Mike Hartline- Underappreciated

In the modern age of Kentucky football quarterbacks like Tim Couch,Andre Woodson,Jared Lorenzon were all well known for their ability to sling the ball and sling it often.But lost in this maze of completions is the role of the game managing quarterback.Mike Hartline has made a case for the smart,saavy quarterback,that while may not always be flashy and put up tremendous numbers,can run an offense effectively and get the job done.With the emergence of wildcat packages,power running games and West Coast style offenses,what teams need the most is a quarterback that plays mistake free football and does what he is asked.Mike Hartline defines all the qualities of an effective game managing QB.Hes knowledgeable,knows the offense,is a leader,and can move the chains.
The term game manager when refering to the quarterback posistion has generally been something of a derrogatory term,almost demeaning to the posistion.Because after all the QB is in the spotlight. He touches the ball on every single down and the expectations are high for these young men.Because after all a big playmaker at the QB posistion is something that is invaluable to a teams success.Those that excel at the posistion and go above and beyond expectations are highly sought after.Guys like Peyton Manning,Brett Favre,Tom Brady, have one exceptional thing in common, they can change the momentum of a game with one single possession.They have that uncommon ability to take it to another level.While they and their kinds accomplishments are certainly inumerable,we tend to forget those reliable players that are in the buissness of managing the game and playing within the confines of a system.These guys are just as smart,and probably just as knowledgable.What is their invaluable contribution to their respective teams? They are consistent,safe and most importantly reliable.This is not to say that the other greats are not reliable as they most certainly are but game managers have a type of reliability that coaches love,They know that they can depend on their QB to go out execute the gameplan to perfection,limit turnovers and control one of the most important aspects in football,time of possesion.
A quarterback is often asked by his team to be a game manager because the coaches are convinced that this is the best way to win the game.This is much easier for coaches when theyre not dealing with a superstar.Obviously if you have a QB like Dan Marino youre not going to tell him to go out there and manage the playclock.You would be insane not to take advantage of his rare and awesome abilities to throw the football,and throw it often.Average athletes at the Qb posistion who are students of the game and play within a system can have just as much effect on the game as the Bradys and Mannings but in a completley different way.It takes a certain type of athlete to run a controlled offense.A very humble one. When taking a look at a game manging Quarterback you have to find accomplishments that dont involve slinging the football 35-40 times per game.A good Qb will look at his game and say I played pretty well that last possesion,I drew the defense off sides and got us a first down,ran three more plays and ate some time off the clock,which gives the opponent one less possession.A game managing QB within a certain system simply isnt bred for throwing it 35 times a game.When the game plan is run heavy,manage the clock,move the chains type of play youre looking at minimal long yardage passes for your QB.When you throw alot you can more easily get yourself into a rythm in the passing game.When you have 30-40 repetitions youre going to get in that groove and its much easier to become methodical and pick defenses apart.Youre also going to see better,react better and the throws will start to come easy.But when youre running two or three running plays and throwing consistently for 5 or 6 yards on third down and converting all the way down the field youre simply not getting the reps to get in that groove.Its harder on a QB who is expected to perform that game management role.
When youre running this game management type of offensive strategy of course youre going to face alot of third down situations.If you notice those teams that lead the league in third down conversions, most have good effective game mangagers.Of course there are exceptions as a superstar can certainly convert those third downs.You know youre going to be in these 3rd down situations so you have to find creative ways to pass to get that first down.Those teams that are proficient at converting these 3rd and 5 or 6 situations have one thing in common.Practice.They practice these situations week in and week out,so that on game day it becomes automatic.They are confident that they can convert on that 3rd down and keep their offense on the field and limit the oppositions possessions.
Of course playing this style can create conflicts with fans and sometimes players.Theres simply no emotional high from a draw play on 2nd and long for either players or fans.But it works.A gain of 4 yards on a running play is something to be happy about but it really doesnt do anything to get the crowd involved.But short methodical passes and a solid ground game allows you to control the tempo and pace of the game.If you drive the length of the field slowly and methodically only to get a field goal,youve at least chewed a ton of the clock down.
