Here's another example of a JUCO success story, a little more recent than the other USC story, and with kind of an ironic twist. 

About 5 years ago, at Mission Viejo High School, there was a tandem in the backfield of a RB by the name of Robbie DuBois and a FB named Ryan Powdrell, who also played linbacker.  Now, this dynamic duo just pounded the heck out of any defense that it came upon and blasted Chino HS in the CIF D-2 final at Edison Field.  DuBois has the distinction of being the #2 all time HS rusher in Orange County  history.  Both received full rides to Fresno State as well as offers from at least a half a dozen more D-1 schools.  DuBois took Fresno State up on their offer but Powdrell's dad thought that Ryan wasn't ready for the academic pressure that he would encounter while being under scholarship as well, so Ryan  enrolled at Saddleback College a JC in Mission Viejo.

Dubois went on to struggle academically at Fresno St and had difficulty fitting in on the football field as well.  Meanwhile, Powdrell was getting the feel of college life without the pressure of "having to play" and prospered at the JC level while playing ball at a very competitive level.  Because he was able to become acclimated and ease into college life in a less stressful environment he was able to prepare himself for and even better opportunity than Fresno St.  He earned a scholarship to USC and because he was patient and worked hard and seized the opportunity when it was presented to him, he is the starting FB for the Trojans this year and making a powerful statement for their offense. 

What happened to Robbie DuBois?  He dropped out of Fresno State after his 4th attempt to make it there and is now attending Saddleback College and playing football for the Gauchos.  It took some time but it seems he learned something from his high school friend.

It is not all that unusual for a high school QB to move to WR or DB when moving on to the college level.  They find success at these positions because for the most part they are usually great athletes and they are able to understand the patterns and, in the case of a WR, know how to adjust if the QB gets into trouble to give him more options. 

My suggestion would be that Selway remain taking snaps as the #2 guy because he is most familiar with the offense, but when he's not taking snaps he should be working at the WR because that's where he can help this team the most right now.  He would be the best choice to step in should something happen to Saras (ala Nick Brown last year).  It would be impossible for a freshman to come in, without the benefit of the spring training, and have any success unless he was an absolute superstar.   And, quite frankly, if he was that he wouldn't be playing at the D3 level.  The young freshman should bide his time, learn the system, play scout, pay his dues, and make the most of it when he is given the opportunity to play.

Look at John David Booty.  As a true freshman he could have started at quite a few D1 schools, most D2 schools and any D3 school.  Point is he didn't.  He went to USC, competed for the position and after paying his dues is being rewarded for his sacrifice.  Mark Sanchez is now following suit as a back-up.  It's just the order of things. 

Coach Maynard just needs to take full charge of this team and the staff.  It might be a good idea for him to take over as the OC (or even give the QB coach a stab at it) and move Coach O'Boyle back to the defense where he was.  He certainly can't do any worse!

Quote from: DawgFan1 on September 11, 2006, 03:59:04 PM
To Watchman: Very honest and accurate evaluation of Saturday's game. I see you are the "politically correct" type of guy who is very careful not to hurt anyone's feelings.
Hopefully "The Return to Dominance" also includes decisions made on the sidelines.

I truly have no ax to grind.  I just think that UR has some really talented players that are not able to show their potential given the circumstances they must play under.  Changes on the sidelines are an absolute necessity if they truly want  to become a force once again and live up to their new motto.

RFB, I just call 'em like I see 'em.  Thanks for the welcome.  Perhaps I'll continue to inject my HONEST opinion from time to time.

I'd like to submit my opinion as a fairly objective outside observer of the RU/Whitworth game Saturday night.   I have a friend who is an alum and former player who invited me to the game and I follow RU football because of him. 

I'd like to refute Dawgsgodeep's analysis that pass blocking was inadequate mostly in blitz situations.  It was inadequate all night and adequate only if one was throwing a screen pass on every passing attempt.  To opine otherwise one would have to have been observing this game from the snack bar or the restroom.  Certainly one could not have been in the stands actually watching what was transpiring and come to the conclusion that you did! 

