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Wednesday, October 30 Gesser puts 'it' on the line vs. surprising Sun Devils By Bill Curry Special to ESPN.com |
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Jason Gesser must have been born with it. "It" is that indefinable quality that a few unique individuals possess that changes a room when they enter. "It" makes people want to follow, to please, to accommodate. In battle it inspires acts of heroism and selflessness. On a football field it motivates tough guys to be tougher than they thought they could be.
No words can describe this rarest of attributes, but it is amazing how visible it is, even to the masses. When put on display in contests of courage, it is remembered for eons. John Unitas had it, Walter Payton had it, Bart Starr has it. When Jason Gesser takes "It" onto the field this Saturday against Arizona State, he will do so as the most successful quarterback in the history of Washington State University football. With each flourish of his powerful arm, his influence grows and his teammates get stronger. Consider that in 108 years of football at Washington State, one player has been elected team captain three times. One player in more than a century: Jason Gesser. Gesser's teams at St. Louis High School in Honolulu were 24-0 with him at QB. His Cougar teams are 21-9 with him as a starter, the best mark of any QB in school history. The record for the last 20 games is 17-3, tied with Oregon for third-best in the country. He is the school record holder in total offense at 7,829 yards. His 59 touchdown passes tie him with Ryan Leaf for first in that category. He has recorded 18 games with two or more TD passes, another school record. As impressive as all this is, it takes on added luster when one considers that some of the other QBs at this storied program are men like Drew Bledsoe, Mark Rypien, and Jack Thompson. What seals the legacy of leaders like Gesser is moments like this. If the Cougars can finish the job in the Pac-10 and get to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl he will be remembered as the best of the best. Across the field in Pullman on Saturday, though, will be the most surprising team in the conference this year. Arizona State has its customary allocation of speed and talent on both sides of the ball. On alternating weeks the offense and defense play with alacrity and can dominate. This stage of development is frustrating, but not unusual in the process of learning to win with consistency.
The Sun Devils can go to Autzen Stadium at Oregon, fall behind 21-0, then prevail 45-42 over the Ducks. The very next week the defense can dominate Washington 27-16, giving up the only two touchdowns in the closing minutes with the backups in the game. Coach Dirk Koetter's tenuous turnaround depends on the whimsical nature of his fast, erratic team. His heartfelt desire is to see his young team learn to play a complete game, and he knows full well that it will not prevail in Pullman unless the units coalesce in a hurry. The game within the game here will be Washington State's veteran offensive line against the ferocious pass rush of Arizona State, as Gesser's protectors will face more speed off the edges than they have seen this year. Washington's offense was ranked 8th in the country when the Sun Devils sacked Huskies QB Cody Pickett eight times last week. The leader of the sack attack is Terrell Suggs who had 12 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a caused interception. Koetter stated that he had never had a player dominate a game in such a fashion. If ASU can get consistent pressure on Gesser, it has a chance in the game. Hidden yardage will surely favor Arizona State if the Cougars cannot correct the many errors they committed last week. Devard Darling fumbled a kickoff return for the third time, one field goal was blocked and another missed. Red zone offense is a clear failing for the Cougars, and so directly affects the value of field position for their team. ESPN college football analyst Bill Curry coached for 17 years in the college ranks. His Game Plans for marquee matchups appear each week during the college football season. |
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