LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – In a year without Ricky Williams, this might have beenthe play that sealed the Heisman Trophy for Kentucky’s Tim Couch.
With the Wildcats leading Mississippi State 30-29 in the fourth quarter Nov.7 and Couch playing with a sprained throwing thumb, the Kentucky quarterbacktook the snap on third-and-goal from the Bulldogs 6 and retreated under heavypressure.
Hit at the 22, falling to the turf, he lofted a rainbow across his body tothe left corner of the end zone, where the ball was caught by a leaping CraigYeast.
Final score: Kentucky 37, Mississippi State 35, a key win in 7-4 Kentucky’srun to the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl, its first New Year’s Day appearance in nearlyhalf a century.
As a college quarterback, Couch has it all: height (6-foot-5), arm strength,poise and a long list of passing records. He is one of four finalists invitedto New York for Saturday’s Heisman ceremony.
However, in a year when Williams of Texas broke Tony Dorsett’s careerrushing record, the junior from the eastern Kentucky mountain town of Hydenagrees with those who expect his 400 completions in 553 attempts, 4,275 yardspassing and 36 touchdowns to be judged unworthy of the Heisman.
“I think it’s pretty much over,” he said. “I think they’re going to giveit to Williams because he got the record, had a great year and a great career.I’m just going to go enjoy it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gomeet these guys, go see New York and the Downtown Athletic Club and have a goodtime.”
Couch has been tagged the savior of Kentucky football since he set nationalpassing records at Leslie County High School in the mid-1990s and choseKentucky over some of the nation’s top football programs.
In 1997, Couch blossomed under first-year coach Hal Mumme and his pro-stylepassing attack. Couch set Southeastern Conference records for attempts,completions and passing yardage and led Kentucky to its first win over Alabamain 75 years. He finished ninth in the Heisman voting.
This year, he set personal bests in nearly every passing category, threw formore than 300 yards in every game and engineered the Wildcats’ first road winover a ranked team in two decades, a 39-36 upset at LSU. Outback Bowl officialssaid Couch was the main reason they picked Kentucky to play in its first Jan. 1bowl since 1952.
But this was also a grim season for Couch – his best friend from Hyden,Scott Brock, was killed in a Nov. 15 truck crash along with Kentucky transferfootball player Arthur Steinmetz. Authorities say the driver, Wildcats startingcenter Jason Watts, was drunk at the time of the wreck.
Now, with Williams the Heisman favorite, the big question is whether Couchis headed for the NFL after the Outback. The quarterback said he will waituntil January to make a decision.
“I might want to just come back and do it again next year,” he said.”It’s been a lot of fun. I just don’t know where I’m at right now. I’ve stillgot a little more information to gather about where I’ll be going if I do leaveand all kinds of little things that.”
Mumme and NFL scouts agree Couch could use another year of seasoning.
“I think that most good football minds, and I’ve talked to several of them- I mean people who have won Super Bowls – would tell him to stay,” Mummesaid, citing the cases of Peyton Manning, who returned to Tennessee for hissenior season, and Ryan Leaf, who left Washington State after his juniorseason.
“Albeit, both of them have struggled this year, but Peyton’s still thestarter, Peyton’s still getting the reps, Peyton’s a lot more mature when youlook at things,” Mumme said. “Ryan’s been benched, and who knows what’llhappen with him after that.”
One NFL player personnel director – who could not speak for attributionbecause Couch has not declared himself eligible for the draft – spoke for mostof his colleagues when he said of Couch: “He’s a bit raw, but he has helpedturn around Kentucky’s program and he’s very coachable. If you want someone whomight start right away or have an impact, you wouldn’t go with him. … Buthe’s going to be a good player in the league over the long run, maybe a verygood one.”
The expansion Cleveland Browns own the No. 1 pick and likely will be lookingfor a quarterback, but Mumme sees pitfalls.
“If he’s the starter, he’s going to have too many expectations put on himand no (offensive) line in front of him to speak of,” Mumme said. “If he’sthe backup, he’s going to have all those people around town wanting him to bethe starter, which means that at some point they’re going to give in and throwhim into the fray.
“I don’t know if that’s the way necessarily that he really wants to starthis career.”
