any decent team he folded like a pup tent. Kirby Freeman is the best experienced QB on the team. He showed a lot more guts than Kyle ever did.
Got to move forward. Coach Shannon will replace Kirby if he can't do it either, but don't bet against him. Tell your boy to transfer to Howie's team in Boca.

[yeyo2nite]

Come from behind wins when down at the half:

Kyle Wright = 0
Kirby Freeman = 1 (BC 2006)

thanks for playing.

Kyle never had the testicular fortitude to comeback after being down at the half.

End of Story. LOL @ Kyle Wright apologists

[NOLEFAN]

Does is even matter which QB starts?

[Coach]

Do any of you really think that Coach Shannon would play this kid if he did not think he could win with him. And if you want to know about how creative Patrick Nix is or will be, talk to Chan Galley--this young man CAN COACH.

[woof woof]

What has Wright done to deserve to be the automatic starter, Cote? I don't think he's getting screwed. He's no Ken Dorsey (former great UM QB)

[billb]

Freeman deserves the chance to start. I've heard he was far better (and had a better attitude) throughout the summer. Give him a chance. Personally, I think Kyle Wright and his obnoxious father are prima donnas.

[E]

I think Greg Cote and his boyfriend Dan Lebatard are prima donnas

[Hassan]

another master piece by Cote.

look truth is both point are valid. Both these QB's have warts. Marve need's to heal so hecan get some experience this year. And Kyle wright should not pout because he has been the one on the field and he has had Alot more talent then some guys in college and done alot less with it. so the fact he will not make in on a NFL roster is really his fault. There is no way watching film anyone would want this kid, and what happens on the field was up to him not coaches.

[Parrot Head in Paradise]

When will Cote write something of substance? Will Cote take up singing full time? Who invented liquid soap and why?
I never post here.. but the kindergarten like writing of yours demanded a similar like post. BTW you are of the ilk of not reading the comments of the lower class readers. Stick to singing.

[swerve4canes]

Lets focus on the obvious. Kirby is not hurt right now, Kyle is. As it is, Kyle cant avoid any rush what so ever. Will that improve with a bum knee? The fact that he has had several new coordinators is a bit commend. However, you would think, with all that experience, and Kirby having been through 2 of the 3 changes, Kyle would have hands down outperformed him in an open camp. The fact that he did not ought to tell you about either his character or lack of it.

Imperium are you serious? You realize that the colts, rams (marshal faulk era), patriots, and chargers run a 1 back system offense most of the time? Not that they won superbowls or have been successful recently. A 1 back system allows you to create more mismatches. Do you even watch pro football? Your remark about the offense itself allows me to think your an angry FSU fan, knowing you will lose this year. Kyle was FSU's meal ticket. =P

I think the real note here is that, while he deserves to be angry, the fact that he ducked the press, proves he cant handle adversity. That is why he never got out of 2nd or 3rd and long situations. What he should do is congradulate Kirby, get healthy and get ready to play. Its a long season. I just cant say that UM fans should have to watch open recievers not get the ball or him taking sacks as opposed to throwing it away, all in the name of "his senoir year". After all, now that you are a senior, maybe you should play, step up, and lead like 1.

[Eddie Cane]

Kyle should have been the starter.

Look at the turmoil he's been through with the coaching changes.

Kyle has not lived up to his potential but only because (as you KF lovers like to point out) you live and die with the talent around you. The past coach DID NOT know how to use that talent (Hester).

Kirby, with his reckless play will lose games for us. Kyle may not be able to take over a game but he won't lose them by himself either. I hope like Cote said, it is only for now. When Kyle gets healthy, maybe he can come in and do what he needs to do.

[Testoretta]

From what I've seen, Kirby is better at running to the sidelines than he is at throwing to them, but let's go with the guy that causes defenses more confusion.

