Pryor, Harris are ready for showdown

By Steve Gorten

Miami Sun Sentinel

Jacory Harris and Terrelle Pryor’s friendship started on the phone two years ago.

Marcus Forston, Harris’ high school teammate and Pryor’s teammate in the Army All-American game, introduced the two quarterbacks.

“I think we hit it off because we came out the same year,” Pryor said. “I’m pretty sure he had heard about me and I heard a lot about him.”

Harris and Pryor have stayed in regular contact since their freshman year, talking and texting about everything besides football. They like it that way.

When they talked earlier this week, though, they couldn’t really ignore the subject. Harris and Pryor will face each other for the first time Saturday when Harris, Forston and the 12th ranked Hurricanes play the second-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus.

“We just said, ‘Stay injury-free, have a good game and let’s make this game go down in history,”’ Pryor said.

This matchup has been highly anticipated largely because it’s the first time Miami and Ohio State have played since OSU won the 2003 Fiesta Bowl in controversial fashion, prevailing 31-24 in two overtimes to claim the ’02 national championship.

But also because it’ll showcase two talented junior quarterbacks, one of who is a leading Heisman candidate and another who’d start to get serious consideration with a win at Ohio State. Neither wants this game to be a personal duel, though.

“It is a game between two teams and not individuals,” Harris said. “We just want to go out and have a good showdown between the two teams and that is what we will settle from there.”

Said Pryor, “The way I’m looking at it, I’m going up against the Hurricanes defense. I’m not comparing stats to him.”

Last season, Pryor completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 2,094 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

He also rushed for 779 yards. Harris connected on 59.6 percent of his throws for 3,352 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Their styles are markedly different. Pryor is a scrambling quarterback who’s been compared to Vince Young — ’Canes linebacker Colin McCarthy said of the quarterbacks Miami has faced Pryor’s most like Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor—while Harris is a true pocket passer who’d prefer to find an open receiver before tucking the ball and running.

Harris is impressed by Pryor’s size.

“To be a quarterback that big and have the same athletic ability he has ... he’s 6-foot-6, 235 pounds and runs a 4.33 in the 40,” Harris said. “You don’t see that too often, so I think his size is something that sets him apart from a lot of people.”

Saturday’s outcome will likely hinge on which of the quarterbacks performs better.