Spring Break
Down goes Lorenzen, up comes Frazer
Kevin Meacham
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Sports
Could Friday's win over Louisville turn out to be UConn's "Mo Lewis moment?"
Lewis, of course, is the former New York Jets linebacker who knocked out Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe in the second game of the 2001 season, clearing the way for a sixth-round pick out of Michigan named Tom Brady.
When Tyler Lorenzen broke his foot on Friday, perhaps it opened the way for a talented, pure passer who brings a whole bunch of positives to the table.
That would be Zach Frazer, the sophomore transfer from Notre Dame, who will make his first career start Saturday at North Carolina. No one's christening him the next Brady, or even the next Orlovsky, but there are reasons to be excited.
They say the backup quarterback is always the most popular player on the team, because the backup can do all sorts of theoretical things - and there's very little game film to the contrary.
Lorenzen struggles to throw the deep ball? I swear, dude, I once saw Frazer throw it 85 yards on a frozen rope. Lorenzen occasionally stares receivers down? Man, I once saw Frazer throw the ball - blindfolded! - through a defender's chest, right to the slot receiver.
Truthfully, only the coaches know what Frazer can do. And even then, no one in college has seen him compete in a 60-minute game, or after a full week of first-team preparation. There are certainly questions.
And, for sure, we'll find the answers to some of them when the Huskies suit up Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
For now, all we can go on are the nebulous words of scouts, "recruiting experts" and the UConn coaching staff.
The third part of the list is the one that bothers me, ever so slightly. After all, if the coaches felt Frazer was better than Lorenzen, wouldn't he have been starting already?
Well, maybe not.
It wouldn't be the first time a head coach went with "experience" and "intangibles" over talent.
This is with all due respect to Lorenzen, who is 14-4 as a starter, and who was UConn's salvation after the dreadful quarterbacking of 2005 and 2006.
Lewis, of course, is the former New York Jets linebacker who knocked out Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe in the second game of the 2001 season, clearing the way for a sixth-round pick out of Michigan named Tom Brady.
When Tyler Lorenzen broke his foot on Friday, perhaps it opened the way for a talented, pure passer who brings a whole bunch of positives to the table.
That would be Zach Frazer, the sophomore transfer from Notre Dame, who will make his first career start Saturday at North Carolina. No one's christening him the next Brady, or even the next Orlovsky, but there are reasons to be excited.
They say the backup quarterback is always the most popular player on the team, because the backup can do all sorts of theoretical things - and there's very little game film to the contrary.
Lorenzen struggles to throw the deep ball? I swear, dude, I once saw Frazer throw it 85 yards on a frozen rope. Lorenzen occasionally stares receivers down? Man, I once saw Frazer throw the ball - blindfolded! - through a defender's chest, right to the slot receiver.
Truthfully, only the coaches know what Frazer can do. And even then, no one in college has seen him compete in a 60-minute game, or after a full week of first-team preparation. There are certainly questions.
And, for sure, we'll find the answers to some of them when the Huskies suit up Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
For now, all we can go on are the nebulous words of scouts, "recruiting experts" and the UConn coaching staff.
The third part of the list is the one that bothers me, ever so slightly. After all, if the coaches felt Frazer was better than Lorenzen, wouldn't he have been starting already?
Well, maybe not.
It wouldn't be the first time a head coach went with "experience" and "intangibles" over talent.
This is with all due respect to Lorenzen, who is 14-4 as a starter, and who was UConn's salvation after the dreadful quarterbacking of 2005 and 2006.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
louis
posted 11/12/08 @ 1:42 PM EST
i thought this was a very interesting story. it really sparked my imagination to write a childrens book.
thank you, for all your love and support.
-louis
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