In Reply to: Interesting short article comparing UCLA's offense: Nico vs. TD posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on October 29, 2026 at 09:42:16
Teams have been stacking the box more since TD took over, basically challenging him to beat them, and against Wisconsin he was definitely difference, I don't think we win that game with Nico under center. Much of the short passing game is essentially equivalent to running the ball, often picking up just enough yardage to stay ahead of the chains, while also baiting the DC to adjust scheme to open up more of the inside run game.
The other reason that TD is hitting more shorter passes is that unlike Nico, he regularly actually gets through his progressions and checks down, where Nico either locked on to downfield receivers and threw the ball regardless or took off running.
Also, when Nico did try to check down or hit primary on quick short passes, his accuracy and touch was awful.