Stanback last one standing
The gamesmanship at Washington over the identity of this week’s starting quarterback has ended with an anticlimactic, NCAA-enforced thud.
That the Husky job had come down to Isaiah Stanback and Johnny DuRocher was known. What wasn’t, apparently, was that DuRocher is ineligible until Sept. 20 and the fourth game of the season because that’s the date last year he transferred from Oregon.
As a result, Stanback, he of the 33.8 percent completion percentage in 2004, will be the Husky starter, and Casey Paus, who started eight games last season but was apparently eliminated quickly from the discussion this year, will be the backup for now.
“There was a general misunderstanding that Johnny needed to sit out an academic year where the rule states calendar year,” Washington athletics director Todd Turner said in a statement.
“Fortunately our compliance office caught the discrepancy this week and we were able to take the proper action to insure his eligibility will not be jeopardized. It is unfortunate that action did not take place earlier, but Johnny is very understanding of the situation.”
Head coach Tyrone Willingham admitted his error in the misunderstanding, and credited Stanback for having a good fall camp.
“I take all responsibility for not realizing the rule was specific to a ‘calendar year.’ I want to commend Johnny for the way he is handling this,” Willingham said in the statement. “The change in Johnny’s current status on the team should not diminish the fact Isaiah has earned this opportunity to be our starter. He certainly demonstrated the traits and leadership we want to have in our quarterback.
“I am disappointed for Johnny, but at the same time his competition at the position certainly helped him and our team. The ruling on Johnny accelerated the announcement of the starting quarterback. It did not, however, change the decision.”
DuRocher is still eligible to practice with the team.
Washington opens its season Saturday against Air Force at Qwest Field.
Longshore under center
Redshirt freshman Nate Longshore will be Aaron Rodgers’ initial replacement under center for California this year, but head coach Jeff Tedford indicated that the race has been and will be close between Longshore and junior college transfer Joseph Ayoob.
“Nate had the chance to prepare for a year,” Tedford said. “Understandably, he’s a step ahead. Physically, he’s also had a year of making the reads and throwing the ball, working on fundamentals with his mechanics.”
Rodgers himself was in Ayoob’s shoes just two years ago, starting the season on the bench but taking over midseason when he began to better grasp Tedford’s offense.
Ayoob has admitted he struggled in the spring to pick up the system, and if he does Tedford could have an interesting quarterback decision on his hands.
“He really showed a lot of retention in the spring and it was evident that he worked hard through the summer grasping the mental part of the game,” the coach said of Ayoob. “He still needs a little bit of time, very similar to the way when Aaron came here.”
Either way, both are likely to see time on the field this weekend as Cal opens with I-AA Sacramento State at home.
Notes
UCLA’s Karl Dorrell, perhaps the Pac-10 coach on the closest thing to a hot seat this year, acknowledged that his team must take a significant step forward this season. … Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said freshman tailback Jonathan Stewart of Lacey, Wash., will have an important role in the Ducks offense this year and that he has dazzled in practice. “A couple times he made some runs that have brought the entire team to its feet,” Bellotti said. “Jonathan is the real deal.” … Pete Carroll said USC backup quarterback John David Booty could see some snaps early this season in case Matt Leinart were to go down with an injury. Prized recruit Mark Sanchez could redshirt this season, though USC’s plans are not yet clear. … First-year coach Walt Harris said he’s impressed by his star players at Stanford, but it has become obvious to him that he’ll need to recruit better talent on the rest of his team. “We have some guys that have some athletic ability here, but not that many,” Harris said. “The meat and potatoes part of our football team, that’s what we have to upgrade.”