Litte something on Cribbs from espn.com
Litte something on Cribbs from espn.com
Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs is the type of player that drives coaches crazy.
Including his own.
"Part of what makes him so good is that he's a little bit of a gambler and is going to take some chances," said Kent State coach Dean Pees. "You can live with it or live with out it, but we'd rather live with it."
It's not hard to tell why.
Last season, Cribbs became the first freshman in Division I-A history to rush (1,019) and pass (1,5160) for 1,000 yards.
Cribbs is a cinch to do it again.
Through the Golden Flashes' first four games, Cribbs has rushed for 618 yards and passed for 606 yards.
Cribbs led the nation in rushing after running for a career-high 207 yards against Cal-Poly on Sept. 14. He dropped to fourth among Division I-A rushers this week after being "held" to 126 yards against Miami on Saturday.
But, Cribbs does more than just put up impressive numbers. He wins.
Last year, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound native of Maryland paced Kent State to its first winning season since 1987 by leading his team to victories in five of its last six games.
Not bad for a guy who drew virtually no interest for his quarterbacking skills coming out of high school. Cribbs wanted to go to Syracuse, but the Orangemen pushed for him to play defensive back.
Cribbs chose to go to Kent State instead.
"They wanted me the most," Cribbs said. "You want to go to the school where you can make a difference. It's not like I had a choice."
Cribbs doesn't give opponents much choice, either. He beats them with his arm or his legs. Sometimes with both. Cribbs has passed and run for more than 100 yards four times during his career, including twice this season.
"He's just a different breed of athlete," said Miami coach Terry Hoeppner. "He combines great balance, athleticism, determination -- that's the total package that I don't think we've seen in this league."
Cribbs also is tough. Unlike most quarterbacks, he doesn't run out of bounds and refuses to slide, preferring to lower his shoulder into defenders.
"I love getting hits and I love giving hits," Cribbs said. "It's all in the game of football. I've never been one to slide or anything like that. I'm not like a regular quarterback."
While his running ability is unmatched, Cribbs admits a need to work on "decision-making" as a passer. He's thrown four interceptions in 96 attempts this season, after being picked off five times last year in 238 attempts.
"He's still learning his way as a sophomore quarterback," Pees said. "He'll make some mistakes typical of a 19-year old, throwing the ball when he's under duress or trying to pinpoint a pass. But, when you're playing with youth, you have to live with that."
Pees knows it's better than the alternative.
-- Jorge Milian
