From the Northern Wyoming Daily News, via the Tribune Eagle.
Karsten Sween puts on muscle, fights for QB job
By Robert Gagliardi
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE (AP) — He has put on 15 pounds of muscle and has been throwing the ball better than ever.
Junior Karsten Sween seems to be doing everything he can to improve and progress as the starting quarterback for the University of Wyoming. But after starting 18 of the last 19 games since 2006, Sween is fighting for his job.
UW made some big changes on offense following last season’s 5-7 record, which included losing six of its last seven games. Bob Cole was brought in to be the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. And Dax Crum was signed to compete with Sween and the other UW quarterbacks.
Crum was at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College last season and started his career at Arizona State. Coach Joe Glenn said the starting quarterback position is open.
The Cowboys planned to hold the first of 15 spring practices Wednesday.
“I look at it as I am the starting quarterback,” said Sween, who threw for 2,028 yards, completed 59.9 percent of his passes and threw for 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions last season.
“I haven’t lost the job,” Sween added. “I have to prove myself again, as do the other guys, but that’s part of football and I’m looking forward to the competition.”
UW did not plan on bringing in a junior-college quarterback in its 2008 recruiting class. But after the Cowboys struggled to move the ball (322.8 yards per game), throw the ball (192.9 ypg and 19 interceptions) and score points (19.4 ppg) last season, change was needed.
First, it was the addition of Cole, who held similar positions at Florida A&M, Utah State, Montana and Portland State. He also played quarterback in college.
He replaced Bill Cockhill, who was let go a day after the Cowboys completed their season with a 36-28 loss at Colorado State. Crum enrolled at UW in January after he earned Honorable Mention All-American honors at Mesa.
He is 6-foot-4, which is bigger than most of the other UW quarterbacks, and he has three years of eligibility. Crum left Arizona State after he redshirted in 2006 because he didn’t think he would climb up the depth chart fast enough to play.
He didn’t come to UW to sit on the bench.
“This is exactly what we wanted: a lot of fierce competition in everything they can compete in, whether it’s weight training or conditioning,” Glenn said. “We really haven’t seen (Crum) throw the ball yet. From talking to the kids, they say Karsten is stronger than ever (he bench pressed 350 pounds this winter to break the school record for quarter backs) and is throwing the ball better than he ever has.
“He has responded just how we hoped. He is really focused. He is competing at a very high level. “There is another arm in camp and the competition is on.”
Glenn added that Sween and Crum will share the snaps with the starting offense this spring; senior Ian Hetrick and redshirt freshman Chris Stutzriem will take the reps with the backups.
“I was a little surprised they brought in another quarterback,” Sween said. “But competition is always good and that either makes you better, or shows that the other guy is just better.
“The competition is going to be good for this team and I am really excited to get started.”
Glenn also is excited to see what Cole does with the offense.
“The guy has been a blessing for our team as a veteran coach and a former quarterback coaching the position,” he said. “I think you’re going to see a lot more high-percentage passes as opposed to seeing the ball thrown down field.
“I think you’re going to see a tight end brought back into the game that you haven’t seen for quite some time around here.”
Glenn also said he expects to use a fullback more, and the receivers will carry the ball more on running plays.
Karsten Sween puts on muscle, fights for QB job
By Robert Gagliardi
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE (AP) — He has put on 15 pounds of muscle and has been throwing the ball better than ever.
Junior Karsten Sween seems to be doing everything he can to improve and progress as the starting quarterback for the University of Wyoming. But after starting 18 of the last 19 games since 2006, Sween is fighting for his job.
UW made some big changes on offense following last season’s 5-7 record, which included losing six of its last seven games. Bob Cole was brought in to be the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. And Dax Crum was signed to compete with Sween and the other UW quarterbacks.
Crum was at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College last season and started his career at Arizona State. Coach Joe Glenn said the starting quarterback position is open.
The Cowboys planned to hold the first of 15 spring practices Wednesday.
“I look at it as I am the starting quarterback,” said Sween, who threw for 2,028 yards, completed 59.9 percent of his passes and threw for 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions last season.
“I haven’t lost the job,” Sween added. “I have to prove myself again, as do the other guys, but that’s part of football and I’m looking forward to the competition.”
UW did not plan on bringing in a junior-college quarterback in its 2008 recruiting class. But after the Cowboys struggled to move the ball (322.8 yards per game), throw the ball (192.9 ypg and 19 interceptions) and score points (19.4 ppg) last season, change was needed.
First, it was the addition of Cole, who held similar positions at Florida A&M, Utah State, Montana and Portland State. He also played quarterback in college.
He replaced Bill Cockhill, who was let go a day after the Cowboys completed their season with a 36-28 loss at Colorado State. Crum enrolled at UW in January after he earned Honorable Mention All-American honors at Mesa.
He is 6-foot-4, which is bigger than most of the other UW quarterbacks, and he has three years of eligibility. Crum left Arizona State after he redshirted in 2006 because he didn’t think he would climb up the depth chart fast enough to play.
He didn’t come to UW to sit on the bench.
“This is exactly what we wanted: a lot of fierce competition in everything they can compete in, whether it’s weight training or conditioning,” Glenn said. “We really haven’t seen (Crum) throw the ball yet. From talking to the kids, they say Karsten is stronger than ever (he bench pressed 350 pounds this winter to break the school record for quarter backs) and is throwing the ball better than he ever has.
“He has responded just how we hoped. He is really focused. He is competing at a very high level. “There is another arm in camp and the competition is on.”
Glenn added that Sween and Crum will share the snaps with the starting offense this spring; senior Ian Hetrick and redshirt freshman Chris Stutzriem will take the reps with the backups.
“I was a little surprised they brought in another quarterback,” Sween said. “But competition is always good and that either makes you better, or shows that the other guy is just better.
“The competition is going to be good for this team and I am really excited to get started.”
Glenn also is excited to see what Cole does with the offense.
“The guy has been a blessing for our team as a veteran coach and a former quarterback coaching the position,” he said. “I think you’re going to see a lot more high-percentage passes as opposed to seeing the ball thrown down field.
“I think you’re going to see a tight end brought back into the game that you haven’t seen for quite some time around here.”
Glenn also said he expects to use a fullback more, and the receivers will carry the ball more on running plays.
