NO PASSING FAD

Good news greeted first-year Coach Chris Tormey of Nevada moments after he stepped off an airplane from Idaho to take over the Wolf Pack football program:

David Neill announced he is not transferring from Nevada, the athletic director told Tormey.

It was the best news Tormey could have asked for considering his plans to employ a wide-open, one-back offense centered around the quarterback.

Especially since Neill, a Hart High product, had proved he is among the nation’s most productive passers the last two seasons.

“He’s the cornerstone of this team,” said Tormey, embarking on his second head coaching assignment after a five-year stint at Idaho.

Neill, who averaged more than 328 yards passing a game last season, weighed his options with his father after Coach Jeff Tisdel resigned in November following a disappointing 3-8 season, the school’s worst since 1975.

After all, Neill chose Nevada over Fresno State and Colorado State for two reasons: the pass-oriented offense and the coaches.

“[We] were thinking about [transferring], but I wanted to stay and feel out the coaches,” Neill said.

Once Tormey assured his Top Gun the Wolf Pack would continue to play “Nevada style” football, Neill unpacked his bags.

“I’ve always said I’ve signed with Nevada and I’m going to stay at Nevada unless something crazy happens like a new coaching staff puts in a wishbone [offense],” Neill said.

Still, with that fear dismissed, Neill is left in an unenviable position.

Having thrown for 6,651 yards and 49 touchdowns and closing in on nearly every passing record at Nevada, measuring up to his first two sensational seasons certainly won’t be easy. Not when you consider the inexperience of his supporting cast.

Only two other starters return on offense, including one offensive lineman who was converted from defensive tackle during midseason last year.

Yet, Neill, a quarterback at Hart for only his senior season, is optimistic.

“I think we’ve got a good group of kids,” Neill said. “The offensive line has worked hard and I’m not worried about anything out there.

“I’m just going to drop back and know that they’ve got my protection.”

To Neill’s credit, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior who set several NCAA freshman passing records has become accustomed to improvisation because of inadequate protection.

“That’s kind of the way it’s been for me,” he said. “I’m used to it. I’m not going to use that as an excuse.”

The trend started at Hart, where Neill’s offensive line was beset with injuries in 1997 and he was often left with his guard down.

“We were down to some second- and third-team linemen that year,” Coach Mike Herrington of Hart said. “He got sacked a number of times.”

Neill finished the Indians’ 11-2 season with 141 carries, more than any Hart quarterback the last decade and only 23 carries fewer than the primary running back that season, Billy Brecht.

Herrington recalled a game against Loyola when Neill was getting pummeled in the backfield and booed in the bleachers.

“We pulled him because we started [Foothill League play] the next week and he was getting murdered,” Herrington said. “People thought we pulled him for [Kyle] Boller, but we needed to save him.”

Despite the lack of protection, Neill, who is as mobile as he is accurate, managed plenty of positive gains, averaging 1.5 yards a carry.

“I think it’s silly to throw the ball away if you have a chance to get away and make some positive yards,” said Neill, who is the Wolf Pack’s leading returning rusher with 209 yards in 109 carries.

He has maintained that mentality at Nevada, which partly explains his whopping 149.0 pass-efficiency rating the last two seasons. He has thrown only 16 interceptions in 767 passes and completed 58%.

“He’s a real threat running with the football when receivers are covered,” Tormey said. “We may do some things to get the ball in his hands in the critical situations.”

Neill has been so impressive in his first two seasons that people are asking him about the possibility of leaving for the NFL after this season.

“I’m putting that off in the distance,” Neill said. “I might consider it later in the season, but I have to focus on the season ahead.”

Neill is fewer than 2,000 yards from setting a school career record for yards passing and is among the top 10 in every passing category, career, season and single-game classification, except interceptions.

While Neill acknowledges a bit of pressure to stay healthy and perform to previous standards, he chooses to focus elsewhere.

“My goal is strictly to have a winning season and go to a bowl game,” he said. “The stats will take care of themselves.”

And so will Neill.

1999 NCAA TOTAL OFFENSE LEADERS

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Player School Avg. Yds. Tim Rattay Louisiana Tech 381.00 Joe Hamilton Georgia Tech 345.27 *Drew Brees Purdue 337.45 *David Neill Nevada 328.27 Chad Pennington Marshall 325.33 Chris Redman Louisville 321.55 Kevin Feterik Brigham Young 316.09 Dan Robinson Hawaii 313.50 *Josh Heupel Oklahoma 305.64 *Patrick Ramsey Tulane 304.45

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*Returning player

BY THE NUMBERS

Here’s a look at the first two seasons of former Hart High quarterback David Neill at Nevada.

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1998 Category 1999 344 Attempts 423 199 Completions 247 9 Interceptions 7 29 Touchdown Passes 20 3,249 Passing Yards 3,402 7 Games Started 11 159.77 Pass Efficiency 138.24

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