QB/WR Terrelle Pryor ('10 Rose, '11 Sugar MVP)

[1926Buckeyes]

I was just rewatching the game and I also noticed that Pryors left shoulder pad was slightly odd. The entire game, including the pregame, it looked like his shoulder pad was stuck on his jersey causing it to be slightly elevated. Ray Small tried to fix it but it seemed like Pryor pushed him off as if it was purposely that way.
I don't know, but something definitely seemed off with him running out of bounds and not showing much emotion the entire game. Lack of a deep ball attempt and the off the mark throws is just weird, even for his freshman arm.

Agree, although I don't want to make excuses for Pryor (and I know that's not waht you're trying to do). Don't think we're going to get an official answer either way though.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Do you think he was instructed by the coaching staff to run out of bounds to avoid contact? I lost count of the number of times that he could have gotten 3-5 extra yards if he had taken 1-2 more strides. I can't wait for next season when he does take those extra strides.

you lost count after 2?

 

[billmac91]

you lost count after 2?

2 to many....I'm curious.

I characterized it as bizarre to a friend who couldn't watch the game.

 

[hawaiianbuckeye]

TP did have Phil 3:14 for the 1st time and had Phil 4:13 almost all the other times. Boom wears Phil 4:13 as does Tebow. James had Gal 2:20 for the Fiesta.

Regarding Pryor being injured. It's funny reading all the message boards suggesting he was hurt prior to the game and the staff covered up the injury and keeping him out of Media Day etc. If he hurt his arm (which he said he did...he "rolled" it) it happened early in the game. He was throwing fine and DEEP all during warmups.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I'm still saying that on every poor throw, the problem wasn't with his arm at all. It was with his feet. He wasn't setting his feet much at all. Hell, the one incomplete pass to Brandon Smith, iirc, was about ten to fifteen yards down field, and TP didn't even move his arm. He flicked his wrist. The dude has the arm, and I fully expect the problems with his footwork to be resolved before next season.

 

[Kickdown02]

you lost count after 2?

Yes, there were multiple runs where extra yards were there for the taking. Those yards will be taken next season.

 

[OHSportsFan]

I'm still saying that on every poor throw, the problem wasn't with his arm at all. It was with his feet. He wasn't setting his feet much at all. Hell, the one incomplete pass to Brandon Smith, iirc, was about ten to fifteen yards down field, and TP didn't even move his arm. He flicked his wrist. The dude has the arm, and I fully expect the problems with his footwork to be resolved before next season.

Exactly. He was afraid to step into his throws. O-Line didn't give him much time and so he started thinking he had to get rid of it quickly, didn't set his feet.

Most of this year was done with Pryor simply being a GREAT athlete. So much more to come when his skills are refined, which is saying something because he gave us a lot.

Also, I only felt he went out of bounds early once (the first drive) and in that case...it was REALLY bad. After that, none of the other times (what? 2 or 3 other plays that ended with him o.o.b?) looked out of the ordinary for a QB in a football game. I think people are giving him a raw deal because of his first bad decision.

 

[BUCKYLE]

Yes, there were multiple runs where extra yards were there for the taking. Those yards will be taken next season.

I remember two. I also remember after those two, he dove for the first down marker with a defender diving at him. I'm really trying to remember others, but I can't.

 

[JXC]

I thought his arm motion looked different in the bowl game. To me it looked like something wasn't right with his shoulder, especially on his follow thru, and he ended up underthrowing many short range to mid range passes. Then it popped into my head that maybe this is why Boeckman was in the gameplan so much. I thought Pryor threw the ball pretty well this year...especially for a Freshman. His accuracy isn't what it's going to need to be yet, but I thought he did alright. i thought his decision making and ability to stay in the pocket and find the open reciever were his weaknesses during the season. Something was off with this throwing motion during the bowl game. He looked different than he had all year, and it wasn't becaues of the pressure or anything, because Pryor has been GREAT at throwing on the run when rolling out of the pocket all year. To me he just didn't look 100%. Obviously running the ball he did. His feel for the game and ability to be a game changer really excites me. If he can find the open reciever and pass smart and accurately, then I think it's possible he ends up being a better QB than Troy was, and I say this not just for his speed, but his ability to have a 'feel' for the game that I thought Troy didn't have until late in his Junior year.

On a side note, i'm writing this in the car on I-75 in georgia on my way to Florida for my grandmothers 100th birthday party. Her actually birthday was today. Pretty cool, huh?

