Opposing forces will be at work in Phoenix
Wash. St.’s Air Raid faces Air Force’s ground attack
This time a year ago, Anthony Gordon returned home following another college football season spent on the sidelines. He began to think about what life after football might look like. Plan B, he called it. Most likely, he figured, he would try to become a firefighter.
This memory crossed his mind recently while realizing how much has changed. A year later, Plan A no longer looks so unlikely.
Gordon will lead Washington State against Air Force Friday night in the Cheez-It Bowl, a chance for the senior quarterback to put an exclamation point on what has been a prolific season running coach Mike Leach’s high-powered Air Raid offense.
It also will be another chance for him to show NFL evaluators he is prepared to become the latest Air Raid quarterback to make the jump to the next level.
A year ago, few would have considered him a legitimate draft prospect. Now, prognosticators are viewing him as an intriguing mid-round option. He called the change in perception “surreal.”
“With everything I’ve been through, it’s kind of cool,” he said. “It’s been a very humbling road. I had a lot of doubts and stuff like that throughout it. I didn’t really know what would happen. I’m really proud of myself for sticking with it, just staying the course.”
Lightly recruited out of high school in northern California, he spent a year at City College of San Francisco, then transferred to Washington State, where he redshirted in 2016, did not play in 2017 and appeared in only two games in 2018, the year he was beat out for the starting job by Gardner Minshew.
But he grabbed hold of the starting role this year, and he leads the nation in passing yards (5,228) and yards per game (435). He ranks second in touchdowns (45) and third in completion percentage (72.1).
“He’s always had a good arm, but then he’s a smart guy,” Leach said. “I think he sees the field better than most people. And the other thing is the ball comes off his hand really quickly. With him getting it there just a little sooner, then you have the chance to get more yards after the catch.”
Gordon is hopeful that the success of other Air Raid quarterbacks in the NFL might help him to one day get an opportunity. While he acknowledges he might still have to fight the label of being a “system quarterback” – Leach’s offenses tend to generate gaudy statistics from the quarterback position – he notes that players such as Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Nick Foles and Minshew are among those to taste success in the pro ranks.
“The Air Raid has a lot of next level throws in it,” he said. “A lot of people think it’s dink and dunk, but we’re making those second-level throws over defenders, in between windows and stuff like that. I think a lot of the throws translate to the next level.”
The fact Gordon and Leach are pitted against Air Force makes for a fascinating dichotomy. The Cougars’ offense centers around the passing game; Air Force mostly keeps it on the ground with its triple-option attack.
Air Force free safety Jeremy Fejedelem noted a clash of national leaders in different offensive categories — Washington State leads the nation in passing, while
Air Force is ranked third in rushing.
“We’ll see how that dynamic works. It’ll be interesting to see,'' he said.
Gordon finds it even more interesting that the game will be played at Chase Field, normally a baseball stadium. He said he spent most of his life focused on baseball; it wasn’t until his senior year in high school that he finally decided he might rather pursue football.
Drafted by the New York Mets in the 36th round in 2015, he said he never seriously considered signing. But he does think his baseball background has helped him succeed on the football field, saying his experience as a shortstop contributed to his quick release and ability to throw from multiple arm angles.
“We do a lot of quick passes,” he said, “and sometimes literally in my head I’ll think about turning a double play. I’ll catch and throw it as fast as I can.”
Gordon has been surrounded by firefighters. He said father’s stepdad worked as one in San Francisco for more than two decades, and one of his best friends from childhood recently became a firefighter,
Scouting report
as well. He said he might one day want to pursue a similar path. But, for now, Plan A – football at the highest level – appears to be within reach.
“It’s kind of crazy how it all works out,” he said. “I’m now real optimistic about the future and looking forward to what’s next.”