 |
Whereas Colt McCoy redshirted as a true freshman, in 1999 Ken Dorsey started three games as a true freshman and appeared in two more. Both players assumed full-time starting roles in their second seasons in the program. Check out their numbers:
Outstanding numbers from both players in their first year as the team's full-time quarterback. Scarily, McCoy's numbers are a little bit depressed from the injury he suffered in Manhattan. Who knows how high the numbers go if he doesn't suffer that stinger injury?
How did Dorsey do in his encore junior campaign? Not too shabby at all.
He completed 57.9% of his passes for 2,652 yards, with 23 TDs and just 9 INTs. He won the Maxwell Award, finished third in Heisman Trophy balloting, and helped lead the Canes to the 2001 National Title with a masterful performance in Miami's 37-14 win over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl.
Dorsey provides a good example of how difficult it can be to improve upon elite first-year numbers. Dorsey's overall statistics were consistent with his sophomore season, but he wasn't able to bump them up much. He did, however, improve in the red zone and on third downs, something McCoy can take a step forward with in 2007.
Teams will be respecting McCoy in a different way this season, as well. He certainly won't be catching anyone by surprise, that's for sure, as both the Big 12 media and bloggers have him pegged as the preseason conference Offensive Player of the Year.
With as many weapons as McCoy will have to throw passes to, I'm expecting big things, so you might file my projection in the optimistic category. I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's.
Colt McCoy 2007 projection: 240-365, 65.7%, 2,900 yards, 30 TDs, 8 INT
Your turn.
--PB--