Friday, October 01, 1999
Miami faces one of nation's top QBs
BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Chad Pennington probably has no shot to win the Heisman Trophy. But that doesn't stop anybody from using the term “Heisman candidate” or “future first-round draft pick” to describe the player who some think is the best college quarterback in the nation.
Pennington and his 17th-ranked Marshall Thundering Herd (4-0) visit Miami at 2 p.m. Saturday in a matchup of the Mid-American Conference's best teams and two best players — Pennington and Miami tailback Travis Prentice, both of whom were among 12 players on the Downtown Athletic Club's preseason list of Heisman hopefuls.
“All we can do is go out and have fun with it,” Pennington said.
Neither probably has a chance of winning the Heisman, coming from the poorly regarded MAC. But like Prentice, whom at least one NFL team has rated as the nation's top college running back, Pennington has earned such respect among scouts that he is considered one of the top quarterback talents in this year's NFL draft class.
“It would be very, very difficult (to win the Heisman),” said Eastern Michigan coach Rick Rasnick, whose former quarterback, Charlie Batch, is developing nicely with the Detroit Lions. “But in terms of his ability to play the game, he's a legitimate first-round pick at quarterback. I think anything less would be disappointing. I'd be shocked if he wasn't. There's zero question in my mind (he can play in the NFL). He's the real deal.”
Pennington's statistics certainly put him in a rare class, even if he compiled them against Division I-AA competition as a freshman and against MAC foes the last three seasons after Marshall moved up to Division I-A.
But stats are stats, and these are impressive: 96 career touchdown passes, including an NCAA sophomore-record 42 in 1997 (with future NFL star Randy Moss on the receiving end of 25), 11,377 career yards and a career quarterback rating of 145.9. This season, Pennington has thrown 11 TDs with five interceptions and has 1,275 yards in four games.
Pro scouts like Pennington's accuracy, size (6-foot-4, 224 pounds), arm strength and smarts. And his coach, Bob Pruett, likes the intangibles he brings, especially his toughness.
“Last week, he didn't practice but one day. He had a bruise from his waist to his knee,” Pruett said. But Pennington still threw for 406 yards in a 34-0 defeat of Temple. Last year in the MAC championship game, Pennington shook off a groin pull and threw for 248 yards as Marshall beat Toledo.
“Every week seems like a big one for him,” Miami coach Terry Hoeppner said.
If an NFL career doesn't work out, Pennington can always fall back on his other career interest: journalism. He already has had some good experience there, snaring an exclusive interview for the Marshall school paper with Miami basketball star Wally Szczerbiak during the NCAA Tournament.
“For a student reporter, you don't get many chances like that,” Pennington said. “I was just delighted to get the opportunity.”
But the NFL chance probably will be there.
“He's got great size, more than adequate athletic ability; he's very sure in his decision process; he's a very accurate thrower,” Rasnick said. “I was very impressed with his toughness last year in the championship game. He doesn't make mistakes; he's very efficient; he makes checks at the line of scrimmage; he throws the ball straight. He's got it all.”
How can Miami stop the man who has it all? The RedHawks, who have 18 sacks in four games, are the kind of defense that can frustrate Pennington, because their aggressive style forces turnovers and pressures the quarterback.
“Any time you play an aggressive defense, you have to be patient,” Pennington said. “They attack a lot, and we're going to have to keep them off balance.”
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