The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Pindell set to run into record book
STORRS — Thanks to the elusive David Pindell, the name of Pete Petrillo is getting mentioned with regularity these days.
Other than Walt Trojanowski’s marks of 22 touchdowns and 132 points scored during the 1945 season, no offensive single-season record at UConn has stood the test of time better than Petrillo’s mark for rushing yards by a quarterback. Petrillo ripped off 676 yards during the 1967 campaign. To say that record is in jeopardy would be an understatement of incredible proportions.
Pindell heads into Saturday’s home game against UMass (noon, ESPNU) with 664 yards. His next scoring run would tie Petrillo’s single-season record by a Husky QB as Petrillo ran for eight scores in 1967 and 1968.
Pindell is coming off a 197-yard rushing effort, which was the most by a UConn quarterback, in a loss to South Florida, topping the record for yards by a quarterback set by Petrillo against Boston University in 1968.
“We had a bye week so I
was able to get treatment, get healthy and get back to 100 percent,” Pindell said of his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. “I was able to do what I wanted to do and my knee feels much better.”
Pindell’s rushing numbers are all the more impressive considering that he injured his knee late in a loss at Syracuse and ran for just 57 yards in the next two games. Despite taking a few hard shots against USF, Pindell said he is feeling good heading into the Huskies’ final non-conference game of the season.
Putting up gaudy rushing numbers is nothing new to Pindell.
He ran for more than 100 yards in each of his final four games as a senior at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, Md, Pindell posted a 13-8 record as a starting quarterback, a number that is even more impressive considering that Oakland Mills was 10-70 in the previous eight seasons.
“When I first started playing I always wanted to run the ball because when I started watching football I watched Michael Vick and he was my idol so I wanted to be like him, I used to just want to run the ball,” Pindell said.
Pindell also did that when he landed at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa. Taking over as the starter as a sophomore, he ran for 129 yards in the third game of the season, but most of his production came as a passer as he completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,424 yards with 31 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Ironically, he sat behind Andrew Ford as a freshman at Lackawanna. Yes, the same Andrew Ford who has thrown for 7,025 yards in three seasons as UMass’ starting quarterback. However, Ford injured his knee in last week’s loss to Coastal Carolina and all signs point to Ross Comis being the UMass quarterback on Saturday.
“It was unfortunate that happened because I looked forward to seeing him, playing against him,” Pindell said. “I didn’t know anything about him until he came in. The last summer, I learned things from him being behind him and learning things that I could put in my game when I get my chance. My sophomore year I was better knowing the things that I know from learning from him.”
Pindell has started the last 10 games at UConn and
averaged 287.2 yards of total offense per game with 90.2 of those yards coming on the ground. First-year offensive coordinator John Dunn wasn’t expecting that Pindell would join Penn State’s Trace McSorley as the only Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback with at least 1,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards this season or be on pace to become the first UConn quarterback to run for 1,000 yards in a season.
The reality is that there have been stretches this season that if Pindell wasn’t making plays with his legs, UConn’s offense would be stuck in neutral. Pindell is trying to be more responsible and avoid heavy hits at the end of the runs.
Nobody would be happier to see Pindell remain in the pocket more than UMass coach Mark Whipple.
“He’s a really good athlete, a really good quarterback, has gotten better. He is healthy now,” Whipple said. “He had a great game last week. I have a lot of respect for him and hopefully he got beat up a little bit at South Florida, but he is a really good player.”