Curt McKeever: Onetime NU recruit Evridge leads Wildcats
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While Frank Solich cleared out his office, Allan Evridge helped clean up his parents’ yard. Something along those lines, anyway.
It’s sad, and a bit scary, to think what some folks will revert to just because a kid feels uncomfortable about changes in the football program down at State U., and decides he’d be better off elsewhere.
The day the multiweaponed quarterback from Papillion-La Vista changed his mind about Nebraska two years ago, there were some Big Red diehards who would have preferred he and his family leave for the Kansas State state — immediately.
Threatening e-mails and telephone calls?
“There was a little bit of that,” Evridge said.
Vandalism?
“I’ll choose not to comment on that one … No driving through my yard. There was things that happened, but I’d like to leave that in the past. I think it was a small minority speaking for the majority of the Nebraska fans. As a whole, they’re a great fan base and I have nothing but good things to say about them.”
Wonder what they’d think if today Evridge and his team vandalized the most sacred property in Nebraska?
I know, with Kansas State riding a four-game losing streak, that seems about as likely as a third-team quarterback coming out of nowhere to wind up as a starter and represent the program’s future. Of course, that’s exactly what has happened with the 6-foot-1, 210-pound left-hander.
Already, Evridge is K-State’s all-time freshman leader in passing yards (1,263) and touchdowns (six). His pass efficiency rating of 119.8 ranks sixth-best in the Big 12.
At the moment, however, he’s having a hard time appreciating that production.
“It definitely is bittersweet,” Evridge said. “It’s nice to be on the field and try to get your team winning. What’s been tough for me is I haven’t (gotten) that extra added thing to put (us) in the win column, and I feel like I’m capable of doing it.
“From that aspect, it’s been frustrating. We all worked very, very hard in the offseason and it’s just coming so close that there’s no one we really have to blame except for ourselves. We just need to step it up and get this thing turned around. We’re running out of chances.”
During their skid, the Wildcats dropped a two-point decision to Texas A&M and a three-pointer to North Division-leading Colorado.
A loss today would leave them with five straight for the first time since 1989. It also would keep K-State from going to a bowl game for the second straight year.
Perhaps those thoughts will fuel Evridge into accomplishing something another fleet-footed quarterback from Nebraska, Eric Crouch, couldn’t — lead his team to a road win in this series.
“It would be a great one,” said Evridge when asked if a victory against Nebraska would be the sweetest-possible first ‘W’ for him. “It would be a great win.”
Evridge can’t know what kind of reception he’ll get today, but he should have a good idea of what his team will face. He watched his first Husker game in Memorial Stadium right after his family moved to Papillion from Great Falls, Mont., before his junior year of high school. The next year, he attended every Nebraska home contest.
“I’ve never seen so much red in my life. It’s a very neat atmosphere,” he said.
It’s possible that he might get too caught up in it today, although he gives that no credence.
“I’ve seen it,” Evridge said. “I’m worried about more the X’s and O’s, trying to get the game plan down (to) try to (produce) a win.”
His older brother Josh, a student at Montana State, is flying in to see him play for the first time since the Evridge family left for Nebraska. Mom and dad also will be among the purple people.
Try and keep that in mind when the kid executes a decision today that makes you want to punish him for a job well done.
Try and remember that he didn’t grow up bleeding Husker red, because he spent just two years of his life in this state.
Try and put yourself in his shoes. Would you have remained committed to a program that faced cloudy days and might not end up fitting your style? Could you have said no to one where you knew exactly what you were going to get?
“I’d always been interested in K-State, but since I’d committed to Coach Solich and his program, I thought my word was very important,” Evridge said. “Once (he) was gone, I chose to look around.”
Just like Lincoln Southeast basketball player Matt Hill is going to do at Texas, Evridge left for what he perceived to be a better situation. The only Nebraskans who should get to try and punish him for that are the Huskers.
With everyone else, he ought to feel in welcome company.
“They’re quite fanatical, in a good way,” Evridge said of NU fans. What happened after changing allegiances “in no way takes away from my respect for that program.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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