Was Powlus Doomed From the Start?

The cheers were sporadic at first, growing louder until it seemed as if everyone in Notre Dame Stadium was chanting his name.

But it wasn’t Ron Powlus the Irish faithful were cheering in Notre Dame’s rout over Purdue. It was his backup, Jarious Jackson, a sophomore who had yet to play a down in a college game.

Such is the turn Powlus’ college career has taken. Four years ago, he was the high school senior who could do no wrong, the one who was going to lead Notre Dame back to the national championship.

Now it seems he can’t do anything right. He hasn’t won the Heisman trophies and national championships that were seen almost as his destiny.

And Notre Dame’s Sept. 28 loss to Ohio State means it’s unlikely Powlus and the Irish will get to play for a national title this season, either.

So what went wrong? Was it all the hype, the comparisons to Joe Montana and Dan Marino, and the prediction that he’d win two Heismans? Or was he not as good as he was built up to be?

Or maybe, just maybe, Powlus should never have come to Notre Dame in the first place.

“I never think about it,” he said. “And I don’t ever regret it.”

His coach, Lou Holtz, remains Powlus’ biggest supporter.

“Some day, the people are going to be appreciative that they have had Ron Powlus here,” Holtz said. “I will tell you what -- I think he has handled tremendous unfairness in a lot of different respects with an awful lot of class.”

Notre Dame has never been a good fit for a passing quarterback, at least under Holtz. His ideal offense is to run the ball as long and often as possible, and then run some more.

The ball gets in the air a few times, but more to confuse opponents than anything else. A Notre Dame quarterback is better off having quick feet and being able to run the option than having a rifle for an arm.

But Powlus is more plodding than nimble, and he isn’t very comfortable running the option. What he does best is pass.

In high school, he completed 63 percent of his passes and set the state’s career record with 7,339 yards. He set school records in passing (2,943 yards) and touchdowns (31) during his senior season, when the Berwick, Pa., Bulldogs went 15-0 and were the nation’s top-ranked prep team.

His talent seems better suited for a Florida or Brigham Young, where quarterbacks can pass for 300 yards a game. But Powlus wanted to come to Notre Dame, and Holtz eagerly signed the top recruit.

“I knew what I was coming to at Notre Dame and I wanted to be a part of Notre Dame for all the reasons,” Powlus said, referring to the school’s tradition and reputation. “I feel very comfortable with being at Notre Dame, and I’m glad I’m here.”

Powlus’ best chance for a national championship probably came when he was a freshman. The Irish had a solid offensive line to protect him, and a pair of outstanding receivers in Lake Dawson and Derrick Mayes.

But Powlus broke his collarbone in the final fall scrimmage and again in October. He was redshirted, and the Irish finished 11-1 under his replacement, Kevin McDougal.

There were holes in the offensive line his sophomore year, and injuries crippled the running game as the Irish went 6-5-1 -- their worst record since Holtz’s first season at Notre Dame. A loss to Northwestern in the season opener doomed Notre Dame’s title chances last year, and Powlus missed the last game and the Orange Bowl with a broken arm.

“Unfortunately, a quarterback is many times evaluated based on what kind of team he quarterbacked,” Holtz said. “And if you happen to be with a team that maybe is deficient in one area or so, it is going to hurt you.”

This season, likely the last for Powlus even though he has a year of eligibility remaining, Holtz altered his offense, spreading it out so the quarterback could throw more. But Dawson and Mayes had gone on to the NFL, and there was no one to replace them.

“Ron is an excellent passer, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it,” Holtz said. “I feel bad because I felt we would be able to get the receivers and build the type of offense that would reveal his talents and abilities, I really did.”

Instead, Powlus has struggled. He’s been battered by opposing defenses, and with every wild pass, every fumble, every sack, he’s become a little too human for those who had such high expectations of him.

That Powlus will leave Notre Dame with several passing records hardly seems to matter.

He already holds the school record for most touchdown passes in a season (19) and has twice tied the record for TDs in a game (four). His 34 career touchdowns are second only to Rick Mirer’s 41.

When Tennessee’s Peyton Manning threw as many interceptions in one half -- four in the loss to Florida -- as he did all last year, it was shrugged off as just a bad game. When Powlus throws one interception and Notre Dame loses, as he did against Ohio State, his critics say it’s further evidence that Powlus is a failure.

“I think that everybody always wants to evaluate somebody after every play or every game,” Holtz said. “I say when Ron Powlus hangs up his cleats and says his football is over, evaluate his career at that time. And I think you will find that it will be exceptional when his last game is done. Period.”

Although Powlus is occasionally troubled by life under the microscope, he manages to take it in stride most of the time. He enjoys Notre Dame and his teammates and will even admit to thriving on the intense pressure.

While others may question his ability or his decision to go to Notre Dame, Powlus doesn’t.

“I enjoy my time here,” he said. “The last couple of days have been tough, of course, after a loss. But I have no negative feelings about Notre Dame, and I don’t think this season is going to create any. I know this season won’t create any.”