DexBuffsteen
Well-Known Member
D'ooh!! Can't believe I left out Koy. Moschetti and Hessler were great Buffs.
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Top 5 Quarterbacks Ever at CU?
- Thread starter Buffnik
- Start date
D'ooh!! Can't believe I left out Koy. Moschetti and Hessler were great Buffs.
I actually mostly agree with you, but I would take Sefo over Cody, no questions asked. I was merely arguing FLounder's assertion about Cody struggling mostly due to a poor OL.
Well, I've got Klatt in my Top 5 and he had like 9 TDs vs 15 INTs as a soph QB. Sefo's numbers compare very favorably. He's got to win, though.
I'd put Kordell one if he could beat Nebraska, I guess I'd go with Hagan. Koy is there, Klatt, and a few others mentioned. I didn't ever see some of them.
The list is of good college QBs, not list of college QBs that moved on to the pros, even though I generally agree with your list. (Love that you recall Dowler, you forgot to mention he was a QB in the last major college "single wing" formation, run by Dal Ward.)
Stewart was the most gifted, but he was never properly coached until Neweasel got here and that for only one year. (Even then, Rick had to overcome "teh stoopid" that was Eliot Uzelac!)
Klatt was excellent QB/pro material, ruined personally by Gary Barnett's pi**poor decision-making---he almost killed Klatt leaving him in the Miami and Texas games.
You left out Kenny Johnson who led the '71 team to #3 ranking. Kenny was the victim of the "revolving door" that was Eddie Crowder's staff .
BehindEnemyLines
beware the habu
Johnson didn't have stellar stats - 39.3 completion %, 8 td's to 12 picks, 1475 yards. He did add over 500 yards rushing in a run-first offense.
He did, however, lead the Buffs to victories in Baton Rouge (31-21) and in Columbus (20-14). Not many others can claim an equivalent accomplishment. That team ended #3 in the final polls with the only losses occurring in Norman and stinkon.
He did, however, lead the Buffs to victories in Baton Rouge (31-21) and in Columbus (20-14). Not many others can claim an equivalent accomplishment. That team ended #3 in the final polls with the only losses occurring in Norman and stinkon.
Strangely enough, Hagan's roughest year was his senior year, while Kordell had steady (oftentimes frustrating) progression. We remember Kordell for his senior season, and that's the only reason why he's even a close 2nd. Hagan was spectacular right out of the gate as a true sophomore.
Another case where comparing stats between eras is dangerous. The stats look terrible by todays standards or even compared to passing offenses of the 80s but for his era they weren't bad. Mostly the offense was based on handing the ball off or pitching the ball. Passing was only common on either 3rd and long or when the team was way behind (something that didn't happen much with that team.)
He had a couple of very good receiving options in 71 with Branch and Brunson, in 72 the WRs were Hagerty, Keyworth (later a Bronco's FB,) and Ellwood. Both years he had a great TE in JV Cain. Even with the receiving talent they had though the passing game was very limited. No trees, no route options, and mostly 2 or 3 man routes. Didn't lend itself to big stats but when you are winning big who cares. He did what it took to win.
How'd that Fiesta Bowl turn out?
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Steve Vogel vs. WYO could have been the worst QB performance, at any level, I have ever seen. Knapple was an average CFB QB, but his Orange Bowl performance against OSU was putrific.
I was born in '73. When I was really young I was a Broncos and Air Force fan. I didn't start paying attention to the Buffs until '86 and wasn't a diehard until '88. I'm not including anyone who was before my time.
1. Hagan - Showed up in the big games. Magical pitches. Back to back Orange Bowls.
2. Stewart - Most talented and it's not really close. He was arguably as good a runner as Hagan but with an NFL arm. He left his brain in the locker room when we played Nebraska or he'd be #1 and we'd have another national title.
3. Detmer - How could anyone not enjoy watching that skinny kid shred defenses?
4. Aunese - Exactly what you want in a classic wishbone QB.
5. Pesavento - Am I putting him higher than he deserves because of 62-36? Damn straight and I don't care!
1. Hagan - Showed up in the big games. Magical pitches. Back to back Orange Bowls.
2. Stewart - Most talented and it's not really close. He was arguably as good a runner as Hagan but with an NFL arm. He left his brain in the locker room when we played Nebraska or he'd be #1 and we'd have another national title.
3. Detmer - How could anyone not enjoy watching that skinny kid shred defenses?
4. Aunese - Exactly what you want in a classic wishbone QB.
5. Pesavento - Am I putting him higher than he deserves because of 62-36? Damn straight and I don't care!
I would argue that Kordell's 1992 season was handicapped by the change in offense. It took a couple of years for the 1 RB/2 TE offense to fully mature. I think if we had simply evolved the I-bone offense to include more passing instead of tossing the whole playbook it would have served Kordell and the team well. He probably would have had a monster first year as a starter and we definitely wouldn't have had to endure a 52-7 shellacking against the Corn.
