LOS ANGELES — Jeremy Bates plans on checking out the Chicago Bears’ game against Green Bay on Sunday to see what happens with his old star pupil with the Broncos, Jay Cutler, now with the Bears.
Bates, the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach last year, is the new assistant head coach of the offense and quarterbacks coach for third-ranked Southern California. He’s also the only football person around who hasn’t expressed an opinion about what happened to Cutler.
In a way, you can’t blame him. Shortly after new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels jettisoned Mike Shana- han’s old staff, including Bates, Pete Carroll asked him to help guide one of the most potent offenses in college football.
Why look back at the Broncos’ past when you have such a bright present? After a practice at USC this week, he was all smiles. It was a postcard-perfect California morning, he was preparing for the biggest game of the week in college football, at Ohio State on Saturday night, and he had a true freshman quarterback to get ready.
Want to spoil Jeremy Bates’ disposition, people? Bring up the Broncos.
“So what do you miss about Denver?” he was asked.
“I’m not going to get involved with that,” he said. “I had a great experience. It was a great three years and I enjoyed everything Mr. (Pat) Bowlen allowed me to do and Coach Shanahan. It’s a great town.”
“Everybody had a reaction to what happened to Cutler. What was yours?”
“Again, that’s in the past. Right now I’m dealing with an 18-year-old freshman quarterback.”
“Talked to Jay?”
“Yeah. I’ll definitely watch him and check scores out Sunday.”
“Any advice for Brandon Marshall?”
“I’m a great Brandon Marshall fan. He’s a great football player on Sunday. I’m pulling for him.”
Keep in mind, Carroll did not hire Bates for his quippy quotes. He’s the son of longtime NFL assistant Jim Bates and acts it, both in meetings and interviews. Carroll has entrusted this baby-faced 33-year-old to develop Matt Barkley, the first true freshman quarterback to start a USC opener.
Only USC’s seven consecutive Pac-10 titles and Carroll’s legacy are on the line.
“He’s helped tremendously,” Carroll said. “It’s been really refreshing to have a new look at really the same stuff. He’s run the same offense we run — a tremendous percentage of it — and to have his viewpoint and his toughness and the demands he’s placed on himself and expectations to perform and execute has helped us.”
Bates wasn’t out of work long. It didn’t hurt having Cutler, fresh off his first Pro Bowl, hope publicly that McDaniels would keep Bates on the staff. Turns out, McDaniels kept neither.
So, instead of coaching Cutler, Bates is calling plays next to Carroll, with offensive coordinator John Morton giving input from the press box. They both are replacing Steve Sarkisian, now the Washington Huskies’ head coach.
Keeping it simple, Bates guided Barkley to a terrific debut: 15-of-19 for 233 yards and a TD in last Saturday’s 56-3 rout of San Jose State. How much has Bates helped Barkley?
“I don’t know where to begin,” Barkley said. “He’s helped tremendously in a lot of areas. Just approaching the game a little differently and checking the ball down. I’m glad he came. I’m glad he’s a Trojan. I’m looking forward to doing this thing together.”
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
Today’s games
BIG 12
Iowa at Iowa St., 10 a.m.
Arkansas St. at Nebraska, noon
Houston at Okla. St., 1:30 p.m.
Texas at Wyoming, 1:30 p.m.
Idaho St. at Oklahoma, 5 p.m.
Bowl. Green at Missouri, 5 p.m.
Rice at Texas Tech, 5 p.m.
Kan. St. at La.-Lafayette, 5 p.m.
Kansas at UTEP, 5:30 p.m.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Texas at Wyoming, 1:30 p.m.
BYU at Tulane, 1:30 p.m.
TCU at Virginia, 1:30 p.m.
Weber St. at Colorado St., 3 p.m.
Air Force at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Tulsa at New Mexico, 6 p.m.
S. Utah at S. Diego St., 6:30 p.m.
Utah at San Jose St., 8:30 p.m.
Oregon St. at UNLV, 9 p.m.
RMAC
Western St. at Neb.-Kearney, 11 a.m.
Adams State at Chadron St., noon
Colo. Mines at W. New Mexico, noon
Mesa State at N.M. Highlands, 1 p.m.
Fort Lewis at CSU-Pueblo, 6 p.m.
