Leaf, With Option To Buy

The debate has been spirited, certainly, but I didn’t realize passions had burst through the levees until the ballot totals came in:

- 49 percent for Quebec independence

- 50 percent opposed

- 1 percent in favor of Ryan Leaf starting at quarterback for the Washington State Cougars.

The voice of the people, it seems, is in dire need of gargle and Sucrets. Last weekend, the Cougars failed a grim exam against the University of Arizona - a third straight defeat alarming only in the respect that it happened before the clock struck November, when Wazzu traditionally launches any sustained losing.

In the last, desperate minutes, quarterback Chad Davis threw two unfortunate interceptions and was doused with boos and jeers - from, coach Mike Price tactlessly suggested later, the juiced and beered.

Well, let me assure the coach that the line I got stuck in at the supermarket yesterday was unanimous in the verdict that Chad Davis must sit - and all of those people were stone sober, though a couple were buying Zima.

Not that I bump shopping carts with many coach of the year candidates.

Over the years, the subsistence diet of the Cougar fan is a quarterback flap. This one is a banquet, weighing as it does the potential benching of the Alamo Bowl MVP against handing the car keys to a kid who’s completed exactly three college passes.

Ah, but there’s a difference between Cougar fans being ready for Ryan Leaf and Ryan Leaf being ready.

Price has said as much, and the only history we have to go on indicates he believes what he says.

In 1990, he leapfrogged a freshman named Drew Bledsoe over two capable, accomplished quarterbacks and inserted him in the starting lineup. If he could tell us then that starter Brad Gossen wasn’t the problem and still bench him for a gifted but raw teenager, what’s to stop him from sitting Davis with the same cushion and taking a flyer on Leaf?

Well, two things.

One, Leaf apparently has not sufficiently proven himself to Price - or to some of his teammates.

“When (Leaf) first came here, (the media) kind of likened him to Drew Bledsoe and I think that was a mistake,” said tackle Scott Sanderson, who rushed to Davis’ defense last Saturday.

“There’s only one Drew Bledsoe. He may have similar attributes, but he’s not Drew Bledsoe.”

Wow. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.

Two, it’s hard to imagine that Price wants to put his program through the hell of 1990’s split loyalties all over again. Not to float any conspiracy theories here, but there have been several opportunities when Leaf could have played a series or two before garbage time. Price has certainly done it with backups other seasons - but no one was going to suggest that Mike Pattinson displace Bledsoe. Let Ryan Leaf pull the trigger on a second-quarter touchdown drive, however, and the sparks of a controversy would become a bonfire.

With no bowl in sight, it’s all so easy for outsiders to demand Price play for the future. Perhaps it’s even the right thing. Price, however, has 100 players to answer to - and for many, the future is now.

So let’s talk about now.

In the latest arithmetic issued by the Pac-10, Chad Davis ranks ninth in passing efficiency - a stat which rewards a low interception rate and a high yards-per-attempt. It’s revealing, though I’m skeptical of numbers showing Kyle Wachholtz and Damon Huard to be the best this conference can muster.

But for two dozen games now, Wazzu’s offense has been dreadful - its only ventures into the land of 30 points coming against little Montana and lousy Oregon State. Whatever the offense’s failings, it could always be pointed out, at least Davis didn’t screw it up. With the defense Wazzu had in 1994, that was enough.

Well, the last two weeks he’s screwed it up.

Think about it. If the defense is not the voracious beast it was, it’s a vicious puppy.

And remember that when Davis was asked to critique his performance of 1994, he was quick to conclude that the Cougars had no running game to keep defenses honest against the pass.

Now Wazzu has a running game. Frank Madu is having a year equal to any Pac-10 back other than UCLA’s Karim Abdul-Jabbar.

“You’re right,” Price admitted. “This was supposed to be the answer: improve the running game and score more points. Well, we’ve run the ball better than anyone expected but our production hasn’t been good enough. We’re still looking for solutions.”

One solution might be to complete a deep pass more than once a month, but in two seasons Davis has yet to demonstrate he can come game time.

This is his sin. Jack Thompson could. Mark Rypien could. Bledsoe could.

Chad Davis continues to climb up the Cougar career lists on the strength of the 4-yard out.

And standing on the sidelines is a strapping young lad who can obviously throw the ball a mile and get it there before nightfall. Throw in maturity, discipline and dedication and, well, one out of four ain’t bad.

But however disappointing this season has been - and mathematically, at least, it can still be a winner - next year has a chance to be sensational. Price has put together a remarkable class of redshirt transfers. The weak link, as it stands, figures to be quarterback.

That may be true even if it’s Ryan Leaf. Who can know? Whether he starts is immaterial. It’s time, at least, to see if he can play.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: You can contact John Blanchette by voice mail at 459-5577, extension 5509.

This sidebar appeared with the story: PAC-10 PASSING LEADERS Name QB rating 1. Kyle Wachholtz, USC 152.05 2. Damon Huard, UW 145.38 3. Brad Otton, USC 138.38 4. Jake Plummer, ASU 133.28 5. Mark Butterfield, Stanford 130.45 6. Tony Graziani, Oregon 124.17 7. Pat Barnes, Cal 120.68 8. Cade McNown, UCLA 118.59 9. Chad Davis, WSU 118.20 10. Ryan Fien, UCLA 114.77

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Blanchette The Spokesman-Review