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Winnepeg vs Hamilton.

(08-05-2021 06:49 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  Winnepeg vs Hamilton.

Zack getting her done in first half.

Zack Collaros is the best QB I have seen play for the Bearcats. Granted I did not see Greg Cook play. I confess I did not really start following Bearcat Football until the Mark Dantonio days. Gino was a great QB and deserves the Ring Of Read honor he received. I celebrated his return as a coach. Many seem to be in love with Tony Pike and Gunner Kiel.

Tony was a good passer but frustrated me because he never saw the whole field. I can't remember all the times he kept looking to his right for an open receiver while he had a man running free down the left side. Kiel had some passing abilities but his game never measured up to Zach's.

Munchie was a lot of fun and gave us many memorable moments but like Ridder, his passing ability doesn't come close to the talent Zach, Gino, Tony and Gunner had.

I maintain, if Zach had three more inches height he would have been an NFL QB. Zach is the only QB from the twenty-first century who has had any type of PRO career and won championships at that level. I will concede the CFL is not at the level of the NFL but it is still a significant accomplishment to win there.

I think, in terms of talent, Ben Mauk was the "best" QB of the "modern era" in UC football. It really is too bad he didn't get that additional year of eligibility to see what he could do at something above "85%."

But, for my money, Zach Collaros is a clear #2. He wasn't the "best arm" we have seen (Nick Davilla has to be up there for that honor), but he had the "whole package" when it came to decision making. Collaros could take a broken play and make it into a big gainer; he rarely forced the ball into bad situations.

Geno was always fun...and often frustrating...to watch. It's hard to compare Geno to the others because he didn't have near the weapons that some other Bearcat QB's had to go to; the game relied on his arm. He was the type of QB who had to throw 50+ times a game and when he was "on" we won and when he wasn't...well, we lost. But we won far more than we lost and that should tell you everything that you need to know.

Pike...well...Pike used to drive me a bit nuts. He had "happy feet." If he settled down and let the game "come to him," then he was a brilliant QB. But too often his nerves got the better of him; he danced around a lot, and when he started to do that, he made bad throws. That first drive of the Orange Bowl was amazing...he was completely dialed in. But once the VaTech D began to rattle him...it was down-hill from there.

Gunner Kiel was a troubled kid. His first season he tried too hard to be a "tough guy," running over the defense, challenging guys who outweighed him by 100 lbs. to fight him. I'm pretty sure he got hurt and worn down along the way and something...something...happened between him and the coaching staff.

Munchie? Munchie had spirit but terrible technique. His throwing motion was terrible and often it cost him with either accuracy or interceptions. But the kid was a gamer. there's no denying that. I just wish he was coachable.

The unsung Bearcat QB was really Dustin Grutza. He was our "Rudy": too short, not a terribly strong arm, but just wouldn't quit. Kelly tried to replace him repeatedly but he just kept coming back. He really developed up to the "most" that he could be and by his senior year, he knew what he could do...and what he couldn't do...and really played up to the "Most" of his talent level. If Zach Collaros was the "best" overall QB, if Mauk was the "Most Talented" QB, if Geno was the "Best Arm," then Grutza had to be "The Most Coachable" QB in the "modern era" of Bearcat Football. I don't know what happened to him after UC, but I always thought that Dustin would have been a great coach.

But back to Zach.... LOVE the guy.

(08-06-2021 06:31 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  I think, in terms of talent, Ben Mauk was the "best" QB of the "modern era" in UC football. It really is too bad he didn't get that additional year of eligibility to see what he could do at something above "85%."

But, for my money, Zach Collaros is a clear #2. He wasn't the "best arm" we have seen (Nick Davilla has to be up there for that honor), but he had the "whole package" when it came to decision making. Collaros could take a broken play and make it into a big gainer; he rarely forced the ball into bad situations.

Geno was always fun...and often frustrating...to watch. It's hard to compare Geno to the others because he didn't have near the weapons that some other Bearcat QB's had to go to; the game relied on his arm. He was the type of QB who had to throw 50+ times a game and when he was "on" we won and when he wasn't...well, we lost. But we won far more than we lost and that should tell you everything that you need to know.

Pike...well...Pike used to drive me a bit nuts. He had "happy feet." If he settled down and let the game "come to him," then he was a brilliant QB. But too often his nerves got the better of him; he danced around a lot, and when he started to do that, he made bad throws. That first drive of the Orange Bowl was amazing...he was completely dialed in. But once the VaTech D began to rattle him...it was down-hill from there.

Gunner Kiel was a troubled kid. His first season he tried too hard to be a "tough guy," running over the defense, challenging guys who outweighed him by 100 lbs. to fight him. I'm pretty sure he got hurt and worn down along the way and something...something...happened between him and the coaching staff.

Munchie? Munchie had spirit but terrible technique. His throwing motion was terrible and often it cost him with either accuracy or interceptions. But the kid was a gamer. there's no denying that. I just wish he was coachable.

The unsung Bearcat QB was really Dustin Grutza. He was our "Rudy": too short, not a terribly strong arm, but just wouldn't quit. Kelly tried to replace him repeatedly but he just kept coming back. He really developed up to the "most" that he could be and by his senior year, he knew what he could do...and what he couldn't do...and really played up to the "Most" of his talent level. If Zach Collaros was the "best" overall QB, if Mauk was the "Most Talented" QB, if Geno was the "Best Arm," then Grutza had to be "The Most Coachable" QB in the "modern era" of Bearcat Football. I don't know what happened to him after UC, but I always thought that Dustin would have been a great coach.

