Before the season started, I believed that we needed 3 games to accurately tell us where we were with Cozart and the new offense. Here we are about to start Game 3 and I feel the same way. But it goes beyond that for Cozart - a bad game against Rutgers and I am not sure he ever starts another game for KU...
The hardest thing to do was to completely forget what Cozart has done in the past and just judge him off of this year, which I think is the most fair thing to do given this is a new offense. Now I am as guilty as anyone looking at the past of Cozart, particularly in his last game, when his accuracy dropped and saying to myself "not this sh!t again." But if we solely base everything off just the first two games, I would simplify it and say he had a good game and a bad game. I know the arguments come in about the competition he was facing and that counter arguments can be made this was only two games in the first time these guys ran this offense with hardly any returning experience, so instead of going down that road I am just looking at execution - he executed (for the most part) really well against SDSU and he actually made the right reads against Memphis, but his accuracy was real bad. I have heard some things like people don't think he was decisive enough running the ball (we will get to that in a little bit) and that he doesn't have it between the ears (we could argue that as well), but at the end of the day it all boils down to accuracy and he just wasn't accurate against Memphis and that is the real reason he struggled...
So looking to Rutgers, accuracy will be first and foremost what I am looking at from Cozart, but the run game will be important from him as well. Something else people haven't mentioned much that I think could be a big thing for this game is Cozart running the ball as Rutgers hasn't really had to defend a QB that can run this year (6 times is the most a QB has run the ball against them this year) and I was looking at stats dating back to 2003 and no QB has rushed for more than 94 yards in a game during this time like Cozart did against SDSU (random side note - the closest was Reesing's first game ever with 90 yards rushing and Pick's 2nd game ever against UTEP with 87 yards during this time period). This could be a real opportunity that KU could take advantage of...
But there is the flip side as well. Can his accuracy improve? There is also the pressure aspect. I would argue there is more pressure on Cozart right now than ever before. Just mention Cozart to a KU fan and the majority want him replaced (and I think there is some merit to that). JK has a good article up on Deondre Ford, so there is pressure from the backups as well. And it doesn't stop there - let's say Cozart has a good game against Rutgers, is the pressure off for the Iowa State game? I would argue it isn't. What about if he has good games against Rutgers and Iowa State, is the pressure off then? I would argue it isn't. I would argue Cozart will have that pressure on him every single game he starts, with the thought being if he struggles then he will be replaced the next game. Some may say that isn't fair, but I think it is. This offense needs consistency week-to-week and if he can't do that, he should be replaced. It also comes to a point that even if he is consistent and we aren't winning, this season has always been about the future, so I think arguments can be made to go with a guy like Willis to end the season for the next few years. Thus my other question is can Cozart handle the pressure from week-to-week?
For the Rutgers game, I am rooting for one of two things to happen. 1.) Cozart comes out on fire and stays hot the entire game...or...2.) Cozart is awful right away and replaced by the end of the first quarter. I think Option 1 is the best for KU against Rutgers and that is the option I am hoping for since it is all about getting a win...but if he isn't able to do that, I don't want any gray area and am ready to move on. No pressure Cozart...
The hardest thing to do was to completely forget what Cozart has done in the past and just judge him off of this year, which I think is the most fair thing to do given this is a new offense. Now I am as guilty as anyone looking at the past of Cozart, particularly in his last game, when his accuracy dropped and saying to myself "not this sh!t again." But if we solely base everything off just the first two games, I would simplify it and say he had a good game and a bad game. I know the arguments come in about the competition he was facing and that counter arguments can be made this was only two games in the first time these guys ran this offense with hardly any returning experience, so instead of going down that road I am just looking at execution - he executed (for the most part) really well against SDSU and he actually made the right reads against Memphis, but his accuracy was real bad. I have heard some things like people don't think he was decisive enough running the ball (we will get to that in a little bit) and that he doesn't have it between the ears (we could argue that as well), but at the end of the day it all boils down to accuracy and he just wasn't accurate against Memphis and that is the real reason he struggled...
So looking to Rutgers, accuracy will be first and foremost what I am looking at from Cozart, but the run game will be important from him as well. Something else people haven't mentioned much that I think could be a big thing for this game is Cozart running the ball as Rutgers hasn't really had to defend a QB that can run this year (6 times is the most a QB has run the ball against them this year) and I was looking at stats dating back to 2003 and no QB has rushed for more than 94 yards in a game during this time like Cozart did against SDSU (random side note - the closest was Reesing's first game ever with 90 yards rushing and Pick's 2nd game ever against UTEP with 87 yards during this time period). This could be a real opportunity that KU could take advantage of...
But there is the flip side as well. Can his accuracy improve? There is also the pressure aspect. I would argue there is more pressure on Cozart right now than ever before. Just mention Cozart to a KU fan and the majority want him replaced (and I think there is some merit to that). JK has a good article up on Deondre Ford, so there is pressure from the backups as well. And it doesn't stop there - let's say Cozart has a good game against Rutgers, is the pressure off for the Iowa State game? I would argue it isn't. What about if he has good games against Rutgers and Iowa State, is the pressure off then? I would argue it isn't. I would argue Cozart will have that pressure on him every single game he starts, with the thought being if he struggles then he will be replaced the next game. Some may say that isn't fair, but I think it is. This offense needs consistency week-to-week and if he can't do that, he should be replaced. It also comes to a point that even if he is consistent and we aren't winning, this season has always been about the future, so I think arguments can be made to go with a guy like Willis to end the season for the next few years. Thus my other question is can Cozart handle the pressure from week-to-week?
For the Rutgers game, I am rooting for one of two things to happen. 1.) Cozart comes out on fire and stays hot the entire game...or...2.) Cozart is awful right away and replaced by the end of the first quarter. I think Option 1 is the best for KU against Rutgers and that is the option I am hoping for since it is all about getting a win...but if he isn't able to do that, I don't want any gray area and am ready to move on. No pressure Cozart...