The O line provided what I would call sieve blocking.  The QB's rarely had time to throw without being pressured and when pressured Saras was much more adept and accurate (9-16-2-101/.563) showed a stronger arm and made much  better choices in general.  Selway (6-11-2-45/.545) more often than not threw passes wide or in the dirt  to open receivers.  Once even ran to the sidelines taking a 9 yd loss when he clearly could have thrown OB and not lost a yard.  Receivers had great difficulty getting clear of defenders which may be why it may have appeared to you that passes were thrown into coverage.  Saras had 2 int's, one was from a pass interrupted when his blocking fullback, one Freshman, George Foreman IV (or VI or VII, whatever), just didn't block the rusher and Saras took it full speed on the chin and the shin.  The other was a timing pass to the end zone and blown pattern by the receiver who ran an out instead of a deep fly route to the end zone (remember there were just seconds remaining in the game and Redlands was somewhere around the Whitworth 42, 3rd and long.  Why would one run an out pattern when it is clearly deep pass situation?)

The INT's thrown by Selway, on the other hand, were thrown directly into the waiting arms of a defender when there was virtually no pressure on him and no receiver within 5 yards of the ball.  Selway was all too ready to tuck and run as soon as he determined his primary receiver was covered.   Saras completed passes in some very tough situations (i.e.: an awesome shovel pass after scrambling to his left and made just before getting hammered on the sidelines, a play which resulted in a first down instead of a loss.) 

Selway was a great, very productive receiver last year and would make an extremely valuable contribution to the team if they played him there this year.  He does not, IMHO, have the decision making skills necessary to play QB at the college level whereas I think Saras has demonstrated, through his play last year for Redlands and what he was able to do last night, that he is the guy.   (Heck, RU came close to winning the Oxy game last year with Saras at the helm).  There are many more situations that would demonstrate the superiority of Saras over Selway but to enumerate them here would take up way too much space.   And for those who think that putting in the untested, tenderfoot freshman is the solution, just demonstrates their ignorance. 

I think that the major problem with the game and the play from the Redlands side of the ball was that Offensive Coordinator is better suited to be dispensing ice cream from a Good Humor truck rather than calling plays for a football team at any level.   As reported in the local press, he or the staff collectively, made a pre-game decision to insert the second QB into the game at a pre-determined time (i.e.: the third series of each half) no matter how the flow of the game is going.  It doesn't take a great football mind to see how bush league that kind of thinking is.  I doubt if a Pop Warner coach would do something that amateurish.  He found ways of stifling the momentum his team was gaining at every turn.  The first notable occasion was on the 4th and inches at the Whitworth 22 where, after just marching 60+ yds down the field from their own 14 yard line, decided he would show his team the lack of confidence he had in them and take 3 pts instead of putting faith in them and maintaining the momentum by going for it.  I have no doubt they could have made it and I believe it was a turning point in the game for both teams.  The next occasion is when he decided to change QB's cementing the idea in his charges that he had no confidence in them.  Other instances were plentiful throughout the game.

I and a few others around me in the stands were further amazed when in any given situation we would jokingly opine what was the dumbest play call that could be in that situation and sure enough that is what he called.  For instance:  1:18 left to play in the 1st half, Redlands takes over on a punt on their own 18.  We postulated the dumbest call would be a run into the center of the field, which, for obvious reasons would not have been part of what should have been a 2:00 strategy.  Sure enough, that is precisely what the call was.  It went like that all night long, call after call.  If it were my call I would fire the OC immediately.  He is inept and as incompetent as they come and has been so for at least the last two years.

You also say that you feel that defense "did a great job".  I recall commenting about mid way through the third quarter that finally a defensive lineman's name was actually called for making a tackle.  Richardson's name was called out on most of the tackles being made but in the UR secondary!!  Thank God he was there or it would have been a bloodbath.  The D certainly did an adequate job and I agree that they were on the field WAY to much and may have had a better chance of it had not the O been so ineffective because of an inept job of execution by an OC who's capabilities to execute a competitive game plan would fail miserably at even the high school freshman level.  He is a disgrace!!

The "Return to Dominance" will have to wait until UR replaces their OC with one who understands the game of football and won't subvert his teams efforts on the field.  I apologize for the length of this post.  There is much more I could have shared but would have made this even more insufferable.