Conklin Discovered Offense Was Harder to Stop Than Learn

Washington quarterback Cary Conklin walked out to practice one day last spring and tried to make sense of Coach Don James’ new offense.

The one-back, the quick-pass, whatever the name, quickly became an enormous pain for Conklin. On the first day of spring practice, someone handed Conklin a new playbook, pointed to a set of receivers he’d never seen and said, “Now get to work, son.”

Actually, the offense is a quarterback’s dream. Washington State had used it successfully under Dennis Erickson before he took it to Miami this year.

The offense gives the quarterback as many as five receivers, including the fullback, in short to medium range and, as Conklin soon learned, is difficult to defend against.

And James, unhappy after a 6-5 season in which the Huskies missed a bowl game for the first time in nearly a decade, junked the I-formation in favor of the wide-open, one-back passing game.

James also fired offensive line coach Dan Dorazio and replaced him with Keith Gilbertson, who added some flair to an offense that ranked seventh in the Pacific 10 in 1988. Gilbertson, the head coach at Idaho for three seasons, was among the first to develop the one-back offense.

Conklin couldn’t have been happier, at least until it came time to work out.

A knee injury sidelined Andre Riley, the only veteran receiver.

“At the time, we didn’t know if we were doing the smart thing (changing the offense),” James said. “He was throwing to a lot of new faces.”

After a lengthy period of adjustment, Conklin became comfortable with the offense.

“Finally, we had to learn it because we had a game in a few days,” Conklin said.

A school-record 2,569 passing yards later, Conklin has finally mastered the one-back offense, having led Washington to a 7-4 record and a spot in the Freedom Bowl against Florida this morning at Anaheim Stadium.

His passing yardage broke Sonny Sixkiller’s single-season school record of 2,303 set in 1970.

Sixkiller’s record stood through almost 20 years of outstanding Washington quarterbacks. Warren Moon couldn’t break it, neither could Chris Chandler, Tom Flick, Hugh Millen or Steve Pelluer.

“When we recruited (Conklin), he looked a lot like the rest of the kids we’ve had success with,” James said. “Moon, Flick . . . he’s as good as any of them.”

Conklin, 6-feet-4 and 215 pounds from Yakima, Wash., is quick to credit the Huskies’ new offense for his record-breaking season.

“I think it’s the offense of the ‘90s,” Conklin said. “They (defenses) don’t know when you’re going to throw the quick game at them or go with the longer stuff. Usually we have four receivers and one running back, but sometimes we have five receivers and no running back. The whole idea is to mix it up with the run. It’s a fun offense to watch.”

And, to hear Conklin tell it, an exciting one to play.

“It’s hard to stop,” he said. “No one really stopped it all year. The only time we were stopped was when we stopped ourselves.”

Said James: “Any quarterback who’s a thrower would like it. If he just had another year with the offense . . . “

Indeed, Conklin is a fourth-year senior, which is rare in these days of redshirt-mania.

James and Conklin had agreed that the quarterback would redshirt for his sophomore season in 1987. But when Chandler was injured the week of the Arizona game, James had to activate Conklin.

The game ended in a 21-21 tie with Conklin passing for two touchdowns. It was just the confidence boost he needed.

“Ever since that game, I knew I had the ability,” Conklin said. “The last two years I’ve been real successful and it goes back to that game.”

Conklin remembers having mixed feelings before the game.

“I didn’t want to ruin my redshirt year,” he said. “But then again I was tired of practicing. I wanted to get out there and show what I could do.”

Chandler returned to the lineup quickly, and Conklin was back on the bench.

But there was little question who the starter would be after Chandler graduated.

As a junior, Conklin passed for 1,883 yards but the Huskies had a disappointing 6-5 season.

But his senior year began under happier circumstances. In the opening game, the Huskies upset 15th-ranked Texas A&M; as Conklin completed 23 of 37 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.

The year has not been without pitfalls, however. Washington lost three consecutive games before meeting Oregon in mid-October.

With the score tied, 14-14, in the third quarter, Washington had possession on the Ducks’ one-yard line. Conklin, trying to wriggle his way into the end zone on an option, caught his foot in the artificial turf as he spun and pulled a lower abdominal muscle.

Washington won, 20-14, but Conklin was hurting for the next month.

“I could barely walk,” he said.

Conklin played anyway, leading Washington to four victories in the final five games to gain a berth in the Freedom Bowl.

The highlight of Conklin’s season was a 28-27 win over UCLA. Still bothered by the pulled muscle, he played poorly in the first quarter as the Huskies trailed, 21-0, before rallying in the second half.

Trailing, 27-21, with 3:12 remaining, Conklin led the Huskies to the winning touchdown on a 78-yard, 10-play drive. He completed five of seven passes on the march, which ended on Greg Lewis’ 10-yard touchdown run.

“I just got in the huddle and said, ‘Somebody’s got to come up with some big plays,’ ” Conklin said. “There was never any doubt in my mind we’d score.”

That’s just an example of Conklin’s confidence, according to Riley.

“It’s the poise he has, the self-confidence in the pocket that makes him so good,” said Riley, Washington’s leading receiver this season with 53 catches for 1,039 yards.

Since that Arizona game in his sophomore season, Conklin’s confidence has never wavered through offenses, old or new. It just took time to adjust to the new one.