He got hit every play because Stanford blitzed the crap out of him and he wasn't making quick enough decisions. And when the ball was getting out on time, aside from a few throws, the passes were not properly placed. His footwork was also a disaster in that game and it put his slow release on display.
I've seen QBs have bad games from hits and pressures. I can accept that. It gets in your head after a certain amount of hits. I can accept bad statistical games from it. But when I see a guy play that badly, it really effects my opinion of him. He just had no answer for it. And considering he's in a pro style offense, you'd think it would be his job to call the protections and make sure his guys were ready to pick up the blitz. Yet Oregon State had no idea what to do.
I saw games of other QBs in this class where they got hit a lot and had bad games statistically. What made me like the guys that I like in this class is that they continued to fight, they didn't let their mechanics fall apart, they continued to stand tall, and they made accurate passes for the most part. It will affect you to a degree but they still fought to overcome it. And they did their damnedest to adjust. Mannion didn't.
And that's my problem with him. For a guy with such a high football IQ, I don't feel like he applies on the field the way he should. He doesn't process things quickly or move through his progressions as fast as I'd expect him to. And when he gets pressured and forced off his spot, he struggles. He doesn't handle pressure well. It has a MAJOR effect on his accuracy. He's a spot thrower. And that's a problem in this league. Because teams are going to see that and they're going to do their best not to let you stand on your spot and throw. That's what Stanford's game-plan was. Blitz the hell out of the guy and force him to move around and beat them with quick decisions and accurate throws. He failed.
Stanford runs what I'd call a pro style defense. They have a 3-4 with a lot of exotic looks and they disguise their coverage well. They're a well disciplined team.
