As far as your quarterback will take you…

No. 2 Oregon went down to Arizona last night, 34-24 but the loss talked about this morning is in regards to quarterback Dennis Dixon. The Ducks QB re-aggrivated a nagging knee injury and is most likely done for the season.

Those who watched the game saw the Tale of Two QBs unfold on the ESPN Thursday night telecast and while Duck Nation watched their National Championship dreams crumble. Meanwhile, this particular Canes enthusiast found a way to relate the situation to the current debacle that is The U.

Oregon rolled into this contest 8-1 and en route to New Orleans for the BCS title game. Arizona, UCLA and Oregon State were all that stood in the way – and all were very beatable teams with Dixon behind center and the Ducks continuing to play their brand of football. The Pac 10 has no title game, so all Oregon needed to do was hang on for twelve more quarters of football.

Early on, it looked more than doable. Dixon scampered for a 39-yard touchdown and after a two-point conversion, Oregon was up 8-o in just 156 seconds of play. 70 yards in 7 plays.

The Ducks defense held on Arizona’s ensuing drive, Dixon threw an untimely end zone interception off the hands of Derrick Jones. Gone was a two touchdown lead. Arizona made it 8-7 within minutes, but again Dixon had his team downfield and at the Wildcats’ 15-yard line before injuring himself halfway through the first quarter.

From that point on, the Brady Leaf show and goodnight Oregon. Leaf went 22 of 46 for 163 yards, 2 interceptions and no touchdowns. Dixon was 5 of 8 for 62 yards in the air and rushed for 34 on 2 attempts.

I tie this to Miami in regards to quarterback play and the fact the Canes have lacked a stud behind center since Ken Dorsey was tossed to the turf on that final 4th down in Tempe.

Brock Berlin looked all world compared to what the Canes have sported since, but that was still the beginning of the end. Berlin also sported one of the best Miami defenses in history. Without that, his 20-5 record is closer to 15-10.

You’re not going to win big time college football games without a quarterback. Sport fans oft toss out the Trent Dilfer analogy in regards to sub par quarterback play + stout defense = ultimate success. The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV, even with the liability that was Dilfer, all due to a dominating defense.

Of course this is the only analogy you hear because the other 99% of the time poor quarterback play results in losses and nothing resembling championship runs. This is the lone example teams with no quarterback cling to, keeping their hopes alive that their squad can overcome the liability and pin it all on the defense and find a way to win.

Fat chance.

Oregon was a completely different team without Dixon last night. Granted, the Ducks run a spread offense with their starter in the game and a more pro style offense with Leaf under center, it was still night and day. The Ducks were out of synch without Dixon. The pace of the game was slower, as seen by the injured QB on the sideline trying rally the troops, play cheerleader and encourage them to speed things up.

Leaf’s first interception resulted in a pick six and that can’t be blamed on the two different styles of quarterback play. That one is directly attributed to the quality of player behind center. Leaf can’t hold Dixon’s jock and without their Heisman worthy QB, Oregon isn’t 8-2 today. They’re most likely a 6-4 middle of the road Pac 10 team.

The bad news for Miami? This team will remain a joke until there is better quarterback play. The good news is that help is on the way.

Robert Marve is already being dubbed a savior on message boards and Canes sites even as a redshirt yet to take a snap this year. Jacory Harris is currently leading No. 1 Northwestern to the top on the high school level, will graduate early and enroll at The U by December. Also in the mix, Taylor Cook out of Texas and most recently, Cannon Smith, transferring in from Hargrave Military Academy.

Uncertainty remains regarding who will emerge as the starter and how quickly that impact will be felt, but I can’t imagine it’ll be any worse than the 1-of-14 performance a “scared” Kirby Freeman put up a few weeks ago or the 9 TD to 12 INT performance of Kyle Wright thus far in 2007. Miami is officially in “bust” status regarding all current quarterback options.

Even scarier are the recruits Larry Coker lost along the way in the post Dorsey era.

Derek Shaw spurned Miami last minute for Arizona State, fizzled out there, transferred to Texas Tech and currently isn’t even on the roster. Pat Devlin played the role of mama’s boy to a T, bailing Miami at the final hour to stay closer to Penn State and hasn’t seen the field.

Last year, Miami got Alabama-bound Marve and lost almost-Cane Nick Fanuzzi to the Tide. Fanuzzi is yet to see the field and most don’t expect much from the Texas native. The Canes also lost quarterback recruit Daniel Stegall at the final hour as he headed to the big leagues to try his hand at baseball.

Not only did Coker fail to sign the aforementioned kids, but he was played in the recruiting game as he hooked them all early, got verbal commitments and then stopped recruiting the position, leaving the Canes in the lurch when all four bailed.

For those keeping score, that’s four lost quarterback commitments over the past three seasons, two current busts and a Gator transfer who had a few magical moments and was bailed out by a defense the two years he was behind center.

Any mystery why the Canes are in the mess they are today? Any question where this team would’ve been in 2006 or 2007 with a Dixon-caliber quarterback behind center? Pay attention to the Ducks final two games with Leaf calling the shots instead of Dixon and try to tell me any different.

Sure, Miami has a slew of issues outside the QB position, but you can guarantee that this team would be better than 13-13 since the 2005 loss to Georgia Tech. The Canes are at worst an 8-2 team right now with solid quarterback play and last year certainly doesn’t end up 7-6. Not with that schedule.

Better days lie ahead, Canes fans. Miami might not be Quarterback U again anytime soon, but a capable player will be under center soon enough. As witnessed last night, a solid quarterback makes all the difference in the world. He dictates the momentum on offense. He makes plays when you need them. He rallies the troops when faced with adversity. A solid quarterback in the heartbeat of any championship-caliber team.

Every big time Miami team always had a stud under center. Until that’s the case again, this team will continue to flounder.

Hang on folks. Only two games left. The new era begins in 2008.

.:Canes305:.

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