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Extra Point - I-AA Quarterbacks: Santos, Sanders and who else?
By Matt Dougherty, The Sports Network
Philadelphia, PA - If I-AA followers want to satisfy their football fix with less than 100 days until the 2006 season begins, they can start with a pair of good debates about the quarterback position.
The first involves the intriguing conversation that all fans love: Who’s the best?
In one corner, there’s New Hampshire’s Ricky Santos, who is on track to approach I-AA passing records with two more seasons at the helm for the Wildcats. Santos lifted the Wildcats to a second consecutive playoff berth and the No. 1 seed in the I-AA playoffs, and has already accounted for more than 7,000 passing yards and 70 touchdowns in two seasons.
But there’s also Northern Iowa’s Eric Sanders. Sanders took over halfway through the 2004 season and missed some time with an injury in 2005, so the statistics are not as extraordinary. But Sanders has emerged as a proven winner, with a 16-4 mark as a starter and only two losses in games he completed against I-AA opponents. And he does have that playoff win to hold over Santos.
After that, no impartial fan could give the No. 1 in I-AA nod to any other returning quarterback. Sure, new stars can emerge, and a few talented I-A transfers could post big numbers if they live up to the hype and end up changing the complexion of the debate by the end of the year. But there aren’t any other quarterbacks with the credentials of Santos and Sanders right now.
And that’s where we encounter a second interesting debate. After Santos and Sanders, who’s next on the list?
There are some candidates, but the departures of stars like Erik Meyer, Bruce Eugene, Richie Williams, Travis Lulay and Barrick Nealy leave mostly unproven or inconsistent players vying for top spots on the I-AA quarterback food chain.
The most proven player is James Madison’s Justin Rascati, who has a national championship to his credit but rarely has to win games with his arm. Players like Jon Grant, Anton Clarkson and Josh Greco have shown the potential to dominate games, but also have a penchant for throwing interceptions.
At least half a dozen quarterbacks could make a case for the coveted No. 3 spot in the preseason. Below, I’ll throw my two cents in on the debate for preseason recognition for the I-AA quarterback crop, and also look at some of the possible emerging stars and first-year quarterbacks to watch in 2006.
Top Returning Quarterbacks in I-AA
1. Ricky Santos, New Hampshire (Jr., 6-2, 215) - Most readers of this column are familiar with the Santos story by now. After moving up the depth chart due to injuries and defections, Santos was thrust into action in the 2004 season opener at defending national champion Delaware and took off from there. He led the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and a quarterfinal appearance by setting school records with 31 touchdown passes, 3,318 yards and a 64 percent completion rate. In 2005, Santos quickly dismissed any notion of a sophomore slump by topping those numbers and leading New Hampshire to its best season in school history. Santos completed 70 percent of his passes and threw for 3,797 yards with 39 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He directed a New Hampshire offense that placed third nationally with 41.7 points per game and threw for 300 yards per contest. More importantly, the Wildcats finished 11-2, earned the No. 1 seed in the I-AA playoffs, and advanced to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Santos often posted big numbers before exiting the game early in blowout victories, but also came through in the clutch with strong performances in wins against Massachusetts (18-28, 248 yards, 4 TD) and Hofstra (23-35, 285 yards, 4 TD) and in the playoff loss to Northern Iowa (27-42, 345 yards, 3 TD/106 rush yards). And there are still reasons to believe Santos can get better. All-America wide receiver David Ball is back for his senior season and primed to etch his name as one of the best wideouts in I-AA annals. And Santos developed a new dimension to his game at the end of the 2005 season, with 387 rushing yards in the final three games. With career totals of 70 touchdowns and 7,115 passing yards through just two seasons, Santos has the chance to go down as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in I-AA history.
2. Eric Sanders, Northern Iowa (Jr., 6-1, 190) - Close games. Must-win situations. Fourth-quarter comebacks. Nothing seems to faze Eric Sanders, who emerged as the most clutch quarterback in I-AA football as a sophomore in 2005. Northern Iowa had no room for error as soon as the calendar neared Halloween a year ago, but Sanders was up to the task with a brilliant stretch of games and big plays against some of the top teams in I-AA. He led the Panthers to the postseason by trumping three top competitors in a row to claim the Gateway Conference automatic berth. With the title and a playoff berth on the line against Southern Illinois, Sanders threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns as UNI came back to win, 25-24. The heroics continued into the postseason, with a 31-of-40 performance for 330 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-38 win against Eastern Washington and a solid performance against New Hampshire to get the Panthers to the semifinals. But Sanders’ most memorable game came in the semifinals at Texas State, when he completed 24-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns and engineered a drive for a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter of a 40-37, overtime win. While Sanders could not lead the Panthers to their first championship, his run through the playoffs affirmed his status as a top I-AA quarterback. Of course, there were indications of his potential even earlier. Sanders, who missed three games with an injury, only lost once in a full game against a I-AA team in 2005. He threw for 2,929 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions last year to build on a great freshman campaign of 1,307 yards and 15 touchdowns in just seven starts. Sanders also led the Panthers to a 6-1 mark in that campaign, leaving him with a 16-4 record in two seasons as a starter. Sanders will have to overcome the departure of some major weapons at running back and wide receiver in 2005, but his ability should help carry the Panthers to another successful season.
