Gilby has no choice but to put ball in Bonnell`s hands
Two things about the Washington Huskies were confirmed in Saturday`s 38-3 loss at Notre Dame.
One, this is the worst UW football team we`ve seen in years. And two, if things are going to get better, they`ll do so with freshman Carl Bonnell playing quarterback.
Coach Keith Gilbertson tried doing it the conventional way. He knew junior Casey Paus had more knowledge and preparation time than the kid from Kentwood. He knew you don`t win in major college football with a freshman quarterback.
But this just in. The Huskies aren`t going to win with Paus at quarterback either. So it makes more sense to go with the more promising youngster who at least gives hope for the future.
Most coaches decline comment on quarterback changes in the immediate aftermath of a game, but Gilbertson tipped his hand by saying he`s going to seriously think about starting Bonnell next weekend at Stanford.
In other words, he saw the same things as the rest of us. He knows Bonnell is going to make mistakes. But he`s also going to make plays. He`s going to make progress. And in the end, he`s going to make the Huskies a far better team in the next three seasons.
Going with Paus is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. The only way this team heals is by giving it time to grow back together over time. And Paus has less time and less talent.
It was evident Saturday in South Bend that Bonnell is more athletic, more accurate and has the stronger arm.
Paus` biggest attribute, more experience and time in the program, hasn`t parlayed into any sort of advantage on the field. He was woeful in the opener against Fresno State and again Saturday at Notre Dame. He played OK in the previous week`s narrow loss to UCLA, but that was a game where Gilbertson was able to shield his quarterback with a running game and ball-control offense against a lousy Bruin run defense.
Notre Dame took running back Kenny James out of the equation, challenging Paus to beat them. It didn`t help that the Irish powered to a quick lead, further forcing Washington to air it out. But even when Gilbertson tried establishing the run, disaster struck as running backs lost three fumbles at critical times.
Before long, there wasn`t anything critical remaining. All that was left was criticism, which Gilby and the boys will endure in large loads now as they fall to 0-3, the worst UW start since 1969.
Paus wasn`t helped by a couple dropped balls and bad routes. The Husky receivers are equally inexperienced, particularly when senior Charles Frederick went out with a sore hamstring. But Paus also took his team out of several drives early with three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage and countless others thrown high over receivers.
Despite playing with backups at virtually every skill position, Bonnell brought considerable more zip to the passing game in the second half, hitting receivers in stride, moving the chains and offering mobility that Paus sorely lacks.
It is Bonnell`s ability to run the option that totally swings the balance his way. This is what Gilbertson wants to do with his offense in the long run. He loved the challenge Marques Tuiasosopo presented for opposing defenses. He likes the idea of a multiple-threat quarterback.
That`s why Paus is a square peg in a round hole. And the junior out of llinois doesn`t appear to have enough passing accuracy or chutzpah to warrant building an offense around in the interim.
Gilbertson has no choice now. Bonnell not only is the best quarterback for the future, he is the best quarterback right now.
It`s not going to be pretty. Just when Bonnell`s addition figured to bring the option back to the fore, fullback Zach Tuiasosopo -- a critical piece in that attack -- fractured his leg.
The Huskies also lost starting wide receiver Corey Williams to a fractured wrist when he ran into a brick wall (insert your own metaphor here) that circles Notre Dame`s field.
This one was ugly and it had nothing to do with luck of the Irish.
Notre Dame didn`t need Touchdown Jesus or leprechauns or anything else. The Irish just lined up and whipped Washington. The Husky defense, skewered by UCLA running back Maurice Drew last week, loaded up to stop that phase and wound up surrendering four passing touchdowns.
Washington`s offense was unable to score a touchdown in a game for the first time since 1992. The kicking game was lousy again.
Frankly, changing the quarterback is just one of many issues. But it is the most visible and obvious change.
Keith Gilbertson figured all along that Carl Bonnell was a big part of the future. But three lousy games into the present, he has no choice.
The future is now.
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