Kyle Kempt's arm strength

I know Kyle's arm strength is not the best, but it was worse at the end of the year (due to injury of course). I know he played the last few games including the bowl game after sitting out for a bit. There were a few throws he had in the bowl game that were wounded ducks. Does anyone else think that this was still hindering him? If that is the case, I would think getting more time to heal would help this a lot.

I would say yes and yes. He doesn't have a cannon for an arm and he was still not fully recovered in the bowl game. The guy is a leader with a good enough arm for most of the throws he has to make. Getting him back for another year is huge. If ISU gets into some shootout games next year we might see Zeb put in there to throw the ball down field. Hopefully the defense will continue to surprise. and there will not be any need for heroics.
 
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Bowl game was pretty windy. He's no Big Ben, but he can make most of the throws that we need him to make and has really good touch. I'll take that over a cannon for an arm with less touch.

This is true, on the sidelines it was pretty windy and chilly, not ideal when you have a hurt arm.
 
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Bowl game wasn't much of a concern but he didn't have the arm strength to make throws that would have beaten WVU and K state. In M'town, Ryen had his guy smoked on the last possesion but was underthrown, Lazard had his guy beat on the PI/Not PI call at K state, if Kempt leads him, we win. I get that he played great last year BUT those two plays could have totally changed our season.

That said, I'd rather have a guy that makes the right throws but doesn't have a big arm than a guy that make bad throws but can let it ride. Kempt's positives outweigh his lack of arm strength but to act like he doesn't have a weak arm is just as ridiculous as the OP's concern about it.
First, those two throws were more about accuracy, not arm strength. Second, the WVU play was a flat drop by Ryen. QBs need to make good throws, not perfect throws, especially when WRs have lots of separation. A good throw to Ryen was made. Put some air under it, and if he's got to slowdown and it hits him in the hands, it's the right throw and a good throw. In the KSU play, Lazard gets man coverage, and the ball is placed so its going to be a catch or PI. Those were not perfect throws, but they were good enough throws.
 
I am not worried about his arm strength if it is where it was when he first started (OU game). It definitely seemed to degrade late in the season. I also prefer accuracy and timing, but if it turns into what Payton Manning was in his last season, I am concerned.

KK's 40? I thought he was an old soul...that makes sense.

What I hate the most is that he came in and made crucial throws in beating #3 OU, and then ISU didn't beat a SINGLE team on the road that was ranked higher than 3rd the rest of the year.
 
First, those two throws were more about accuracy, not arm strength. Second, the WVU play was a flat drop by Ryen. QBs need to make good throws, not perfect throws, especially when WRs have lots of separation. A good throw to Ryen was made. Put some air under it, and if he's got to slowdown and it hits him in the hands, it's the right throw and a good throw. In the KSU play, Lazard gets man coverage, and the ball is placed so its going to be a catch or PI. Those were not perfect throws, but they were good enough throws.
I won't speak to those two throws but I will second what was said. Not every throw that doesn't hit a receiver in stride is a lack of arm strength. We have had QBs who have repeatedly overthrown targets. Do those QBs have too much arm strength?

One of the things that has made Kempt such a success for this team is that he knows where to miss. He had a couple of clunkers in that Memphis game but overall on the season he has generally either hit the receiver or has missed where the ball won't do any damage. If you miss to a spot where only your guy has a chance on the ball it is either a great reception by your receiver or you live to play another down. A guy who has great arm strength and gets the ball to the D-backs in a hurry isn't going to do you much good.
 
I won't speak to those two throws but I will second what was said. Not every throw that doesn't hit a receiver in stride is a lack of arm strength. We have had QBs who have repeatedly overthrown targets. Do those QBs have too much arm strength?

