BearcatLair.com - Tuesday's with Kelly: It's up to Pike

October 27, 2009

Scott Springer
BearcatLair.com Staff Writer

While UC's quarterback situation is a little more "known" than "unknown" this week, there still remains the obligatory cat and mouse game being played between head coaches (or in this case a 'Cat and Orange game).

Early in the week, the UC depth chart at quarterback read Tony Pike OR Zach Collaros OR Chazz Anderson. Naturally, the idea is to have Syracuse prepare for three quarterbacks (although realistically they'll only look at two).

Likewise, Syracuse has been using Greg Paulus and probably will use sophomore Ryan Nassib to throw a wrinkle at the Bearcats. The difference here is Syracuse WILL probably play both quarterbacks, where UC's plan initially will be to go with one. We just don't know yet OFFICIALLY who that player will be.

For now, Brian Kelly continues to "play the pregame game". That is, put a little information out there, but leave enough back to keep the opposition guessing. An example is his reply on the availability of Davey O'Brien semi-finalist and possible Heisman candidate Tony Pike.

"I don't know, I'll have to see how the modifications on the cast went," Kelly said Tuesday afternoon. "It's kind of out of my hands and so Tony is going to kind of navigate through this. I don't think we'll know anything for a couple of days, he's got to get out there and get comfortable first."

Perfect example there of an answer, that's an answer, but it really doesn't give Syracuse much to work on. One thing we know now for sure...there was no way Pike was going to play LAST WEEK.

"Well, the cast was up over the elbow," Kelly detailed. "Certainly, he can't play under those circumstances. Stabilization, making sure the wound is taken care of relative to the stitches, all that stuff is kind of out of my hands. It's really Tony and our training staff now kind of tweaking things to see what's going to make him most comfortable and make him be able to run a spread offense and move around."

Again, a lot of information, but nothing to pin Kelly down on whether or not Pike plays. You start to see how it works. We now know Pike had a hard cast on above his elbow. We just don't know how long that will last.

Last week, the starter against Louisville didn't "leak out" until an ESPN guy suddenly had it Saturday morning. Then after the game, we found out Zach Collaros was told he was starting on Wednesday.

Gamesmanship. That's all it is. Tuesday, Kelly said neither Pike nor Collaros would need advance notice to start.

"I don't know if that's much of an issue with us," said Kelly. "We'll know what Tony's status is sooner than game day. Last week, obviously there was a bit of a smokescreen in there because we weren't sure what the situation was. It's clear what it is right now. We've got to get him manageable with the cast. It took three weeks last year. We're heading into the second week. We're closer...I think we're pretty much going to take this right up to game time."

How about that? A coach actually admits to a "smokescreen" and proceeds to deliver another one up and over the Midwest sky to the usually overcast horizon of Syracuse, New York.

"Last week he wasn't able to do a lot," said Kelly of Pike. "We were really in a situation where the cast really prevented him from being out there. Now that we're going to modify it, we're in a position where he could play. But, I won't know until he gets out there and does something in practice."

Smoke and mirrors or not in press conferences leading up to the game, #15 himself will have the final say-so on whether or not he suits up against the Orange or not.

"He's got to be the guy that ultimately signs off on this," said Kelly. "He's got to feel confident in his ability to go out there and do what he needs to do. Once the medical hurdles have been handled, the person, the individual plays a huge role in this. This is, you're comfortable, you've got a steel plate in there, you've got a cast on it, what can and can't you do? We know he couldn't do it last week. Can he do it this week? We'll see."

Meantime, under the now-fabled "next man in" philosophy, Zach Collaros has been a brilliant understudy and has showed that on the field against Louisville and at USF. Admittedly, Kelly's thinking on the whole matter is more deliberate now. He still has an able quarterback who can throw and this one arguably can make more plays with his feet.

"I don't think you prepare for us so radically different," said Kelly on the difference of his team with Collaros over Pike. "We still throw the ball down the field and both those guys can do that."

Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe was so impressed with Collaros that he said after last weekend's game that he would've rather faced Pike. Naturally, none of that sways Brian Kelly's opinion on what he might do at quarterback. Coaches may differ in opinions, but they all share a firm stubbornness deep-rooted in their philosophical beliefs.

Make no mistake at UC, the quarterback depth chart HAS NOT changed.

"Tony Pike would be our starter if he was healthy," confirmed Kelly.

You can add on that Zach Collaros will start if Pike can't. (So, the listing of Chazz Anderson as a possible starter is indeed, a "smokescreen".) If Collaros won't start, he won't be in on a "package"
either.

"I don't like the quarterback rotating in and out," said Kelly. "I just think there's a comfort level with the receivers. We're throwing the ball first based upon the weapons that we have. I'd rather have those guys (receivers) at a comfort level so that they know who their guy is, instead of going back and forth. When Tony's ready to take the step, he's our guy and Zach will be prepared to be our back-up."

That leaves you with a quarterback tandem that's thrown for 20 touchdowns in seven games. Factor in Anderson and Brendon Kay's time and the UC signal-callers have thrown for 2147 yards. Do the math and that's over 300 yards passing and nearly three touchdowns through the air per game.

It is an awesome aerial attack. Kelly "airs it out" during the week, then the designated interchangeable part follows through on game day.

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