Positive signs
Teammates like what they're seeing in Terrelle Pryor's maturation
Sunday, August 2, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Neal C. Lauron | DISPATCH
Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor got into sack trouble -- he went down 21 times -- with his tendency to run the ball last season. But players and coaches see improvement.
Pryor's points of emphasis
Here are three areas where Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor needs to improve this year, according to coach Jim Tressel:
Distribute: Comfort and knowledge of the offense will lead to Pryor spreading the ball around better, with an emphasis on checking down to the outlet receiver when necessary.
Go deep: It's not how often, it's how effective. Tressel says Pryor must get better at letting the ball go on time when throwing downfield.
Focus: Pryor is emotional and also hard on himself. Tressel says he must stay mentally in the moment, which means letting the last play go and always looking forward.
Terrelle Pryor's 2008 statistics
Total offense: 1,942 yards, 18 TDs
Passing
G GS COM ATT
13 10 100 165
PCT YDS TD INT
60.6 1,311 12 4
Rushing
Includes 21 sacks for minus- 149 yards.
ATT YDS AVG TD
139 631 4.5 6
According to teammates and opposing players, last year Terrelle Pryor was an indecisive, run-first quarterback who didn't know the offense very well and took too many sacks.
Considering that, it's amazing the Ohio State quarterback had success -- going 8-2 as a starter, leading the Big Ten in pass efficiency and being named the conference's freshman of the year.
Imagine what Pryor might do this fall.
From watching him in spring practice -- when he showed significant improvement in the passing game -- and from listening to those around him, the sophomore appears poised to take a big leap forward.
"He's making huge improvements," tight end Jake Ballard said, "and I know his expectations for himself are just as high. And that's what makes Terrelle such a good player -- he always wants to get better. He's going to be a big part of our team success this year."
The easy comparison would be to look at the improvement former quarterback Troy Smith made between 2004 and 2005.
In 2004, Smith took over in midstream, like Pryor, and often made up for his lack of experience by taking off running. In 2005, Smith was much more in command of the system and showcased a devastating blend of passing and running.
It's clear that the OSU coaching staff was protecting Pryor last season by limiting the game plan and playing conservatively. He averaged only 15 pass attempts in his 10 starts.
"We were basically asking him not to turn the ball over, to be conservative with the ball and just help guide the team down the field," safety Kurt Coleman said.
