Will Howard threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in his Ohio State debut. He was awarded offensive player of the game honors. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Ryan Day and Chip Kelly express confidence in new quarterback Will Howard, and he accepts everything that is expected of him.
Columbus, OH – Will Howard is not a perfect quarterback.
But for Ohio State, for a team with legitimate national championship aspirations, for an offense that thrives with an athletic quarterback, for a fan base desperate to believe in its quarterback, Will Howard is the perfect quarterback.
Kyle McCord, last year’s less-than-inspiring starter, is a champagne toast in Syracuse after that program-defining win over the Ohio Bobcats. But Will Howard is a 12-pack of quarterback verve meant to last an entire season that the Buckeyes plan to continue for 16 games.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Head coach Ryan Day invited Howard to Columbus as a transfer because he had a lot of game and leadership experience at Kansas State. Overall, Day liked what he saw of Howard in Saturday’s 52-6 season-opening victory against Akron.
“The command, being in the stadium, not having big eyes,” Day said Tuesday.
That’s so important to an offense that rarely seemed as sure of itself last year as it did by the second half Saturday. Yes, the Buckeyes beat Akron no matter what. But the eyes didn’t lie Saturday. Day dove into the transfer portal and found the poised quarterback this team needs.
The idea that this team, with its dominating defense and prolific playmakers, could reach its goals with just about anyone at quarterback, denies the reality of modern football. You gotta have a dude running the show.
And Howard wants to be that dude. Every quarterback says they want the job, but Howard embraces it in all kinds of ways, especially as a leader.
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“Being the quarterback you have that responsibility of being we go as I go,” Howard said. “I want to be the guy that everyone can look to.”
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly wants his quarterback, above all else, to be an extension of him on the field and to lead.
Kelly’s not looking for Howard to be a hero.
“A quarterback’s job to to be a point guard. He’s got to get the ball into the players’ hands around him.” – Chip Kelly
”A quarterback’s job is he’s really the point guard,” Kelly said. “He doesn’t have to be Steph Curry where he’s got to hit every shot himself. He’s got a lot of really good players around him. His job is to get the ball in the playmakers’ hands, and that’s part of how it’s designed here.”
Howard displayed calmness in the storm of an uneven first half, the ability to decisively make the big throw when the opportunity arises and the ability to run when a play falls apart.
Day cited how Howard’s three touchdown passes – two to Jeremiah Smith and one to Carnell Tate – were on time.
“The only way you’re throwing on time like that is if you’ve done the preparation and you’ve mentally played that play in your head over and over again,” Day said. “That’s the sign of a good quarterback.”
Howard’s running ability was showcased at Kansas State mostly on called plays. At Ohio State, however, his runs will come more often as scrambles in the drop-back passing game, using his 6-foot-5 frame, strength and speed to make plays. He showed a couple flashes of it Saturday, but he also regretted a couple of missed opportunities.
“Maybe rather than throwing the ball away or throwing a contested ball, go get what I can with my legs,” he said.
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The in-helmet communication, in which coaches give play calls to the quarterback, and iPads on the sidelines for reviewing previous plays, are new innovations in college football. The technology has been available for years, so it’s about time teams are allowed to make use of it.
The new tech seems especially helpful to a team like Ohio State with a new QB and a new play caller. Kelly calls the plays, but Day listens in and adds his opinions.
“All that matters is getting the win. If I do my job well enough, we should be able to do that every week because we’ve got the guys to do it.” – Will Howard
“He was great,” Kelly said of Day, who isn’t calling plays for the first time as a head coach. “There were a couple suggestions that we ran and were good. The communication of what they’re doing, what we think they’re doing, changing speeds, changing tempos, I thought he did a really good job.”
Howard is privy to all of this communication. He’s learning from two of the best, putting all of those insights into action. The coaching staff graded him as a champion Saturday, and he was named the offensive player of the game.
“All that matters is getting the win,” Howard said. “If I do my job well enough, we should be able to do that every week because we’ve got the guys to do it. We’ve just got to be the hardest playing team in America and do my job and grade out a champion.”
Howard, as the best leaders do, didn’t try to cover up his mistakes. Akron showed blitz from the right on a play, but a Zip came from the left instead. Running back TreVeyon Henderson couldn’t get into position to block the blitzer. Howard scrambled forward and to his right, then made a bad decision. He pitched the ball backward toward Henderson, but the ball hit the ground. Fortunately, Henderson recovered the football to avoid a turnover.
“That is something I can’t do – put the ball in harm’s way,” Howard said. “I just got to tuck the ball, go down and eat it.”
Howard’s other leadership role is one many, if not all, of his teammates are happy for him to own. Howard, it seems, will talk to the media after every game and at every Tuesday news conference.
“I like talking to you guys and spreading the news of the Buckeyes,” he said with a smile. “If I can be that guy for the team, the face, and talk to you guys, then I’ll be happy to do that. Being the quarterback you have to be that representative. Good or bad I’m going to show up and talk to you guys and answer your questions. I appreciate what you guys do for us, and I want to be sure I give that back to y’all. It’s fun. I like doing this stuff. It’s all good.”
Perfect.
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