Ohio State spotlight: Terrelle Pryor
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
PHOTO (top): Nagging injuries and inconsistent play from Terrelle Pryor have caused the OSU coaching staff to gear the offense more toward a run-oriented attack. (Fred Squillante, Dispatch)
Oregon defenders aren't a whole lot different than Ohio State fans in the sense that they're not quite sure what to make of quarterback Terrelle Pryor going into today's Rose Bowl.
"We're very aware of Terrelle Pryor," Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. "I've never seen him in person, but I understand we've got a 6-foot-6, 235-pound guy who can run fast and who we tried to recruit, who is a very good football player.
"Until I see him in person, I will be very interested to see, is he Superman or is he - with all due respect, is he just this unbelievable player, or is he a good player that we can stop and corral?"
There were a few games when Pryor did seem to leap defenses with a single bound, either running or throwing. But a second-year fog and nagging injuries slowed him and forced the OSU coaches to hone the offense more into a running game with a few passes for spice.
"He has had his ups and downs, like we all do," OSU offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said. "But down the stretch, he did a good job taking care of the football."
