Allen vs. Stevens: Who is the better quarterback?
FORT COLLINS » Imagine you are a college football coach in the Border War between Colorado State and Wyoming and you’re given a choice of quarterback. No bias here. Just a blind study based on the numbers.
Quarterback A: 123- of- 220 (. 559); 1,450 yards; 12 touchdowns; six interceptions; 123.8 rating.
Quarterback B: 196- of- 318 (. 616); 2,755 yards; 22 touchdowns; nine interceptions; 151.6 rating.
B is your choice? Can’t blame you. But that’s exactlywhat makes Saturday’s rivalrygamein Laramie so intriguing. Because in a matchup of the Mountain West’s best passing quarterbacks, raw numbers don’t tell thewhole story.
The player you picked is CSU quarterback Nick Stevens, a senior with none of the NFL draft hype and all of the gaudy numbers. The player you passed over isWyoming quarterback Josh Allen, a junior with all of the NFL draft hype and none of the gaudy numbers. One constant is mutual respect.
Stevens says of Allen: “What’s impressive is his playmaking ability.”
Allen says of Stevens: “They’re a well- oiled machine, and he’s at the helm.”
Allen, 6- foot- 5 and 240 pounds, was anointed NFL draft royalty after a sophomore season in which he passed for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns, prompting one league executive to tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter: “You can put it in the books — Josh Allen
will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft next year.” That’s not the consensus now; recent mock selections from CBS Sports, USA Today and Pro Football Focus don’t even have Allen being drafted in the first round. Bleacher Report, though, lists Allen at No. 6 overall.
The wide range of opinion stems from Allen’s lackluster 2017 statistics and a playing style that both befuddles and inspires.
Wyoming graduated starting center Chase Roullier and four players — wide receivers Tanner Gentry and Jake Maulhardt, running back Brian Hill and tight end Jacob Hollister— who accounted for 47 touchdowns on the 2016 team. That attrition led Allen to try to play hero ball this season.
“When he takes off and runs 99 yards and has an 8yard gain, jumps and lands on his head, we probably can maybe reel him back a little,” saidWyoming coach Craig Bohl. “But that’s where our football team is at right now. He’s going to do whatever he can to help us win. It’s been really encouraging, and a lot of our other players feed off that.”
Stevens, meanwhile, has thrived at CSU thanks in part to a strong supporting cast that features the nation’s leading receiver in Michael Gallup ( 1,167 yards), an offensive line that has allowed only four sacks and tailbacks Dalyn Dawkins and Izzy Matthews, who have combined to rush for 1,438 yards and 12 touchdowns.
NFLDraftScout. com lists Stevens ( 6- 3, 215) as the No. 13- ranked quarterback among players eligible for the 2018 draft.
Ten quarterbacks were drafted this year. Stevens probably will be in an NFL training camp next summer, most likely as an undrafted rookie.
“I think Nick has a chance to play at the next level because he’s extremely bright and he can run a pro- style offense,” CSU coach Mike Bobo said. “He understands whatwe’re doing offensively better than anyone I’ve ever had of getting us in the right play and setting the protection.”
Corey Chavous is a former Vanderbilt safety who played 11 years in the NFL and nowis an NFL draft analyst for the CBS Sports Network.
Chavous believes both Border War quarterbacks will have an opportunity to play in the NFL but have a lot of room to grow.
Chavous says of Allen: “I think he does hold the ball too long at times in film study. The question a lot of times is, will he locate the underneath zone droppers? I think a lot of times that has led to him making some mistakes. … The accuracy can be a little bit hot and cold from him.”
Chavous says of Stevens: “He’s probably a little bit better throwing between the numbers, although he’s improved outside the numbers. I think arm strength is going to be a little bit of a question mark. Can he translate to the next level and make all the throws?”
Allen and Stevens aren’t focused on the draft.
Thewinner of the Border War game will take the driver’s seat in the MountainWest’s Mountain Division, with a Nov. 11 home game against Boise State looming large for the Rams.
So be glad you don’t have to choose one quarterback over the other Saturday. Just sit back and enjoy the show.