No pick-ing on Stanback
Malamute, 14 September 2006

With the ball on Oklahoma's 4-yard line, down 23-13 with 3:25 left in the third quarter, Washington had a chance to get back in the game. But then QB Isaiah Stanback fumbled the ball away to Demarrio Pleasant, who returned it four yards.

"If you cash that in, it's a totally different ball game," said coach Tyrone Willingham (per The Seattle Times).

Some fans are saying that offensive coordinator Tim Lappano should never have called that option play, which is one of Stanback's so-called weaknesses. Or maybe Isaiah should have checked off at the line of scrimmage? Other fans are assailing Isaiah's passing accuracy, while others say he's too tentative to be a quarterback.

By his own admission, Stanback played poorly, attempting 22 passes and completing 9 for 139 yards with no touchdowns -- or interceptions. He ran 12 times for 18 yards.  Carl Bonnell replaced Stanback in the fourth quarter, completing 5 of 7 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. The concession touchdown was not enough, and the Huskies lost 37-20.

Against Fresno State this Saturday, some fans would like to see Bonnell replace Stanback as the starter. To that notion, I give an emphatic no, and for good reason.  

Since so much time and effort have been invested in Isaiah Stanback and the quarterback role, it doesn’t seem prudent to demote him to second fiddle at this time. In fact, it could be downright dangerous. 

He brings experience, speed, mobility, athleticism and leadership to the table. So, why throw Isaiah out with the lake water and toss him into Union Bay. Most of all, he doesn’t need any arm-chair quarterbacks doing a Freud/Jung on him. Just thinking of pulling the plug on him brings me to a state of high dudgeon, for he’s the man in my book.

My take on THE PLAY: Against Oklahoma, the Huskies are lucky Stanback didn’t get hurt on his four-yard-line fumble play, when the ball was lost in the red zone.  

Throw away the hyperbole: The main reason Stanback needs to remain the starter.

Playing on a team that has won 4 games and lost 20 over the last two-full seasons plus one underway (2004, 2005, 2006), Stanback has thrown more touchdowns (13) than interceptions (10), which is quite an accomplishment. In fact, it’s an outstanding feat. Over this period of time, in big games against USC (twice), Notre Dame and Oklahoma, Stanback has been picked just once in all four games. The senior quarterback has faced some of the best front sevens in the nation without imploding.

The point is that Stanback is not solely responsible for losing games at UW. He has had plenty of help from everybody else. His career pass efficiency and completion percentage (see below) are the effect of playing on mediocre teams, not the cause of them going wonky.  

If you exclude the 2004 season, when Stanback apprenticed under Casey Paus, and the Oklahoma game, he's completed 55% of his passes.

He is an ideal quarterback for a conservative coach like Tyrone Willingham, who has a great deal of trust in him, not to give games away. He can start Isaiah without doubting himself after the game and becoming his family’s worst nightmare. He can hold his head high on the golf course -- er uh, most of the time.

Prediction: Against Fresno State this Saturday, the "duet-threat" Stanback will mimic the "carry-okie" that Paul Thompson and Adrian Peterson rendered at Norman last week and, after the game, Isaiah can practice his own Karaoke in the shower.

Joke: Carry-okies? That's what pallbearers in Oklahoma are called.

Stanback’s career record at UW is:

Pass attempts: 381
Completions: 193
Passing Efficiency: 119.5
Yards passing: 2850
Touchdowns: 13
Interceptions: 10
Percent Complete: 50.66 %
Rushing Attempts/Net Yards/Tds: 178 574 8 (3.1 yards per carry)
Receiver (2003) 10 catches, 143 yards, 0 touchdowns
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Mal’s word of the week: high dudgeon – a feeling of righteous anger. A highfalutin word, indeed. 

A statue for Curtis Williams? See Nathan Ware's blog. You can count on my donation.

P. S.

Leadership, poise, decisiveness, etc., are flowery terms the media use to describe a winner. I put some of them in my article as a hoot. Losing quarterbacks are not given that luxury, a priori. When a qb starts winning, he can show off a little bit and earn some flowery adjectives. I mean, chew that wide receiver out for apparently running the wrong route when the camera is on you. Argue with the coach on the sidelines, for you’re a big shot now. Grow some manly stubble for TV close-ups, a la Brett. Stuff like that, which is so transparent.

There's no "I" in the word team. The self-effacing Stanback is a member of a team, nothing more.

Washington’s defense, which ranks 102 in the nation, is the main concern this year; pass defense efficiency, 108 nationally, is a critical concern.

I’m a Willingham supporter more than ever.

In his latest blog entry, our athletic director, Todd Turner, got it right.

-- Mal