Scrambling Back to the Run

This could be the makings of an All Ivy QB

There's an old joke about a Rabbi who is angered to see all his congregants sending their children to the local private Friends Academy instead of Hebrew school. When he's accused of fostering anti-Quaker sentiments he says: "How can I be anti-Quaker? Some of my best Jews are Friends!"

I'm reminded of that joke when I see a transformation in the QB position in the Ivy League these days. It's more of a retro movement back to running QB's, (one that I have advocated for years...the pro-style QB thing just doesn't work for every team), and it could lead to the following exchange similar to the joke above:

Ivy Fan: Hey coach, why was there only one 1,000-yard rusher in the Ivies again this year?

Coach: Well, we're running spread offenses nowadays. This is not your father's Ivy football.

Ivy Fan: So, are you against the run?

Coach: How can I be against the run, some of my best passers are runners!

In the past, when I urged more of an emphasis on running from the QB position, I was shot down by other fans who noted the increased chances for injuries. I realize that's a real concern, but after seeing 20+ years of Ivy games where QB after QB forces passes instead of taking advantage of huge open field running opportunities, I'm happy for this change.

I'm also happy because I think Columbia's M.A. Olawale is the best of all the running QB's in the league. Penn fans may argue for their new signal-caller Kiefer Garton, but I think Olawale's athleticism speaks for itself.

He's extremely fast for his size, and his size helps him bounce off or over most initial tacklers. His excellent scrambling played a huge role in both Columbia wins last season.

And here's a trivia question: Who ran for the longest gain from scrimmage in Ivy League football in 2008?

Answer: M.A. Olawale, 70 yards for a TD against Brown in week 10.

I'm convinced Ivy coaches are making this shift back to running QB's after years of seeing the tailback/fullback system fall on hard times, especially in the recruiting process. The BCS programs are simply carrying more running backs on their rosters and the result is we're seeing:

1) Fewer superstar backs in the Ivies, (the 1,000-yard rushers are becoming a rarer find than at any time since the 10-game schedule went into effect in 1980, and

2) The dominance of those few backs who are good is huge, (the healthy Mike McLeod at Yale two years ago was really unstoppable).

Whether this shift will be short-lived or a long-running era is hard to predict, but I have always loved the idea of a running QB who can hurt you in two ways. It's not what I want to see in the NFL where 350 pound defenders run at you at the speed of light, but at the college football level, it's a good deal.

What's also interesting is how many Penn fans, the ones who were the most vocally in favor of pro-style quarterbacking and who scoffed at my "risky" call for more running, are now converting to the same idea thanks to the success Garton had at the end of the 2008 season.

Garton or no Garton, the consistent failure of the pure passing QB Robert Irvin to return Penn to the championship race after three seasons of trying, should have convinced them long before the middle of 2008.

It will be interesting to see how well opposing teams adjust to Olawale's and Garton's running in the coming season. It seems like when Olawale is confident on the field, no one can really stop him.

But whether Columbia succeeds with this model or not, I think this kind of offense is more exciting to watch. It certainly gives all the players, especially the offensive linemen, a better workout on the field!

The Countdown

Speaking of workouts, we're 200 days from the 2009 season opener, but just 46 days from the spring game and 23 days from the start of spring practice. We have a 300 day offseason this year, so we're only a third of the way through the wait, but by the time the spring game is being played we'll be about half way finished.

Some of the big schools, like South Carolina, have already started spring practice, or I should say they were SUPPOSED to, but those big tough BCS boys got a little scared of the cold weather.

I don't think the Ivy League would give any school that canceled a spring practice day a make-up day unless the weather was much worse than this.

Stan Responds!

For those of you who missed it, former Spectator sportswriter Stanley Waldbaum made a great comment on yesterday's post and I am reprinting it below. Thanks, Stan!

Jake, I hardly deserve the honor of being mentioned on your blog, which I do read every day and enjoy immensely. Only the Columbia players and coaches deserve the publicity. However, I was very fortunate indeed to be the Sports Editor of the Columbia Daily Spectator in 1961 when Columbia won its only Ivy League Football Championship.

That was a great football team, and I cherish the memories. However, nothing would make me happier than to see this year's Columbia Football Team, under Coach Wilson, emulate the success of the 1961 Championship Team and bring another Ivy League Title to Columbia.

All Best Wishes.

Stan Waldbaum '62, Spring Valley New York