Walsh Has a Starting Point in Quarterback Battle

If Torrance native John Walsh is looking for extra incentive in his bid to become the starting quarterback at Brigham Young University, he needn’t look any farther than a local newsstand.

Most preseason publications are picking Walsh’s main rival, Steve Clements, as the heir apparent to All-American Ty Detmer.

Petersen’s College Football preview and Pro Football Weekly’s college edition have both named Clements, a sophomore transfer from the University of Texas, as the likely candidate to become BYU’s quarterback in 1992.

Under the heading, “On the Hot Seat,” Petersen’s College Football said this of Clements: “After transferring from Texas, he hopes to carry on in the tradition of another Texan, Ty Detmer.”

But the magazine contradicts that assessment in another article by listing Ryan Hancock, one of the five sophomores contesting for the BYU quarterback job, as a longshot for the Heisman Trophy. Of Hancock, the magazine predicts: “He’ll throw for about a billion yards this year and is good for at least one 500-yard effort against some poor (Western Athletic Assn.) foe.”

Don Heinrich’s College Football magazine further confuses the issue by picking Walsh to be the Cougar quarterback. Meanwhile, Street & Smith’s college preview straddled the fence by naming Walsh and Clements as the top candidates.

According to Street & Smith: “No matter who starts, he will no doubt be handing off a lot, especially in the early going.”

The wide range of opinions seems to support the contention of BYU assistant Robbie Bosco that the quarterback job is up for grabs.

“I think you could pick two or three who could do the job,” Bosco said.