Column: QB play now Bowen’s problem

By Tom Keegan     Sep 30, 2014

Richard Gwin
KU sophomore quarterback Montell Cozart (2) looks for a receiver in the first half against Central Michigan on Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Memorial Stadium.

Not long after concluding a remarkably inspirational introductory press conference Monday in George Mrkonic Auditorium, Kansas University interim head football coach Clint Bowen was on a Big 12 teleconference taking more questions.

He didn’t duck those either.

A few days ago, Bowen was coaching a defense that has superstar Ben Heeney manning the most important position, middle linebacker.

Now Bowen is responsible for the entire team, which includes an offense that scored a combined three points in losses to Duke and Texas, an offense triggered by a relative newcomer. What are Bowen’s plans for injecting life into an offense that hasn’t gotten off the ground for four-plus seasons?

“I don’t think it’s much of a secret,” Bowen said. “My old college coach, Glen Mason, used to always say the two most important people in the program are the head coach and the quarterback, and it’s not in that order.”

Quarterback didn’t become Montell Cozart’s primary position until his junior year at Bishop Miege High, and it shows.

He has a strong arm and fast legs, but a strong arm becomes so much weaker when a quarterback throws off his back foot, as Cozart so often has. When an inexperienced trigger man struggles to read defenses, his legs slow down and he never has a chance to use his speed.

For now, Bowen will stay with Cozart, a QB so often quickly under fire because of an offensive line shy of quickness, and hope that offensive coordinator John Reagan can find ways to put him in positions to improve his performance. In a particularly rough performance, Cozart completed 12 of 31 passes for 140 yards in Saturday’s 23-0 loss to Texas. He threw four interceptions and still showed too strong an affinity for the sideline, via the run and pass.

So much work to be done. So little time. Training-camp-like teaching and game preparation all squeezed into eight games in nine weeks, and just three of them are at home. Clint Bowen, meet Mount Everest. Now hurry up and climb it.

“The bottom line: The young man, Montell Cozart, knows the quarterback’s got to perform,” Bowen said. “Unfortunately, that’s the nature of that position. So right there, the offense has got to start with him. We talked about it with him, and he understands that that’s his responsibility, and there are plays that have to be made, and you don’t have to make the great ones, but you do have to make the plays that are there.”

Including running plays that won’t all end out of bounds. The goal for coaches teaching athletes lacking experience always includes trying to create an environment that results in less thinking and more reacting. Cozart has had help from teammates, but he’ll need more than he has received so far.

“The wide receivers have played well,” Bowen said. “The offensive line has to develop a mentality that whatever it takes to get the job done, however tough you have to be, be that; however hard you have to play, do it. We’re going to have to work on attitude. There’s not enough time to change an offense or change a defense. We just have to do it better.”

A quarterback can’t gain polish overnight, but Cozart can hop on the path to improvement the moment he tries to make his passion for making plays match the passion his new field leader has for coaching his alma mater.

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