Following in the footsteps of a brother, a former Heisman candidate, is hard enough, but stepping onto the same field he played on may be even harder.
Idaho quarterback Michael Harrington watched big brother Joey Harrington lead the Ducks to a Fiesta Bowl victory and a No. 2 national ranking.
And Saturday, he will step on the field at Autzen Stadium as a starting quarterback for the first time. It will be the first time a Harrington has started at quarterback in Eugene since Joey did so in the Civil War game in 2001.
Quarterback, Idaho Vandals
It won’t be the first time the younger Harrington has played at Autzen. In 2002, as a redshirt freshman, he came off the bench to a loud cheer and completed two of four passes for 15 yards.
“I know the last time he was in the stadium, he got more applause than us. He’s a good kid, and we welcome anyone into our stadium,” senior linebacker Jerry Matson said.
Unfortunately for Michael, his team hasn’t had the type of success Joey’s had. The Vandals have a 5-22 record since he’s been at Idaho.
But statistically, Michael and Joey are surprisingly close at the same points in their careers — they are relatively close on completion percentage and yards thrown.
Michael has had more trouble with interceptions than Joey had early on, but that may be due to Michael’s extensive play as a freshman, when he threw six interceptions in 57 attempts.
Idaho head coach Nick Holt said Harrington’s maneuverability is the biggest component of his game, and his adaptability is crucial to running a single-back offense and assisting a new head coach.
“Michael had a good spring, and he continued to improve over the summer,” Holt said. “I’m expecting him to provide really good team leadership.”
Michael and Joey attended Central Catholic High School in Portland, and Michael was the starting quarterback for two-plus years. He threw for 2,900 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing 61 percent of his passes during his senior year.
During Joey’s senior year in high school, he threw for 2,151 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 55 percent of his passes.
