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The Monday Moaning Quarterback Do size and reading glasses matter? By: Malamute, 10 November 2003
Does size matter? Like most quarterbacks, Cody Pickett has large hands. Before a radio interview with Cody on Softy’s show, Hugh Millen looked at Cody, raised his right hand, and the two of them measured passing paws. From my view, it was hard to pick a winner. I thought of that contest as I watched the C-Town Cowboy’s razzle-dazzle run, the one in which he clutched the football in his right hand, whirling it about, daring a defender to knock the ball away. Unfortunately, Cody forgot to tuck the ball away just before he hit the ground, allowing Joe Siofele to punch it loose. Michael Jolivette recovered the ball for Arizona on the ‘Cats’ 48-yard line. Three plays later, Mike Bell bolted the right side on a 37-yard scoring run, giving Arizona a 27-16 lead that put the game away, inside a coffin as dark and foreboding as the lunar eclipse on that night. It’s not the first time Pickett has run that way, and it probably won’t be the last. While the 'Cats running game went east and west towards the goal lines--with one play rattling the mirrors submerged at the east end of the field--the Huskies’ running game went south in the last half, leaving Cody in too many predictable situations. ** The Huskies netted just 14 yards rushing in the second half. Not many quarterbacks can survive that paltry number, in such a way as to impress their fans at game's end. Not even a Casey Paus. Perhaps, an optioning Isaiah Stanback might with some passing accuracy heretofore not shown. Experimenting at quarterback is risky business for a team that needs two victories to close out its season and finish 7-6. To both Ted Miller and Bob Condotta, sportswriters who are adding to what might be a quarterback controversy in the making, I say, "nice try guys," but I'm not buying in. J Why not run the ball more in the second half? Casting the mold for its running game in the second half, Washington’s first drive resulted in a bone-crunching three and out. In that drive Kenny James pulverized the middle for two yards. Then Shelton Sampson hammered the right side and was stopped for no gain. With the two runs netting just two yards, Pickett missed a third-down pass in an obvious passing situation. Offensive coordinator John Pettas must have felt kind of queasy about his running game as Garth Erickson booted the ball. On the next drive (8 plays), Pettas ran James twice for 13 yards, the Dawgs picking up a first down on his contiguous runs. Then Pickett missed a short pass, ran for 4 yards and was sacked on third down for a 6-yard loss. On the Huskies’ third drive of the half, a five-play drive, Shelton Sampson ran twice, netting minus four yards. Ugh, more queasiness is felt by all, as the running game in the first three drives nets just 9 yards on 8 carries counting Pickett’s sack. On the fourth drive of the half, the Huskies started with a first and 20 because of a 10-yard penalty. Pickett completed a pass for 13 yards. A five-yard penalty put Pickett in a second and 12. He threw an incompletion before hitting Isaiah Stanback on a 22-yard pass play. With a first and ten on the ‘Cats’ 33, Sampson ran for 5 yards. Good call, about time for a run. With a second and 5 on the 28, Pickett missed a pass and, on third down, was sacked for five yards. Erickson pooched a punt, nailing it on the UA one, which resulted in a Dawgs’ safety and a three-point lead moments later. On the subsequent drive, James was stopped for no gain on first down. Why not try another running play, Pettas, it's been so consistent up to now? Pickett missed on two passes and the Huskies went three and out. Then Bell’s 69-yard burst up the middle gave UA the lead, 20-16. Aren’t defenses supposed to be strong up the middle? I’m also thinking of Reggie Bush’s 60-yard run up the middle after taking a short pass from Matt Lienart that gave the Trojans a 12-point lead against the Huskies two games ago. On the UW’s next possession, Pickett is sacked for a 7-yard loss. Pickett throws twice for 18 yards and a 15-yard penalty against UA gives Washington the ball on its 42. Then Pickett makes the rope-twirling run that results in a fumble. Well, he ran the ball. Another run by Bell gave UA a 27-16 lead with 4:38 to go in the game. Forced to play catch-up, Washington ran the ball twice on its next 11 plays, one of them being a failed two-point try by Pickett after a TD. On the other, James ran for 6 yards. In summary, the UW running game was ineffective when it was needed most, early in the second half. Somewhere along the line, James suffered a quadriceps pull, which left a fumble-prone Sampson to carry the leather for most of the way. A slip in statistics from last season? The loss of Josh Miller and Junior Coffin on the defensive line may account for the Dawgs’ slip in defensive run statistics from last season. Last season, the Huskies ranked eleventh in the nation stopping the run, giving up 97.7 yards per game. This season the Huskies rank thirty-seventh nationally, giving up 129.1 yards per game. Likewise, the loss of four wide receivers from last season’s team (Paul Arnold, Pat Reddick, Will Hooks, Jr., and Eddie Jackson) may explain the Huskies’ diminished performance in passing. This season the Huskies rank twenty-first nationally in passing offense, and average 279.4 yards per game. Last season, in that category, the Dawgs averaged 362.4 yards per game and ranked fourth nationally. Total offense is slightly down from last season, 411.6 yards compared to 420.7 yards. Total defense is about the same, 358.7 yards this season compared to 357.2 yards last season. From a stats standpoint, the Huskies, overall, measure about the same as last season. So, if the Dawgs end up with a losing season and fail to go to a bowl, blame it on Rick Neuheisel. Coach Gilbertson’s sideline demeanor.
Gilby, a sly, old fox who knows the ins and outs of coaching, adds a new wrinkle to coaching spin. After someone signals a play to Pickett, Gilby checks a play-chart to stop the play before it transpires if necessary. Peering through reading glasses, the 55-year old coach matches X’s and O’s with the play that was semaphored in--all on TV. But, sometimes, by the time he’s finished deciphering the chart, the play is underway. Who cares? It’s inventiveness that counts. Fans, you gotta love Gilby. ** At the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory, a team of scientists and engineers are making giant, lightweight mirrors of unprecedented power for a new generation of optical and infrared telescopes. The laboratory is located beneath the east end of Arizona’s football field. Two mirrors have been constructed for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), the world’s largest optical and infrared telescope. In 2004, the work for the telescope will be completed on Mt. Graham in Arizona. Mt. Graham stands 10,298 feet above sea level. Richard Linde (a.k.a., Malamute) can be reached at malamute@4malamute.com |
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Mal writes about large hands, a malfunctioning running
game, a laminated play chart, reading glasses, Gatorade and a binocular
telescope. Put them all together and you have absolutely nothing. 
During a game, a losing coach can placate angry fans, shifting blame
elsewhere, by acting like he’s into the game. He can signal in plays, wear
headphones, and jaw at officials over bad calls. Not soaked with Gatorade at
game's end, he can assuage unhappy fans with a tough-guy image by stiffing the
sideline announcer with, "Who made you the head coach? While the other coach is
dripping juice, he can rattle him with a firm handshake that makes him wince for
the camera.