Scotty Fox Took Control vs. TCU and Now Has a Chance to Cement Himself as QB1

Scotty Fox turned a corner last week in the Mountaineers' 23-17 loss to TCU. It's a small sample size and way too early to assume he's the answer at the position for the future, but he's earned the right to be the starter and have the opportunity to take firm grasp of that job.

I'm well aware that his impressive day came against a suspect TCU pass defense, but his performance goes beyond what the stat sheet tells you. The thing that I came away most impressed with was his ability to play under control and have conviction in his decisions. He never looked overwhelmed or rushed, which is half the battle for a player his age playing the position.

"I thought he was accurate," head coach Rich Rodriguez said. "I thought his decision-making was pretty good. I think he was seeing the field. He was getting rid of the ball quickly when he had to. There was a lot to grow off of. He's going to see something new every week, and we got to help prepare him for that. But for a true freshman in that environment, he was composed, and there were a couple times he dropped some snaps or something, but even then, he didn't panic. I was proud of the way he played."

Last week's game can be a strong indication of what's to come, but with young quarterbacks, you'll experience some peaks and valleys, especially when the supporting cast is still trying to figure things out and master the system.

"What's most unique with Scotty is that he doesn't have any experience around him. The guys might be older guys, but everybody around him is new to the system, and everybody but one is a new starter. It's a different dynamic," Rodriguez explained. "I mean, I've had freshmen quarterbacks before, but they would have maybe a little experience up front, some experience in the receiver room, but nobody has any experience. That's not an excuse, that's just the reality. We have to have enough stuff in order to be able to execute and score points, but we can't overcomplicate things."

Houston's defense ranks 52nd nationally against the pass, which is certainly a more sound unit than the one he faced one week ago. Willie Fritz loves to dial up pressure on second downs and really confuse quarterbacks with what's coming on third down. They'll show pressure often on third down, but in some instances, it will be a simulated pressure. They do a good job of mixing it up, which can make life extremely difficult for a freshman.

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