In todays world the mobile Qb is all the rage.The most successfull college QBs are increasingly more mobile with the ability to take off when needed,often for big chunks of yardage.Often people think that a true pocket passer is missing an element in his game that would greatly change the direction the team is going.That element is almost always the run. Why does no one talk about the element thats often missing from a running QB?The fact that sometimes when he runs he misses a wide open reciever.When QBs take off out of the pocket and run they are often taking away some of thier best options.Those options being their wide open recievers,that had they waited just a second or two longer they couldve hit for a big gain.Even if theyre open in the flat theres always that chance of breaking it for a big play.With defenders getting faster and stronger with each passing college football season the running quarterback who thinks he can make it happen with his legs will soon be utterly wrong.Running is a viable option sometimes for the quarterback,those times when the play is simply not there or something breaks completely down and he absolutely has to.The best quarterbacks are not one dimensional.They just dont run well or pass well.They run the system,do what is asked of them and take advantage of any opportunities given to them.They have the instincts to know when the pass isnt there its time to move out of the pocket to buy more time or run.Quarterback mobility is a good thing but it is best utilized behinfd the line of scrimmage.Once youve moved laterally you have just limited youre what you can do.It is extremely hard to throw across your body and even some of the best athletes cant complete passes this way. If you can blend together reading defenses,throwing the football,and pocket mobility youre going to be a great quarterback.Moving in the pocket for a QB is an art form.When you shuffle and move up and around you must stay parralell head turned down field and ready to pass as if you never had to move.Big plays are made out of very slight QB movement.
Mike Hartline.... 5 years playing in collegic athletics,three years as a starter and virtually zero fan support. He is possibly the most scrutinized player to ever wear the blue and white. Yet to a trained eye he has given us very little to be overly critical of. Lets look at the physical attributes of the ideal QB.He needs to be big with a strong arm that has the ability to throw it downfield.But he also needs to have the touch.Sure he can sling it 50 yards but can he throw the out route?His footwork needs to be good with great agility for moving in and around the pocket to get himself out of trouble. HIs knowledge of the game needs to be on the level of the coaching staff and his eyes need to be keen able to read the defense and pick out the blitzers. He needs good instincts and the ability to make good decisions when pressured and go through his complete progressions. Now lets take Mike Hartline and put him up aginst this mold. Mike is a big guy,standing at 6'5 or so.Hes not big girth wise as hes not the thickest of QBS out there but his height puts him at an advantage.This size makes it easy for him to see over top of the line and read the defense,something tall Qbs take for granted but little guys envy.His arm strength while not of the rocket caliber, is solid enough to get a good deep ball out there when the need arises.While sometimes during his career his accuracy and touch have been questioned this season he has stepped up his game and his completion rate has stayed pretty steady,averaging in the high 60's.Hes not the most mobile quarterback in the NCAA but he has shown this year that he can shuffle and use his footwork to buy himself a few more precious seconds.Hes always looking for that viable option to throw to,whether it be his first,second or third progression.HIs knowledge of Kentuckys system cannot be matched by any player.Mike has been in this system for 5 years now.He knows it and he knows it well.He also has a high aptitude for recognizing defensive blitzes and when a play is not going to work,then checking the play at the line of scrimmage.His decision making while at times was on trial has been improved 100% this season.If his first option is not open he makes the smart choice to not force the ball and go through his progression to the next viable option.If you break Mike down like this and simply look at his strengths you can clearly see what he brings to the table for this team.As fans it is easy to be overly critical of Hartlines game managing tendencies,citing his short throws and dump off passes as poor decisions,while in reality within the confines of this system he is actually making great plays. Of course hes going to make mistakes,hes not Peyton Manning but he plays well enough to give this team a real chance to win.I think when its all said and done Mike HArtline should go down in Kentucky history as one of the better quarterbacks to have played the game.Who else has beat Louisville 3 times?Who can say they beat Steve Spurrier.Only Mike HArtline.