By Zach SilkaThe Daily Northwestern
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Tyrell Sutton smiled and shook his head in a familiar way – the way he always does when asked a question to which he seems he’d like to respond honestly, but he knows he can’t because of the repercussions.
Getting honest analysis from the Northwestern football team is like getting accurate information from a White House press secretary. It all sounds the same, just like everyone is reciting the same script. After NU’s 17-3 loss to Michigan, the Wildcats’ prescribed quote sheet read again that they were “one play away” and that “the defense gave us a chance to win.”
After a quartet of players sang the same tune for far too long, Sutton stepped up to the microphone and tried his best to spew the same mendacity. But he couldn’t do it. He looked up and stared right at the reporter who had asked about his lack of playing time in the fourth quarter, and he said everything he needed to say.
“No, no story there,” Sutton said with a smile after a long pause, his bluff not particularly strong on this day.
Pressed again about the possibility of being sidelined because of an injury, Sutton smiled coyly, again with another long pause, saying, “I’ll let you figure that one out.”
While the two-headed monster of NU coach Pat Fitzgerald and offensive coordinator Garrick McGee would like everyone to believe the reason Sutton was held to a career-low of seven carries was because of an injury, nobody should be buying that. Yes, trainers did spend some time working on Sutton’s leg in the second half and he did have a costly fumble in the second quarter.
Still, you have to have your playmakers on the field and they need to be a vital part of your gameplan. Right now, that isn’t the case. You can rest easy knowing Sutton was not voluntarily resting on the sideline. This is the same kid that has been playing the past few weeks with a separated shoulder and a broken finger.
And this isn’t the first time Sutton has been mysteriously benched throughout the season. Sutton didn’t even break the 100-yard rushing mark in a game until last week against Michigan State, due almost exclusively to limited carries. He only carried the ball 16 times combined in the games against Penn State and Wisconsin.
For the season, Sutton is averaging fewer than 13 carries per game but still averages 5.8 yards per carry. He also has the best yards-per-carry average of anyone with at least 75 carries in the Big Ten.
No, the only reason that can explain why Sutton wasn’t on the field with four minutes left and his team down by two touchdowns to Michigan is an ever-widening gulf between Sutton and that two-headed monster named McGerald.
And because of McGerald and “its” detrimental effect on Sutton and his future aspirations in football, it may unfortunately be time for the sophomore to consider transferring at the end of the season.
Sure, most coaches would love to have the reigning Sporting News Offensive Freshman of the Year in their backfield, but Sutton’s choices are somewhat limited because of his desire to be near his family. Sutton’s parents, Tony Sr. and Connie, along with his brother, Tony Jr., come to most, if not all, of his games, and picking a school outside the Midwest would make travel harder on his family. Choosing a non-BCS conference would also be damaging to Sutton and not worthwhile since he would have to sit out next season.
Three schools that would fit the criteria do come to mind, however. In the Big East, there is Louisville, which loses Michael Bush after this year or the next depending if she takes a medical redshirt, and Pittsburgh, which currently utilizes a running back smaller than Sutton and is led by former NFL coach Dave Wannstedt.
In the Big Ten, the choices are more limited because of a wealth at the running back position at most schools, but one choice in particular jumps out – Penn State. The Nittany Lions lose Tony Hunt after this season, and playing for a legendary coach like Joe Paterno who understands the importance of the run game would be an opportunity Sutton couldn’t turn down.
Deciding to transfer is never an easy decision, and it should only be used in dire situations where every other avenue of remediation has been exercised.
Yet it is quickly becoming apparent that in this case, divorce may be the only available option for Sutton.
Sports editor emeritus Zach Silka is a Medill senior. He can be reached at [email protected].
