Carl Bonnell didn’t want it to happen this way. Sure, the University of Washington junior quarterback wanted a shot at running the Huskies’ offense.
But not like this. Not at the expense of starter Isaiah Stanback, who saw his career come to an end last Saturday with a foot injury against Oregon State.
Although the circumstances aren’t ideal, they are reality, and Bonnell has spent the season preparing for just this: Making his first collegiate start since Oct. 9, 2004, when he led the Huskies against San Jose State as a redshirt freshman.
“Since last spring, coach (Willingham) was harping that I’m one play away, especially on offense with a quarterback that does a lot of running,” said Bonnell, now a 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior.
“Every time (Stanback) runs, you have to watch him and make sure how he gets up. … It’s my turn to go out and put some points on the board.”
But will he be able to? That’s the biggest question as the Huskies (2-2 Pacific-10 Conference, 4-3 overall) head out on the road to play 11th-ranked California (4-0, 6-1) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif.
Bonnell and his teammates are confident that the offense still will be able to function under Bonnell. UW defenders said Bonnell has performed well in practice all season and are impressed with his arm and his mobility. Offensive players say Bonnell throws a good ball and has shown leadership qualities.
Washington coaches say Bonnell is athletic enough to run the same system that Stanback did.
“He’s a mobile quarterback that can create some problems for defenses,” offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said. “He’s not as explosive or fast as Isaiah but in his own right he’s nifty with his feet, he has above-average speed for the quarterback position.”
It’s been a long road back to the starting job for Bonnell. His last start, against San Jose State in 2004, was cut short at halftime by a groin injury that shut him down for the rest of the season. That was tough for a guy just a year into forging his niche in a football program that wasn’t his first choice.
After being named the state player of the year for leading Kentwood High School to the Class 4A title as a senior, Bonnell followed his brother Ray to Washington State. There, he spent the 2002 season as a grayshirt – attending classes part-time and not having any real contact with the football team. That status allowed Bonnell to get out of his letter of intent, and when Rick Neuheisel came calling, Bonnell jumped to Montlake.
“He left here on Friday, I thought he was a Cougar, and Saturday he said he’s accepting an offer (from Washington),” WSU coach Bill Doba said. “I want kids that want to be here and if he doesn’t want to be here, at least he was up front and honest about it. I have no hard feelings.”
Bonnell redshirted the 2003 season for the Huskies. He played in four games in 2004, coming off the bench against Fresno State and Notre Dame before taking over as starter against Stanford, becoming the first freshman to start at quarterback for the UW since 1997. But a week later, he hurt his groin and missed the final six games.
Things didn’t get better last season. He collided with running back Chris Singleton on a handoff in fall camp and injured his thigh. The injury grew worse and worse, and by the time he was healthy enough to play, Bonnell was well behind Stanback and Johnny DuRocher on the depth chart. But Bonnell said he always thought he’d get another chance.
“Sitting on the sidelines for several months doesn’t help your chances of being out on the field,” said Bonnell, who is one class away from his history degree. “It was a long injury. … I knew Isaiah was a great athlete, and me and him were pretty similar in our approach and how we run football teams. I knew if I had my opportunity I could get out there. … I knew I’d have anther shot.”
Bonnell made sure of that in the spring and fall, impressing coaches both with his athleticism and work ethic while beating out DuRocher for the backup job. He’s gotten into three games at quarterback this season, going 7-for-14 for 51 yards and throwing a touchdown against Oklahoma. He’s also the holder on kicks.
But coming off the bench is much different than starting against one of the nation’s top teams like Cal.
While it’s tough to not have Stanback anymore, the Huskies’ confidence is still in place, in the team and in Bonnell.
“(Bonnell has) played in some pretty big games here,” said linebacker Tahj Bomar, who played with Bonnell at Kentwood. “He played against Notre Dame, Fresno State. He’s got some experience. … We’re going to rally around him.”
“Isaiah going down is an enormous blow to this team,” Bonnell said. “But it’s been my job this whole time to get in there, step it up and score some points. This is definitely the opportunity for me this year.”
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