There will not be a quarterback controversy at Nevada in 2008
Colin Kaepernick, who rushed for three touchdowns Saturday, led the Wolf Pack offense against Grambling State. Scott Barnett/Nevada Sagebrush
Nick Graziano’s chances of winning the starting quarterback job are as good as Hurricane Gustav’s chances of reaching Reno.
With five minutes left in the first half, Graziano peeled right and had a wide-open receiver by the sideline. He missed the opportunity to pass the rock and then coughed the ball up to the Tigers defense.
Graziano had a solid drive mounting before the fumble. He led Nevada deep into Grambling State territory after he connected on three passes, but the offense really got the drive rolling after a 31-yard run by Marko Mitchell on a reverse play. Graziano played the part of the Brett Favre-type quarterback everybody loves to root for when he ran with Mitchell down field and threw a respectable block — but on the next play he got smacked. The fumble was returned for 46 yards, back into Nevada territory.
Graziano, who stands 6-foot-1, did not have the height to see over the defense and complete a pass to an open receiver. He also didn’t have the speed to get around the rushers. His counterpart for the position, Colin Kaepernick, possesses both these attributes.
Graziano may win some fan-favorite votes, but he fails to bring the opportunity that Kaepernick brings.
Kaepernick looked scary Saturday against an obviously out matched Grambling State squad. His ability to tuck it and run looked instinctual. If the coverage was there and the pressure was on, Kaepernick had the ability to evade tacklers and find the end zone with ease. Nevada’s rabbit of a quarterback ran for three rushing touchdowns and 51 yards on six carries. He also passed for 102 yards on 10 completions and 17 attempts. His only interception came after a dropped pass to Chris Wellington.
Graziano is undoubtedly a respectable backup to Kaepernick, but that’s it.
Graziano stands five inches shorter and doesn’t have nearly the same speed. The main argument is his arm strength, but who needs arm strength when your quarterback is capable of rushing 100 plus yards per game without taking any production away from your backs?
Kaepernick not only gives Nevada its best chance to win the Western Athletic Conference championship, but also its best chance to pull off an out-of-conference upset.
With Kaepernick leading the Wolf Pack’s offense — ranked No. 11 in the nation in 2007 — Nevada will have the ability to put up a lot of points this season.
But it’s his running game that is so vital. With Kaepernick at quarterback, Nevada can run much more and keep the clock ticking, which will shorten its games against powerhouses No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 6 Missouri. Nevada needs to own the time of possession to beat its two ranked Big 12 opponents.
Graziano is a good quarterback, but if Kaepernick gets better at orchestrating the no-huddle offense he could catch some eyes for the Heisman. It’s not as improbable as some fans may think.
The quarterback controversy that some may have expected can be put to rest. Long live King Kaepernick.
Emerson Marcus is the sports editor of The Nevada Sagebrush. He can be reached at emarcus@nevadasagebrush.com
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