Forgive Stetson football coach Roger Hughes if he is not jumping for joy at the news that his Hatters will be facing a team with an unknown and untested starting quarterback this Saturday at Davidson.
The veteran coach has seen this storyline before, and he didn't like the way it turned out.
The Hatters (2-5, 0-3) will be looking for their first Pioneer Football League win of the year when they hit the ground at Richardson Stadium for Saturday's game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Stetson fans unable to make the trip to North Carolina can listen to the game on the Stetson Radio Network with Matt Musgrove and Steve Ostermann on the call.
The game will be available on WSBB AM 1230 in New Smyrna Beach and AM 1490 in DeLand as well as 740 “The Game” in Orlando. In addition, fans can listen to the game online. Davidson will be video streaming the contest as well with a charge of $6.95 through the Wildcats' web site, www.DavidsonWildcats.com.
Davidson (1-7, 0-4) is looking to snap a 13-game PFL losing streak, a run that includes a 26-13 loss to Stetson last year, but the Wildcats will have to end that skid without the services of senior quarterback J.P. Douglas, who was suspended indefinitely earlier this week following an off the field incident.
The loss of Douglas, who has thrown for 1,715 yards and 11 touchdowns this year - ranking second in the PFL in both passing yards per game (245.0) and total offense per game (269.4), just behind Jacksonville's Kade Bell - leaves a giant question mark on the Wildcats' offensive attack.
Freshman Taylor Mitchell, a native of Buford, Ga., will make his first collegiate start for Davidson. Mitchell, who Stetson recruited, has played in two games this year, completing 5-of-12 passes for 45 yards, with one interception. Mitchell will essentially be working without a net in the game because the Wildcats' regular backup at the quarterback position, sophomore John Cook, is out with an ankle injury.
The last time a Hughes coached team saw a drastic quarterback change was when he was coaching at Princeton. It is not a fond memory.
“Harvard had a very experienced, established All-Conference quarterback named Neal Rose,” Hughes said. “We ended up knocking him out of the game in the third quarter with us leading and I felt like the game was ours. The guy that trotted in for them was Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he came in and had a stellar game and took them to a comeback victory. So, excuse me if I am a little paranoid about unknown freshmen quarterbacks.”
Fitzpatrick, of course, is now the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans.
What the change at quarterback means for Stetson is that the Hatters will have to take a wait-and-see approach to their defensive scheme for the game.
“The old cliché is that you cover a great quarterback and you blitz a bad one,” Hughes said. “We just don't know enough about Mitchell. We recruited him and had his high school film here, but we don't know how they will utilize him. Before we can figure out how we need to play against him, we have to figure out what he can do.”
What the Hatters can control is what they plan to do on the offensive side of the ball. One of the keys to the game will be if Stetson can establish its running game, which had been ranked at the top of the PFL before only garnering 98 yards on the ground last week against Jacksonville.
The running game, for Stetson, is the key to making the entire offense go.
“The way we are evolving offensively, and as a team, running the ball effectively has become a major priority,” Hughes said. “From an offensive line standpoint, we were not pleased last week with our effectiveness running the football. I think our offensive line is a little embarrassed and it was a wake-up call for them. Our guys are anxious to get back on the field and establish physicality in our run game that they can be proud of.”
The running game could get a boost of enthusiasm this week from the fact that three players – running backs Dre Long and Jason Willix along with lineman Griffin Vari – will be playing in front of their friends and families. All are from the Davidson area of North Carolina.
“These guys are so close, with most of them having been through a year of just practice, everyone knows who has more irons in the fire on a given week,” Hughes said. “Those guys heading back up that way are very excited to be going to play in front of some home friends and family. It is never announced, but it is understood that there are guys with a little extra skin in the game.”
If the Hatters are to have success running the ball, in addition to a rebound performance from the offensive line they will need a better effort in the passing game. Stetson has had just one big game through the air this year – throwing for 328 yards against Butler – but the Hatters have to give defenses more to worry about than the 89 yards they managed through the air against Jacksonville last week.
Hughes said there were a lot of contributing factors to the performance last week, starting with the play of the quarterbacks, the lack of production in the running game, and a less than standout performance from the guys on the outside charged with catching the ball.
“Overall, offensively we didn't play well,” Hughes said. “In our offense, the quarterback has to play well or we have problems.”
Sophomore starter Ryan Tentler struggled so much against JU that backup Blake Plattsmier got the bulk of the playing time against the Dolphins. Neither had great results.
“I don't believe in the thought that you can only play one quarterback,” Hughes said. “Every other position roles people in and out and I don't know why you can't at quarterback. One of the reasons I put Blake in, besides the fact that he is deserving of the opportunity, is that when you stand on the sideline you get a less stressful look at things. When you get that, maybe it helps slow the game down for you.”
The third member of the Hatters' quarterbacking depth chart, sophomore Jonathan Jerozal, also got into the game against Jacksonville last week, although not at his normal position. Jerozal played several snaps as a receiver and, even though he was never targeted with a pass, having him in the game give opposing defenses something else to think about.
“He has been working there all week and he has been working there some for a couple of weeks,” Hughes said of Jerozal.
“As we get to the point where we start having good backups, when the starters aren't producing, those backups deserve an opportunity. It is more prominent when you travel because you can only take 56, so it helps if you can play two positions, especially with that third quarterback, who rarely gets on the field. It just makes sense to try to utilize him in other ways.
“Even if we don't do anything, the threat gives a defense something to think about. Maybe they get a little uncomfortable or maybe they don't come with as much pressure because you know you have to stay back a little.”
Making opponents uncomfortable is a specialty for Stetson's defensive dynamo Donald Payne. Against Jacksonville he broke his own school record by recording 21 tackles, 16 of which were of the solo variety. Even though he is a defensive back, Payne has made it to where opposing teams have to account for him on every snap, or face the consequences.
“Everyone knows that Donald lines up in a certain position and they know he is a good blitzer, so they are going to check their protections to slide to him,” Hughes said. "We have to move him around, or at least give that appearance, to make sure the offense can't just line up and know where he is all the time.
“If they are not looking for number 7, it is not good for them. I think offenses are very aware of where he is and, if they are not, they run the risk of having him make a big play against them.”
Besides the obvious change at quarterback for Davidson, Hughes said the Hatters match up better, at least on paper, with the Wildcats that they did in previous games against San Diego and Jacksonville.
“Davidson is much like us in that they are trying to regenerate their program,” Hughes said of the Wildcats, who are 1-18 in two seasons under coach Paul Nichols. “If you look at the rosters, and at the number of freshmen and sophomores, they are similar numbers. Based on that, you hope that you can match up with them physically and then it just gets down to execution, taking care of the football and doing all of the things that you have to do to win the game.
“They are not as big as San Diego and, on film, they do not appear to be as quick as Jacksonville. Hopefully we can take care of their defensive front, and we are going to have to if we are going to be able to run the ball effectively. That is the absolute key to the game. The matchups in the trenches are going to be crucial to us winning the game.”
