AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2008 > July > 15
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
SEC Quarterbacks: Five Burning Questions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As we go through the preseason I’ll be breaking down several positions in the SEC and ACC and asking Five Burning Questions for each. Today we’ll start with the SEC’s quarterbacks and what inquiring minds want to know:
1. How many carries for Tebow?: Last season Florida quarterback Tim Tebow carried the ball 210 times, which was 106 more than any other runner on the team. Why did Tebow get so many carries? Mostly it was because Tebow was the best power runner on the team (he averaged 4.3 yards per carry) and had a knack for getting the ball into end zone (23 TD). Will a running back step up and take a significant amount of carries away from the Heisman Trophy winner? Will coach Urban Meyer and OC Dan Mullen resist the temptation to go with the big guy in every clutch running situation? Tebow has to be healthy on Nov. 1 for Georgia.
2. How many picks for Stafford?: Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford threw 19 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions a season ago. As a freshman he threw seven touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Stafford has one of the best arms in all of college football and can make all of the throws. He is as talented as any quarterback who has played for Georgia. But patience hasn’t always been one of his virtues. Can he keep his interceptions in single digits in 2008? If he does, Georgia has a chance for a big year. The Dawgs are 14-2 in games where he has thrown one interception or less.
3. How will John Parker Wilson fare with young receivers?: Wilson sometimes doesn’t get a lot of love from the Alabama faithful because of his inconsistency. He has also made some crucial turnovers (LSU, 2007). But the fact remains that the rising senior will, if he stays healthy, become the Crimson Tide’s all-time leading passer this season. He needs only 732 yards to pass Brodie Croyle’s 6,382 career yards. But Wilson is really going to miss DJ Hall (67 catches, 1,005 yards), who was his go-to guy under pressure. And it’s clear some talented freshmen will have to play at the receiver position. Wilson will also be working under his third offensive coordinator (Jim McElwain) in as many years.
4. Will Stephen Garcia actually get on the field this season?: After three run-ins with the law, the highly-recruited but star-crossed South Carolina quarterback, who has yet to play a down, will be on suspension from all team activities until Aug. 15. First he has to get back into school. Then he has to get out of Steve Spurrier’s doghouse. Then he has to prove to Spurrier that he can play and be trusted not to mess up again. That’s a lot of ifs. But unless Tommy Beecher or Chris Smelley improve, the Gamecocks are going to need Garcia before this season is over.
5. Will Jonathan Crompton get the green light on Sept. 1?: Crompton finally gets his chance at Tennessee after playing behind Erik Ainge for two years. Former OC David Cutcliffe always expressed a lot of confidence in Crompton to run the offense and make plays. But Tennessee is going to be so good in the running game with Arian Foster and a stable of good backs, I wonder if new OC Dave Clawson will hold the reins a little bit in the first game with UCLA? This we know. If Tennessee is going to beat Florida on Sept. 20 and Auburn on Sept. 27, Crompton will need to be ready to make all the throws.
BONUS QUESTION
How good is Javan Snead? Two years ago Snead battled fellow freshman Colt McCoy for the starting quarterback job at Texas. McCoy won and Snead landed at Ole Miss, where he sat out last season. Snead completed 20 of 26 passes in the Ole Miss Spring game. He’ll team with former Ole Miss quarterback Kent Austin, who returns to Oxford as offensive coordinator after a successful coaching career in the CFL. If Snead is the real deal, and the people in Oxford swear he is, Ole Miss (3-9 last season) could be the most improved team in the SEC in its first year under coach Houston Nutt.
Now there are a lot of questions around the SEC in places where they don’t know who the quarterback will be (Auburn, LSU, Kentucky). We will get to those once practice starts.
Services »
