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Mendoza: Upgrade? Downgrade? or Wash?

Rourke’s 2 issues (which are understandable seeing that he was playing on a bad ACL) were:

1. Almost no mobility. Sudfeld-like. You watch these other games whether it was Notre Dame or Ohio State or half a dozen other teams and they all had quarterbacks that could run out of trouble. Rourke couldn’t do that.

2. I don’t think I ever saw him throw a ball away. I’m sure there were some but, man, it seemed like every time he got under pressure. He just kind of ducked down and got sacked. We can point to the offensive line, but in many of these other games, there were quarterbacks that were pressured, but they were able to get out on the run and throw the ball or escape trouble and move down field with her legs.
Just saw a NFL mock draft that reported Rourke would be a 6th round pick and ran a 4.63 40 - the second fastest of the top 6 rounds of QB’s.

Off an ACL.

He was absolutely fast enough for RPO college ball. In part because he read stuff so quick.

He would beat Sudfeld, and Gibran Hamdan.
 
CR was a warrior for IU this past season and I bet Mendoza will be an upgrade with the coaching he will get at IU.

If he is truly an upgrade (due to KR's limited mobility due to injury) then we're in for some serious fireworks on the Offensive side of the ball...

I'm a wait and see what he does on the field kind of guy though... The Big Ten schedule is a whole different animal than what he's been seeing (for the most part)...

He's saying all the right things in his interviews, let's see if he is going to "walk the walk" when it counts both in preparation and eventually, on Game Day...
 
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If he is truly an upgrade (due to KR's limited mobility due to injury) then we're in for some serious fireworks on the Offensive side he f the ball...

I'm a wait and see what he does on the field kind of guy though... The Big Ten schedule is a whole different animal than what he's been seeing (for the most part)...

He's saying all the right things in his interviews, let's see if he is going to "walk the walk" when it counts both in preparation and eventually, on Game Day...
The Pac12 and ACC are not the MAC. As I've thoroughly explained above, he accomplished WAY MORE in his 1st 2 seasons at Cal than Rourke did at Ohio, and did it against much better competition. He's an obvious upgrade.
 
Rourke set a standard that will be difficult for Mendoza, or any future IU QB, to achieve. Let’s hope he has as good a feel for pocket pressure, knowing when to slide up, right/left in the pocket. Hopeful he can put up similar numbers in wins and passing, while occasionally getting out of trouble with his legs, the kind that Rourke couldn’t due to injury. Tall order.
 
Mendoza had a 69% passing completion. Mendoza also passed for 3004 yards behind a weak oline that allowed him to be sacked on the regular.

To have the poise AND escapability to operate behind that line, tells me he will thrive and flourish behind a good oline. I can't wait till fall because he could absolutely lead Indiana right back to the CFP.
 
Mendoza had a 69% passing completion. Mendoza also passed for 3004 yards behind a weak oline that allowed him to be sacked on the regular.

To have the poise AND escapability to operate behind that line, tells me he will thrive and flourish behind a good oline. I can't wait till fall because he could absolutely lead Indiana right back to the CFP.
He also played in the ACC which is a pretty terrible conference. Still thrilled to get him yet it's not the big ten.
 
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Here are the postseason honors for the QB's Cig has coached over the years:

CFN Big Ten Offensive Transfer of the Year
Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
CFN Big Ten Quarterback of the Year
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

CFN First-Team All-Big Ten​

QB: Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
*He was 2nd team everywhere else, but CFN loved him like I loved him, so I added all their accolades*

All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Jordan McCloud, James Madison (RS Sr., QB – Tampa, Fla.)

All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Todd Centeio, James Madison (Gr., QB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)

2021 CAA Football First Team Offense
Player, SchoolPos.ClassHometown
Cole Johnson, James MadisonQBSr.Virginia Beach, Va.

*In 2020 the CAA canceled the season due to Covid*

2019 CAA Football First Team Offense
Player, SchoolPos.ClassHometown
Ben DiNucci, James MadisonQBSr.Wexford, Pa.

PSAC 2012 Offensive Player of the Year – Harvey Tuck, IUP

He was also the QB coach for Phillip Rivers at NC St. and he also recruited Russell Wilson there. Saban called him the QB whisperer during his time at Bama. Rourke played this season on only 1 ACL, got his wife pregnant with twins, broke his thumb, had surgery to fix his thumb, only missed one game, and still had one of the greatest seasons in school history statistically. He also led us to our most wins ever to start a season, most wins ever in a season, and into the playoffs for the 1st time in history. Those are enormous shoes to fill for Mendoza, and who knows if he will be able to match or exceed Rourke's historic season? That wasn't the question though.

The question asked was if Mendoza was an upgrade, downgrade, or a wash over Rourke? Mendoza, who is younger and has played less football than Rourke did before he transferred to IU, had better stats against better competition (ACC vs MAC) when they were the same age, and is now the best QB talent that Cig has ever had as a head coach. There's no opinion in that observation either. Here are their career passing stats:

Kurtis Rourke Career Stats​

CMPATTCMP%YDSAVGTDINTLNGRTG
22232069.43,0429.529584176.0
19530763.52,2077.211550132.5
24435369.13,2569.225475167.7
17126165.51,8177.011766132.5
304468.23868.83058164.4

Fernando Mendoza Career Stats​

CMPATTCMP%YDSAVGTDINTLNGSACKRTG
15324363.01,7087.014105416132.8
26538668.73,0047.81666641144.6

Rourke clearly excelled in years 3-5, with year 5 being by far his best ever season while under Cig at IU. Mendoza played a lot more early on at Cal than Rourke did, so his stats dwarf what Rourke put up in his 1st 2 years at Ohio. Mendoza also did this against much better competition playing in the PAC12 as a frosh, and in the ACC as a soph. Mendoza threw for 4,712 yards passing and 30 TD's in his 1st 2 seasons. Rourke threw for 2,203 yards passing and 14 TD's in his 1st 2 seasons. Mendoza's resume after 2 seasons blows Rourke's away when you factor in that he also did it against much better competition. There is no doubt that Mendoza is by far the best QB talent that Cig has ever had, and there is no doubt that Cig does a phenomenal job coaching up QB's and getting the best out of them. That qualifies as a solid upgrade to me.
This is an excellent analysis. THANK YOU for collating all this info!

What I got from this; Rourke had an amazing career, FM is on pace to potentially be as good, if not better. I’m excited for his future at IU
 
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