Just when you thought you had the ASU football team pegged.
With a quarterback rating over 200, sophomore Brock Osweiler’s 380-yard, four-touchdown, no-interception, off-the-bench showing against UCLA on Friday was statistically the best quarterback performance in the Dennis Erickson era, going back to 2007 and including top-notch efforts from former Sun Devil gunslinger Rudy Carpenter.
Such a masterpiece, in what ultimately served as Osweiler’s true debut in offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s offense, once again forces a reevaluation of ASU’s potential heading into 2011.
Did Osweiler give a baseline for further performances, was it a flash in the pan or something in between?
“Well he was just outstanding,” Erickson said of Osweiler. “He didn't turn the football over and he threw it accurately. He missed some throws but he didn't make any mistakes. He didn't turn the thing over and he just read his reads.
“He made some first-game mistakes, but he came in and the guy is a tremendous athlete and a great competitor. He started running and giving himself a second chance. It was a great effort by Brock."
To some educated observers, the competition between Osweiler and redshirt junior Steven Threet, going back into spring camp and through the summer, was very close, with Threet taking the lead sometime in early to mid-August. Though many believed Osweiler had the edge up to that point.
Osweiler took repetitions with the first unit during both bye-weeks, but was most impressive last bye-week. When Osweiler received repetitions with the first team last Monday, some assumed it was a sign he could start on Friday, but coach Erickson dismissed the rumor outright by declaring Threet his starter during his Monday press conference and proceeded to give Threet first-team repetitions the rest of the practice week.
To some who regularly attend practice (though still without the acumen of the coaches or ability to view videotape) it was never glaringly apparent that Osweiler was consistently outperforming Threet.
Thus, Osweiler’s nearly-perfect performance was, at least to some degree, surprising, considering the similarities in play between Threet and Osweiler during practice and Threet’s inconsistency during games.
Osweiler largely struggled in his meaningful appearances last year against USC and Oregon, though the circumstances with which those games occurred were so different that it makes it nearly impossible to compare to last Friday.
Regardless, Osweiler sees a significant improvement in himself.
“I am two different football players,” Osweiler said. “Since back in January of '09 when I first got down here, coach Mazzone has done so much for myself as an individual as well as a quarterback. I am very thankful that he is here and I have been able to work under him as well as continue to get better.”
Osweiler, who improved his mechanics and release under Mazzone’s guidance, led the Sun Devils to 55 points, the most ASU has scored in a Pac-10 game since 2003. It was also the third most points allowed by UCLA since 1999.
Which teams were able to score more against the Bruins in that time span?
Current No.1 UO and 2005 USC (ranked No.1 at the time), a team that featured current NFL players Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and Matt Leinart.
It’s nearly impossible to resist wondering if Osweiler was capable of playing close to the level he did against UCLA and had started throughout the year, if ASU could have done similar damage in what turned out to be six losses.
The Sun Devils have been hurt by turnovers throughout the year, leading to a discrepancy between points scored and offensive production. For example, ASU could very well have kept the Ducks out of national championship contention had they not paired seven turnovers with nearly 600 yards of offense. Threet authored four of those turnovers.
From all indications, the competition between Threet and Osweiler, at the very least, has started anew, with Osweiler’s near-flawless performance catapulting him ahead of Threet. Given ASU’s style of offense, seemingly predicated on high percentage throws, it would seem crucial for the signal-caller to have a low interception rate.
Osweiler will have a difficult time matching his efficiency and volume against UCLA, but if he avoids Threet’s turnover struggles, it could reasonably be assumed that Nov. 26 marked the beginning of the Osweiler era.
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
