Every football fan can recall the image of the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning lining up behind center in the no-huddle offense, directing his receivers with a plethora of hand-signals, head movements, and vocal commands over the cacophony of a sell-out crowd.
While the situation may not always be the same as the one Manning deals with every Sunday, no player in any sport values communication as much as a quarterback does. Knowing this, it’s scary to think about what Isaiah Kempf says about what the Hoyas (0-6, 0-4 Patriot League) need to start doing this weekend when they host Colgate.
“This week, I feel like we need to execute more,” Kempf said. “There’s a lot of miscommunication on a lot of plays. Obviously, that falls on me. I need to get the ball down the field more, especially when they’re blitzing and stuff, I just need to get to my check downs quicker.”
Last week, miscommunication was not Kempf’s only problem. He was sacked eight times for a loss of 44 yards on the way to being shut out by Lehigh 27-0.
“I trust my line no matter what, even if I got sacked 20 times,” Kempf said. “I still will come back and trust my line because I know they trust me to get the ball down field. So it’s been tough at times, but we’re really starting to come together and figure some things out.”
Still, since Kempf has taken over as starter, the Hoyas have only averaged 6.75 points a game. While this is an improvement over the miniscule 5 points a game the Hoyas averaged over their first two contests of the season, the improvement has not been significant enough to make the freshman gunslinger a savior.
Kempf’s numbers have been solid and the Hoya offensive has tallied more yards since he’s taken the helm. Unless he finds a way to put the ball in the end zone, however, the Hoyas will fall to a dismal 0-7 on the season.
The only way Kempf and the Hoyas can start scoring comes back to communication. First and foremost, the offensive line has to stop Kempf from being sacked—he’s been sacked 16 times since taking over as starter. With time, Kempf has a better chance to find his open receivers. Without that time, the inexperienced signal-caller will have his hands full.
“I’m trying to get better every week, pretty much,” Kempf said. “I’m trying to get all my timing down with my receivers and trying to run all our plays better.”
Even if Kempf does find a way to put points on the board, the Hoyas chances this Saturday are grim at best. The Sports Network’s 17th-ranked Colgate Raiders are traveling to the Hilltop with a menacing 6-0 record to their credit.
The Hoyas can only hope that their inexperienced quarterback and shaky offensive line can stand firm against one of the best teams in the country. If their previous six games have told us anything about the Hoyas, hope might be all they have.
