Immagine a player more vital to your football team's success than Michael Vick. And imagine him making opponents look silly.
And imagine him making opponents look silly just as Vick does.
Then imagine having to defend against him.
The Penn football team will get a strong dose of reality tomorrow when it takes on Bucknell (3-1), which is led by senior quarterback Daris Wilson.
Wilson is the Bucknell offense.
Last season, he ranked second in the country in quarterback rushing yards (720), while also notching a 136.7 QB rating. Running the ball, he averaged 72 rushing yards per game. Passing the ball, he hit 61.1 percent of his targets while only throwing three interceptions.
Wilson has only increased his domination this season. The Kenner, La., native is now averaging 90 rushing yards per game and has a whopping 191.21 QB rating.
Even a defense as stingy as Penn's acknowledges Wilson's playmaking ability.
"We have to make sure he stays off balance and create a little confusion to slow the kid down," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said.
Though the Quakers defeated the Bison last season, 14-13, Wilson made such an impression on the Red and Blue that senior co-captain Kevin Stefanski said he had "the luxury of the sideline" that game because he was injured. He remembers Wilson as a master of an offense based on "deception and smoke and mirrors."
Though the Quakers held the Bison to only 13 points, Wilson cut through the Penn defense last year. He ran for 113 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown run, and was 12-for-15 while in the pocket.
These are not the typical numbers of a losing quarterback.
"You have to respect him or he will make you look stupid," Stefanski said.
Wilson was burning defensive backs as a wide receiver before he became a quarterback late in his sophomore year. He spent the majority of two seasons as a wide receiver, catching 21 passes for 183 yards, respectable numbers considering that Bucknell usually "runs the ball 90-95 percent of the time," according to Penn senior defensive back Bryan Arguello, who is currently the team's primary kicker.
Wilson ran the offense for the final three games of his sophomore season at Bucknell and has never looked back.
Bucknell's run-heavy option offensive scheme has certainly contributed to Wilson's ballooned statistics.
However, since 2000, no Bison quarterback has even come close to Wilson's rushing numbers, which shows that the coaching staff tweaked the offensive strategy to best utilize Wilson's incredible athleticism.
"The kid is really good," Bagnoli said. "He is a very legitimate option quarterback."
"He just touches the ball every single play," Arguello said. "He makes every play happen. He's a dangerous guy and a great athlete."
While Wilson is certainly a threat, the Quakers have reason to believe they can contain him. Wilson has started this season with control problems, throwing four interceptions and fumbling the ball five times.
These numbers are not surprising, given the fact that he handles the ball on every snap for more than just a handoff.
The Quakers showed last year that they can stop Wilson, as long as they can remain vigilant and avoid a big play like his 31-yard touchdown run.
"We've played these quarterbacks before," Bagnoli said. "The package has been installed, it just has to be executed."
"As much as they're trying to confuse you, it's all about setting up the big play," Arguello said. "As long as you do your job, we won't give up the big play."
