Cougar Football broke fall camp Saturday night after a scrimmage, their first ‘real’ scrimmage in August. Earlier in the day, Dana Holgorsen made it clear who would start at QB. Now, without the QB competition distraction, they have two weeks to prepare for UTSA.
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Donovan Vs. The World. Dana Holgorsen said Saturday that Donovan Smith is his starter at QB due to “an incredible June, an incredible July, and a really, really, really two and a half weeks of camp.”
Dana said, “Our team knows it, and our team’s felt it,” which players have been telling me for a week. “It looks like it’s Smith’s job,” a defensive player told me last weekend.
Yesterday, Dana said that the competition went on for ten fall practices before a decision was made. Immediately after Monday’s practice, QB coach Mike Burchett told the media that the QBs were still splitting reps. Monday was practice #10, which means they made the call sometime after that practice.
Dana was adamant that Smith and Lucas Coley, now the backup, needed to compete for the job. At Big 12 Media Days, Dana said the process would not end with a coach’s decision.
“They’ve been 50/50, and we knew they were going to be 50/50, and they’re going to continue to be 50/50 until one just makes it clear,” Holgorsen said in Arlington in July. Saturday, Dana announced Donovan Smith made it clear.
Frankly, I’m surprised he did not wait to make the announcement, but Dana moves at his own pace. He announced the starter in response to a seemingly unrelated question. He was not asked who the starter would be; he went there on his own. He said people had been asking and felt the timing was right. But there’s a deft touch, too: publicly declaring the starter two weeks out reaffirms for players that everyone is on the same page and that there won’t be “QB controversy” issues overshadowing the prep for UTSA.
Slow Starts. I’m very curious how much of the offense Dana unveils in game one and how efficient they are. Dana’s teams are typically slow starters in openers.
In four years at UH, the Coogs have scored 21 first-quarter points in four season-openers under Dana (5.25). In 12 seasons as a head coach, his teams have scored 77 points (6.42 ppg) in the first quarter of openers.
The most points a Dana-coached team has scored in the first quarter is the 14 against Tech two years ago, including the ballsy onside kick after the opening score. Five of his teams have scored ten or more in the first quarter, while five others have scored three or fewer in openers.
Moving Forward. I’d tap the breaks if you expect an explosive start against UTSA. With so many new faces, the feeling-out process could be awkward. And that’s ok. Getting the new QB some confidence and minimizing his chances for turnovers is crucial. Turnovers have been an issue for Smith; if he’s your long-term starter, Dana and Burchett must help him get off to a solid start.
How the “three-headed monster,” as Burchett refers to himself, Dana, and run-game coordinator Emon Naghavi, incorporate Smith’s running will be a fascinating part of this team’s dynamic early on. Clayton Tune could run, but Smith brings a different component. How many designed run plays will be called for him against UTSA or Rice before the conference opener is something to watch.
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