I mentioned this earlier.
I'll go a little further. Kordell had played his entire life as a pure option QB, add the element of a big strong armed passer but still his brain was wired for the option.
That team also was full of personnel to run the option, our OL were recruited and trained for it, backs and receivers the same.
I think had we stayed with the option we had the talent to beat anyone in the conference including the corn and could very well have had a memory building season.
Mac switched because he saw, way ahead of time, the college game shifting to more pure passing. Defenses were catching up with the option. Trouble was that he was to far ahead. Defenses still hadn't figured out how to stop the great options and we could have had one with our talent.
Instead we changed and the fuskers won a couple of NCs running the option.
This is true, but I would have liked to see what a big athlete like Kordel could have done with a full career in the system. He was big, fast, strong, and could also throw the ball much better than most option QBs. Could he have been a Vince Young before VY ever happened.
Frazier did want to come to CU, would have if we hadn't changed the offense. We had the talent to win big with him at QB, the corn would not have won without him since he was their difference maker.
EddieCrowder
Well-Known Member
He is outside the list and ended up transferring to UNC but the best arm I think I ever saw at CU was Jeff Knapple, led the team to the 1977 Orange Bowl. Was a 3rd string QB for the Broncos for a handful of years and retired. Mallory screwed that deal up, there were so many players Eddie left Mallory with and he was the beginning of the end. Shortly thereafter in strolls Chuck and almost bankrupts the school, but make no mistake about it much like Hawk, Mallory was the beginning of the swan dive.
Knew this was coming. Ha ha, I do agree though Frazier could ball, damn nightmare to try and tackle.
JesusGordo
Active Member
Looking at the names on this list, I can’t help but to think of how well the Buffs did under Barnett considering he was never able to recruit a true “blue chip” quarterback. He won the Big 12 north all those years with a parade of Juco’s and walk ons, Some awesome Buffs in there though who deserve to be recognized on this list as much as some of the other names on the lower end some of these lists. Moschetti, tough, scrappy, great leader. Pesavento, steady, accurate, won the Big 12. Klatt, tough, fairly consistent and accurate, good leader.
GB recruited Craig Ochs who was a 4* and a great college QB.
Unfortunately, you also got his father as part of a package deal and GB couldn't handle that, particualrly after blaming Ochs for the loss to Fresno.
We kick a fg in that game, we are playing Miami in the Natty.
JesusGordo
Active Member
I was pulling for Ochs, I thought he was a tough kid, but I am not sure he was a great college quarterback. Knowing what we know now Pesavento should have started from week one. Easy for me to say right?
Yeah, calling Ochs a great college QB is a major stretch.
He did impress in the game in Lincoln, that took some toughness. I'd never say he was great though.
Ochs was a great talent but not close to a great college QB.
As Whizzer said his dad was to much a part of the mix for him to be able to live up to his potential.
never could stomach GB saying "we made the right call, just did not execute on the field".
DiggerBuffs
Well-Known Member
Moschetti is undervalued by this board.
Hagan, Stewart, Detmer, Moschetti, Hessler in that order.
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Hagan, Stewart, Detmer, Moschetti, Hessler in that order.
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I was thinking about Moschetti. He's one of the only guys to have 2 seasons with 2k yards passing.
This.
Moschetti had "it," so did Hagen, and for that matter Klatt. I'm not talking necessarily about the ability to go out there and "put a team on your shoulders" and/or "win one all by themselves" (although Hagen came close to that). In order to do that, you have to have "it" plus ridiculous talent.
It's not making your receivers "better" by throwing perfect passes or making the perfect read/pitch; it is making every one of your teammates just a little bit better simply by being on the field with them - even if your own performance is only "above average."
Detmer and Stewart didn't really have "it;" their talent did make their teammates better, but had their talent been average, they could have been replaced by any number of other qbs.
Sefo, so far, doesn't have "it." He's young, and that could change, but I think it's unlikely. He may, and probably will, improve his technical performance measurements. It's likely his name will replace Koy's and Cody's many places in the CU record book - but that will be as much from offensive system changes and being a four year starter as it will be from his ability.
It's not always fair to judge a qb by wins and losses, but it can, and should, play a part. Kordell could have won a natty if he had had "it," and Koy probably could have had a few more wins. On the other hand, I don't think either of those guys would have won any more games than Klatt or Moschetti did with the teams they had - and, despite having lesser talent, I think Moschetti and Klatt would have won just as many as Kordell and Koy, had they played on those 90s teams (with the one exception being Michigan, the only QB on the list strong enough to throw that pass is Kordell).