HOUSTON – Short and sweet.
That is how University of Houston Head Coach Major Applewhite kept his
answers at the THSCA Coaching School and Conference today in Houston.
Unsurprisingly, Applewhite wasn’t there for a long time but he was there for a good time. Most likely the reason for the short presser was the fact that the head coach lectured for two hours the previous day to a ballroom full of coaches from the junior high to FBS Division I ranks, a task not many would accept. And in a convention center that resembles a ship, one can only imagine Applewhite’s desire to escape the poop deck that was filled with fifteen thousand people over the
course of four days.
However, he was able to answer some hotly debated questions in his short tenure at the conference. “Hopefully, somewhere around the second scrimmage we’ll get that figured out,” said Applewhite about the quarterback competition that has been alive and well since before Spring training.
With D’Eriq King transitioning to nearly full-time slot receiver, it appears that it will be neck and neck with junior play-callers Kyle Postma and former five-star quarterback Kyle Allen. The intrigue with Allen stems from his tenure at Texas A&M. While in College Station, Allen saw time in 20 games, of which he started 14 games. Allen started as a freshman, but struggled to find a role as he battled all season his sophomore year with former Allen High (TX) dual-threat QB, Kyler Murray. In his two seasons as an Aggie, Allen passed for nearly 3,500 yards with 33 touchdowns to his name and 17 picks. Yet, amid rising scandals in Aggieland and the inability to retain/gain high profiled recruits who left for other in-state
schools, Allen and Murray both left before the end of 2015.
All seemed well with Allen following his transfer to Houston. The City of Houston had not been this hot with sports since ever. The Astros were in the playoffs (finally). The Beard was causing the NBA to refute reports that consideration for a 4-point line was being discussed. Even the Battle Red Texans were establishing themselves as a contender in the playoffs. To top that off, Ed Oliver, the No. 2 DT in the nation, had committed to UH. Tom Herman was head coach. The Coogs even made a New Year’s Six Bowl and won, too. And it was the best of times.
Then the summer of 2016 rolled around. Charlie Strong was on the hot seat as the Longhorns head coach and one of the few names swirling around the media was none other than… Tom Herman. How does this relate to Kyle Allen, and even more importantly, Major Applewhite?
Allen was forced to sit out the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules and even had he been able to play, phenom QB Greg Ward Jr. was a senior and had nothing but open road in front of him. Had the Coogs won out their regular season and won a major bowl game, maybe Herman stays. Maybe. But, suspicious losses to bottom tier FBS schools prompted Herman to take the money and run to Austin.
The trickle-down effect of this is that with Herman and Ward Jr. both leaving following the 2016 season, Allen was forced into a spot without much support and even worse, much experience. At face value, Allen is your guy to commandeer the field and make plays. Yet, with Postma having actual playing time prevents the obvious decision from being quite obvious.
And so, we come back to Coach Applewhite. What a feeling it must be to know that you just inherited a top-notch head coaching position at a school that is on fire for football. Also, what a feeling it must be to know that you’re are supposed to be filling the shoes of Tom Herman and that no matter which recruit you sign or whoever you add to your staff, you will be on the hot seat immediately. As the great Ron Burgundy would say, “I’m in a glass case of emotion.”
This all culminates to my original point: what is to be done with the quarterback situation? Frankly, it’s going to be Kyle Allen’s job. The only drawback with making that announcement at this moment is the confidence level of that decision and the trust factor that goes into giving your play-caller the ability to call and change plays on a dime, as Ward Jr. did. I wouldn’t be surprised if Applewhite announces Allen as his starter by the first weekend of August and neither should anyone else. Allen understands what it takes to be where he wants to be at this
point. He has sacrificed everything and then some in order to be on a team that isn’t even in a Power Five conference. And with senior wide-outs Steven Dunbar and Linell Bonner returning, this should alleviate Allen’s anxieties as well as Coach Applewhite’s.
To be fair, Applewhite has done a tremendous job of filling Herman’s shoes and recruiting in a state where teams like ‘Bama, Ohio State, and LSU come and steal recruits like Jameis Winston steals crab legs. Losing players like Ward Jr., Chance Allen, and Steven Taylor to the draft certainly doesn’t help. No one ever said it would be easy to be in his position and he has taken every incredibly hard step and blockage with a grandiose delivery, not losing any ground at each barrier that came his way. So, it’s only right that we give credit due where it’s earned with Major and his staff of incredibly intelligent and hard-working coaches, who grind day in and day out in order to compete with the likes of Oklahoma and Louisville.
When asked about the upcoming season, Applewhite said, “We’ve got work we’ve got to get done,” and they certainly do. Nevertheless, Applewhite will do what he has always done: smile, laugh, and prove most (if not everyone) wrong about him.
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