Sunday, October 31, 2004
QB Betts feeling more comfortable at the helm
Miami RedHawks
By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor
OXFORD - National television has not been kind to Josh Betts this season. In Miami's game at Michigan on Sept. 4 on ABC, the RedHawks' fourth-year junior quarterback threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in a 43-10 loss.
At Marshall on Sept. 29, before ESPN2's cameras, Betts threw two interceptions and lost two more fumbles in a 33-25 RedHawk defeat.
Betts, successor to NFL first-round draft pick Ben Roethlisberger, has improved since then, throwing just three interceptions and losing one fumble in three games, all RedHawk wins. Keeping that trend going would help even the battle between Betts and Toledo junior quarterback Bruce Gradkowski when the two teams clash Tuesday - on ESPN2.
"I'm really happy with where Josh is right now," coach Terry Hoeppner said. "I think, in spite of some setbacks, he's made some good progress. He's had to overcome some tough days and bad decisions on his part, but you don't see him making those bad decisions now. There's progress there.
"There's a lot of pressure, and he's the one that has to deal with it on a daily basis, especially with the way Ben has played lately (4-0 in his first four NFL starts with Pittsburgh). That has magnified things. Everyone sees how talented (Betts) is. They see him growing as a quarterback and leader. Sometimes, his confidence can get carried away. You think you can do things that you can't, but that's part of the decision-making process."
Said Betts: "It's a matter of gaining experience, getting more comfortable in the pocket and learning to trust the guys around me."
Betts was ranked fourth in the nation with 2,099 passing yards and 12th in total offense with an average of 278.6 yards a game. He has thrown for 15 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, and he has been named Mid-American Conference East Division offensive player of the week twice.
"He's a very solid quarterback, and he gets a lot of help from the people around him," Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said. "I'm not surprised at that. He's a talented player, and he's surrounded by talented players."
Amstutz knows about talented quarterbacks. Gradkowski went into the weekend ranked fourth in total offense with an average of 313 yards a game and in passing efficiency with a 174.6 rating. He was second with 2,386 yards.
"He's fantastic," Hoeppner said Friday. "(Co-defensive coordinator) Joe Palcic said he was a smart player. It's fun to watch their offense until you remind yourself that you have to go try to stop them. Then you wake up in the middle of the night and go, 'Huh.' "
The Betts file
