IT'S a nickname that's bound to catch on around the country, in newspaper articles and in broadcast booths as this quarterback's reputation grows. Arceneaux's star rising in Salt Lake City
"Honolulu Houdini."
Credit Salt Lake Tribune sportswriter Dick Rosetta. He used it to describe Darnell Arceneaux's late-season heroics against Rice and Brigham Young in the last two weeks - his only two starts of the season.
As those of us who saw Arceneaux work his elusive magic for St. Louis in three straight Prep Bowls (1993-95) know, the name fits.
Like Harry Houdini, the legendary early-20th century escape artist, Arceneaux is a quarterback who's made a career out of flirting with complete disaster, only to emerge with the upper hand.
Arceneaux, a redshirt freshman - who at 6-foot-2, 195 is about 25 pounds more powerful than he was as a Crusader - gave University of Utah fans something to cheer about and hope for in an otherwise disappointing season. In fact, he gave them a ton of hope.
He threw for 176 yards and ran for 63 - including two touchdowns - in a 20-14 victory over Brigham Young at the Cougars' stadium last weekend.
(Do I hear sighs of envy in the background?)
THIS followed by one week his three-touchdown job (two passing, one rushing) in a 31-14 win against Rice.
Just as he did in coming off the bench in the 1993 Prep Bowl as a fragile-looking sophomore to turn the momentum against Kahuku, Arceneaux stunned onlookers with his poised debut for Utah.
"I'm trying to show people I can play at this level," said Arceneaux last night in a classic understatement. "I've gotten a lot stronger - especially my legs."
Philosophically, he's the same quarterback he was at St. Louis.
"I'm trying to keep the teams off balance - from knowing what defense to call - making them wonder if I'm going to run or pass. BYU and Rice didn't know what to do."
Arceneaux is the kind of quarterback who can turn the blitz into a Looney Toons cartoon.
There aren't many in Salt Lake City right now who doubt that Arceneaux will be the Utes' premier signal caller for the foreseeable future. He has clearly upstaged - though apologetically - Foothill Junior College transfer Jonathan Crosswhite, the ill-chosen starter for most of the season.
SUDDENLY, Arceneaux's life is a lot less private. He is being besieged for autographs when he dines out. After vanquishing BYU in such creative fashion, he was even mentioned in the same breath with the Cougars' sacred roll of signal callers
There was this paragraph from Rosetta's column:
"After so many seasons of witnessing the electrifying blue of Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco, Ty Detmer, John Walsh and Steve Sarkisian, the Beehive landscape is today illuminated by the crimson of the Honolulu Houdini."
Maybe a "Honolulu Houdini" T-shirt with No. 14 on it would sell well in Salt Lake City. Maybe it would sell here.
"I might not be the best quarterback but I will never let my teammates think we can't win a game," Arceneaux said.
"I'll be home for the Prep Bowl," he added. "I'll probably be down on the field (sidelines), and I can't wait to talk to the guys about playing their hearts out against Waianae."
He's also going to be there for his little brother, Anthony, a junior wide receiver for the Crusaders.
And, one more thing, he'll be doing some recruiting.