Cut to the Chase
Following a Cinderella freshman season, Chase Litton has received some harsh criticism over the past year, as much for leadership issues as his play on the field. The QB position is generally considered the most important to a team's success, though he will often get too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses. This could probably be applied to Litton's two seasons - too much credit for a 10-3 season, too much blame for last year's 3-9. So this is my take on our QB over his tenure at Marshall, and what we might expect this season.
Litton's stats for his two seasons are eerily similar, especially considering he played in at least one less game in 2016, and the seven-win difference on success.
2015 231/384 60.2% 2608 23 TD 8 INT
2016 231/371 62.3% 2612 24 TD 9 INT
To his credit, Litton achieved those mirror-image stats in 2016 with markedly lower team rushing numbers: 169/gm in '15 to 108/gm in '16. (I've already addressed the triage along the OL last season, and we may touch on RBs in a future installment, so I'm going to stick with Litton's issues here).
A small portion of that rushing yardage discrepancy comes from sacks, and Litton's unwillingness to read and run. Chase went from +44 to -133 in rushing yards. The OL accepts its share of blame there, along with some scheme issues that the coaches will need to address. But if you study the tape, you will see many times Litton scrambles from a clean pocket, creating a bad pass or a sack. Contrary to the repeated refrain on this forum, Litton was not "running for his life" on every play. Actually, about 75% of the pockets were clean. But there is no question that he was jittery back there after that hit against Akron, and it influenced the rest of his season. He created a lot of his own problems, including not properly reading the zone-read when he needed to keep the ball. We did very little to keep the defense honest in the run game.
The snap cadence may seem innocuous, but few realize what a huge deal it was last season. Chase was having a difficult time staying consistent in his snap count. Early, there were several false starts across the OL that can be directly attributed to mistakes or unexpected paused in his cadence. So the job was moved to Levi Brown, the center. Problem solved; no more false starts. But the issue became (and this is in no way Levi's fault because he never should have had this responsibility, especially as a freshman) Levi's natural rhythm was to snap the ball and say "go" at roughly the same time. And that's a problem. You see, when the QB's cadence triggers the snap, the OL moves with the ball movement. But our offense had the center moving with the ball while the rest of the OL got off late. (This was yet another factor that hurt the OL's success last year). This season, Litton is handling the cadence by himself.
I will not bash Coach Legg here. But I will say I'm glad to see Todd Goebbel coaching the QBs this season. This coaching change may not have been enough to placate the fan base but I see it as a significant adjustment, and one that I think will show positive results from game one. Goebbel's understanding of the position will have all of our QBs better prepared. I'm hoping for better reads by Litton, not just in the passing game but also in the run game. In the past, Marshall has run a limited number of RPOs, but maybe with Goebbel coaching the QBs we will see that utilized more.
Character and maturity and leadership are often esoteric qualities. And when things are going well, as in 2016, they can be difficult to judge. But when things go south, those characteristics are exposed and as the face of the program, the spotlight caught Litton a little lacking. He was a bit immature and he made some bad decisions. He wasn't the only one and he won't be the last, but he was perhaps the most visible. The truth is, he was never the unquestionable leader he was made out to be. In 2015, many on here and in the press anointed him simply because he was the starting QB. And he backed that up with solid play and wins. Oh, and he threw in an engaging personality and an active Twitter campaign that supported the public opinion that he was the poster boy for Marshall football. And that's why his fall from grace seemed all the more drastic. But he was never all those things. What he is, is a decent kid who has made some poor choices. He is someone who cares very deeply about his team and his teammates. He also cares about being, not only the best football player he can be, but the best person. And he mostly succeeds. But sometimes he fails. Not for lack of trying or any serious character flaws, just because he's human. And young. And, yes, maybe a bit immature, like most of us have been at some time or another. It's just that for most of us, our shortcomings aren't disected in sports forums and across social media.
Litton was never a bad kid, but he was never perfect, either. I think he deserves to be evaluated on the same sliding scale we all wish to be judged on. Life teaches lessons if you're willing to learn. The Chase you see today may be a bit more humble, maybe a little less self-promoting. I think he is a better leader of this team because he isn't trying so hard to be a leader, but instead just be one of the guys who's working hard to earn their trust and make the team better.
The concussion is a distant memory (who knows, maybe he doesn't even remember it at all). The snap count is no longer being handled by our center. And Litton comes into this season with a little weight on his frame, some added strength, a dynamically better coaching situation, and a renewed purpose. I believe in this young man. Not in the media darling he was before, but in the hard-working, dedicated, talented, and maturing football teammate he is striving to be.
Chase Litton is a solid reason why I think Marshall Football will rebound from last season.