But back to Zach.... LOVE the guy.

If Mauk had been deemed eligible in 2008, he would have broken a lot of career records at UC for passing in just two seasons. I have always rated Mauk up near the top of the leader board in the 2000s.

I am a big fan of ZC as well. Like Mauk, he played with a lot of swagger. Another "what if", if ZC does not get a broken leg against WVU we win out the following weeks and go to the Orange Bowl to play Clemson (who WVU waxed). I am going to disagree with you on the bad decision part. The play where he broke his leg was a bad decision. That play was dead he should have just thrown the ball out of bounds or take a sack earlier. There were many other times were he just tried to do to much and it resulted in a fumble or put us in bind (I seem to recall him taking a safety against USF here at Nippert in 2010).

A guy that always gets overlooked in these conversations is Brendon Kay. The kid played injured his entire career and was a warrior. He deserved that Belk Bowl MVP Trophy with his 332 yard performance and 4 TDs.

(08-06-2021 07:21 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(08-06-2021 06:31 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  I think, in terms of talent, Ben Mauk was the "best" QB of the "modern era" in UC football. It really is too bad he didn't get that additional year of eligibility to see what he could do at something above "85%."

But, for my money, Zach Collaros is a clear #2. He wasn't the "best arm" we have seen (Nick Davilla has to be up there for that honor), but he had the "whole package" when it came to decision making. Collaros could take a broken play and make it into a big gainer; he rarely forced the ball into bad situations.

Geno was always fun...and often frustrating...to watch. It's hard to compare Geno to the others because he didn't have near the weapons that some other Bearcat QB's had to go to; the game relied on his arm. He was the type of QB who had to throw 50+ times a game and when he was "on" we won and when he wasn't...well, we lost. But we won far more than we lost and that should tell you everything that you need to know.

Pike...well...Pike used to drive me a bit nuts. He had "happy feet." If he settled down and let the game "come to him," then he was a brilliant QB. But too often his nerves got the better of him; he danced around a lot, and when he started to do that, he made bad throws. That first drive of the Orange Bowl was amazing...he was completely dialed in. But once the VaTech D began to rattle him...it was down-hill from there.

Gunner Kiel was a troubled kid. His first season he tried too hard to be a "tough guy," running over the defense, challenging guys who outweighed him by 100 lbs. to fight him. I'm pretty sure he got hurt and worn down along the way and something...something...happened between him and the coaching staff.

Munchie? Munchie had spirit but terrible technique. His throwing motion was terrible and often it cost him with either accuracy or interceptions. But the kid was a gamer. there's no denying that. I just wish he was coachable.

The unsung Bearcat QB was really Dustin Grutza. He was our "Rudy": too short, not a terribly strong arm, but just wouldn't quit. Kelly tried to replace him repeatedly but he just kept coming back. He really developed up to the "most" that he could be and by his senior year, he knew what he could do...and what he couldn't do...and really played up to the "Most" of his talent level. If Zach Collaros was the "best" overall QB, if Mauk was the "Most Talented" QB, if Geno was the "Best Arm," then Grutza had to be "The Most Coachable" QB in the "modern era" of Bearcat Football. I don't know what happened to him after UC, but I always thought that Dustin would have been a great coach.

But back to Zach.... LOVE the guy.

If Mauk had been deemed eligible in 2008, he would have broken a lot of career records at UC for passing in just two seasons. I have always rated Mauk up near the top of the leader board in the 2000s.

I am a big fan of ZC as well. Like Mauk, he played with a lot of swagger. Another "what if", if ZC does not get a broken leg against WVU we win out the following weeks and go to the Orange Bowl to play Clemson (who WVU waxed). I am going to disagree with you on the bad decision part. The play where he broke his leg was a bad decision. That play was dead he should have just thrown the ball out of bounds or take a sack earlier. There were many other times were he just tried to do to much and it resulted in a fumble or put us in bind (I seem to recall him taking a safety against USF here at Nippert in 2010).

A guy that always gets overlooked in these conversations is Brendon Kay. The kid played injured his entire career and was a warrior. He deserved that Belk Bowl MVP Trophy with his 332 yard performance and 4 TDs.

All of these guys mentioned made Bearcat football fun to watch and easy to cheer for. Thanks to all of them for their efforts at UC!

As an old guy I was in school when Cook was our QB. He had an arm to be marveled at. His draft pick height says it all. IMO he was the best in the last 55 years.

(08-07-2021 07:45 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  As an old guy I was in school when Cook was our QB. He had an arm to be marveled at. His draft pick height says it all. IMO he was the best in the last 55 years.

No doubt. With today's surgery he could have got his shoulder repaired.

I was trying to research UC players in the CFL and track their play. I think I could only find maybe 3 players including ZC. Is there an updated list somewhere?

Zack led Winnepeg to another win. Now completing 74% of his passes.

(08-08-2021 06:45 AM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  I was trying to research UC players in the CFL and track their play. I think I could only find maybe 3 players including ZC. Is there an updated list somewhere?

https://www.cfl.ca/players/

This site has players listed by name but click on "College" and players are presented by College. Page down to Cincinnati. It list past and current players.

Zach on ESPN2 tonight 7pm

Great game. Zach and Bombers won. CFL is different but fun to watch.