[DC]

I know less about the 1979 team than any other since I enrolled at Stanford. I was living 3,000 miles from campus, before we had the internet or satellite TV, and Stanford's 5-5-1 record certainly didn't attract much national media attention.

So, here's my question: What happened at quarterback that year?  I know Turk Schonert set what was then a Stanford record for completion percentage and led the nation in passing. But John Elway played in nine games and threw nearly 100 passes, an awful lot of action for a backup. Was Schonert injured for a couple of games? Did Elway have some kind of package of plays he came in to run?

Obviously I am wondering if this has some kind of resonance with a potential Hogan/Chryst situation.

Schonert was a fifth year senior and Elway was a true freshman.  Turk started the first and third quarters to give him face, while Elway started the second and fourth quarters so he would be in when the game was decided.

Then we played USC.  Elway completed 9 of 16 passes in the 2nd quarter, but we couldn't score and were down 21-0 at the half.  USC was ranked first or second.  Then Schonert led the team well and stayed in the 4th quarter - we eventually played them to a 21-21 tie.  From then on, Schonert was the starter.

Schonert was known as the "velvet touch" QB and IMO was a superior QB to Hogan.  Chryst, good as he is, doesn't have Elway's arm. 

[DC]

I know less about the 1979 team than any other since I enrolled at Stanford. I was living 3,000 miles from campus, before we had the internet or satellite TV, and Stanford's 5-5-1 record certainly didn't attract much national media attention.

So, here's my question: What happened at quarterback that year?  I know Turk Schonert set what was then a Stanford record for completion percentage and led the nation in passing. But John Elway played in nine games and threw nearly 100 passes, an awful lot of action for a backup. Was Schonert injured for a couple of games? Did Elway have some kind of package of plays he came in to run?

Obviously I am wondering if this has some kind of resonance with a potential Hogan/Chryst situation.

Schonert was a fifth year senior and Elway was a true freshman.  Turk started the first and third quarters to give him face, while Elway started the second and fourth quarters so he would be in when the game was decided.

Then we played USC.  Elway completed 9 of 16 passes in the 2nd quarter, but we couldn't score and were down 21-0 at the half.  USC was ranked first or second.  Then Schonert led the team well and stayed in the 4th quarter - we eventually played them to a 21-21 tie.  From then on, Schonert was the starter.

Schonert was known as the "velvet touch" QB and IMO was a superior QB to Hogan.  Chryst, good as he is, doesn't have Elway's arm.