Photo by: Tim Cowie/DavidsonPhotos.com
Colosimo Leads Wildcats Into FCS Playoffs
11/26/2021 8:05:00 AM | Football
To lead coach Scott Abell's Davidson offense, you don't have to be born an option quarterback. You can grow into one. Louis Colosimo is proof of that.
He wasn't, and he has.
Having won the Pioneer Football League for the second time this calendar year, the Wildcats enter their second straight FCS Playoffs Saturday at Kennesaw State guided by Colosimo, Davidson's only fifth-year senior. A product of Pro and Spread style offenses prior to college, he's now the embodiment of the unique shotgun triple-option attack Abell brought with him four years ago.
"He's a quarterback that has molded his skill set to run our option game, and we've now molded it to fit some of what he does best," says Abell, who has led Davidson to a 26-14 record, including 8-2 this year.
Colosimo is a first-year starter, who watched and learned as his close friend Tyler Phelps successfully orchestrated the same offense the past three seasons. He occasionally stepped in as a backup when needed, setting his mind to be ready when called upon, and his time came this year.
"It's always awesome to see that happen," says Abell, who is also the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach. "He worked, he waited, he was patient and he took advantage of it when he got it."
New Offense
Two designed runs and a scramble.
That's how many times Colosimo ran the football as a high school senior quarterback at Florida's Braden River High.
In comparison, he carried the football on three straight plays to start a drive in last Saturday's 45-14 win over Drake. He broke the team's longest run of the season — until Bernard Turner, Jr., ran for 72 yards against Drake — on Oct. 16 against Presbyterian, scoring on a 71-yard run.
On an option play to the left, he found a seam, tucked the ball and angled back to his right, through the midfield logo and toward the front pylon on the home side of Richardson Stadium.
"I remember cutting back and seeing green grass," he says.
For a moment, Colosimo thought he'd score easily. Then, he thought he'd be caught by PC defensive back Tyriek Johnson.
"I think if I had 10 more yards to go, he probably would have hawked me down," says Colosimo. "That's why I dove at the end."
Through 10 games, Colosimo is rushing for a whopping 7.1 yards per carry, totaling 434 yards on 61 carries.
His pre-snap reads and in-play decision-making — whether to hand off the ball, keep it or pitch it — might not have their own categories in the box score, but it's all evident, right along with the push the line gets up front, in how effectively the offense moves. The Wildcats average 5.8 yards per carry as a team and 460.6 yards of total offense per game.
Colosimo has a collection of backs and slots to call on, from Dylan Sparks and Coy Williams up the middle to Aris Hilliard and Eli Turner Jr., around the end.
"They're all uber-talented," says Colosimo. "They're all incredibly talented and so good at what we do now. But I think the biggest thing that comes to mind is just how unselfish they are. There's just no ego about who gets more carries and that kind of thing."
Success of the offense also hinges on how efficiently Colosimo passes, and he's completed 61.2 percent of his attempts (63-of-103) for 953 yards and 11 scores.
"This is not an easy offense to run when you're making decisions on every play, whether you're throwing it or running it, and he's just handled it tremendously," says Abell.
'Cool, calm, collected'
There's more to a quarterback's job, of course, than taking the snap and distributing the football. And this is where Abell has seen Colosimo's leadership qualities and demeanor set the tone.
"He's never too high, never too low," says Abell. "He's pretty cool, calm and collected. He doesn't get down on his teammates, he doesn't get down on himself. He recognizes when he makes mistakes and moves on. And he's confident that he can fix what just happened. He's never frustrated. That's really important."
Colosimo's past has set up his present, and his future is bright as well. He has already secured a job for next year, working for Ally Financial in its Charlotte-based corporate finance office. He'll start work in July, alongside teammate Cade Vela.
But first, there's more football to play, and it's enough to get even a calm guy excited. The Wildcats are back in the FCS Playoffs, a place Abell says they wouldn't be without No. 5.
