Realistic expectation for Montell Cozart

By Staff     May 8, 2014

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Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart takes off on a run against Oklahoma State during the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Montell Cozart improving to the extent he stops the Kansas University football team’s quarterback revolving door from spinning counts as the No. 1 key to finishing with a record better than the 3-9 mark of 2013.

Cozart became the rare college QB to start games as a true freshman a year ago and his inexperience showed. Kansas ended its 27-game Big 12 losing streak with Cozart at the helm in a 31-19 victory against West Virginia, but for the season, he completed just 23 of 63 passes (36.5 percent) for 227 yards, did not throw a touchdown pass, was picked off twice and averaged 3.6 yards per pass attempt.

He also rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown and averaged 3.2 yards per carry. (Unlike in the NFL, yardage losses from sacks count against the quarterback’s rushing totals, so Cozart’s ypc total is deceptively low.) In the West Virginia game, the Mountaineers had to worry about Cozart’s feet so much it opened things up for James Sims, who rushed for 211 of the team’s 305 yards. Cozart rushed for 60 yards in that one.

Given his first-year passing totals, it’s not realistic to think that in one year Cozart can become a 70-percent passer, even working for an offensive coordinator (John Reagan) who will feature lower-degree-of-difficulty passes than those in Charlie Weis’ offense.

Cozart also will have better receivers than a year ago with the addition of Nick Harwell, and projected improvements from Rodriguez Coleman and Tony Pierson.

Projecting improvement from an offensive line that lost three starters isn’t as easy to do, so the quarterback figures to be under a lot of heat again.

So what does KU need statistically from Cozart? Think: Kerry Meier in his second year of college football, which was his red-shirt freshman season.

In 2006, Meier missed four games because of injury and started at quarterback in all eight of the games in which he was healthy. He completed 104 of 184 passes (56.5 percent) for 1,193 yards (6.5 yards per attempt) and threw 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ranked second on the team with 346 rushing yards (3.6 yards per carry) and tied for second in rushing touchdowns (five).

Cozart and Meier have different body types at similar ages. Meier, who at 6-foot-3 has one inch on Cozart, played at 220 pounds in his lone season at quarterback. Cozart is up to 195 pounds. Meier had more power as a runner than Cozart, who is even faster than Meier. Cozart brings more big-run potential.

If Cozart can duplicate Meier-like production and stay healthy for 12 games, instead of Meier’s eight, Kansas should have its best season in the post-Mark Mangino era, which means anywhere from four to six victories against an absolutely brutal schedule.

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