# Travis Wilson vs. John Hays



## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

So, after one game does anyone out there still think Travis Wilson should have played over Hays? I can't for the life of me think why Hays didn't start and play the whole game against UCLA. Granted, Wilson could end up being very good...but right now it is clear to me that he is behind Hays. Play the guy that gives you the best chance to win...that is what i say.

I hope this QB mess doesn't end up like the Jordan Wynn debacle. Remember when Terence Cain was removed as starter after posting an 8-1 record? What would have happened had Wynn redshirted that year and spent his time beefing up and bulking up for the next one? Would he have been injured and ultimately wrecked his shoulder? Who knows...woulda/shoulda/coulda and what-if, I know. But, I hope I ain't lookin' back at this year and wishin'/wonderin' why the Utes played Wilson and didn't redshirt him!


----------



## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

I disagree, I think Wilson needs to be developing. Hayes is not a good enough quarterback to win many if any more games than Wilson. The end of the season is the easier part of the Utes schedule and it is a great time to start getting Wilson real, game time minutes. 

Now saying all of that, I really like Hayes, I think he has maxed out his potential and gives it everything he has, but there is not much if any drop off going with Wilson in my opinion.


----------



## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

I have mixed feelings on this. I do think Hays may have been a bit better last weekend and in the near term, but Wilson is the future. We haven't exactly been tearing it up with Hays and Utah's offense has to improve to compete more favorably in the Pac-12. While not as good as I hoped this year, defensively, we have shown we are up to Pac-12 "standard" both seasons we have been in the conference. Offensively, we aren't and the main area of deficiency has been at QB. Giving Wilson the reps now may yield dividends next year, even if a bowl game is not on this years schedule. 

Its funny, but this is just like BYU and the Taysom Hill situation. How much better would Hill have been next year if he played the rest of the year and gained that experience. Too bad that Doman and the horse wrecked his knee by not kneeling at the end of the Aggie game.


----------



## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I look at things differently...I think Utah wrecked Wynn's career by playing him too soon. I think BYU wrecked Heaps' career by playing him too soon. I think now BYU has jeopardized Hill's career by getting him hurt this year...I worry that the Utes are playing Wilson too soon!


----------



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

I don't think it matters who they play. Utes have a long way to go before they have the talent at QB or any other position to "win" in the PAC12. They may compete--but winning against PAC12 teams is years away. The money is supposedly good though.

I think Utah State and the WAC are looking for teams. Any chance BYU and Utah will answer the call?


----------



## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

HighNDry said:


> I don't think it matters who they play. Utes have a long way to go before they have the talent at QB or any other position to "win" in the PAC12. They may compete--but winning against PAC12 teams is years away. The money is supposedly good though.
> 
> I think Utah State and the WAC are looking for teams. Any chance BYU and Utah will answer the call?


USU is going to the MWC and the WAC is not going to be a football conference next year.

I think that the injuries have nothing to do with starting them too early and more with the type of body build they have. Wynn was injury prone, some players go their whole career without being injured. There are many, many schools that start true freshman and are very successful with it.


----------



## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

jahan said:


> I think that the injuries have nothing to do with starting them too early and more with the type of body build they have. Wynn was injury prone, some players go their whole career without being injured. There are many, many schools that start true freshman and are very successful with it.


You don't think that kids mature, grow stronger, and improve their builds over time? That is my point...Wynn did have a slight build; had he been in the program a couple years before playing, I think he wouldn't have been so injury prone because he would have been bigger and more able to absorb hits. Wilson looks similar to me...also rather thin and frail (and, I am sorry but the guy is a weak runner...he looks afraid). With some kids you may get away with starting true freshmen, but I think it boils down to the individual. With Hill, I worry that BYU is going to find the same thing out...give these kids a redshirt year and some time to mature and develop!


----------



## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Hill is a bit different than Wynn, Wilson,, or Hays. Hill is a 22 year old freshman so not really a fair comparison.

As for Wilson vs. Hays - Coach Whitt explained that the offense needed a spark that he didn't think they were getting from Hays. If Wilson is the future, then might as well get some experience and start the future now. The question I'm sure the Utah coaching staff are asking themselves - do they win any more games with Hays than with Wilson? Either can probably beat Colorado and Washington State. And neither would beat USC. The flip games then become Washington, Arizona and Cal. Who gives a better chance to win those? Or does it even matter?


----------



## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

GaryFish said:


> Hill is a bit different than Wynn, Wilson,, or Hays. Hill is a 22 year old freshman so not really a fair comparison.


This is true in the age department, but not in the experience area. Hill didn't play at all before his mission and would have enormously benefited from a year of game action had he stayed healthy. Wilson will likewise benefit if he stays the starter and remains healthy.

One more thing with Wynn. It seems like he has been at the U forever, but back when he was a true freshman, he was even more slight of build than he was in later years. Between spring ball and the beginning of his freshman season, he actually gained quite a bit of weight to reach the weight he played at. There were a few articles about this during that time. But he plateaued in weight and the injuries piled up. The poor guy just didn't have the genetic makeup to hold up physically to the pounding of D-1 football. I don't think anything the coaching staff did or didn't do would have changed this one bit.


----------



## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Hill's age is irrelevant to me...was it his first year in the program? Had he had the time to benefit from working out under college coaches and practicing with college players? Again, I think redshirting a year would have benefitted him, as well as Wynn. I also think that playing Wilson over Hays at this point is a huge mistake...I don't think that throwing a guy to the wolves as a true freshmen is going to benefit him. I also think that based on one game Hays certainly gives Utah a better chance to win. I guess we will have to agree to disagree...


----------



## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I think in playing maturity, Hill is certainly in the same boat as Wilson, and as was Wynn. But age 22 is very different in regards to gaining "man weight". That's all I was talking about. A 22 year old "freshman" has more of that "man weight" than an 18 year old. Which was the point of discussion about Wynn. But the point of this isn't to talk about BYU QBs. Though, I think it will be interesting to see how Wilson and Hill both progress in their parallel tracks. 

I am of the school of thought that true freshmen should never start in D1 football. I look at the best QBs Utah has had - Smith, Johnson, and Mitchell - none excelled in the least until their junior years. If you want, we can look at the same in Provo - Detmer was perhaps the best that got starts as a freshman, but he was a redshirt freshman when he came in relief for Covey in '88. And still threw pics like he was passing out Halloween candy. 

I'm not a fan of true freshmen starting at all. But that's just me.


----------