"I think it'll be a great atmosphere for sure," says Colosimo. "We're going to have to play a great game, but the team mindset is in a great place."
He wasn't, and he has.
Having won the Pioneer Football League for the second time this calendar year, the Wildcats enter their second straight FCS Playoffs Saturday at Kennesaw State guided by Colosimo, Davidson's only fifth-year senior. A product of Pro and Spread style offenses prior to college, he's now the embodiment of the unique shotgun triple-option attack Abell brought with him four years ago.
"He's a quarterback that has molded his skill set to run our option game, and we've now molded it to fit some of what he does best," says Abell, who has led Davidson to a 26-14 record, including 8-2 this year.
Colosimo is a first-year starter, who watched and learned as his close friend Tyler Phelps successfully orchestrated the same offense the past three seasons. He occasionally stepped in as a backup when needed, setting his mind to be ready when called upon, and his time came this year.
"It's always awesome to see that happen," says Abell, who is also the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach. "He worked, he waited, he was patient and he took advantage of it when he got it."
New Offense
Two designed runs and a scramble.
That's how many times Colosimo ran the football as a high school senior quarterback at Florida's Braden River High.
In comparison, he carried the football on three straight plays to start a drive in last Saturday's 45-14 win over Drake. He broke the team's longest run of the season — until Bernard Turner, Jr., ran for 72 yards against Drake — on Oct. 16 against Presbyterian, scoring on a 71-yard run.
On an option play to the left, he found a seam, tucked the ball and angled back to his right, through the midfield logo and toward the front pylon on the home side of Richardson Stadium.
"I remember cutting back and seeing green grass," he says.
For a moment, Colosimo thought he'd score easily. Then, he thought he'd be caught by PC defensive back Tyriek Johnson.
"I think if I had 10 more yards to go, he probably would have hawked me down," says Colosimo. "That's why I dove at the end."
Through 10 games, Colosimo is rushing for a whopping 7.1 yards per carry, totaling 434 yards on 61 carries.
His pre-snap reads and in-play decision-making — whether to hand off the ball, keep it or pitch it — might not have their own categories in the box score, but it's all evident, right along with the push the line gets up front, in how effectively the offense moves. The Wildcats average 5.8 yards per carry as a team and 460.6 yards of total offense per game.
Colosimo has a collection of backs and slots to call on, from Dylan Sparks and Coy Williams up the middle to Aris Hilliard and Eli Turner Jr., around the end.
"They're all uber-talented," says Colosimo. "They're all incredibly talented and so good at what we do now. But I think the biggest thing that comes to mind is just how unselfish they are. There's just no ego about who gets more carries and that kind of thing."
Success of the offense also hinges on how efficiently Colosimo passes, and he's completed 61.2 percent of his attempts (63-of-103) for 953 yards and 11 scores.
"This is not an easy offense to run when you're making decisions on every play, whether you're throwing it or running it, and he's just handled it tremendously," says Abell.
'Cool, calm, collected'
There's more to a quarterback's job, of course, than taking the snap and distributing the football. And this is where Abell has seen Colosimo's leadership qualities and demeanor set the tone.
"He's never too high, never too low," says Abell. "He's pretty cool, calm and collected. He doesn't get down on his teammates, he doesn't get down on himself. He recognizes when he makes mistakes and moves on. And he's confident that he can fix what just happened. He's never frustrated. That's really important."
Colosimo's past has set up his present, and his future is bright as well. He has already secured a job for next year, working for Ally Financial in its Charlotte-based corporate finance office. He'll start work in July, alongside teammate Cade Vela.
But first, there's more football to play, and it's enough to get even a calm guy excited. The Wildcats are back in the FCS Playoffs, a place Abell says they wouldn't be without No. 5.
"I think it'll be a great atmosphere for sure," says Colosimo. "We're going to have to play a great game, but the team mindset is in a great place."
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