Why losing Baylor Romney is nothing to take lightly

BYU quarterback Baylor Romney takes off on a run throughout sport in opposition to USF at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Romney lately introduced he's transferring on from BYU.

Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information

BYU quarterbacks Jacob Conover (17), Cade Fennegan (11), Jaren Corridor (3) and Baylor Romney (16) go away apply in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Romney lately introduced he's transferring on from BYU.

Laura Seitz, Deseret Information

“It’s a very simple factor to say, ‘Go get a backup quarterback.’ Now inform me the place to get them. You simply can’t dial them up. — Invoice Parcells

Backup quarterbacks — good ones — are tough to search out (and preserve) within the faculty sport and by no means greater than now in the period of the switch portal. No place flocks to the portal greater than quarterbacks, largely as a result of there is just one beginning place per group, which implies there are solely 128 FBS-level jobs within the nation and 1000's of candidates.

Within the TV sequence “Blue Mountain State,” the Alex Moran character says, “Backup quarterback is one of the best place in sports activities. … It’s like being an actual quarterback however with out all of the ache.” However after all that isn’t true. Backup quarterbacks see loads of enjoying time, particularly with the rise of the passing sport, which exposes them to extra hits.

BYU, Utah State and Utah all needed to play their backup quarterbacks in final month’s bowl video games. Utah State’s Logan Bonner left the LA Bowl with an damage within the first quarter. As a result of backup Andrew Peasley was nursing an previous damage, the group turned to third-string Cooper Legas. On his first play, he threw the primary move of his collegiate profession — for a 62-yard landing, and the Aggies gained the sport.

With 10 minutes left within the Rose Bowl and the sport tied at 38, Utah misplaced starter Cam Rising to an damage. Backup Bryson Barnes proceeded to throw the primary two passes of his faculty profession, the second for a landing. The Utes ultimately misplaced 48-45.

BYU quarterbacks Jacob Conover (17), Cade Fennegan (11), Jaren Corridor (3) and Baylor Romney (16) go away apply in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Romney lately introduced he's transferring on from BYU.

Laura Seitz, Deseret Information

BYU’s Jaren Corridor missed the Independence Bowl due to an ankle damage and BYU turned once more to Baylor Romney, who produced a strong efficiency, finishing 15 of 23 passes for 195 yards.

Which brings us right here: Romney introduced lately that he's coming into his identify into the switch portal. That’s an enormous loss. Romney wasn’t a lot the second-string quarterback as he was the 1 ½-string quarterback. He performed usually in his function because the No. 2 and even No. 3 quarterback, and he performed exceptionally nicely.

Romney was crushed out for the beginning job in 2020 by Zach Wilson, and we all know how that turned out. Then he misplaced out to Corridor for the job in 2021. The shock is that he caught round this lengthy. It shouldn't be tough to discover a taker for his providers.

Romney is an effective quarterback — nearly as good as starter Corridor and doubtless a greater pure passer. Romney performed in 14 video games in three seasons, beginning six of them rather than the injured starter. He accomplished 134 of 200 passes (67%) for 1,787 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions, whereas averaging 8.9 yards per try. That’s a move effectivity ranking of 162.2. If he had performed all 14 of these video games this season, he would’ve ranked eleventh within the nation in move effectivity.

Romney gained 5 of his six begins, the lone loss coming within the Independence Bowl, which BYU in all probability would’ve gained if a protracted move completion by Romney late within the sport had not been fumbled. In 5 video games this season, Romney threw six TD passes and nil interceptions.

Corridor, who ranks twenty second in move effectivity this season, additionally has performed nicely throughout his collegiate profession. In 17 video games, he has accomplished 64% of his passes for 3,003 yards, 8.8 yards per try, 21 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a 155.4 ranking. Corridor’s downside is he can’t keep on the sphere. Resulting from accidents, he missed three video games this season and missed vital enjoying time earlier in his profession, together with all the 2020 season and various video games in 2019.

However that's not uncommon. Beginning quarterbacks are vulnerable to damage, which is why Romney and backups normally are so priceless.

Max Corridor remarkably began 39 video games in three seasons (2007-09) and by no means missed a begin. Solely twice within the 12 years since then has the opening-day starter at BYU began each sport — Taysom Hill in 2013 and Wilson in 2020. Throughout three of these seasons, three totally different quarterbacks had been employed due to accidents — 2019 (Wilson, Romney, Corridor), 2017 (Tanner Mangum, Beau Hoge, Joe Critchlow), 2012 (Hill, Riley Nelson, James Lark).

Throughout that 12-year span, backup quarterbacks began 68 of the group’s 155 video games (44%), all however 14 of them due to accidents to the starter.

Nobody can blame Romney for wanting to search out a chance to play extra. The Cougars will miss him.