EIU soars as Garoppolo’s confidence climbs
With the final seconds of the third quarter ticking away on Sept. 1, Eastern Illinois trailed Illinois State by a touchdown and didn’t have momentum.
The Panthers needed to take advantage of their drive threatening to stall at ISU’s 15. Offensive coordinator Roy Wittke sent in the play he believed appropriate for the third-and-6 situation.
When sophomore quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo convened the EIU huddle, he didn’t reveal Wittke’s call. He went with one of his own.
Keep in mind, Wittke has served as a Div. I offensive coordinator longer than Garoppolo has been alive.
He tutored Tony Romo at EIU. He knows his stuff.
But Garoppolo, a 2010 Rolling Meadows graduate, didn’t worry about that. He drilled a 10-yard pass to favorite target Lorence Ricks to set up his game-tying TD sneak a few plays later. Why run his play instead of Wittke’s?
“I figured out Illinois State kept running the same coverage and not blitzing with that down-and-distance,” Garoppolo said. “I just had a play in the back of my head that would work.”
But Garoppolo wasn’t done. With the score tied and EIU facing third-and-7 at the ISU 10, the Panthers called a timeout with 2:44 to go. Garoppolo came to the sidelines and put on the headphones so he could chat with Wittke in the press box.
“He voiced his opinion to what he wanted very adamantly — and not in a negative way,” Wittke said. “We give him some freedom. He knew exactly what he wanted. And we went with it.”
Garoppolo dropped back quickly and lobbed a pass into the right corner of the end zone to Niles West’s Chris Wright for the game-winning touchdown.
“Those things wouldn’t have happened a year ago,” Wittke said.
Garoppolo’s rapid maturation represents a big reason Eastern Illinois shows up at Northwestern Saturday (2:30 p.m., BTN) believing it can shock its lone Football Bowl Subdivision foe of the year.
“Our confidence is out of the roof right now,” said Garoppolo, who’ll have 42 friends and family members sitting together on Ryan Field’s east side Saturday. “Everyone’s going there thinking we can win. It’s not about competing. It’s about giving everything we’ve got.”
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Arlington Heights resident gave all he had while starting EIU’s final eight games as a true freshman. He completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,639 yards, 14 TDs and 13 interceptions as the Panthers gutted out a 2-9 season.
Garoppolo’s nine months of offseason work — including a slew of summertime throwing with Ricks, Wright and the other wideouts — allowed his brain to catch up with his dual-threat athleticism.
“He has a tremendously quick release and he’s very accurate,” said 73-year-old EIU head coach Bob Spoo, who’s in his 25th and final year. “He’s making better decisions (this year). He’s much more aware of coverages. He’s able to get us out of a bad play and get us into a good play.”
Such as the fourth-quarter play against ISU when he adjusted Ricks’ route at the line — sending him on a double move — that resulted in a 42-yard touchdown pass.
Garoppolo finished the opener 25 of 34 for 304 yards and 3 TDs. He ranks 11th among Football Championship Subdivision quarterbacks in passer efficiency (177.75 rating).
“We think he’s a special guy,” Spoo said.
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