McCOY FACES UNFAIR EXPECTATION

written: 8/28/06

Starting University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy will make a lot of mistakes this year.

One of the greatest prep school athletes in Texas history, McCoy steps into an unbelievably unstable situation. His job? Put on Vince Young's shoes and lead Texas to a second straight national title. Don't do that and face a firestorm of media scrutiny and fair-weather-fans turned against you.

But wait just one second. Those expectations are unfair and may be a little premature. Young's shoes are the biggest shoes ever to stomp all over college football. He's the only player in history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Only two players have ever reached the 2,000/1,000 mark. Also, only two teams have won back-to-back national titles in the last 27 years: Nebraska and USC.

If given the fair and proper chance, McCoy will be a great quarterback. He will bring the Longhorns conference championships and maybe even a national title. He will rewrite the record books and become a beloved figure in Texas lore.

But we have to give him a chance. It's highly common, almost assured, that a first year quarterback will make lots of mistakes and be questioned as the starter.

Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn is the Heisman Trophy front-runner. The "Golden Boy" of college football, he's already set all kinds of passing records for the Fighting Irish. But Quinn struggled his first year as a full-time college quarterback. He only completed 54.1% of his passes, threw 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Last year, Quinn's touchdown-to-interception ratio was 32-to-7. Just a tad better.

Young's freshman year was much worse: 58.7% completion rate, 6 TDs and 7 INTs. And Young had the luxury of a veteran quarterback, Chance Mock, to share snaps with him.

Chris Leak, another Heisman favorite and quarterback at Florida was sacked 22 times his first year under center and tossed 11 interceptions compared with just 16 touchdowns.

Florida State's sophomore QB Drew Weatherford set an ACC freshman record with 3,208 passing yards last year. But he threw 18 interceptions and the same number of touchdowns.

Native Texan Drew Tate, QB at Iowa, struggled his first year: 20 TD, 14 INT. Last year Tate catapulted to the top of the QB position nationwide with a 22/7 TD-INT ratio. Two more touchdowns, half the picks.

Nothing can substitute experience. Young quarterbacks will make mistakes.

Michigan started a true freshman at QB in 2004, Chad Henne. He threw 25 touchdowns and 12 picks. After one season of experience, Henne came back with a 23/8 ratio last year.

The ACC rookie of the year a few years ago was Georgia Tech QB Reggie Ball. His ratio that year? 10/11. He threw more picks than touchdowns.

When Colt McCoy throws an interception or gets sacked when he should have run or runs when he should have thrown it away or does something you don't think he should have done. Take it easy. The mistakes will come. It's how he responds to the mistakes that will make him great.

I will guarantee that McCoy can handle adversity. I've watched him play in big games and seen him perform in pressure situations.

Expect the mistakes, let him grow into a great college quarterback and McCoy will put Tuscola on the national map. He just needs the chance.