Sitting here listening to Furman coach Clay Hendrix, but I'll take a break to tell you about a phone call I had last night. Reached out to a person who is a coach, knows Dabo, etc. Someone connected but not on staff at the moment. I was actually surprised they picked up, considering it is football season, but they answered by laughing and saying, "bet you're calling about the quarterbacks."
I said yes. This person knows Dabo inside and out, and he said, "A coach can't take a chance on losing a locker room. No. 2 is special, anyone can see that, but 5 is respected and well-liked and he's become a team leader. And you can't bench a player now based off last season, and you have to give him more than a few quarters like some of the fans want. That doesn't send a great message to the team - hey you've done everything we've asked of you and you/ve worked hard, and now after 20 passes we are going to bench you. A coach has to think about unity in the locker room. So this will be decided on the field. At some point, one of them will separate, and you can't say that after one drive from one of them late in a game. And when they separate, and everyone knows it including the team, you'll have your answer, one way or the other. One of the biggest reasons Dabo has been successful is because he is loyal. I know fans hate it, because they want all outside coaches and players benched, but that's what he does. And it ensures people are loyal back, which in this climate is imperative. You have to keep everyone unified and on the same page. That's the way I look at it."