Why David Ash Will Have a Breakout 2013

Texas quarterback legends Vince Young and Colt McCoy did not start as legends … they became legends.

As a matter of fact, before either player belonged on the University of Texas Mount Rushmore, they were at times inconsistent and performed questionably under pressure. For Young and McCoy, that was 2004 and 2007, respectively.

Flashing forward to 2013, quarterback David Ash enters a junior season that many believe is make-or-break for the Texas Longhorn program. It’s fitting that Ash is on board to post what could be a breakout campaign—gasp—just like Young and McCoy during their junior seasons.

Now, before you start throwing things at the computer screen (or throwing your phone if you are reading this article from a mobile device) for comparing Ash with the legendary Young and McCoy, let’s take a look at the numbers.

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We will take a look at Young first by focusing on his 2004 and 2005 seasons next to each other.

2004: 1,849 YDS PASS, 59.2 COMP PCT, 12 TD, 11 INT, 128.4 QBR, 1,079 YDS RUSH, 14 TD

2005: 3,036 YDS PASS, 65.2 COMP PCT, 26 TD, 10 INT, 164 QBR, 1,050 YDS RUSH, 12 TD

…and now here are McCoy’s numbers for 2007 and 2008. 

2007: 3,303 YDS PASS, 65.1 COMP PCT, 22 TD, 18 INT, 139.2 QBR, 510YDS RUSH, 4 TD

2008: 3,859 YDS PASS, 76.7 COMP PCT, 34 TD, 8 INT, 173.8 QBR, 561YDS RUSH, 11 TD

If you see what we see, making the case for a breakout 2013 for David Ash is not so far fetched. Young and McCoy both experienced a jump in passing yards, completion percentages, QB rating and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Young finished 2004 with a marvelous performance in a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan and McCoy, recorded his best season, capped off by a thrilling, come-from-behind win over Ohio State in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, during his four-year career in Austin.

We have seen the flashes. We know that David Ash can be a special player. So why not Ash for a huge junior season?

Here are Ash’s sophomore numbers in 2012.

2012: 2,699 YDS PASS, 67.3 COMP PCT, 19 TD, 8 INT, 153.3 QBR, 237 YDS RUSH, 2 TD

In terms of sophomore seasons, David Ash’s 2012 campaign is much more impressive than Young in 2004 and McCoy in 2007. Don’t you agree?

Look, we aren’t ready to crown David Ash as the next U.T. legend. We know he has a lot of work to do. Especially if he wants to be seen in the same light at Young and McCoy. However, if you strictly look at the numbers, it is easy to make the case that David Ash could have a breakout 2013.

Still, Ash’s body of work pales in comparison to that of Young and McCoy’s. Even with fewer playing days, it may not be possible for Ash to eclipse the allure that his predecessors sustained even after their careers finished at Texas.

Look at the stats. The writing is on the wall.

States grabbed from mackbrown-texasfootball and espn.com.

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