Safety-First Program Far From Popular Eastern’S New Quarterback Disappointed After Kramer Institutes Hands-Off Policy
Eastern Washington is less than a week into spring football practice, and Eagles coach Mike Kramer already has a quarterback controversy on his hands. It has nothing to do with playing time, and everything to do with just playing - all out.
Junior-college transfer Fred Salanoa, who is getting his first taste of Division-I football, wants to take the gloves off and get after it. Kramer would rather his anointed starting quarterback keep his blue shirt on and stay out of harm’s way.
All four quarterbacks on Eastern’s roster were declared off-limits to defenders dur ing Saturday’s strictly controlled, hourlong scrimmage that capped the fourth practice of the spring.
Lance Hattemer, Chris Samms and Eli Marsh didn’t seem to mind. But Salanoa was disappointed in Kramer’s decision to go with a quick whistle throughout the 55-play scrimmage portion of practice.
The strategy, Kramer explained, was to keep his No. 1 recruit from last winter upright and healthy by stopping play any time a defender stumbled within an arm’s length of Salanoa, a shifty, talented junior from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.
“And now he’s mad, because I’m going to blow the whistle and not let it be live,” Kramer said, nodding over at Salanoa after the spirited workout. “He’s so mad, he won’t even talk to me.”
Salanoa didn’t seem all that bitter about the situation, but he made it clear he would prefer taking a few shots from defenders now and then.
“You have to learn how to get hit and take a few hits during practice so you can withstand it in a game,” the 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed thrower explained. “That’s just the way I feel.”
But Kramer’s feelings have won out on the matter - for now, at least. And Salanoa is doing his scrambling against a defense forced to play two-hand touch anytime one of its members comes near a quarterback.
The hands-off approach made for some good numbers for Kramer’s four inexperienced quarterbacks, who combined to complete 23 of 35 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns.
Salanoa was the most impressive, hitting on 6 of 8 for 86 yards and both TDs - including a 40-yard bomb to wide receiver Lamont Brightful. He also showed great agility escaping the defense’s half-hearted rush, and made one throwback pass across his body on an all-out sprint to his left, that showed why Kramer considers him one of the best athletes to ever play under center for the Eagles.
“It’s a whole new deal with the left-handed kid back there,” Kramer explained. “I don’t know if we’re afraid of him getting hurt or if we’re afraid of not knowing what he’s going to do next, but everybody on this whole field held their breath every time he came out of the huddle.
“Fred’s got a lot to learn and long way to go, but he’s really an exciting player.”
Samms, a sophomore and the only quarterback who has taken a Division-I snap, completed 6 of 8 passes for 62 yards. Marsh, a redshirt freshman walk-on who played primarily against the No. 2 defense, hit all seven passes he attempted for 99 yards.
Helping their cause was Kramer’s deep and talented stable of tight ends. Danny Curley, Tyson Knaevelsrud and Lance Ballew combined for eight catches for 117 yards and one touchdown. And 6-6, 275-pound senior Scott Johnson did a solid job of blocking.
Kramer said he is still looking for two offensive linemen to “step up and prove they’re heads above everyone else,” in the battle for the starting spots vacated by T.J. Ackermann and Aaron White. But aside from that, most of the other jobs are set.
Kramer expects sophomore Javon Griffith, who rushed for 67 yards on eight carries in Saturday’s scrimmage, to be every bit as productive as last year’s starter, Mike MacKenzie.
Every other offensive position is manned by a returning starter, and the defense will be almost as experienced as that on the 1997 team that finished 12-2 after reaching the Division I-AA semifinals.