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Printer-Friendly ModeDougherty named starter
August 25, 2005 —
With a starting quarterback finally decided on, maybe, the SVSU football team will head to Northwood on Saturday with a proven defense and an unproven offense. Better one than none, but with the
Timberwolves, ranked ninth in the nation and picked to finish second in the GLIAC coaches' poll, the Cardinals may need the offense to prove itself right away.
This is not to say, of course, that the Cardinals do not have any experience on the offensive side of the ball. The wide receiver and running back positions are experienced and deep, but quarterback Chris Dougherty has never taken a snap for SVSU. He will be protected by an offensive line that returns only two starters and two others with significant playing experience.
Dougherty has the tough task of replacing Mark Radlinski, who broke all sorts of records in his two years as the Cardinals' quarterback. He beat out seven other guys competing for the spot - three others in the spring, and four more added for training camp.
"Of all eight guys, not one single guy has taken a snap in a GLIAC game," says head coach Randy Awrey. "In the beginning of camp we just let all eight guys battle it out, and began dwindling it down. Right now we have it to our top three."
The top three is led by Dougherty, a 6'0", 175-pound sophomore from Grinnell, IA, where he set five high school state records. Following him is junior Vinnie Miroth, who transferred from Tennessee-Chattanooga after the 2003 season. At 5'11", 195 pounds, Miroth played 10 games for the Division I-AA team and threw for 2,011 yards and 10 touchdowns with a 63 percent completion percentage. Third on the depth chart is Steve Payne, a 6'4", 210-pound junior transfer from Citrus Junior College in California.
"The quarterback position ends up being that one position that everybody always looks at and points to, but every position is very important," Awrey says. "So anything can happen - it's a 'if he doesn't play well, we'll put someone else in' type of thing. I think the reality of it is that we're going into this season with a little bit of an unknown because no one has taken a snap. We'll find out under the gun I guess."
Dougherty possesses the skills Awrey was looking for, and, more importantly, performed well enough in the spring and in training camp to earn the job.
"His knowledge of the game made him number one," Awrey says. "He knows what's going on out there. He has got a command of the offense, what we're trying to do."
Dougherty's physical attributes mean the Cardinals will have a much different man under center than Radlinski.
"The style of football is going to be a little different," Awrey says. "He can run the ball and throw the ball and give the defense some problems. I think that's going to be a little different than Mark."
While Awrey is not claiming Dougherty will be more successful than Radlinski, he does admit Dougherty will be less of a "sitting duck" than Radlinski often was in the pocket. The downside of that is that Dougherty does not have the type of arm strength to throw the ball deep down the field.
"Obviously we have got to do what (Dougherty) does best," Awrey explains. "If moving him around and getting out of the pocket and doing different things with him are what we have to do, then that's what we'll do."