08-18-2007, 08:21 AM
Grutza scrambles to save job
BY BILL KOCH | BKOCH@ENQUIRER.COM
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Dustin Grutza scrambles against Ohio State last season.
WEST HARRISON, Ind. - This could be an important day for Dustin Grutza in his quest to hold onto his job as the University of Cincinnati's starting quarterback.
In an attempt to give Grutza a chance to display his full array of talents, UC coach Brian Kelly plans to take the cautionary red jerseys off him and Craig Carey today at the Higher Ground Retreat Center during the Bearcats' final scrimmage before their Aug. 30 season opener against Southeast Missouri State.
That means Grutza will be exposed to take hits from the UC defense and will have the opportunity to make plays when the protection breaks down without having to worry about a quick whistle.
"Right now with him wearing the red jersey, you get the whistle blown and the defense doesn't have to worry about a quarterback who can scramble," UC coach Brian Kelly said. "We all know that kind of quarterback can drive you absolutely crazy."
Grutza relishes the opportunity.
"That's how it's going to be in the game," he said. "Avoiding pressure and getting out of bad situations, that's one of my strong points, so he wants to see how well I do that. It's an added threat. I like to think that I can move on my feet and make plays happen if I have to."
As he heads into today's scrimmage, Grutza, a junior from Maysville, Ky., appears to be trailing sophomore Tony Pike and senior Ben Mauk, who transferred from Wake Forest, for a starting job.
"Maybe it's Pike and Mauk with Grutza a little bit behind them right now," Kelly said. "But I've got to give that kid a chance to run around."
Whatever happens today, Kelly is not expected to name a starter yet for the season opener.
"There's not a huge separation between one and four still," Kelly said. "But we can't play all four of them. I would be shocked if we played only one guy in the Southeast Missouri game. Those are important games for us to find out who our guys are going to be for the long haul."
Kelly was prepared to name a starter for today's scrimmage.
"Right now it will probably be Tony Pike to start," Kelly said.
What does that mean in the overall scheme of things?
"It means that he was given the opportunity with the first team and hasn't lost it," Kelly said.
Here's a look at the four quarterbacks based on Kelly's comments and observations during practice and last week's scrimmage:
Pike: The surprise of training camp, he repeatedly has been praised by Kelly the past week for his passing accuracy.
"Tony Pike has got a huge upside," Kelly said. "He's a sophomore. He's 6-6, 223 pounds. He throws the ball very well and he hasn't lost the position since he started to take first-team reps."
The biggest drawbacks for the Reading High graduate are his lack of mobility compared with Mauk and Grutza and his inexperience.
Mauk: He was impressive in last week's scrimmage, leading his team to a score in all three of his possessions, but there are questions about how well his right arm will hold up after undergoing surgery last year.
Having earned the starting job at Wake last season and shared it the two previous years, Mauk has experience playing on the BCS level.
Grutza: He has been the starting quarterback for most of the past two seasons, but his grip on the job began to weaken near the end of last season. When Kelly arrived, the competition was back to square one.
Grutza is a resourceful runner who has played two seasons in the Big East. He's a decent, if not always consistent, passer. He has been counted out before only to rise up and claim the starting job.
Carey: The Elder High product has the physical tools to be a successful Division I-A college quarterback but so far has not been able to translate those tools into enough consistent play during practice to get on the field. He's a long shot to be the starter at this point.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...3/1064/SPT
BY BILL KOCH | BKOCH@ENQUIRER.COM
Dustin Grutza scrambles against Ohio State last season.
WEST HARRISON, Ind. - This could be an important day for Dustin Grutza in his quest to hold onto his job as the University of Cincinnati's starting quarterback.
In an attempt to give Grutza a chance to display his full array of talents, UC coach Brian Kelly plans to take the cautionary red jerseys off him and Craig Carey today at the Higher Ground Retreat Center during the Bearcats' final scrimmage before their Aug. 30 season opener against Southeast Missouri State.
That means Grutza will be exposed to take hits from the UC defense and will have the opportunity to make plays when the protection breaks down without having to worry about a quick whistle.
"Right now with him wearing the red jersey, you get the whistle blown and the defense doesn't have to worry about a quarterback who can scramble," UC coach Brian Kelly said. "We all know that kind of quarterback can drive you absolutely crazy."
Grutza relishes the opportunity.
"That's how it's going to be in the game," he said. "Avoiding pressure and getting out of bad situations, that's one of my strong points, so he wants to see how well I do that. It's an added threat. I like to think that I can move on my feet and make plays happen if I have to."
As he heads into today's scrimmage, Grutza, a junior from Maysville, Ky., appears to be trailing sophomore Tony Pike and senior Ben Mauk, who transferred from Wake Forest, for a starting job.
"Maybe it's Pike and Mauk with Grutza a little bit behind them right now," Kelly said. "But I've got to give that kid a chance to run around."
Whatever happens today, Kelly is not expected to name a starter yet for the season opener.
"There's not a huge separation between one and four still," Kelly said. "But we can't play all four of them. I would be shocked if we played only one guy in the Southeast Missouri game. Those are important games for us to find out who our guys are going to be for the long haul."
Kelly was prepared to name a starter for today's scrimmage.
"Right now it will probably be Tony Pike to start," Kelly said.
What does that mean in the overall scheme of things?
"It means that he was given the opportunity with the first team and hasn't lost it," Kelly said.
Here's a look at the four quarterbacks based on Kelly's comments and observations during practice and last week's scrimmage:
Pike: The surprise of training camp, he repeatedly has been praised by Kelly the past week for his passing accuracy.
"Tony Pike has got a huge upside," Kelly said. "He's a sophomore. He's 6-6, 223 pounds. He throws the ball very well and he hasn't lost the position since he started to take first-team reps."
The biggest drawbacks for the Reading High graduate are his lack of mobility compared with Mauk and Grutza and his inexperience.
Mauk: He was impressive in last week's scrimmage, leading his team to a score in all three of his possessions, but there are questions about how well his right arm will hold up after undergoing surgery last year.
Having earned the starting job at Wake last season and shared it the two previous years, Mauk has experience playing on the BCS level.
Grutza: He has been the starting quarterback for most of the past two seasons, but his grip on the job began to weaken near the end of last season. When Kelly arrived, the competition was back to square one.
Grutza is a resourceful runner who has played two seasons in the Big East. He's a decent, if not always consistent, passer. He has been counted out before only to rise up and claim the starting job.
Carey: The Elder High product has the physical tools to be a successful Division I-A college quarterback but so far has not been able to translate those tools into enough consistent play during practice to get on the field. He's a long shot to be the starter at this point.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...3/1064/SPT
