Across the nation: Utah seeks consistent QB play

Travis Wilson is expected to start No. 19 Utah's game Saturday night in Salt Lake City vs. No. 21 USC. Utes coach Kyle Whittingham would really like to see him finish the game, too. Utah is 5-1 despite quarterback play so inconsistent that the coaching staff has swapped signal callers the past two games.

Wilson started Utah's game at UCLA but struggled enough to lead the coaches to relieve him with Kendal Thompson, who led the Utes to an upset win. Thompson started last week at Oregon State, but very little yardage and two turnovers resulted in a switch to Wilson, who helped Utah to an overtime win.

Whittingham is pleased the Utes are in position to contend for the Pac-12 South title, but his feelings about a two-quarterback system — even an unintended one — are the opposite. "We'd love for one of them to take ownership and become THE guy, because I'm not a two-quarterback system fan," he said. "I haven't seen that work well very often if ever, so we're trying to get that separation.

Wilson has double the completions of Thompson, while Thompson has double the rushing yards of Wilson. Wilson is averaging one more yard per attempt, while Thompson's completion percentage is slightly higher. Whittingham said both are handling the situation well, and the coaching staff is sensitive to their psyches.

"One thing you don't want to do is have too short of a leash, and we don't want a guy going in there thinking if he turns over the ball one time he's going to get yanked, and that hasn't been the case," Whittingham said. "We've given both of them long stretches to get something going. We would like, more than anything else, to settle in and have one guy be the guy. But like I said, they gotta play their way into that situation."

— D.U.

Transfer pays off for Louisiana Tech

Whenever NCAA types start to talk about reforming transfer rules, one of the most divisive topics is the exception that allows athletes who have completed their degrees the ability to transfer and play right away, provided they enroll in a graduate program not offered at the previous school.

Though the genesis of the rule is rooted in academics, critics point out that many (if not most) of those who use it do so for athletic reasons. And because those graduate students with remaining eligibility don't have to sit out a year, many coaches lament that it encourages illegal poaching and almost creates a free-agent market for college football or basketball programs to fill roster holes.

But anyone in favor of changing those rules and eliminating the opportunity for graduate students to transfer and play right away should consider the case of quarterback Cody Sokol, who has led Louisiana Tech to a surprising 3-0 start in Conference USA (4-3 overall) after sitting on the bench the last two seasons at Iowa.

"I went to a school that had three outstanding quarterbacks, and things happen," Sokol told Paste BN Sports. "I think that's a great opportunity for someone who is looking for a year to go play."

Sokol's story isn't unique, but it is illustrative of why the rule exists and should remain in place.

With lots of family roots in Iowa — Sokol was born in Des Moines — getting an offer from the Hawkeyes coming out of junior college was too good to pass up.

"I was blinded by how special that offer was," he said.

But reality set in once he got on campus. Sokol redshirted in 2012, then couldn't beat out Jake Rudock for the starting job in 2013. When it became apparent he'd likely spend his final year of eligibility behind Rudock and strong-armed sophomore C.J. Beathard, Sokol told Kirk Ferentz he wanted to transfer and began looking around the country for teams that might need a stop-gap at quarterback.

Though Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz gave Sokol no guarantees, and could really only judge him off old junior college tape, it was a worthwhile gamble for both sides given the roster situation.

"They were honest that they had a big void at quarterback, but I was going to have to earn it during camp," Sokol said. "This was the third time I had been through the recruiting process, so I was done with coaches telling me I was going to be the guy, blah, blah, blah. I'm an older guy, and I just want to play. I wasn't checking out the town or the bars, stuff like that. I was more into the film room and seeing who they had coming back."

If not for the graduate transfer rule, Sokol would likely have had to endure an unfulfilling end to his college career, buried on the depth chart even after holding up his end of the bargain and earning his college degree. Instead, he got a fresh start and has thrown for 1,555 yards and 14 touchdowns with eight interceptions for a Louisiana Tech team that looks on track to be bowl eligible after dipping to 4-8 last year.

"That was always what I hoped for leaving Iowa," Sokol said. "I wanted to go to a program that had my best interests in mind. I wanted to go to a place I could play and a place I was comfortable with their offense, a place I could come in and mesh well with the team right away. It was the perfect opportunity, and it played out very well."​

— D.W.

Ball State stays the course

Ball State coach Pete Lembo's in-season reading list has leaned toward Winston Churchill, from British historian Paul Johnson's 2009 biography through, most recently, a book of Churchill's most memorable speeches.

