Email This StoryOpinion: Machen an improvement at quarterback
Oct. 20, 2007
By Will Parchman
Sports editor
A stoic, judicious Michael Machen restored a shred of dignity to the Baylor football team Saturday all by himself.
And he didn't need to apologize for a coach urinating on a local bar to do it.
The offense, as a whole, was not very good. Texas out-gained Baylor 470-292 in a 31-10 Longhorn win. But Machen helped lead Baylor to its first lead in a Big 12 game this season and a three-point halftime deficit to a top 25 program.
Not too shabby for his first start in the green and gold.
Head coach Guy Morriss praised Machen after the game for bringing the team together.
There's no doubt now that he looked better than any other Baylor quarterback to play this year. He certainly left a lot of room for improvement, but when you consider where this offense has been the last few weeks, you have to accept improvements when they come.
He took the safe underneath routes left open by the Texas defense, sometimes to his detriment. He had some errant throws that clearly got away from him. But let's give him some time. This is his first start in quite awhile. Let him improve. Not like Baylor fans have any options that look any clearer.
Szymanski's non-conference numbers blinded everybody. Fans were delirious with expectation after his first several games. Now he likely won't play again this year, nor should he.
Overall, despite the score which failed to indicate how close this game was, it's hard to believe this is the same Baylor team that dropped a 48-point egg to Kansas last weekend. This team was competitive, albeit for 48 minutes instead of 60. That's another thing to add to the laundry list of improvements necessary before Kansas State next Saturday.
This whole quarterback issue a lose-lose situation for the coaching staff. If Szymanski's replacement bombed Saturday, the staff is left looking like they don't have a Big 12-caliber quarterback on the roster, an ultimate sin on their part. If the replacement succeeded, which Machen did, the staff looks like they mishandled a situation that could have vastly altered the course of the season in August.
As long as Machen continues to keep Baylor in games, something tells me the coaches won't care about either.
This spread offense is a complex beast. It takes a heady quarterback with a good deal of pocket presence and experience to make it work. Szymanski was too quick to scramble and his arm is too weak to complete the necessary throws downfield. While it wobbled in the strong breeze, Machen's first pass Saturday was a 43-yard bomb to David Gettis. The vertical threat needs to loom over opposing defenses like a storm cloud. At the very least, Machen provides that. He's not perfect, as his two interceptions showcased. He's rough around the edges and needs some polish. But is there any doubt as to which quarterback gives the Bears the best shot at winning?
Above anything else, this whole situation should have you wondering.
Machen isn't an unknown quantity. He's been here since February. The coaches have seen him play every day, and yet it took three massive, embarrassing conference losses and an injury for the staff to pull the trigger. They were obviously on to something when they basically handed Machen the starting job the day he got to camp. Continuity is good. Play your best players, but make sure you know which is which.
In any case, Morriss and company can now rest easy knowing that they've found a quarterback that can keep Big 12 games somewhat competitive.
At this point, the Bears need to worry more about saving face than reaching a bowl game.
More News ...
