Goal Line Stand
The QB You Need To Know
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Goal Line Stands
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revamped Michigan
By Michael Bradley
Late in Tuesday’s teleconference with the national media – all the big hitters were there – someone had a question for Houston QB Case Keenum.
Make that for Chase Keenum.
“Did you just call me ‘Chase?’”? Keenum asked without a hint of irritation in his voice.
“Uh, sorry,” replied the reporter.
Turns out Keenum hears that pretty often, along with comments about his relative lack of size (he’s listed at 6-2) and his team’s low position in the national hierarchy. He responds casually to all slights, no matter how innocent, and prefers to speak instead about his teammates, his determination to help the Cougars win a league championship and how much he enjoys playing against the teams he grew up watching.
Take Oklahoma State. Keenum says he saw the Cowboys play while growing up in Abilene. Last Saturday, he and his UH teammates slapped a 45-35 defeat on Boone Pickens’ school, blasting to a 24-7 advantage and then holding off the fifth-ranked ‘Pokes to gain the program’s first victory over a top-five squad in 25 years. All Keenum did was throw for 366 yards (32-of-46) and three scores, further establishing himself as one of the nation’s finest quarterbacks, regardless of size.
“I like playing and representing for guys who only got one scholarship offer and didn’t have opportunities to play at the big schools,” says Keenum, who was not overwhelmed with interest as a senior at Wylie HS. (Baylor, UTEP and North Texas offered him rides also.) “It’s not how tall you are or how big you are. It’s what you can do on the football field. Coach [Kevin Sumlin] is always talking about your resume. Everybody has a paper resume, but your real resume is what you put on film.”
Keenum and his Houston buddies put together a production against Oklahoma State worthy of the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The Cowboys were riding fast and tall after their opening-week win over Georgia and probably didn’t respect the Conference USA visitors sufficiently. In winning with such a strong performance, the Cougars inserted themselves into the BCS “what-if” discussion with Brigham Young, Boise State, Utah and the like. There are still 10 games remaining, including a visit next week from Texas Tech, but it’s a good place to be.
It’s also a tenuous spot, given the lack of attention and respect generally accorded Keenum and UH. During the teleconference, there were questions about the origin of his name (there was another second-grader in his class named Casey, Keenum’s given name, so his mom suggested a shorter version) his feelings on a coaching switch that occurred two years ago and his relationship with former Cougar slingers Andre Ware and David Klingler. Case Keenum, meet the U.S. America, this is Case.
Houston has been given a place in line, with a chance to dream about BCS riches. All the Cougars have to do is win their next 10 games – 11, if you count the C-USA title tilt – and they’re golden. More likely, the win over Oklahoma State could be a catapult to an improvement on last year’s 8-5 mark, rather than a precursor to perfection. It’s sad, but unless the Cougars can win ‘em all, they’re out of the big-time talk. OSU, meanwhile, can still play in January, and we aren’t talking International Bowl here. Keenum would prefer to dodge that kind of talk.
“It’s hard to tell for me what it means to the program,” he says. “It’s one of those deals where I’ll look back at the end of the season on it. We’re still in the middle of it, and we’re ready to get back on the field and do it again.”
Keenum threw for 5,020 yards last season, and though he might not top that this year, he has already completed 72.4% of his throws in two games and has seven TDs to just one pick. Prior to the season, in an interview with a New York Times reporter, Klinger predicted great things for Keenum down the road, including a productive NFL career. That may not happen, but there is no denying the QB’s contributions in Houston’s spread offense, which favors execution over physical stature and gives passers the luxury of ripping it every play from the shotgun. Some will consider that a detriment, and the struggles of Keenum’s successor, Kevin Kolb, with the Eagles will amplify that. That doesn’t bother Keenum, who just wants to keep playing ball at Houston.
“I was told that if I was two inches taller, I could go anywhere I wanted to,” he says. “Whether that is true or not, I don’t know. I’m happy. This is the place for me. I would not rather be anywhere else than where I am at Houston.”
After last Saturday, that rings truer than ever. Right, Chase – er, Case?
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GAME OF THE WEEK: Tennessee at Florida, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT (CBS). This one doesn’t figure to be a tight struggle, but there is plenty of drama behind the scenes. Lane Kiffin brings his Vols to The Swamp to square off against the man he basically called a cheater during the immediate aftermath of National Signing Day. Think Urban Meyer has forgotten about that? Not likely. Meyer is pretending that there is no extra incentive to stomp Tennessee, but don’t be fooled. If given the chance to run it up, Meyer will turn into Usain Bolt. The Volunteer offense looked horrible last week against UCLA, while Florida looked predictably awesome in its two walkovers. The “Gator Bait!” chants will start around noon, and by the end of the day, there could be plenty of reptilian belching after a tasty meal of Volunteers. Florida 45, Tennessee 10.
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BUMPS AND RUNS: A big reason for Penn State’s trouble running the ball is the absence of center A.Q. Shipley, who has moved on to the NFL. A nasty brawler, Shipley’s attitude is missed. Stefan Wisniewski could eventually be a standout in the pivot, but he’s not there, yet. On the other side of the ball, the Lions don’t have a great pass-rushing end, but one opposing coach says tackle Jared Odrick “is a first-round draft pick.”…Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant gets a lot of attention, but running back Kendall Hunter is opening the eyes of pro scouts with his ability to break tackles and run inside. “You better bring two or three people to tackle him,” an opposing defensive coordinator says…Looking for the next BCS team to go down to a mid-major school? Check out the Indiana-Akron game Saturday. The Zips christened their new stadium last week by blitzing Morgan State, but this is a bigger moment and a chance for Akron coach J.D. Brookhart to make a pitch for a new deal…Michigan’s win over Notre Dame was huge, but the Wolverines had better decide that defense is a priority – and quick. U-M is light and susceptible in the front seven, and its secondary was toasted repeatedly by Irish QB Jimmy Clausen. The fear is that Rich Rodriguez, an offensive-minded head coach, won’t devote appropriate personnel to the D…Bill Snyder’s Kansas State team lost to Louisiana Lafayette, and he received a contract extension. Ron Zook and Dan Hawkins would love to work for an AD like that.