So he took it as a good omen when, on the eve of last Saturday's game against Central Michigan, offensive coordinator Joey Lynch delivered to his side of the ball a simple, Churchill-approved message: "Never give in."

Perhaps the message was needed. Amid youth, attrition, inexperience and injuries, Ball State had stumbled out of the gate with five losses in its first six games — all by 11 points or fewer, including a four-point loss at Iowa.

Yet even amid the slow start, Lembo and his staff continue to preach the same message that propelled the Cardinals to 25 wins in his first three seasons, including a 10-win finish a year ago.

"Any coach that's been in that position knows those challenges," Lembo said. "But we kept referencing back to our foundation, our culture, the things we do every day. Staying the course and not veering off from what we believe.

"That's easy to say; it's harder to live. But to the credit of these kids, they've been able to hang in there. They've been able to look at what we've done and see it's just been a few plays here and a few plays there that have had such a big impact on some of these close losses up to this point."

The payoff came last weekend: Ball State beat Central Michigan 32-29, winning on a 55-yard field goal after the Chippewas had tied the game with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

"Our previous teams were a part of some tough seasons," Lembo said. "So when we got a win, they really did appreciate it. These guys, of course, have enjoyed more success. Maybe you subconsciously take some things for granted.

"There's no question that they enjoyed the win last Saturday. And to see their faces in the locker room afterwards and how happy they were after a close one went our way, that was very satisfying as a coach."

— P.M.

Baylor's changing outlook

Though marquee dates with Oklahoma and Kansas State are ahead — on Nov. 8 and Dec. 6, respectively — Art Briles knew his team's hopes of cracking the College Football Playoff hinged on how well the Bears navigated a stretch of four road games in a five-game span.

Baylor aced the first three road tests, cruising past Buffalo, Iowa State and Texas with relative ease before outscoring TCU in Waco on Oct. 11 to move to 6-0. Then came West Virginia, with its rowdy home-field advantage, and down went Baylor.

"We knew we had to really be right to overcome and win all those games," Briles said. "It certainly felt like we were capable of doing it. The reality is that we didn't get it done."

The loss has flipped Baylor's mindset "from big picture to small picture," he said, with focus only on the next opponent: Kansas travels to McLane Stadium on Nov. 1, with a bye week in between.

"You want to get back on the field and get this taste out of your mouth," said Briles. "That's the main thing. So at the end of it, it is what it is and we'll just use it as a chance to regroup and get our determination where it needs to be and get ready to go."

Three areas where Baylor needs to place its focus during the off week, Briles said: Penalties — a "glaring thing," in his mind — assignment football and execution.

"Doing assignment football on both sides of the ball," he said. "Doing what we're supposed to do from an assignment standpoint defensively and then just executing on the offensive side. When you've got a chance to make plays you've got to make plays. That comes down to execution, without question."

— P.M.

Arizona's punt game peaking

In an offense as potent as Arizona's under Rich Rodriguez, punters are often an afterthought. But one of the hidden reasons for the Wildcats' 5-1 start is the marked improvement of junior punter Drew Riggleman, whose 46.7-yard average ranks fifth in the country. Last season, his first as Arizona's punter, Riggleman averaged 40.1 yards on 56 kicks.

"I think my greatest improvement is the consistency on my drop," Riggleman told Paste BN Sports. "Last year I'd fiddle with that sometimes and it wouldn't be the same every time, so it was hard to get the best kick I could. Even if I mis-hit the ball a little bit this year, I have my momentum going forward so it still drives down the field and it didn't last year."

Riggleman's success is fairly astonishing, given that he didn't punt in a live game until his senior year at Sahuaro High School, about a 25-minute drive from Arizona's campus. Even so, the Wildcats offered him an opportunity as a preferred walk-on, which helped fulfill a dream of playing in the same stadium where he watched dozens of games growing up.

"My grandparents had season tickets, and if my grandma couldn't go I'd be the first one to jump up and take the opportunity," he said. (Arizona) was definitely the only college I applied to."

Punters rarely improve their average by such a significant margin in one season, but Riggleman is on pace to have the best season by an Arizona punter since Danny Baugher in 2005.

Even though Arizona ranks fourth in total offense and 23rd in scoring, there are still times when the Wildcats go three-and-out and need Riggleman to help their defense get better field position.

"I like it more when I don't have to play as much because it means we're doing well on offense," he said. "But I'm happy to punt when I need to."​

— D.W.

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