Re: At what point do we find out what really happened with DJ?

The Emperor has no clothes. Everyone can see it but the Emperor. It's interesting stuff, fodder for the psychoanalysts and scholars I suppose. I have a theory or two myself. We, as coaches, can sometimes get so enamored with a player and begin to fawn a little over the player - succumb to his demeanor and persona and the way he carries himself, and added to this, NIL and portal pressures that we can all poorly understand unless we are really there.

I noticed in an interview before the Carolina game that Dabo seemed at least slightly obsessed with DJ's "Running ability", and how he "is stronger than you think and faster than he looks", this sort of language. Even how he "cuts efficiently and is powerful upon contact". Which is all pretty ridiculous, because them main things in a QB are his head and decision making and his accuracy and his elusivity out of the pocket. I thought to myself at the time, "Why is Dabo so focused on his running ability?"

It's all making more sense now, looking back.

wildblulou®

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Dec 5, 2022, 11:42 PM

In 2021 we had no capable backups. Taison's torn achilles from the spring was clearly not 100% healed by the season. He was our best emergency option and it was a struggle. DJ hung in there, overweight, sputtered in some close losses, took an amazing amount of #### from fans, and managed the last six games okay without too much fanfare.

2022 - He lost weight, improved his game, showed more confidence and touch at the season's onset, then led us to 7 impressive wins to start the season, seemingly stepping it up a bit week to week. He struggled in Week 8, and was pulled late for Cade who came in, provided a spark, and helped pull off a great comeback win versus a ranked at the time Syracuse team. That was DJ's 14th straight win as the starter, the longest win streak in the game. In Week 9, we stunk it up all over the joint in the most lifeless, unprepared, staggeringly bad performance we've fielded in some time. DJ's numbers were decent in that one actually except for the one pick and lack of scoring. Cade came in for a series to try and rekindle some of the Cuse magic but made a bad rookie mistake to dig us a deeper hole, and that was that for the night.

Weeks 10 and 11 DJ posted very impressive performances in two league games that we absolutely controlled from start to finish. Louisville was a pretty hot team at the time to boot, but it wasn't much of a contest.

So that brings us to 10-1 with him at the helm, a reasonable path to the CFP still in place, and Rivalry week ahead against a team DJ and Co had waxed 30-0 the year prior. So of course DJ is going to start that game. Not much to really conspire around on that call, right? He wasn't a star QB, but he was getting it done and putting up pretty decent numbers leading in. So DJ starts, we go up by 14 early, take a 9 point lead into the half, scored another TD in the 3rd, and took a slim lead into the 4th. We couldn't get first downs then, we gave up a FG, and trailed by one late. DJ's numbers did not look good at all up to that point for sure, but we were still very much in the game. DJ had led us back numerous times versus Wake late. He had performed well in two-minute style drives all season. We have a freshman QB on the bench who is obviously extremely talented (unless Dabo was lying about that also?), but still a freshman, and the last time the coaches put him in a competitive game in a tight spot, against Notre Dame, it did not go well, at all. Unfortunately we fumble the punt return away heading into that last drive so we'll never know for sure how DJ may have performed then. I was hoping for 8 straight runs and a BT kick for the W. Didn't happen.

The next game, DJ, 8-0 versus ACC competition through the season as a starter, is named, wait for it, the starter for ACC championship. Leading in the coach made it clear he has to produce or he's not going to stay in the game. First time we've heard that all season. After two very lacking series and trailing 7-0 early, Dabo makes a change at QB, and this time Cade comes in and crushes it for a nice drive and score. And what happens next? Cade comes back out for the next drive and leads us to a score. Then two more times before the half. Dabo makes it very clear that Cade is staying in the game from there, and he sticks to that. Cade finishes up strong and we win going away. Afterwards Dabo names Cade the starter for the Orange Bowl and states that it's 'his team' now.

Not much tin foil hat material above. No secret agreements that would have altered any of this if you're going by the numbers, the results, the situations, and trusting the tendencies.

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At what point do we find out what really happened with DJ?

Why can’t it be as simple as Dabo feeling that DJ was our best option?***

Re: Why can’t it be as simple as Dabo feeling that DJ was our best option?***

It’s okay to question it. Some of us already have.***

Dabo could have taken us to more tournaments and won

Re: Why can’t it be as simple as Dabo feeling that DJ was our best option?***

That's nutty. DJ had a Heisman-like performance against Wake

When we find out what is ina McRib. So most likely never.

Re: When we find out what is ina McRib. So most likely never.

Re: When we find out what is ina McRib. So most likely never.

Re: When we find out what is ina McRib. So most likely never.

When he wins the Super Bowl and writes his tell all book

I'm preordering before 5 AM this morning.***