You know the old adage that says, "don't judge a book by its cover?"
The sage advice would apply to anyone judging Tommy Rees.
Consider this — in a college climate featuring games with video game-like passing statistics, the sophomore quarterback for Notre Dame has numbers that do compare favorably to his more famous contemporaries. Through five halves of football (three as the starter, one in relief) here are Rees' season statistics:
- 93-for-140 passing, 988 yards, seven touchdowns, six interceptions.
- 2-1 record.
Those stats don't jump off the page, much like Rees' demeanor and physique. But look at how they stack up to preseason Heisman candidates:
- Andrew Luck, Stanford: 57-for-85 passing, 786 yards, eight touchdowns, one interception
- Landry Jones, Oklahoma: 88-for-122 passing, 1,022 yards, five touchdowns, four interceptions
Now Luck and Jones have played two fewer quarters than Rees, but have started an equal number of games — Luck and Stanford is 3-0, Jones and the Sooners also are 3-0.
It's an interesting comparison to make, as there is a strong chance both Luck and Jones will be in New York in December for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Rees, on the other hand, will be home in Lake Forest that night or, if he keeps winning, in South Bend preparing for a 2012 bowl game.
Three games does not a full comparison make, but if not for Denard Robinson's magic act in Week 2, Rees would share an equal record as a starting quarterback with those heavyweights.
Notre Dame travels to Purdue on Saturday to tackle the Boilermakers. Leading up to the game, more chatter from Irish coaches on Rees' progress.
- Video: Brian Kelly gives his weekly synopsis of Rees' performance from the Pittsburgh game.
- Video: Offensive coordinator Charley Molnar discusses the game-winning fourth-quarter drive led by Rees that won the game for Notre Dame.
As for the mainstream media, more Tommy talk from the Sun-Times' Brian Hayes, and from The South Bend Observer.
And in spite of Tommy's 6-1 record, some in the blogsphere are not convinced he should be the starter. Read this from The Bleacher Report if you share a similiar belief.
Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch was in South Bend on Sept. 17 when Tommy Rees led the Irish to a win over Michigan State. We took plenty of pictures. You can view the photo essay here.
