When a team sits one quarterback down, it is usually thanks to an injury or because he was benched for poor play. However, instances of two-quarterback play may have occurred more often than one might think—especially in recent history.
As recently as last season, defending champion Ohio State entered the season with a similar conundrum.
Cardale Jones had just three games under his belt as a starter, including a dazzling performance in the 2014 national championship game. He had replaced the injured J.T. Barrett who had previously taken over for Braxton Miller.
Head coach Urban Meyer had a tough decision to make at the start of the 2015 season. All three players were healthy and arguably had the talent to start for any team in the country.
Miller switched positions to wide receiver and Jones and Barrett both saw significant time at quarterback, even though things were sometimes not pretty.
A three point loss late in the season to Michigan State ultimately derailed its chances to repeat as champions, although an argument could be made that the team still deserved to be in the College Football Playoff mix.
Prior to that, Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees filled a role similar to a closer in baseball. He spelled quarterback Everett Golson after an injury in one game and some ineffective play in another to grind out some big wins during its 2012 run to the national championship.
Meyer had another two quarterback situation at his previous coaching stop in Florida.
Tim Tebow had a storied collegiate career at Florida, but many may not remember that he was the second option on the 2006 championship team, which was led by Chris Leak.
Tebow, a freshman that season, was brought in frequently in short yardage situations for his running ability and his knack for using a patented jump pass, especially around the goal line.
Although New Mexico may not be in the in the same elite conversations with national championship ties, a conference title may not be out of the question.
The team actually had a shot to win the Mountain West last season, controlling its own destiny with two home games remaining. Although the Lobos won the regular season finale against Air Force, it could not grind out a win the previous week over Colorado State and finished with a 5-3 conference record.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Air Force won the division at 6-2 and lost to San Diego State in the conference championship game.
The Lobos will look to improve on that record, and take the next step with whoever is taking the snap.
Head coach Bob Davie said whoever does or doesn’t start isn’t a concern for him. The nature of the sport dictates that it will likely take the effort of the entire roster to be successful.
“It’s a team across the board—the way we do things, the way we practice,” he said.
Davie said he loves the term “position battle,” but it could yield good or bad results depending on how the players handle it. The relationship between the quarterbacks seems to be anything but adversarial; in fact they seem to embrace the idea of helping each other.
“We’re just trying to make each other better,” Lamar Jordan said. “We both want to see each other succeed.”
Jordan said he just wants the team to ride the hot hand and pick up the victory, no matter who is playing quarterback.
The defense may also benefit from seeing multiple looks from quarterbacks with contrasting styles. Jordan said he thinks the defense is pretty much seeing everything they will encounter throughout the season.
Some challenges to the two-quarterback philosophy might include building momentum, but it is something the QB’s have worked to improve.
Austin Apodaca said it is sometimes hard to get into a rhythm, but at this point they are pretty used to coming in and out at any given time. The key is to make the most of the reps they get.
“Once our number gets called, we’re going in there and doing our best and help move the offense,” he said.
Jordan said Davie sometimes refers to the quarterbacks as a three-headed monster. The third head is JaJuan Lawson, who has received a fair amount of reps during practice as well.
Davie seemed to welcome the idea of having the dilemma of more than one healthy quarterback who can make plays. The key right now is having all those weapons healthy and ready for the season opener on Sept. 1.
