Less than an hour after Georgia State wrapped up its 2014 football season with a loss to Texas State, quarterback Nick Arbuckle vowed that he would do everything he could to cut down on his turnovers and improve the Panthers’ chances at winning in 2015.
It wasn’t an empty promise.
“Turnovers…are something that won’t happen next year,” Arbuckle said after the game. “Everything I do will be to make sure I don’t turn the ball over.”
Those 17 interceptions were the bruises on a peach of a season that saw Arbuckle set school records for passing yards in a season (3,283), touchdown passes (23), completions (259) and total offense (3,293). He also three times tied the single-game school record of four touchdown passes.
Befitting someone who one day wants to be a coach, Arbuckle went into the offseason looking to improve a weakness. He watched every play, many in the two hours allowed each week with quarterbacks coach Luke Huard.
Arbuckle discovered two things.
The first was his decision-making, particularly when feeling pressure.
He said six of the 17 interceptions were the result of him trying to force a pass because he felt a defensive player closing in and didn’t want to take a sack.
“You get in situations in games where you are down a little bit, and get in the mindset that you have to make a play,” Huard said. “Most important thing is, despite behind ahead or behind, you have to stay true to the play that’s being called every time. You don’t have to create anything, just execute what’s presented.”
The second thing Arbuckle learned was how the little mistakes made by the team prevented it from turning a 1-11 season into something more special.
“I get sick at least once a day thinking about what could have been,” Arbuckle said.
The game at Washington illustrates how Arbuckle can improve. The Panthers led the Huskies 14-0 at the half. The offense had Washington on its heels. The players on defense were keeping the faster Huskies in front of them, preventing big plays.
It all fell apart in the first few minutes of the third quarter. Arbuckle was part of the problem.
Gerogia State failed to pick up a first down on its first three possessions in the third quarter. Arbuckle went 0-for-3 with a sack in those series. The inefficiency of the offense, combined with poor special teams play, helped the Huskies tie the game at 14. Washington took a 21-14 lead after a questionable fumble at the 25-yard line led to excellent field position.
“If we could have just executed at Washington in the beginning of the third quarter …” he said.
Arbuckle was sacked twice more on the next possession and the Panthers were forced to punt again. The route, which was expected before the Panthers took a halftime lead, was one.
To avoid the sacks and the forced throws that happen just before sacks, Arbuckle said he will work this spring on re-training his reactions. Instead of feeling the need to throw, the senior will work on trying to step away from the pressure to buy time. Then, he will decide to either get out of the pocket and throw it away, or find an open receiver downfield.
He said he was able to make that type of play on Monday, the first practice of the spring.
Because many of Georgia State’s wide receivers and tight ends are returning this season, the offense has a chance to improve on its averages from last year and improve the team’s chances at victory … if Arbuckle can cut down on his interceptions and the offense can improve its execution.
“Me and the offense went into offseason determined to not make those make those mistakes and be able to capitalize on every opportunity we have so we don’t have those one or two plays that we look back on,” he said.