One of the things that has made Kempt such a success for this team is that he knows where to miss. He had a couple of clunkers in that Memphis game but overall on the season he has generally either hit the receiver or has missed where the ball won't do any damage. If you miss to a spot where only your guy has a chance on the ball it is either a great reception by your receiver or you live to play another down. A guy who has great arm strength and gets the ball to the D-backs in a hurry isn't going to do you much good.
QBs are taught differently these days. The way pass interference is called and the size advantage receivers typically have, they are taught to put air under the ball on those deep go routes so receiver has a chance, don't put it on a rope and risk an overthrow. It is said all the time on NFL broadcasts. I was watching the ISU - TOE game with my brother in law, who was an all American QB at the D2 level a few years ago. When Park hit Butler for that long T'D he said "that's an amazing throw, but I bet his QB coach wanted to kill him when he saw him throw that ball on a rope like that."
 
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He also threw this gem going into the wind.

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Remember when it was more likely ISU quarterbacks would miss open receivers down field than hit them? Such a pleasure to watch Kyle make it look automatic.
 
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I think you could argue he outplayed his counterpart, Riley Ferguson, the nation's leading passer. Weather definitely effected both QB that day

We had no running game to speak of that day. And yet Kyle completed 63 percent of his passes and ISU held a 37 min.-23 min. time of possession advantage.

How'd Kyle do that? Must have been particularly effective (savvy) in crucial situations to keep the chains moving.

Windy day, no running game . . . Kyle was marvelous.
 
Remember when it was more likely ISU quarterbacks would miss open receivers down field than hit them? Such a pleasure to watch Kyle make it look automatic.

This was probably my biggest takeaway from Kyle this past year as well. Even if it didn't get there in a hurry, he seemed to be able to get it there.
 
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I was just trying to guess when we had a game manager QB who was calm and efficient. Not sure if we have that I can remember.
I took a look at Seneca's stats but again he had too many ints to be considered efficient even though he had a better completion percentage at 57%.

It got me to thinking, when do you think ISU will ever again have a QB play in 14 games in a season?
 
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I took a look at Seneca's stats but again he had too many ints to be considered efficient even though he had a better completion percentage at 57%.

It got me to thinking, when do you think ISU will ever again have a QB play in 14 games in a season?

Do many teams get that very often? Even Bama changed QBs, in the Championship game no less.
I'm ok with having one guy win the job and going from there. Many times in the past at ISU we had multiple guys play because none of them were good enough to be "the guy".
 
Do many teams get that very often? Even Bama changed QBs, in the Championship game no less.
I'm ok with having one guy win the job and going from there. Many times in the past at ISU we had multiple guys play because none of them were good enough to be "the guy".
You are missing the point. As things stand now, ISU would have to be in the Big 12 Championship or the Playoff Final for this to happen, so I am dreaming big.
 
We had no running game to speak of that day. And yet Kyle completed 63 percent of his passes and ISU held a 37 min.-23 min. time of possession advantage.

How'd Kyle do that? Must have been particularly effective (savvy) in crucial situations to keep the chains moving.

Windy day, no running game . . . Kyle was marvelous.

That was more Lazard than anything. Was not a good game from Kempt. But he’s proven he can have good games.
 
The thing that worries me is if any defensive coordinator is worth anything they will play trail technique and force Kyle to beat them over the top. I hope he improves his arm strength to counter that.
 
I won't speak to those two throws but I will second what was said. Not every throw that doesn't hit a receiver in stride is a lack of arm strength. We have had QBs who have repeatedly overthrown targets. Do those QBs have too much arm strength?

One of the things that has made Kempt such a success for this team is that he knows where to miss. He had a couple of clunkers in that Memphis game but overall on the season he has generally either hit the receiver or has missed where the ball won't do any damage. If you miss to a spot where only your guy has a chance on the ball it is either a great reception by your receiver or you live to play another down. A guy who has great arm strength and gets the ball to the D-backs in a hurry isn't going to do you much good.
I like to think of like baseball. Ya that pitcher might have a crazy fast arm, but if the bat hits it, its going a long ways. High risk high reward with the gun slinger a la Park. I like the Greg Maddux we have in Kempt. I think if he wins the job we are in for a very special season.
 
I'd just like to add that have a strong arm isn't really everything about throwing a ball with a 'strong arm'. Someone like Kempt with his length and height should be able to whip it pretty good based on the leverage alone.

Great example is myself and my room mate in college. I was a strong weight lifting type, he was more of a finesse smaller type. He could throw a football further and better than me, and it just came down to mechanics.
 

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