Nation’s top quarterbacks face similar situations

Friday, November 14, 1997Nation’s top quarterbacks face similar
situations

FOOTBALL:

Cade McNown, Brock Huard run parallel paths in their college
careersBy Mark Dittmer

Daily Bruin Staff

In the spring of 1995, Cade McNown and Brock Huard were
second-semester seniors in high school. They’d both been accepted
to various universities, and in the midst of that relaxing
semester, they both had to decide which school to go to. In the
end, they both faced the same choice: UCLA or Washington.

McNown and Huard had never met. McNown went to high school in
West Linn, Ore. while Huard attended Puyallup High, near
Seattle.

So why in the world would McNown make one of the biggest
decisions of his life based entirely on Huard’s decision? Why would
he decide, in advance, to go to whichever school Huard didn’t go
to? Wouldn’t Huard be offended?

Well, no. Huard (now Washington’s starting quarterback) and
McNown (UCLA’s starting quarterback) were widely regarded as the
top two quarterbacks in the Western United States in 1994. It was
generally assumed that they wouldn’t end up at the same school.

"It was simple," McNown told the Seattle Times. "We had both
gotten our choices down to Washington and UCLA. He was everyone’s
No. 1 guy. I just decided (that) wherever he went, I would go to
the other place."

Each has gone his separate way, but they have followed paths
that are remarkably similar.

McNown was the Bruins’ starting quarterback four games into his
freshman season, despite starting the season much further down on
the depth chart. He won the spot from junior Ryan Fien, in part by
outplaying Fien and in part because of Fien’s injuries.

Fien transferred to Idaho during the subsequent offseason.

A year later, Huard entered his first season of eligibility
(he’d redshirted his first season) as the No. 2 quarterback for the
Huskies, playing behind junior Shane Fortney. Huard won the job in
the middle of the season, in part by outplaying Fortney and partly
because of Fortney’s injuries. (Fortney has since transferred to
Northern Iowa.)

Both quarterbacks initially struggled. When they met last year,
they were ranked ninth and 10th in the Pac-10 conference in pass
efficiency.

However, both have jolted out of their slumps with equally
impressive seasons.

Huard and McNown are now ranked first and fifth in passing
efficiency ­ not in the Pac-10, but in the nation.

This year, their match-up comes with the Rose Bowl hanging in
the balance. Washington’s loss last week, with Huard on the bench
with a sprained ankle, was its first since losing early to
undefeated Nebraska. Now the Huskies and the Bruins are entangled
in a four-way tie for the Pac-10 conference lead, along with
Washington State and conference champ Arizona State.

Would it have all come to pass had McNown been a Husky and Huard
a Bruin?

"I was really considering UCLA because of its rich quarterback
tradition," Huard told the Seattle Times. "Los Angeles is a great
place, but it wasn’t for me."

Huard had family ties luring him to Washington; during his
redshirt season his brother, Damon, was finishing his career as a
Washington quarterback. As soon as Huard chose Washington, McNown
knew he would become a Bruin.

"I canceled my trip to Washington because (Huard) committed to
them," McNown said.

"I remember seeing him out there and saying, ‘That could have
been me,’" Huard said, referring to their freshman season when the
two teams played and Huard sat out as a redshirt while McNown
played quarterback.

Huard can say the same thing on Saturday; he could’ve been a
Bruin and McNown could’ve been a Husky. They’re so similar, the
game would probably have the same postseason implications either
way.