Steve Kim: QB U. Is Long Gone

Published Aug 21, 2007

QB U. Is Long Gone

The battle for the starting quarterback position at Miami this year is being guarded closer than the gold bars at Fort Knox or the formula for Coke. As incumbent Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman share reps at Greentree Practice Field this summer, trying to get any indication as to who has gained the upper hand is an exercise in futility. I'll say this much: if the way UM players have been so secretive in what they have said publicly is any indication of the newfound discipline under first-year head coach Randy Shannon, then the Hurricanes truly will be a more disciplined squad going into 2007 and beyond.

Everyone around the program reminds you of Sgt. Schulz of Hogan’s Heroes when you inquire as to who may be UM's starting signal caller on September 1st against Marshall at the Orange Bowl. They all seem to 'know naaathing!!!' But this much is clear: Wright vs. Freeman is a far cry from the days of the cerebral Bernie Kosar holding off the physically gifted Vinny Testaverde, after the program-changing Jim Kelly had manned the helm for Howard Schnellenberger to set off the Miami dynasty and begin Miami's magical run of signal callers.

From Kelly, to Kosar, to Testaverde, to Walsh, to Erickson, to Torretta. Back then Miami was lauded as 'QB U'. What Penn St. was to linebackers, Miami was to quarterbacks. With cutting edge and innovative offenses, and noted gurus like Gary Stevens, Miami churned out standout quarterbacks like Detroit assembly lines manufactured automobiles. But since Gino Torretta won the Heisman Trophy in 1992 - after leading UM to a national championship the year before - Miami has gone the way of Chrysler. Outside of Ken Dorsey's historic run from 1999-2002, there's been a litany of mediocrity under center from Frank Costa, Ryan Collins, Ryan Clement, Scott Covington, Kenny Kelly and Brock Berlin.

'QB U' is alive and well. Too bad it's set up shop now in Los Angeles (at USC) and Ann Arbor (at Michigan). Things had gotten so bad at Miami under the dearly departed Larry Coker and his antiquated offense that quarterback recruits like Derek Shaw and Pat Devlin thought better of their UM scholarship offers and reneged on their verbal commitments to Miami.

Could you blame them?

Now, Miami is in the midst of a dreaded 'quarterback controversy' between two quarterbacks who have yet to distinguish themselves during their tenures in Coral Gables. But if there is a difference between the two, it's that Wright is the known, and Freeman is the intriguing wild card who gives the Miami offense added dimensions - which is good and bad.

Wright came to Miami as one of the most highly-decorated recruits in recent history. But unfortunately, this 'can't miss' has done just that thus far. It hasn't been all his fault; he hasn't exactly had a Willis McGahee to lean on, an Andre Johnson to throw to or a Bryant McKinnie protecting his blindside. But this product of Danville, California, while possessing all the prototype physical tools, seems to be lacking the intangibles the great ones have. His pocket presence has been questioned and he seems to have developed Ken O'Brien-itis, as he has a habit of simply holding the ball too long and taking unnecessary sacks.

For his career, Wright has completed 337 out of 566 passes, with 26 touchdown tosses against 17 interceptions for 4,058 yards. Not horrible numbers, but upon closer inspection, the large bulk of his positive figures have come against the Dukes and Temples of the world. After seeing him on Labor Day night in 2005, you just expected more by this point in his career.

After leading Miami to a 5-4 mark last year, Wright would be absent the last four games because of a broken thumb. That opened the door for the more freewheeling Freeman, who came from Texas more or less as an option quarterback. In four starts against Maryland, Virginia, Boston College and Nevada, the results were decidedly mixed. In leading the Hurricanes to a 2-2 mark, he showed more mobility and moxie than the pocket bound Wright, but every throw from the athletic Freeman had you holding your breath.

For the longest time, Miami's offense was a traditional pro-set that was predicated on having a quarterback who could operate effectively under center and throw with timing and precision. While exciting, Freeman at times seemed to play what Coker would call 'scramble ball'. A 2004 recruit, Freeman, would garner his first extensive playing time last year, racking up 872 yards on 59 completions in 108 attempts, with a TD-to-INT ration of 7-8.

There doesn't seem to be too much for Randy Shannon and new offensive coordinator, Patrick Nix, to choose from. Perhaps there won’t be a winner in this fight - just a survivor by default.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

- As you read more and more about Shannon instilling new team rules and regulations, could it be that even the most ardent critics of our former coach were actually understating how soft he was?

It boggles the mind.

- Count me in as a guy who will look forward to Robert Marve-Jacory Harris much more than this current quarterback struggle.

- Just wondering, do we have enough quality defensive tackles and linebackers to handle OU on September 8th in Norman? It's make-or-break time for guys like
Antonio Dixon. Either make some substantial money playing football at the next level or just be another underachieving Coker recruit.

- If moving Derrick Morse to center means getting Orlando Franklin on the field, I'm all for it. UM needs to get its five best linemen on the field.

- Just a feeling, but I think Darnell Jenkins will have a pretty good senior campaign at Miami.

- If DeMarcus Van Dyke can handle the rigors of cornerback as a true freshman, should UM consider moving Randy Phillips to his more natural position of
safety?

- Vanderbilt will make a bowl game. Yeah, I said it.

- Andre Woodson of Kentucky is the best quarterback most people have never heard off.

- Be honest, how many of you will turn off the volume on ESPNU for Miami's season opener against Marshall?

- So, it looks like Michael Vick is going to the big (dog) house.

Steve Kim is a frequent contributor on CanesOverHere.com and runs his own website, Maxboxing.com. He can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com

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