Montana is the bell weather test for Cleeland. If he plays poorly, coach will have to make the switch. If he plays great then all is forgiven. My only fear is Coach becomes stubborn and sticks with Cleeland regardless of play, which will torpedo the season. If I were Coach I’d split reps between the two this week in the event Cleeland gets overwhelmed.

This will be the game that defines our season.

I think Coach sees what we are seeing and he maybe didn't want to add more pressure to Cleeland if Kollock did well. However, Cleeland's feet are just all over the place. My personal opinion is he is holding the offense back.

I think its pretty obvious, that Kollock is the better QB. I'm disapointed Coach didn't give Kollock more playing time.

thank you for posting this. People are too comfortable right now. Rocko needs to keep an eye on this season and start expecting better results.

Coach Smith and Coach K are legends who won national championships. Coach Les isn’t even close to those coaches. Coach Les is an avg mediocre coach who reached his ceiling years ago. He is not a FBS coach. Watch this season, it’s not going to be pretty.

Les has been the coach for 15 years. It’s time for new blood.

I've rewatched every snap Cleeland has played this season, and after going through the film closely, I came away less impressed than I was initially. This isn't a criticism of him personally; it's strictly an evaluation of his current performance and traits from a football perspective.

After reviewing the most recent game along with the two preceding games, there are several areas that stand out as concerns.

Pocket Movement/Footwork: Cleeland's footwork is inconsistent, particularly when operating from the pocket. He appears overly active and jittery at times, which can disrupt his base and lead to poor weight transfer. As a result, there are throws where he doesn't appear fully balanced or properly set before releasing the ball. Cleaning up his footwork and developing a more consistent base should be a priority.

Processing/Progressions: One of the bigger concerns is his ability to work through progressions. He appears to lock onto his initial read too frequently rather than consistently working through the progression and getting to the next option when the first read isn't available. That tendency is becoming more noticeable on film, and defensive backs appear to be recognizing it. He's giving defenders opportunities to read his eyes and anticipate where the ball is going.

Accuracy/Touch: The arm talent is evident. He has enough arm strength to make throws to all areas of the field, but arm strength hasn't consistently translated into accuracy. His ball placement can be inconsistent, particularly when he's throwing from an unstable base. I also haven't seen a consistent level of touch on throws that require more than simply driving the ball.

Mobility: I haven't seen much evidence of significant rushing ability. While he can move when necessary, he doesn't appear to have the burst or acceleration to consistently turn broken plays into explosive runs. His mobility currently looks more functional than dynamic.

Overall: The physical tools are there, particularly the arm strength, but the overall quarterback operation still needs considerable development. The biggest areas for improvement are footwork, pocket composure, processing speed, progression discipline, and ball placement. Those issues appear to be interconnected, particularly when his base and pocket movement break down.

Based strictly on what I've seen on film this season, I'd currently grade his performance in the C-/D+ range. That's less a reflection of his long-term potential and more an assessment of where his game is right now.

You answered your own question. Why do we need to continue to play SEC and other powers? Because nobody knows who we are. The only way that changes is by getting on tv in large markets. We just moved into the mountain west in all other sports. Our profile is going to go way up.

I understand your point of view. It’s valid. But we are answering two different questions.

I’m answering “How do we make more money for the program?” You go to where the money is and you find away to get some.

You are answering “Why should we play against superior teams if we get blown out?” To get paid.

How do you expect to battle teams with multi million dollar budgets when we struggle to even make $500k? Hell, someone talked about our team didn’t even have AC nits on the field. We need money. Playing SJSU. Reno, and Fresno State isn’t going to move the needle for eyeballs. That’s where the money is.

Who watched that game? If you want to build a championship program you have to get out of your comfort zone. All it takes is for the AD of an SEC school turn on the local sports network and see this game. Maybe that AD needs a game in the coming years? One phone call is made. $1M deal happens. That’s how it can work. The more eyeballs we get the better our chances of getting paid. It’s why the SEC knows Boise State but has probably never heard of Idaho State

Sure looks that way. I know admin is trying like crazy to get teams to play us. I’m really excited to watch the Aggies in the Rose Bowl and against Harvard later. I anticipate more games against bigger schools as Coach elevates the program.

I appreciate your perspective. I’d only say, if your goal is to increase revenue by playing higher competition, wouldn’t it make sense to play where the money is? Unless you think SJSU or Reno is going to pay $1M.

The game in Dallas was a greaty way to expose the south to UC Davis program. I would continue to push into the SEC for games. That league has a ton of money and would be open to beating a "California team". I would approach not schools but conferences for a multiyear contract playing multtiple teams for a set amount of time.

Example we set one game to be played against a team from the SEC. It could be Florida, Alabama, Tenn, etc. depending on the year, but we give that flexablity to the SEC for scheduling. Sign a $25M 10 year contract. We get a guranteed annual paycheck and the SEC gets their practice win. Do another agreement with the BIG10.

Now you have just boosted recruiting by have an annual game agaisnt the BIG and SEC as a west coast team.

Polls don't matter in FCS. You could unrank Davis and they still will win the conference and national championship.

Be careful about sticking to an opinion that isn’t based on all the information. This creates bias.

We have 3 games of Cleeland. We have a pretty good idea of his talent. He is the same QB I saw in spring practice. He hits some and misses others. No real consistency in his throws. He doesn’t have the wheels to be an explosive runner nor the touch to hit guys in stride. He is what you would expect from an FCS QB.

Jackson is a legit 6’4 4* QB from SoCal with an extensive high school record. He only came to Davis because CP left otherwise he would be at a bigger FBS program. If we landed Jackson out of high school he would’ve been the highest ever recruit to sign with Davis. Don’t discount that.

We have only seen a small sample size of Jackson and in that limited time the offense looked much better. The team looked focused. The offense looked like it clicked. And before you say it was against backups, remember these backups are on one of the best teams in college football. Every player on SMU would start for Portland St and San Diego.

Give Jackson a shot. He might be the next great Davis QB. Let their play dictate who the starter is.

a big reason I stopped wishing for Davis to join the FBS. I just don't want to become a punching bag that never has a real shot at winning anything. FBS is about money. I'm not sure I want to play in those waters.

Agree with you. Cleeland had a head start in regards to time in the system and knowledge of the playbook which is important to coach. Totally understandable. However, I think the gap in knowledge from Kollock is closing very fast. That throw by Kollock was incredible. If you rewatch the broadcast you can hear the announcers audibly gasp when he makes that throw. That throw was big time.

QB battle is open. Let the kids battle it out on the field. Give Kollock some reps with the 1's. Our goal is to win the national championship regardless of who is the QB. Whichever QB gives us the best chance to win, go with that kid.

Let kids earn the job. Don't give it to Cleeland. Make him prove he is better than Kollock on the field.

100%. Iron absolutely sharpens iron. Coach Hawk!!!!!

Your theory would be correct if only for the fact Davis played better in the 2nd half.