A look around the Pac-10
Take a team-by-team look at the Pac-10.
Facts are facts -- Arizona has the worst offense in the Pac-10. That's why first-year coach Mike Stoops is making a quarterback change from sophomore Kris Heavner to redshirt freshman Richard Kovalcheck, who came off the bench to lead two scoring drives in the loss to Oregon. "We feel like we've given Kris five games to work this out," Stoops said. "We don't feel like he progressed that much."
It's not that Heaver's numbers are terrible. He completed 59 percent of his throws with four interceptions and four touchdowns. He just doesn't make enough plays, often appearing tentative when asked to throw downfield.
Kovalcheck, who was highly recruited out of San Diego two years ago, is a far different bird. "He's kind of a gunslinger," Stoops said. "The situation is not going to intimidate him." Problem is Kovalcheck is so confident that he often tries to do too much and gets himself into trouble. That's why he was mired at No. 4 quarterback at the beginning of the season behind Heavner, Ryan O'Hara and Nic Costa. That cleared up when the latter two left the program.
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- ESPN.com Pac-12 blogger
- Covered college football since 1997
- Wrote for Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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