Weiszer’s got a good story on Hutson Mason. One thing to keep a close eye on this spring is his mechanics, which sound like they still need a bit of polish.
“There are just some things he does with his drop that we’re going to try out this spring,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “It will be interesting how to see how it works. Hutson’s a guy that we’ve got to do a good job keeping on balance sometimes. His feet get a little bit too close together and he kind of gets up on his toes. A little bit looking at Tom Brady more of how he keeps a good base in the pocket is what I was showing him.”
Aaron Murray struggled with his footwork at times, but overall made good progress in that department (especially last season), so it’s not like we’re looking at the end of the world here. But a lot of Murray’s shortcomings in that department came from inconsistent offensive line play, something that wouldn’t surprise me to be much the same in 2014. And as Mason himself observes, it’s not like he’s got the luxury of working things out over a four-year career.
“Every little thing you have to do as far as preparation as far as holding guys accountable bringing guys along that need to be brought along, you can’t really sit here and say, ‘I’ll figure this out or get my feet wet,’” Mason said. “You’ve kind of just got to go all in. If that’s my point of view, win, lose or draw, I won’t have any regrets because the regrets will come if I didn’t say I didn’t go all in. At the end of the day, I can’t look back and say I can do this different next year because there is no next year.”
Let’s hope he’s a quick learner.
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It’s obviously in our best interests that HM is fixed ASAP. I’m befuddled that the student of the game patiently waiting his turn after 3 years has bad footwork and arm mechanics. Usually it’s the big armed QBs who go wrong on that count. Hope there’s not a lingering shoulder ailment that explains some of this ( like Joe Cox apparently had down the stretch in 2009).
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If it isn’t fixed expect Mr. Bauta and Mr. Ramsey to see the field more and more.
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Depending on their mechanics… 😉
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Barring absolute disaster, I don’t expect to see much of those kids. Richt has shown that he rewards patience and hard work. Good luck to Mason. Lets get behind him.
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I am behind Mason, most very one is, although he allowed cause for concern with the bowl performance. He certainly deserves, and will get, his chance this year but I hope CMB isn’t married to this if it isn’t impressive early. We gain nothing by having a 1 year starter that isn’t substantially better than the QBs of the future. Don’t have any interest in a 9-4 2014 followed by breaking in another rookie QB in 2015.
My question to Bobo would be, why weren’t those mechanics addressed in the first 4 years on campus? And if they were, and he didn’t improve, is he still that much better than the other options as we would have to assume there isn’t much UGA upside to someone who hasn’t been able to follow instruction at this point?
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Those times that Mason was in the game were as smooth as silk (1st play on field…td), but what we saw in the bowl game was a different Mason, looking traumatized and stiff. I think and feel that the coaching staff had never seen that from him before just as we hadn’t. This entire footwork “problem” may be of psychological value for Hutson to concentrate deliberately as to what he’s going to do at the snap of the ball, then concentrate on pass delivery as a 1-2 step. It makes for lessening the “heebie-jeebies” because his mind is already busy plus it gives added confidence when he knows his feet are in perfect position to deliver a deliberative pass.
Maybe this is a salve for nervousness.
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In Mason’s defense…That bowl game was being played during a driving rainstorm which caused problems for passing (grip, heavier ball, etc.) and we would have won that game if Artie Lynch had just held onto a pass at the end that hit him right between the numbers–not Mason’s fault.
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Run the damn ball.
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This.
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I doubt his mechanics are poor but not good enough to please a perfectionist. Bobo or any good coach can’t ever be satisfied.
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That’s why Mason does a never-ending study of film for footwork mechanics
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Or maybe during the bowl game he thought, “These aren’t the assholes from Tech anymore.”.
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Maybe we need to give him a serving of “Good Old-Fashioned Hate” before every game.
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The comeback against Tech was really remarkable. It hasn’t been lauded enough. Imagine how these conversations would be going had Georgia folded and lost that game. Imagine that! Instead, we’re cautiously optimistic and the nerds are still demoralized. It was big.
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Hutson, uh, why don’t you try and create the habit of not putting up a 54 or 58 adjusted qbr in all your starts?
How bout that one for a starter?
How about trying to score more than 19 vs a lousy pass defense in a bowl game?
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hutson is 2 for 2 so far, interception in every start.
what a habit.
could he beat out Joe Cox’s 16 interceptions in one season or Murray’s 14 in 2011?
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