Lagow showing he's comfortable in the pocket as IU's starting QB

[Dalton26]

 

Great article from Hutch

http://www.heraldbulletin.com/indianaanderson/lagow-showing-he-s-comfortable-in-the-pocket-as-iu/article_458662a2-6bd1-11e6-a451-7ba61d78387d.html

BLOOMINGTON — It’s finally official. Richard Lagow will be Indiana’s starting quarterback in the season opener at Florida International.

IU coach Kevin Wilson had danced around the official announcement for the last few weeks. He had said a few weeks ago that Lagow was “getting the bulk of the work.’’ He also said at that time that if the season started that day Lagow would be the starter.

But Friday in IU’s weekly press conference leading up to the Thursday night opener in Miami, Wilson said Lagow is IU’s guy.

Wilson said Lagow had moved to the head of the line as early as IU’s seventh training camp practice and had not done anything to lose that spot.

The official first game depth chart put out by the Hoosiers on Friday listed Lagow as the starter and had Danny Cameron or Zander Diamont listed as the backup. So if it came to that and a No. 2 quarterback was needed, it would apparently be a game-time decision.

IU offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said Lagow, a junior college transfer, has quickly earned the respect of his teammates.

“I think his teammates have recognized how hard he has worked since he’s been here, and really the physical tools are there,’’ Johns said. “He has the arm strength and the physical stature, the things you want in your quarterback. And really since he’s been here, all of the hard work that he’s done has shown up, and he has really taken on that leadership role.

“Really just the execution of our offense when we’re on the field, too. He has done a lot of things really well. More importantly for me though is that he has done nothing but get better every single time we went out to practice. We’re excited for him, excited to see what he can do and for him to lead our offense.’’

The challenge will be that Lagow has never taken a Division I snap. The 6-foot-6, 237-pound redshirt junior played the last two seasons at Cisco (Texas) Community College where he left as the top-ranked pocket-passing junior college quarterback in the nation according to ESPN. As a sophomore last season, Lagow threw for 2,285 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed 66 percent of his passes.

Running back Clyde Newton, who moved from defense to offense this season, said when Lagow is behind center receivers often need to make a subtle adjustment.

“As a receiver you get used to different releases and whether someone is going to throw harder or with a soft touch or something like that,’’ Newton said. “If you’re running down the seam, for example, and Rich Lagow is the quarterback you know that you’ve got to get on your horse because he has a cannon for an arm. With other guys you might have to peel back a little bit because they’re going to drop it right into your arms but a little shorter.’’

Johns said one thing Lagow has been working on this camp has been his footwork. He said when you’re dealing with taller players, this can be a challenge. He said it’s a conversation he has had with Lagow since the first time he walked through the door at IU.

Johns said there are a lot of similarities from a physical standpoint between Lagow and Nate Sudfeld. Sudfeld graduated in the spring and is now playing with the Washington Redskins.

“Rich is like Nate Sudfeld, a big, tall, long guy,’’ Johns said. “Sometimes if you’re not careful you can over stride and play with your feet too wide apart. With Rich, we’ve talked with him (since the beginning) that he needs to improve his footwork and his drops and his base when he delivers the football. He has worked extremely hard on it, and I only think he’s going to get better.’’

Johns said the most impressive thing he has seen from Lagow in this camp is his ability in the pocket.

“He doesn’t get scared, he doesn’t get rattled which is a great sign for a quarterback,’’ Johns said. “He will take off and run when he has to, a lot like Nate did. I don’t know from a speed standpoint if they’re much different to be honest with you, but I do know that he’ll take off and run if he needs to.’’

Terry Hutchens

Terry Hutchens is a veteran of the Indiana University beat, having covered the Hoosiers for 19 years. He also has written eight books on IU athletics, with a ninth on the way this year. Tweet him at @IndySportsHutch.