By Matt Dougherty, The Sports Network
Philadelphia, PA - If I-AA followers want to satisfy their football fix with less than 100 days until the 2006 season begins, they can start with a pair of good debates about the quarterback position.
The first involves the intriguing conversation that all fans love: Who’s the best?
In one corner, there’s New Hampshire’s Ricky Santos, who is on track to approach I-AA passing records with two more seasons at the helm for the Wildcats. Santos lifted the Wildcats to a second consecutive playoff berth and the No. 1 seed in the I-AA playoffs, and has already accounted for more than 7,000 passing yards and 70 touchdowns in two seasons.
But there’s also Northern Iowa’s Eric Sanders. Sanders took over halfway through the 2004 season and missed some time with an injury in 2005, so the statistics are not as extraordinary. But Sanders has emerged as a proven winner, with a 16-4 mark as a starter and only two losses in games he completed against I-AA opponents. And he does have that playoff win to hold over Santos.
After that, no impartial fan could give the No. 1 in I-AA nod to any other returning quarterback. Sure, new stars can emerge, and a few talented I-A transfers could post big numbers if they live up to the hype and end up changing the complexion of the debate by the end of the year. But there aren’t any other quarterbacks with the credentials of Santos and Sanders right now.
And that’s where we encounter a second interesting debate. After Santos and Sanders, who’s next on the list?
There are some candidates, but the departures of stars like Erik Meyer, Bruce Eugene, Richie Williams, Travis Lulay and Barrick Nealy leave mostly unproven or inconsistent players vying for top spots on the I-AA quarterback food chain.
The most proven player is James Madison’s Justin Rascati, who has a national championship to his credit but rarely has to win games with his arm. Players like Jon Grant, Anton Clarkson and Josh Greco have shown the potential to dominate games, but also have a penchant for throwing interceptions.
At least half a dozen quarterbacks could make a case for the coveted No. 3 spot in the preseason. Below, I’ll throw my two cents in on the debate for preseason recognition for the I-AA quarterback crop, and also look at some of the possible emerging stars and first-year quarterbacks to watch in 2006.
Top Returning Quarterbacks in I-AA
1. Ricky Santos, New Hampshire (Jr., 6-2, 215) - Most readers of this column are familiar with the Santos story by now. After moving up the depth chart due to injuries and defections, Santos was thrust into action in the 2004 season opener at defending national champion Delaware and took off from there. He led the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and a quarterfinal appearance by setting school records with 31 touchdown passes, 3,318 yards and a 64 percent completion rate. In 2005, Santos quickly dismissed any notion of a sophomore slump by topping those numbers and leading New Hampshire to its best season in school history. Santos completed 70 percent of his passes and threw for 3,797 yards with 39 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He directed a New Hampshire offense that placed third nationally with 41.7 points per game and threw for 300 yards per contest. More importantly, the Wildcats finished 11-2, earned the No. 1 seed in the I-AA playoffs, and advanced to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Santos often posted big numbers before exiting the game early in blowout victories, but also came through in the clutch with strong performances in wins against Massachusetts (18-28, 248 yards, 4 TD) and Hofstra (23-35, 285 yards, 4 TD) and in the playoff loss to Northern Iowa (27-42, 345 yards, 3 TD/106 rush yards). And there are still reasons to believe Santos can get better. All-America wide receiver David Ball is back for his senior season and primed to etch his name as one of the best wideouts in I-AA annals. And Santos developed a new dimension to his game at the end of the 2005 season, with 387 rushing yards in the final three games. With career totals of 70 touchdowns and 7,115 passing yards through just two seasons, Santos has the chance to go down as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in I-AA history.
2. Eric Sanders, Northern Iowa (Jr., 6-1, 190) - Close games. Must-win situations. Fourth-quarter comebacks. Nothing seems to faze Eric Sanders, who emerged as the most clutch quarterback in I-AA football as a sophomore in 2005. Northern Iowa had no room for error as soon as the calendar neared Halloween a year ago, but Sanders was up to the task with a brilliant stretch of games and big plays against some of the top teams in I-AA. He led the Panthers to the postseason by trumping three top competitors in a row to claim the Gateway Conference automatic berth. With the title and a playoff berth on the line against Southern Illinois, Sanders threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns as UNI came back to win, 25-24. The heroics continued into the postseason, with a 31-of-40 performance for 330 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-38 win against Eastern Washington and a solid performance against New Hampshire to get the Panthers to the semifinals. But Sanders’ most memorable game came in the semifinals at Texas State, when he completed 24-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns and engineered a drive for a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter of a 40-37, overtime win. While Sanders could not lead the Panthers to their first championship, his run through the playoffs affirmed his status as a top I-AA quarterback. Of course, there were indications of his potential even earlier. Sanders, who missed three games with an injury, only lost once in a full game against a I-AA team in 2005. He threw for 2,929 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions last year to build on a great freshman campaign of 1,307 yards and 15 touchdowns in just seven starts. Sanders also led the Panthers to a 6-1 mark in that campaign, leaving him with a 16-4 record in two seasons as a starter. Sanders will have to overcome the departure of some major weapons at running back and wide receiver in 2005, but his ability should help carry the Panthers to another successful season.
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