[NorthernNY Cane]

As much as the U & Kyle fans won't admit it, Wright has been hobbled by a knee - causing him to miss a scrimmage...not good news for a guy who struggles to evade rushers when he's healthy.

Bottom line: The coaches had two choices: Look to the past for a starter, or go by the body of work that they saw during camp.
They chose the later.

If Kyle has learned anything in 4+ yrs at the U, then he needs to take this like a man and get his mind & body ready to LEAD. If Kirby falters Randy won't hesitate to call his number.

[ChicagoCane]

This isn't Larry Coker coaching this team. If Kirby is starting it is because he outplayed Kyle in the Spring, the Summer, and the Fall. All this talk about stats and how each ran Coker's stupid, predictable offense is irrelevant. This is Randy Shannon's team and Randy Shannon's offense, and if he picked Kirby it's because he won the competition. That's what being a Cane means, and what Shannon knows. Only Coker would assign starting spots based on the number of years in the program.

[big "D"]

Kirby, Kyly??? does it really matter? For those people who know FOOTBALL!!! It doesn't matter if you have Dan Marino as QB if you don't have a solid oline to block for you. People let's get this straight, as long as the U have a weak Oline, it doesn't matter who passes or run, there are not going to do a darn thing. I just hope Coach Shannon bring in some bulldosers to help the skill guys do their thing...!!!!

[Seb919]

Imperium, you're the idiot. Apparently, you know better than Shannon, who has been through literal hell in life to succeed in all facets of football, with rings to prove it. What the hell makes you think you know better? FACT: KW had his chance, and didn't deliver. FACT: KW had yet ANOTHER chance this summer and didn't deliver. If he had produced at ALL, he would be starting!!!

At worst, Freeman will fail miserably and KW will be back, but at least Freeman was given a shot. We can't get worse than last year when (surprise!) KW was at the helm most of the year.

This isn't Coker's "now now, don't cry, you can play" policy here. You work hard to win the job, period. If you lose, you didn't do enough.

[Dave Dunn]

It doesn't matter who takes the snap. We're in for another mediocre season Cane Fans. Nothing has changed on this team except the guys carrying the whistles. A walk on placekicker? Are you freaking kidding me? That's the best we could do? And, neither of these QB's have lived up to their expectations.
With the new offensive scheme implementing a one back offense Kirby Freeman is the only choice. Wright can't find his way out of the backfield with a convoy. Without a blocking back, he'd lead the country alright... in lost yardage.
My prediction, 7-5. Bring on Marve...

[Robdog]

Guys,

Lets remember who both of the quarterbacks were dealing with Loser Larry and his ingenious offensive mind.

I think that whoever Randy puts out there is going to be great. I hope the new offensive coordinator is good, he will make the difference with either quarterback if he is good just look at our old freind bobby. No one could stop the FSU offensive juggernaut except maybe the great UM defenses, and he ran his team into the ground in the recent past.

With the right coaching and system I believe either guy will produce, but I am happy that Kirby got the nod since it seems that he has more upside than Kyle with his ability to improvise and not get sacked and the ability for the coordinator to call some clever plays like QB draws to mix it up as well.

I think that the U is going in the right direction and GO CANES.

[the shadow knows]

robdog,

"loser larry"? how many games did he lose in his few seasons, including last year's total disaster? john mckay was a tremendous college coach, but he went 6-4-1 two years running.

[canenomore]

Just another of Randy's "I'm such a tough guy" antics. Starting Kirby over Kyle. They are both good, with different styles of play. Kyle's starting position did not deserve to be yanked before the first game of the season. Hang in there Kyle. You'll be back in there soon.

[CanefaninNC]

Miami WILL NOT return to national prominence until they get a real quality QB. Neither Wright or Freeman have the qualifications. We'll do fine against the Marshall's of the football world, but against OKC, VT or any other REAL football program.....Forget it...Shannon is just kidding himself and he knows it.

[steve]

i think i like cam but what about starting a movement for marty (schottenheimer)??
steve