Two-way hit
Ohio State's success with Gamble spawning copycats
Posted: Thursday April 24, 2003 2:30 AM
Last November, Eric McGoey was lining up opposite Ohio State's Chris Gamble during parts of the two-way star's 128-play marathon.
Last Saturday at Illinois' Orange and Blue scrimmage, the safety/receiver was doing his best Gamble impersonation -- and gaining all new appreciation for his endurance.
"He made it look easier than it really was," said McGoey, who returned an interception 65 yards, caught a pass and made a special teams tackle Saturday. "It didn't sound that hard to begin with, but after the spring game, I realize it's kind of different."
McGoey is confident, however, that after a full summer of training he'll be more than capable of pulling double-duty -- as a starting safety and part-time receiver -- on a weekly basis next season, something Illini coach Ron Turner is banking on.
He won't be alone.
Coaches are always looking to copy anything successful, and in light of Gamble's contribution to the Buckeyes' national title run last season, many have been scrambling this spring to uncover their own versions.
At Tennessee, converted defensive back Mark Jones has emerged as the Vols' No. 1 receiver, but the speedster could also start at cornerback or safety as well as return punts.
At Florida, cornerback Keiwan Ratliff -- who got the bug to go both ways after attending one of Gamble's Ohio State games during the Gators' bye week last year -- spent most of the spring at receiver after playing just a few snaps there last fall.
But if you're looking for someone that could have a Gamble-like impact on this year's national title race, the best bet might be Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall.
In assessing his roster for the coming season, Hokies coach Frank Beamer knew he'd have a veteran defense, a star running back in Kevin Jones and his choice of two promising quarterbacks, Bryan Randall or Marcus Vick. What he lacked was a second dangerous receiver to complement returnee Ernest Wilford.
Enter starting cornerback Hall, a ridiculously talented athlete who returned both a punt and an interception for touchdowns in one game last season and, following a winter training with the Hokies' track team, was recently hand-held timed at a staggering 4.15 in the 40.
Beamer first broached the topic of playing Hall on offense last season but felt the then-sophomore needed a firmer grasp of the defense first. He also remembered a similar, in-season experiment with cornerback Ike Charlton a few years ago that didn't go so well.
So before doing anything this time, he consulted coaches at both Ohio State and Michigan -- where Charles Woodson won the Heisman as an occasional two-way player -- and had Hall work exclusively at receiver the first half of spring practices.
It paid off in a four-catch, 47-yard performance in last week's spring game, after which Beamer said he'd like to use Hall on offense about 30 plays a game come fall.
"It's a lot easier if you start in spring of the year," said Beamer. "It was quite apparent to us that he was an exceptional athlete. He has great speed, great jumping ability. Seeing him go up and get balls and jump with leverage -- those are things he does very naturally and we didn't have to teach."
The two-way phenomenon isn't entirely new to college football, of course. Woodson, Florida State's Deion Sanders and Georgia's Champ Bailey all made their mark that way. Brian Urlacher caught several short-yardage touchdowns at New Mexico. And several others have dabbled in recent years.
But some of the circumstances of today's game may soon make it even more common.
"It's something I think you're going to see more and more with the limited number of scholarships," said Turner. "There are certain kinds of athletes who can do it. You have to have the physical skills to do it naturally and instinctively. When you recruit skill and you recruit those kind of athletes, most of them played both ways in high school anyway."
Turner's player, McGoey, was actually not one of those guys, and in fact is a rather improbable two-way candidate.
The Wheaton, Ill., native didn't play football until his junior year of high school and when he did, it was as a receiver. But after 3 1/2 seasons buried behind Brandon Lloyd and Illinois' other veteran receivers, McGoey switched to safety midway through 2002 and made an immediate impact.
"I think he can be a dominant safety," said Turner, who plans to keep McGoey there but will also use him at receiver following the departures of his top four players there.
So what's the hardest part of playing both offense and defense?
"In practice, I was taking off this jersey, putting on that jersey," said Hall. "But I finally got the hang of it."
So, it would seem, have a lot of others.
Where there's smoke ...
It's becoming increasingly clear that there was more than just paranoia to Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese's assertion last week that the ACC is attempting to raid its membership.
Several of the schools mentioned have definitely given it thought, but none wants to make the first move.
Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo told the Boston Globe this week his school is " very, very happy" with the Big East, but "if Miami leaves, then that is a totally different issue, because then this would never be the same football league without Miami."
For its part, Miami also says it's happy in the Big East but, a conference source told the Miami Herald, would be interested in the ACC if either Boston College or Syracuse leaves. Athletic director Paul Dee previously hinted at that interest in an interview with the Palm Beach Post, saying the ACC "would be a place where the University of Miami would feel comfortable.''
ACC commissioner John Swofford, who has remained largely quiet since Tranghese made his controversial statements last week, said Monday his league is "leaning" toward remaining at nine teams.
Baloney.
Expect a private tug-of-war between the two leagues over the next several months, all centered on Miami. The ACC's sole motivation for expansion is football driven, and the Hurricanes are the jewel that would make it worthwhile. If the 'Canes recommit to the Big East, however, the ACC has no use for any of the other programs.
Putting faith in Lord's arm
New Nebraska offensive coordinator Barney Cotton has made no bones about his commitment to add balance to the Huskers' traditionally one-dimensional offense, but head coach Frank Solich knows it will depend on quarterback Jammal Lord's improvement as a passer.
While Lord broke Eric Crouch's single-season record with 1,329 yards rushing last season, he completed just 46.6 percent of his passes and threw 12 interceptions.
"We're counting on him being a better leader, a better all-around quarterback, a guy who's able to hurt you in both the running game and the throwing game," said Solich. "We want him to move up in the 55-60 percent range in terms of completions."
Coming off their worst record (7-7) in 40 years, much of what the Huskers worked on offensively this spring involved making life easier for Lord, who was placed in too many no-win situations last season due to the offense's ineptitude. Solich thinks a more dominant run game, better pass protection and better receivers will allow Cotton to emphasize the pass more than in recent years.
"We won't steer too much from what we've been doing," said Solich. "[Cotton] will throw the ball a little more, he'll run maybe a little less option, but we'll still be an option attack. I will say this -- if we're throwing it well, completing 60 percent of our passes, not 47 percent, we're apt to be a more balanced football team than we've been in the past."
Worth noting
Oregon may wind up replacing Onterrio Smith -- a former Tennessee transfer -- with another SEC transplant. Redshirt freshman Chris Vincent, who left LSU early enough last fall to be eligible this coming season, has been the Ducks' top rusher in their first two scrimmages, exhibiting remarkable explosiveness in breaking several big runs. ... Just three months after graduating high school early, Iowa State freshman-to-be Aaron Brant has already claimed the Cyclones' starting job at right guard. "He's one of the most talented offensive linemen I've ever been around that young," coach Dan McCarney said of the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Wisconsin native. ... One of Texas Tech's defensive standouts this spring was linebacker Brock Stratton, a freshman from San Antonio who originally signed with BYU before going on a two-year Mormon mission. ... Kansas State coach Bill Snyder says sophomore middle linebacker Matt Butler has distanced himself in the quest to replace departed star Terry Pierce, but he's expected to be challenged in the fall by highly touted juco transfer and former USC signee Marvin Simmons. ... Spring has not been kind to Syracuse, with aspiring starting QB Perry Patterson blowing out his knee, heralded freshman cornerback Larry McClain leaving school and top defensive line reserve Brian Hooper rendered medically ineligible after a concussion.
Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.
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