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Aiming for the stars

USF starter Marquel Blackwell wants to compete with the nation's top QBs.

By SHARON GINN

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 1, 2000

[Times photo: Bill Serne] For Marquel Blackwell, there is no room for error: "He needs to be on all the time."

TAMPA -- Better not tell Marquel Blackwell there is nothing to play for this season. He's playing for the Heisman Trophy.

Sort of.

Blackwell, South Florida's sophomore quarterback, has his eye on the prize, as seen through the eyes of Purdue star Drew Brees. With the Bulls stuck this season in NCAA no man's land, not quite Division I-A and certainly not I-AA, Blackwell decided to model his game after one of the players who sets the standard: Brees.

Why would anyone not named Michael Vick torture himself like that week after week? Offensive coordinator Mike Canales' reply is: Why not?

"You're competing because you want to be the best," Canales said. "Practice like that. We've said it as, "We're going to try to compete with Drew Brees (statistically) week to week.'

"That's a great challenge. A hell of a challenge. A lot of throwing, a lot of running."

But wait ... there's more. Canales stirs Blackwell up further by likening him to the Bucs' Shaun King. And though no quarterback in I-A -- or almost I-A, for that matter -- has thrown for 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,000 yards in the same season, Blackwell (who, it should be noted, did not receive any hard blows to the head during summer conditioning drills) is talking about doing it.

Canales acknowledges he doesn't know how realistic any of this is. He doesn't spend hours drawing up new running plays for Blackwell and isn't sure how often he will decide (in advance) to let Blackwell tuck the ball under his arm and head for the end zone. But Canales loves Blackwell's attitude just the same.

"I'm glad he's setting his goals real high," Canales said. "It means he's working hard."

No one is arguing with that. While the Dixie Hollins graduate long has been known for his dazzling talent, at times during his freshman season he lacked the consistency that former starter Chad Barnhardt brought to the position for two seasons. Expect that to change, Blackwell said.

In addition to the standard running and lifting, "I spent a great deal of time in the film room with (Canales) this off-season," Blackwell said. "That really helped." He also committed to working with his receivers at least four times a week.

"He's very athletic and talented, throws well, has a better grasp of our offense this year," coach Jim Leavitt said. "In practice, he has demonstrated the ability to lead a little bit better than he has in the past, which is very important. But we are looking for consistency. He is our field general and he needs to be on all the time."

Blackwell's college debut hardly could be considered poor, but there were many times last season he and the Bulls clearly weren't meeting their potential. Injuries to the offensive line didn't help. Blackwell gained 394 rushing yards, second only behind fullback Dyral McMillan, but was sacked for losses of 268 yards.

Were it not for the offensive line's woes, however, he might not have taken over the Bulls as early as he did. Junior Glen Gauntt entered 1999 as the starter but was sacked repeatedly and had trouble making plays. Blackwell's athletic, improvisational style and his passing touch earned him the job in the third game.

He completed 51.9 percent of his passes for 1,620 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for three touchdowns, including a 48-yard thriller that helped lift USF to a 17-10 victory over Southwest Texas State in Game 2.

Still, the offense struggled. Blackwell places much of the blame on himself for the 41-24 loss to Troy State in Game 4, which hurt USF's I-AA playoff hopes considerably. The Bulls took a 21-7 lead but collapsed in the second half after the Trojans intercepted a Blackwell pass and returned it 71 yards to tie the score at 21.

"It changed the whole game around," said Blackwell, who also was intercepted three times in a 13-3 loss to James Madison late in the season.

"Overall (the season) was a good learning experience," he said. "At first, everything was all good, and then you go through a time when things are bad, and you've got to fight through it and overcome. It was new, but I think I handled it pretty good. It just made me more competitive."

Never the outgoing type, Blackwell also is learning to cope with the attention that goes with being a starting college quarterback.

"Everybody's watching (you). You've got to do all the right things. A lot of things I used to do, I probably won't do now," he said with a laugh.

"It was a whole different experience. I'm happy that it happened like that, that I didn't have to wait. I know what to expect this year and what to go for."

With Gauntt gone -- he left at midseason -- the Bulls are securely in Blackwell's hands. Canales, who has taken heat from fans for the offense's inconsistency, said Blackwell is ready.

"This is what we've been waiting for. With everything that happened last year. I'm going nuts" with anticipation, Canales said.

"He's due. He's still a baby. But he's a baby who's ready to explode."

- Staff writer Antonya English contributed to this story.

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