Hack columnist thinks Michigan will be fine at QB. He goes on to state that Kevin Newsome and Shavodrick Beaver shouldn’t expect to ever throw the ball. Here’s his reasoning:
But there’s something that these guys need to remember, as quarterbacks.Based on recent history, here’s what these guys can expect when they get to Michigan.
(All numbers are rank in the country in stated category)
Rushing Offense
Year West Virginia Michigan 2002 2 59 2003 13 38 2004 7 61 2005 4 44 2006 2 21 2007 3 47 Average 5.17 45
Passing Offense
Year West Virginia Michigan 2002 108 44 2003 105 22 2004 104 45 2005 115 61 2006 100 64 2007 114 61 Average 107.7 49.5
This is one of the most common misconceptions about Rich Rodriguez that I see out there: he refuses to throw the ball. He does not take into account that maybe WVU didn’t throw downfield because their QB couldn’t pull it off.
And Pat White is already being projected as a wide receiver.
I’m a firm believer that talent is talent, and if you have the skill set to be a QB in the NFL, you can become a QB in the NFL. If Pat White could throw downfield, he wouldn’t be “already being projected as a wide receiver.” Perhaps it’s a chicken-and-egg argument, but WVU’s lack of downfield passing didn’t make Pat White a non-NFL QB. Pat White’s status as a two-star safety coming out of high school made WVU unable to pass the ball downfield. The same could be said for Rasheed Marshall, who was such a great QB that he couldn’t even make it into the NFL as a wideout. He currently reside in Columbus, playing for the AFL’s Destroyers.
I hope that people who constantly write about Rich Rod’s lack of creativity on offense eventually come to realize that he was limited in his playcalling by the talent he had available to him. Maybe then, we will stop seeing poorly-constructed arguments published.
Posted under Coaching
Tags: coaching, Football
dews has made comments hinting that wvu didnt throw, not just because of white’s arm, but because WRs just werent any good
ahhh you are right, I personally feel it’s a combination of the two factors. either way the talent level at Michigan is higher than that of WVU.
Does it really matter what an columnist thinks? The past is the past. It’s a new team, new personnel and RR will build an offense to take advantage of the talent as he has said ad nauseam.
The one thing the writer of the article failed to mention is how the team actually did. Last I saw, WVU had a much better season with a guy who couldn’t pass than UM did with a guy that could.
At the end of the day, it’s not the stats that matter but the record and if you got to a bowl game and won it. WVU did pretty darn well with a guy who couldn’t throw and with WR who couldn’t catch.
In 1998, the Clemson Tigers were the only team to average over 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing per game with Rodriguez at the helm. Wait, I’m confused. Passing?
http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/rodriguez_rich00.html