Critical list for Pac-10 quarterbacks
by Anthony Gimino on Oct. 18, 2006, under Sports
<strong>QUOTABLE </strong>
'Cal and Oregon are a little more experienced. They do a lot of the same things, but I think they are better than USC.'
ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who has faced all three teams this season
You can never have too many quarterbacks. Potentially, three teams in the Pac-10 could have whittled away their depth and be left with a third-stringer starting this week.
Arizona’s Kris Heavner is pretty much a lock to start. Stanford could be down to redshirt freshman Tavita Pritchard, which wouldn’t be much of a way to end a nine-game losing streak.
UCLA, meanwhile, is getting redshirt freshman Osaar Rasshan ready because backup Pat Cowan, filling in for Ben Olson, is injured. To say Cowan might not be prepared to call the signals on Saturday is no exaggeration.
Cowan, literally, can’t call the signals. At least he wasn’t able to early in the week. He’s under doctor’s orders to not say a word for a couple of days after taking a hit to his voice box last week, causing inflammation and a trip to the emergency room.
“He’s been communicating with the pen,” UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said Tuesday.
Since there are no writing instruments allowed in the huddle, Cowan is going to have get significantly better by Saturday. Even if he isn’t able to bark out the signals, he’ll have to manage something more than a whisper.
Dorrell said the Bruins are looking at “plan B,” including using the linemen as means of communication.
“It’s just one of those things where we might not have a very strong-voiced quarterback this weekend,” he said.
If UCLA has a near no-voiced quarterback this weekend, then Rasshan will have to take the snaps. How’s this for an introduction to college football: The Bruins are at Notre Dame this weekend.
More QB woes
It’s just not a very good year for Pac-10 quarterbacks.
The league lost two of its three senior signal-callers last week when Stanford’s Trent Edwards and Washington’s Isaiah Stanback suffered foot injuries that ended their college careers.
Combine those schools with existing injuries at Arizona and UCLA, and that’s four teams that are using backup quarterbacks. Five, if you count Arizona State’s Rudy Carpenter, who was second-string for a day during fall camp.
Even the QBs who are still standing aren’t exactly knocking the defense’s socks off. Cal sophomore Nate Longshore is the highest-rated passer in the league, but it’s a bit sad when the Pac-10′ s best quarterback is just 17th nationally with an efficiency rating of 156.6.
There is no other Pac-10 quarterback in the top 36 nationally.
Sour Apples?
Could be one juicy Apple Cup story line if Carl Bonnell keeps control of Washington’s starting quarterback position.
Bonnell originally was a Washington State Cougar, signing in the spring of 2002 and enrolling in the fall as a “grayshirt.” He was neither a full-time student nor on scholarship, enabling him to delay the start of his NCAA eligibility clock. But after the regular season, after spending five months on campus, and after Washington State head coach Mike Price decided to leave for Alabama, a certain coach from Washington called Bonnell.
It was Rick Neuheisel.
“It surprised me big-time,” Bonnell once said. “I didn’t even know I could be recruited.”
Neuheisel, of course, knew all the rules, which enabled him to frequently step over them. And just like that, Bonnell went from Cougar to Husky.
“I think honestly, he always wanted to go to Washington,” Washington State coach Bill Doba said Tuesday. “I want kids who want to be here. And if he doesn’t want to be here, that’s fine.”
Bonnell will have to hold off another Pac-10 transfer – ex-Oregon Duck Johnny DuRocher -while coach Tyrone Willingham mulls the possibility of taking touted true freshman Jake Locker out of a redshirt season.
Anthony Gimino’s e-mail: agimino@tucsoncitizen.com
> Got a beef? E-mail: sports@tucsoncitizen.com. Call: 573-4635. Fax: 573 4569. Write: Sports sound-off, P.O. Box 26767, Tucson 85726-6767
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SPORTS SOUND-OFF
Fans disagree on whether Lyon should sit
Re: Anthony Gimino’s column on UA quarterback Tyler Lyon
I agree with the author. We shouldn’t burn a redshirt unnecessarily. I think we will be OK with Kris Heavner the rest of the way.
- JERALD S.
Gimino obviously has no idea what he is talking about. Why does he seem to think that a player can only be redshirted during his freshman season? If Lyon is forced into action against Oregon State or Washington State, he will not have “wasted” his redshirt season. He could use it in 2007 or 2008 and still have two seasons of eligibility left once Tuitama graduates.
- BARRY G.
If Heavner goes down, (use) anyone but Lyon. If receivers Syndric Steptoe and Anthony Johnson can QB, put them in the game. I remember Jeff Hammerschmidt, and his running made defenses worry. Put the wideouts in at QB and keep the defenses more honest.
It’s tough enough for a redshirt freshman in this league. Looking forward to seeing more of Lyon, but hopefully not this year – or next either.
- STEPHEN D.
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NUMBER OF THE DAY
9
The losing streak by the Stanford University football team, two off the school record and the third-longest current streak in the country.
Temple has the longest skid at 19 games.
Duke is No. 2. The Blue Devils have lost 14 consecutive games.
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TRIVIA CORNER
When’s the last time the Oregon State football team beat Arizona in Tucson?
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Answer: 2004. The Beavers won 28-14.
