I don't think he was every ready in '23. Specifically against Purdue he was calling some plays but wasn't doing it quickly enough. At one point you can see Day lose it and say something like "give me the fucking sheet, I'll do it."
Maybe he's ready now, but the answer isn't hoping he is. If you don't want Kelly back, you have to go out and get someone else. I don't want to jettison him into the sun yet because I'm not sure how much anyone can do with your top 2 OL out and your QB playing poorly. To use the WRs you still need a QB who could put together a drive and whether he was slightly concussed or just bad, Howard got worse and worse as the game went on.
Did Howard get worse? He very well may have, but the only bright spot really was right before halftime. I went back and looked after reading your post, we threw more than I thought after watching it again.
Drive 1: we move the ball, kick 3
End of 1st Q.
Drive 2: starting on our 3 or 4, after we had a 4th down stand, we run, run, and throw a pick.
Drive 3: Howard hurt, comes back in, missed FG
Drive 4: Forced to throw, TD drive
End of 2nd Q.
Drive 5: starting at our own 6: run, run (some boos), pass for 1st down. Pass for another 1st down. Run, pass deflected, screen pass/dump off for a 1st down across the 50. Incomplete pass, wr screen, pass thrown late and behind Ebuka it's now 4th down. We punt and pin them down to the 5.
We hold em, we get ball back on their side of the 50.
Drive 6: big run gain of 17, 1st down. Run, run, pass for a 1st down. Run, run, interception.
Caleb Downs INT.
Drive 7: run, bootleg right throwback to TE left for a loss - now its 3rd and 10 - HB delay. Missed FG.
End of 3rd Q.
Sawyer INT.
Drive 8: Run bounced outside gain of 5, pass dropped by Tate, Howard scrambles comes up 1 yard short. 4th and 1, punt.
Drive 9: After a series of unfortunate events, we have no timeouts and 45 seconds left, down on the scoreboard. We go incomplete, complete on a check down, incomplete, incomplete.
Game.