 

[morbitzerker]

I thought his arm motion looked different in the bowl game. To me it looked like something wasn't right with his shoulder, especially on his follow thru, and he ended up underthrowing many short range to mid range passes. Then it popped into my head that maybe this is why Boeckman was in the gameplan so much. I thought Pryor threw the ball pretty well this year...especially for a Freshman. His accuracy isn't what it's going to need to be yet, but I thought he did alright. i thought his decision making and ability to stay in the pocket and find the open reciever were his weaknesses during the season. Something was off with this throwing motion during the bowl game. He looked different than he had all year, and it wasn't becaues of the pressure or anything, because Pryor has been GREAT at throwing on the run when rolling out of the pocket all year. To me he just didn't look 100%. Obviously running the ball he did. His feel for the game and ability to be a game changer really excites me. If he can find the open reciever and pass smart and accurately, then I think it's possible he ends up being a better QB than Troy was, and I say this not just for his speed, but his ability to have a 'feel' for the game that I thought Troy didn't have until late in his Junior year.

On a side note, i'm writing this in the car on I-75 in georgia on my way to Florida for my grandmothers 100th birthday party. Her actually birthday was today. Pretty cool, huh?

It sounds pretty dangerous.

But I agree that Pryor's passing wasn't there in the Fiesta like it was during the regular season. And I did think the left shoulder pad looked odd and I thought that he maybe had his non throwing shoulder bandaged, for whatever reason. His ability to get the corner and make a cut is tremendous, and his catch was just another highlight of his abilities. It looked like he was rebounding a basketball, it's actually a really athletic catch and is now my background. What a player.

 

[bukIpower]

I'll raise the issue since no one has.

Do any of ya'll think it's possible that he had great numbers because he only threw the ball 15 times a game? Now yes, something looked off with Pryor this game as far as his passing went. However, his running effectiveness also looked better than usual too. This game he definately reminded me of a young Vince Young.

What herbie said though NEEDS to happen. If i'm him I make every throw everyday, NUMEROUS times. He's going to be fine but I must say I thought after the NW game he really didn't play all that well passing wise. I think its just inexperience and thinking WAY too much.

 

[GoodLifeSean]

Definately agree with the thinking thing... I think any of us that played on any organized level of sport... Thought can sometimes be the greatest enemy. TP will be fine once things start to slow down and just flows.

 

[JXC]

It sounds pretty dangerous.

But I agree that Pryor's passing wasn't there in the Fiesta like it was during the regular season. And I did think the left shoulder pad looked odd and I thought that he maybe had his non throwing shoulder bandaged, for whatever reason. His ability to get the corner and make a cut is tremendous, and his catch was just another highlight of his abilities. It looked like he was rebounding a basketball, it's actually a really athletic catch and is now my background. What a player.

I wasn't driving...obviously. I am with family driving from come C-bus. Headed to Lake Worth, FL.

 

[schwab]

I am late to this thread, and missed over 130 pages of the game thread.

I am going off of what I have actually gotten to, and some of it confirms what I was thinking as the early part of the game was being played.

The shoulder problem is the left shoulder, non-throwing variety. I thought when Terrelle took the field for the first drive, when they showed him talking to JT on his way to the huddle, that left shoulder pad looked out of place. I mentioned it, and no one else in the room cared.

He then galloped down the right sidelines on 2nd and 19, for 17 yards, while avoiding contact with #21, who would have surely lost the battle.

Having said that, I believe an injured TP plus an eager TB did what we asked of them to win the game. The loss is not blamed on them.

As Andre Ware would say, the loss is blamed on us trying to run the score up again. We were down 17-15 and needed a FG to win. We scored a TD. Clearly, as Mark Titus might suggest, putting points on Texas' face. 18-17 would have been great. It was reaching for 21-17 that got us in trouble.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

He then galloped down the right sidelines on 2nd and 19, for 17 yards, while avoiding contact with #21, who would have surely lost the battle.

I remember during the season he would hit some defenders back as hard as they hit him.

As Andre Ware would say, the loss is blamed on us trying to run the score up again. We were down 17-15 and needed a FG to win. We scored a TD. Clearly, as Mark Titus might suggest, putting points on Texas' face. 18-17 would have been great. It was reaching for 21-17 that got us in trouble.

You are joking, right.