Tuck’s Take: Time for a Two-QB System in Laramie
LARAMIE -- Evan Svoboda clapped his hands, reeled in the shotgun snap, turned to his left and faked the handoff to Sam Scott. Wyoming's running back methodically made his way out into the flat as the 6-foot-5 signal caller surveyed the middle of the field.
The intention? Freeze the linebackers.
The result? A badly overthrown third-down screen pass that floated so far over Scott's outreached arms it nearly hit offensive guard Wes King in the back. It didn't, though. Instead, defensive back Amir Wallace picked it off at San Jose State's 14-yard line, thwarting the visitor's best drive of the fourth quarter and only legit hope of clawing back into this one.
That misfire got Svoboda yanked from this 24-14 loss. It should cost him his starting job, too.
It's time.
Through seven games -- way beyond a sample size -- Svoboda is continuing to make the same mistakes. He's overthrowing passes, making the wrong reads, not securing the center-to-quarterback snaps, rarely giving his pass catchers a chance and making unforgivable errors at crucial times.
Svoboda is completing just 46.9% of his passes. He finally eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark through the air. He has just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions.
Jay Sawvel has been adamant about belief in the junior. That tone changed a bit Saturday afternoon after Wyoming's sixth loss of the season.
"I think everything's on the table," the rookie head coach said after the 24-14 setback, adding "We are not consistent at critical positions" right now. "... Look, there's a message to everybody in the organization, like, this isn't OK. You know, this isn't OK. This was a game we could have and should have won, OK? This isn't OK."
While the aim isn't squarely at No. 17, the numbers continue to tell a tale.
No one in college football has a worse passing efficiency than Svoboda. Only a handful of teams throw for less yards -- 149.7 -- per outing than the Cowboys do. Two of the seven in their rear-view mirror are military academies. Another is Iowa.
Not exactly the company you want to keep.
Svoboda connected on 14-of-27 throws for 194 yards against the Spartans. There was a beautiful 17-yard touchdown toss to Stevenson in the third quarter. There was also a 16-yard hookup with wideout TK King and an out route to tight end John Michael Gyllenborg that was good for 22.
That's the good. It tends to happen on at least one possession per game, too.
That's not good enough.
Wyoming rolled up 101 yards of total offense in the first two quarters. Just 37 of those came from Svoboda's big right arm. This team forced four turnovers and had just seven points to show for it.
It's time.
While the interception was glaring, there were other forgettable plays that won't necessarily raise the collective antennas.
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Like when Matthew Coleman muffed a punt with 6:07 left in the first half. Svoboda and Co. were in business at the San Jose State 35, trailing by just a touchdown.
Facing a 3rd-and-15 at the 26 eight snaps later, the Arizona product, instead of simply firing a pass into the dirt, lofted a screen pass in the direction of Scott, who was surrounded by defenders. The ball was caught. The loss, 10 yards.
Instead of John Hoyland trotting onto the field for a potential field goal, it was Jack Culbreath uncorking his fourth-consecutive punt.
That can't happen.
There were two fumbled center exchanges, including one on that crucial fourth-quarter drive's first play. Sawvel said Gyllenborg was running all alone. There was also a shotgun snap that Svoboda attempted to put in the belly of Scott. The only issue? He was running the other way.
Craig Bohl used to joke that he would trade AARP cards with Jeff Tedford at midfield before every game against Fresno State. I openly pondered if they should instead exchange playbooks.
As he was making his way to midfield for yet another loser handshake after the final whistle Saturday, Sawvel should've bent Ken Niumatalolo's ear about his two-quarterback system.
Emmett Brown, the Spartans' starter through the first five games, has more than 1,500 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to his credit. Still, during a lackluster performance against Nevada -- he completed 12-of-28 for 170 yards and two touchdowns -- he was relegated to the bench mid-possession.
Why?
SJSU offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann was looking for a spark.
Enter Walker Eget, Saturday's No. 1 signal caller, who has since led this team to two wins in the last three outings. The 6-foot-3 junior connected on 20-of-38 throws for 318 yards and a touchdown in this victory over Wyoming. He also ran for 45 yards on just three attempts.
Yes, Eget tossed two interceptions Saturday. He fumbled, too. That hasn't been his M.O., though, in five appearances. He's running San Jose State's "spread and shred" offense to near perfection, mainly targeting wide receiver Nick Nash, who now has at least one touchdown grab in all seven games this fall.
It's time.
Svoboda is talented, no doubt. That's why Sawvel said last Monday during his weekly press conference he was afraid he "won't get that other guy back" if he decides to bench him.
No, he's not talking about the transfer portal. He's referring to his confidence.
Sawvel also pointed to Svoboda's running ability that sets him apart and gives this team the "best chance to be successful."
I don't disagree.
While Kaden Anderson should get the start next Saturday when Utah State pays a visit to War Memorial Stadium, Svoboda shouldn't be left to rot away on the bench. He can move the pile. He can break loose. He can make the occasional throw, too. We saw that against Air Force and San Diego State.
Maybe it's time for a "package."
Svoboda has the size of Tim Tebow and the inconsistencies in the passing game to match. Still, he can be a difference maker in this offense.
Anderson is coming off back-to-back ACL tears. Running isn't his strong suit.
The redshirt freshman from Southlake, Texas entered this one midway through the fourth quarter. He tossed a pair of interceptions. He was just 4-for-11 in the air. Anderson did throw a perfectly placed ball to Gyllenborg with just 43 ticks remaining in regulation. That scoring strike went for 63 yards.
"We're going to take a deep step back and reevaluate everything, in terms of how we go, in every phase to it," Sawvel said. "... That doesn't necessarily mean that there's going to be a change of who starts next week, or things of that nature. Look, I love Evan Svoboda and I love Kaden Anderson. I think they have good talent. They have the ability to be good players.
"But we have to play better at the position."
It's time.