What's next for UC's Collaros?

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What's next for UC's Collaros?

By Bill Koch • bkoch@enquirer.com • November 3, 2009


Sometime soon, perhaps as early as Saturday, but almost surely in time for next week's West Virginia game, Zach Collaros will return to his role as the University of Cincinnati's backup quarterback.
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When that happens, Collaros says he's prepared to cheer for Tony Pike the way he did before, work on his game during practice, stay ready in case he's needed again, and look ahead to next season.

But the past few weeks have been quite a ride from Collaros, who now knows that he can excel on the college level, something he wasn't sure of until he got the call on Oct. 15 at South Florida and led the Bearcats to a 34-17 victory.

"There were a lot of times when I would wonder if I could still play," said Collaros, a sophomore from Steubenville. "I would think I must not be as good as I think I am if I'm not playing or I'm not positioned where I want to be. That stuff runs through your mind.

"You doubt yourself here and there when things aren't going your way. These past few weeks have really helped out with my confidence. The more confident you are the better you play."

While he was buried at No. 3 on the depth chart, Collaros even entertained the possibility that that his future might be as a safety on defense. He had played both safety and cornerback at Steubenville High School and was good enough that Joe Tresey, the former UC defensive coordinator who recruited him, frequently talked about Collaros moving to defense.

In one respect, the injury to Pike has been as beneficial to UC as it has been to Collaros. Not only have the 4th-ranked Bearcats continued to win, UC coach Brian Kelly now has a pretty good idea who his quarterback will be next season when Pike is gone.

"It certainly puts him in a better situation because we called on him in a game situation and he's come through," Kelly said. "To be fair, you never want to discount somebody, but Zach obviously helps himself going into the spring with the way he's played."

At 6-feet, 209 pounds, and with a shiftiness that serves him well when he's chased outside the pocket, Collaros shares many of the attributes that made Ben Mauk so successful at UC two years ago.

Mauk saw so many similarities between himself and Collaros that he took the youngster under his wing during Collaros' freshman year.

"On the field, he would pull me aside when I wasn't getting any reps at all and say this is why this is happening," Collaros said, "because he wasn't taking a lot of reps either with his arm (injury). And the year he was a GA, he was really helping the quarterbacks out. Now he'll call me before games. He just tells me to be who I am. Don't try to be something you're not."

Collaros has played so well - he's 47-for-63 for 749 yards with nine touchdowns and only one interception - that he looks like a finished product instead of the veritable rookie that he is.

But Kelly says he still has a long way to go to approach the level of play that Pike displays on a consistent basis.

"We're not even at that level that I can have the same kind of conversation with Zach Collaros that I have with Tony Pike about the quarterback position," Kelly said. "With Tony, we're talking about eye control on the safety, moving the safety with your eyes. We're talking about some specifics within how he moves. I can't get that from Zach yet. We're still dealing with some big-picture issues.

"There's a long way for him in terms of his development. We just have to make sure that we minimize some of the things that he could make mistakes with because he doesn't have enough experience."

It's that same room for improvement, though, that excites Kelly about how good Collaros might be in another year or two.

"He understands what you're talking about," Kelly said. "We're just not there yet. You can't get to that next page with him yet. But he sees all those things that he needs to get better at. That's the fun part."

Pike was examined Tuesday by Dr. Angelo Colosimo and will be fitted with a new brace for his left forearm. Kelly said he would begin practicing today (Wednesday) "to the level that he can prepare to win."

"He's out there throwing the ball around," Kelly said, "but he can't go with the cast he has on right now. This brace will allow him the protection and the ability to move and actually be fully engaged in our practices. We'll see where he is and figure out where he is come Saturday."

Whatever happens, Collaros says he'll be ready for whatever Kelly needs him to do. But even if he doesn't play very much the rest of the season, he has proven to himself and to Kelly that he has what it takes to play quarterback in the Big East. There will be no more suggestions that he move to safety.

"It's been a lot of fun," Collaros said, "just playing football and being out there in front of 30,000 people. You put a lot of time and work in. Getting the results we've been getting, it's a lot of fun."

INJURY UPDATE: Tight end Ben Guidugli, who was forced out of the Syracuse game with a mild concussion, has been cleared to practice...Running back John Goebel broke his hand at Syracuse but will continue to play on special teams.
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