Following a Cinderella freshman season, Chase Litton has received some harsh criticism over the past year, as much for leadership issues as his play on the field. The QB position is generally considered the most important to a team's success, though he will often get too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses. This could probably be applied to Litton's two seasons - too much credit for a 10-3 season, too much blame for last year's 3-9. So this is my take on our QB over his tenure at Marshall, and what we might expect this season.
Litton's stats for his two seasons are eerily similar, especially considering he played in at least one less game in 2016, and the seven-win difference on success.
2015 231/384 60.2% 2608 23 TD 8 INT
2016 231/371 62.3% 2612 24 TD 9 INT
To his credit, Litton achieved those mirror-image stats in 2016 with markedly lower team rushing numbers: 169/gm in '15 to 108/gm in '16. (I've already addressed the triage along the OL last season, and we may touch on RBs in a future installment, so I'm going to stick with Litton's issues here).
A small portion of that rushing yardage discrepancy comes from sacks, and Litton's unwillingness to read and run. Chase went from +44 to -133 in rushing yards. The OL accepts its share of blame there, along with some scheme issues that the coaches will need to address. But if you study the tape, you will see many times Litton scrambles from a clean pocket, creating a bad pass or a sack. Contrary to the repeated refrain on this forum, Litton was not "running for his life" on every play. Actually, about 75% of the pockets were clean. But there is no question that he was jittery back there after that hit against Akron, and it influenced the rest of his season. He created a lot of his own problems, including not properly reading the zone-read when he needed to keep the ball. We did very little to keep the defense honest in the run game.
The snap cadence may seem innocuous, but few realize what a huge deal it was last season. Chase was having a difficult time staying consistent in his snap count. Early, there were several false starts across the OL that can be directly attributed to mistakes or unexpected paused in his cadence. So the job was moved to Levi Brown, the center. Problem solved; no more false starts. But the issue became (and this is in no way Levi's fault because he never should have had this responsibility, especially as a freshman) Levi's natural rhythm was to snap the ball and say "go" at roughly the same time. And that's a problem. You see, when the QB's cadence triggers the snap, the OL moves with the ball movement. But our offense had the center moving with the ball while the rest of the OL got off late. (This was yet another factor that hurt the OL's success last year). This season, Litton is handling the cadence by himself.
I will not bash Coach Legg here. But I will say I'm glad to see Todd Goebbel coaching the QBs this season. This coaching change may not have been enough to placate the fan base but I see it as a significant adjustment, and one that I think will show positive results from game one. Goebbel's understanding of the position will have all of our QBs better prepared. I'm hoping for better reads by Litton, not just in the passing game but also in the run game. In the past, Marshall has run a limited number of RPOs, but maybe with Goebbel coaching the QBs we will see that utilized more.
Character and maturity and leadership are often esoteric qualities. And when things are going well, as in 2016, they can be difficult to judge. But when things go south, those characteristics are exposed and as the face of the program, the spotlight caught Litton a little lacking. He was a bit immature and he made some bad decisions. He wasn't the only one and he won't be the last, but he was perhaps the most visible. The truth is, he was never the unquestionable leader he was made out to be. In 2015, many on here and in the press anointed him simply because he was the starting QB. And he backed that up with solid play and wins. Oh, and he threw in an engaging personality and an active Twitter campaign that supported the public opinion that he was the poster boy for Marshall football. And that's why his fall from grace seemed all the more drastic. But he was never all those things. What he is, is a decent kid who has made some poor choices. He is someone who cares very deeply about his team and his teammates. He also cares about being, not only the best football player he can be, but the best person. And he mostly succeeds. But sometimes he fails. Not for lack of trying or any serious character flaws, just because he's human. And young. And, yes, maybe a bit immature, like most of us have been at some time or another. It's just that for most of us, our shortcomings aren't disected in sports forums and across social media.
Litton was never a bad kid, but he was never perfect, either. I think he deserves to be evaluated on the same sliding scale we all wish to be judged on. Life teaches lessons if you're willing to learn. The Chase you see today may be a bit more humble, maybe a little less self-promoting. I think he is a better leader of this team because he isn't trying so hard to be a leader, but instead just be one of the guys who's working hard to earn their trust and make the team better.
The concussion is a distant memory (who knows, maybe he doesn't even remember it at all). The snap count is no longer being handled by our center. And Litton comes into this season with a little weight on his frame, some added strength, a dynamically better coaching situation, and a renewed purpose. I believe in this young man. Not in the media darling he was before, but in the hard-working, dedicated, talented, and maturing football teammate he is striving to be.
Chase Litton is a solid reason why I think Marshall Football will rebound from last season.
