Bill Stewart gets a lot of grief for the sometimes meandering manner of his press conferences. Sometimes we get confused trying to follow along and sort sense from nonsense. Quite often, there’s a good point lost in translation. 

Fortunately, there’s value in Decoding Bill Stewart. This week, WVU’s head coach returns from an open week and is asked about the double standards placed upon quarterbacks in this era. Stewart comes to the defense of sophomore Geno Smith and reminds everyone it’s still early and the future is bright, but that Smith also embodies the ability and the potential of four of the school’s greatest to play his position.

From Tuesday’s press conference

Question: “Do you think maybe that the media, maybe we put quarterbacks into two categories, in two canisters too much — a running quarterback and a throwing quarterback¹ — and guys can just be quarterbacks and that’s what Geno is?”

Answer: “Geno’s a pretty good quarterback. He’s just young, as you all know. I’ve told you³. This is his eighth game. You all know. You’ve been around⁴.

“He’s going to have a bright, bright future here if — with this offense. Geno Smith’s going to have a bright, bright future with this offense. This is his offense. Um, now you can take that any way you want to take it⁵. With this offense, Geno Smith will have a bright future.

“If I go and put in the wishbone, I don’t think he’d have as bright a future. If I put the spread in, try to put a round peg into a square hole⁶, I don’t think he’d — the ‘Patrick White Offense’ spread — I don’t think he could do it.

“Now he’s more of a multiple I⁷, Oliver Luck⁸, Jeff Hostetler⁹. That type of uh, Marc Bulger. More the other two, the first two¹⁰. Major Harris¹¹. I think Geno can be those kind of guys in that kind of offense¹². Multiple¹³.

“Run the quarterback draw. Run a little option. Run a little bit of quarterback here and there. But don’t specifically make him the main ball-carrier¹⁴. That make sense?

“So to answer that, he’s not a runner, he’s not a thrower. He’s a tweener¹⁵.”

And breathe. Let’s tiptoe through the footnotes.

1. That’s absolutely the case. From the day they are considered worthy of setting foot on a college campus, quarterbacks are essentially classified as one or the other … or both. Look at the recruiting services. They evaluate pro-style quarterbacks and dual-threat quarterbacks and that means there’s also room for running quarterbacks.

Then again, it’s a necessity because college offenses vary and there is a need and a home for all three.

2. Also absolutely true. As a sophomore not yet two years removed from a Parade Magazine all-America honor, Smith is No. 34 nationally and No. 3 in the Big East in passer efficiency and No. 55 nationally and No. 2 in the conference in total offense.

He’s thrown and completed more passes than anyone in the Big East — meaning he’s been asked to do a lot — and only Cincinnati’s Zach Collaros is responsible for more points among Big East players.

I’d say “pretty good” is pretty fair.

3. Yes, a lot. And we’ve been cautioned against aggrandizing the young man … though to no avail.

4. Actually, he just completed his eighth start and is set to make his ninth. All together, he’s played in 13 games in one-plus seasons now. This is just for clarity.

5. Don’t mind if I do. On the surface, Stewart suggests Smith will have a very good career growing and playing in the offense present at WVU. That said, I don’t think it’s a reach to read that or listen to or witness Stewart say that and not assume he is perhaps thinking on another level.

Given the current situation at WVU, Stewart’s future is, at the very least, subject to speculation. A large part of that is because of the results on the field. Some recent trouble is indeed the product of quarterback play and the errors of youth. A young quarterback will grow, though, and there are many young parts around him.

From this you could logically ascertain that, if given the chance, Stewart believes this quarterback and his teammates in this offense can really prosper in the future.

This is not to say Stewart was campaining or defending … but you can certainly take that any way you want to take it.

6. That’s what he said … but really, do round pegs fit in square holes, either? Nope!

7. Standard type of offense and, apparently, suited for Eu. At the very least, its multiplicity provides many options to utilize.

8. The WVU A.D. was a versatile quarterback who ran an awful lot in his career — and sometimes by necessity behind a shaky offensive line. It’s in the genes!

I’m suddenly worried this was too.

9. The former Super Bowl champion wasn’t as prolific a runner, but he did his part in that part of the offense.

10. Marc was not a runner. He totaled minus-327 yards in his career and was at his very best in the pocket. I’m glad Stewart tried to ammend this, though, and the point, despite the slight deviation, remains Stewart believes Geno is better off using his arm and not his feet.

11. … now I’m a little confused. Major was a gifted runner and he was asked to do it a lot. The offense was, in large part, framed around his legs and what he could do on the go. Maybe Geno is to take a sliver of this?

12. No pressure, Eu! Be like Luck. And Hoss. And Bulger. And the Major!

13.  I’d say.

14. Use the quarterback run as a changeup, a jab, a slight-of-hand to keep the defense honest and thus create more opportunities for his passing.

15. College quarterbacks, and perhaps young ones more than veteran ones, can be classified as a runner or a thrower and aren’t immediately given a chance to prove to be one or the other or even both. It takes time and WVU, in this offense, which will be multiple and tailored to Eu’s strengths, will ask the quarterback to run to throw and, on occasion, to throw to run. As such, Smith is neither a runner or a thrower, but a player capable of both. Time will prove this.