REVIEW FILE PHOTO
Quarterback Ryan Carty, who’s battling Joe Flacco for the starting job, has been a second stringer for three years.
BY
Sports Editor
At every Delaware football game I’ve ever been to – post Andy Hall – there’s always one thing I can count on. Without fail, or even fear of fail, everyone in the Tub knows that at any given moment, the “we want Carty!” chants are rearing to go.
Whether Sonny Riccio has a lower completion percentage than his GPA or the game is getting out of hand, fans want to see Delaware’s unsung golden boy, Ryan Carty. With brains and know-how the size of Pennsylvania, but physically more akin to Delaware, Carty has a lot to prove. Just give him the chance, K.C.
Three years as a second stringer. Three years! Indulge me for a minute and imagine having the ability to lead a Division I school and not once utilizing it. He’s getting shafted.
Carty is ready. He knows the system, he knows the personnel and he’s a fan favorite … as long as he produces. I don’t want to get all sappy like the end of a “Grey’s Anatomy” episode here, but it’s amazing what people can do if you just give them a chance. How can anybody say that Carty has been a four-year bust unless he gets some meaningful snaps?
In the Blue-White spring game, neither Flacco nor Carty made a stellar case for themselves. However, Carty resoundingly illustrated his gazelle-like mobility. Sure, he’s 5 foot 11 and weighs in at a meager 200 pounds, but what he lacks in physical dominance, he makes up for with his legs and brain.
The job should be Carty’s to lose, if not out of respect and the fact that he deserves it, then because Flacco is still young and sat out all of last season. The Pittsburgh transfer has yet to suit up in a game and has little-to-no first-hand experience with the team.
Granted, all the wide receivers are young, but that only further fuels the Carty argument. When you have young receivers, none of whom showed above-average skill last year, a quarterback who can act as a coach on the field is best for the team. Not to mention, a lacking receiving corps can benefit from having a mobile QB.
The arguments for starting Flacco revolve around him having a cannon for an arm. Great, he can rocket the hell out of the ball, but who’s going to catch these fireballs? The receivers have yet to prove themselves worthy of handling those passes. Exhibit A: Riccio was regarded as having a great arm as well. However, graduating senior Brian Ingram was the only receiver who managed to rack up more than 30 yards per game.
In the Blue-White game, for example, Flacco made some strong passes, but the receivers couldn’t handle the speed. So why not give Flacco and his targets some time to adjust? Especially since their unripe age allows it.
Instead of rushing them, let the sure-footed, more-than-capable Carty take over the reins. He’s accurate, and will take pressure off the young receiving corps since he’s a threat to scramble the pocket and pick up 10 or 12 yards.
Carty is also a student of the game. His dad is a coach, and after spending three years on the sidelines preparing for each game as if he were going to start, his vast knowledge of the sport, the position, the other positions and the conference is impeccable.
Think about it like a puzzle, Flacco may be a physically bigger piece, but that doesn’t mean he fits (yet). Carty, on the other hand, is a well-rounded puzzle piece and fits just right. So please, K.C., silence the “we want Carty” chants and give the fans something else to complain about. The man has earned it.
Ravi Gupta is a sports editor for The Review. Send questions, comments and Ryan Carty’s autograph to ravig@udel.edu.
