| 29 August 2009
So the "mock" game occurred yesterday, and with it some murmuring in the background that perhaps we'd see the staff announce the starting QB. We'll get to that in a moment. But first, some housekeeping here at the new site.
We know comments have slowed down a bit since the move to the new site. But with that, the process of posting comments has been updated. No longer do you need to enter an e-mail address! Hooray privacy. But just like the old site, all you have to do is enter your nickname, post your comment and that's it. The anonymous button is gone, but that's now the only difference between the old commenting system and the new one. We love your feedback, and some of you have written some pretty incredible comments over the years, so please, if you feel compelled, don't hesitate to jump in as you always seemed to do!
Speaking of the old site, check out the main header toolbar thing above. See where it says "Old Site". Click on it, and guess what? You get the old site, right here INSIDE the new site! Kind of cool. Now, there really is no reason to go to the old site anymore. We won't post there or respond to any comments over there. Everything is here now. All the archives are here, plus other stuff. But if you still want to go back and check it out, it's right there for you....
Now, the QB situation. Look, Wulff and Sturdy and anyone else who is actually weighing in on making the decision, these guys know what they are doing. They are the ones who have been watching film of every practice. They've seen every throw the QB candidates have made, seen them make decisions during the heat of a scrimmage or whatever. They even have a body of work from 2008 to look back to and over-analyze. They are the ones sitting in meetings with the QB's, going over each situation again and again. So what does it tell you that here we are, now one week from actual KICKOFF to 2009, and the starter hasn't been tabbed? Well, to me anyway, it says two things:
1) Going back to the start of fall camp, this coaching staff wanted to have Marshall Lobbestael as the starting QB. I really and truly believe that. They wanted him to roll into camp, healthy from the knee injury, and grab this job. And not only for today, but for what him winning this job could mean for 2010 as well, maybe even 2011. And I think he showed them a lot last year, thrown into the fire like he was and doing what he could to survive under some pretty difficult circumstances. It's easy to forget now, but he was forced into action after the first two QB's were knocked out, and suddenly he finds himself starting vs. the Ducks.
But don't forget all the waxing on in eloquence last year from Wulff and the rest about how much they liked Marshall, how they thought he could be a real player in the coming years. Even though this is only coach Wulff's second season as the head man in Pullman, one thing that is perfectly clear is that he is NOT the cheerleader-type. When he goes on and on about a player, as he did re: Marshall last year, you know coach Wulff believes he could be something special.
2) The problem here, if you want to actually call it a problem, is that Kevin Lopina has MADE this a difficult choice. While these coaches came into fall camp with an open mind, Marshall had a slight lead, even if it wasn't fully out there for public consumption. But what do you know, Kevin Lopina has gone out and played brilliantly this camp. Nobody saw this coming. Our own Longball has reported it several times, at every practice and scrimmage he's witnessed, that Lopina has been outstanding. He is leaps and bounds better than he was a year ago, and there really isn't anyone left who is denying that. This isn't just an overzealous media puff piece or someone trying to gauge the situation by simply reading message boards and the like. Longball's eyes don't lie! And on the flip side, at least at the outset, Lobbestael didn't go out and seize this thing. He looked hesitant and inaccurate at times, all the while Lopina was elevating his game.
The intangible here is that Lopina is in fact regarded as a leader of this team. And not just because of his Senior status. A big part of him cementing his status in the locker room was the calling-out he did last year after the drubbing/lay down job at Stanford. Many players were probably thinking the same things he came forward to speak about, and for that, he gained some instant respect. With all that said, there is likely a faction on the team that believes he is the answer for 2009, and hey, given a fair shot, he has gone out and grabbed this thing in fall camp.
But then you have something else to consider - just when you thought Lopina was breaking away after the initial few weeks of camp? In the last week-ten days, Marshall Lobbestael has elevated HIS game. He has been practicing better and better in the last week or so, perhaps a direct response to the challenge of Lopina's elevated play. Or maybe he's just more comfortable and confident in his surgically repaired knee, and he's finally in a groove? Who knows the reason(s), but there are probably more than a few. It's clear now that Lobbestael's recent play has made this a much more difficult decision than was the case several practices ago!
I will say this though - Wulff's comments yesterday about the situation was not something I would agree with:
“I know it’s a profile position, I understand that,” he said. “But, really, to the team’s perspective, we could have a battle at right tackle or at corner that is every bit as important.”
Um, really? OK, coach Wulff has probably forgotten more about football in all his years of playing and coaching than I will ever know. But is he downplaying the importance of the QB position? QB is every bit as important as a right tackle or corner position? Does he really believe that? Does anyone actually believe that the QB spot is the same as a defensive back or offensive tackle position? There are so many examples of poor QB play sinking an otherwise decent football team that we won't even get into it here. And maybe he's just trying to downplay it a bit to the press, and/or normalize the situation as to the best guy is going to get the job, just like all the other open spots on the team. But the QB is not a run-of-the-mill position. Look at the reaction coming out of LA over superfrosh Matt Barkley and USC. Think if Matt Barkley was named a starter at defensive back it would even move the needle? Instead it's talked about as one of the lead stories on ESPN radio on Friday. Yes, QB is very, very different.
Two weeks ago we were pretty sure that Kevin Lopina was going to pull this thing out, even though we cautioned that there was still a lot of practice time ahead. But it sure looks like Marshall has gained some ground. We'll see what happens, but this one is going to be a tough decision.
All for now. Enjoy your weekend, and GO COUGS!
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