Two of a Kind
September 11, 2005 11:17 AM | General
September 11, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – You might as well get used to it: West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is going to use two quarterbacks this season. It’s not ‘or’ but rather ‘and’ when discussing WVU’s two quarterbacks Adam Bednarik and Pat White.
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| Pat White turns the corner on the way to a 48-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of West Virginia's 35-7 victory over Wofford Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Last week it was Bednarik efficiently leading the Mountaineers to a 15-7 season-opening win at Syracuse inside the Carrier Dome. Bednarik completed 14 of 21 passes for 104 yards and was the team’s leading rusher with 72 yards on 12 carries.
Last night against Wofford, it was Pat White’s turn to be the offensive headliner by rushing for a team-high 107 yards on 11 carries and completing 6 of 10 passes for 82 yards.
Individually, their numbers have been solid for first-year players: Bednarik completing 20 of 27 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown and running 18 times for 94 yards; White hitting 9 of 16 passes for 145 yards and running 17 times for 127 yards and a score.
But it’s when you add their stats together that their true worth to the team becomes more apparent. The two have completed 29 of 43 passes for 339 yards and a touchdown and have run 35 times for 221 yards and two scores. Any quarterback with similar numbers would easily get the attention of opposing coaches.
“The quarterback is always going to be the focal point of this offense whether he's throwing it or running it,” Rodriguez said. “The luxury we have now is that we've got two good ones in Adam and Pat. Even though they are young guys they run really well ... they're another weapon in themselves back there and they seem very composed for first-time players.”
Bednarik admits having one game under his belt made a big difference against Wofford.
“I think I had a little more confidence being that I got one game out of the way and being that it was our first home game it wasn’t a hostile crowd,” he said.
Bednarik says he’s also beginning to see some of the same things the coaches on the sidelines and up in the press box are seeing.
“I might not think exactly a play call that they’re thinking but I can see a defense that they’re in and I know right away that they want to change the play,” he said. “I did that a couple of times (Saturday) when I saw that they were in certain defenses.”
Make no mistake, having a two-quarterback system is not for everyone and Rodriguez knows that. To make it work you’ve got to have unselfish, team-oriented players whose primary interest is winning football games. Rodriguez has that in Bednarik and White.
“As long as we get the win I don’t care about the stats or anything like that,” White said.
When White broke free from the line of scrimmage and raced 48 yards past the Wofford defense for a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter the first guy to greet him when he came off the field was Bednarik. When Bednarik scored his first touchdown earlier in the game, the first guy there to congratulate him was White.
“Pat and I get along real well and we always have gotten along well. That is one of the things I like about Pat: he’s easy to get along with and he’s a great guy. I think the two of us really jell together,” Bednarik said.
“I didn’t think (a two QB system) would be a problem because we’ve never really had a bad relationship,” White added.
Even though Bednarik is the guy starting the games, their roles could easily be reversed without the team missing a beat. For his part, White could care less whether he starts or comes off the bench.
“It really doesn’t matter as long as I play and get on the field,” he said.
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| Adam Bednarik ran for a team-high 72 yards in West Virginia's season-opening victory over Syracuse last Sunday in the Carrier Dome.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
On a deeper level, using a two-quarterback system is helping both players develop at their own pace without the burden of having the spotlight focused solely on one player. In essence, they can grow and learn as young quarterbacks together. White takes in the first few series’ of the game before he gets his turn. Bednarik can run the team for a couple of series’ before coming to the sidelines and reviewing with the coaches what he’s done up to that point.
“As soon as I come off the field Pat and I come to each other and we go to Coach Rod and Coach Stewart on the sidelines and begin discussing right away what coverages we’re seeing and what they’re trying to do to disguise them,” Bednarik said. “Maybe we’ll talk about what plays will work well for us the next series.”
Bednarik says his time spent on the sidelines is being put to good use.
“We review what we did and I’ll be thinking in my head if I was in there what would I be doing. When I’m not in I’m paying attention to what the signals are because I’m trying to get a read of what the defense is doing the next time I’m about to go in,” he said.
According to White, both quarterbacks are well prepared before they take the field.
“Coach Rod and Coach Stew do a good job with us pre-game and before the game getting us ready for what they’re going to show,” White said.
In addition to their willingness to share the position, of equal importance is the similarity of their styles: Both QBs can run the entire play book.
“Coach is calling the same plays,” Bednarik said.
But as well as the two have played to this point, Rodriguez cautions that tougher tests are on the horizon.
“Every game they get experience it's going to be beneficial. But it's going to be a lot harder for them here on out,” he said.
