Head coach Kevin Wilson and his offensive staff are still looking for a quarterback to take command of the starting job. He confirmed after practice Thursday that sophomores Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker and freshman Tre Roberson are distancing themselves from the rest and are taking the majority of the reps.
Both offensive coordinators (Kevin Johns and Rod Smith), along with Wilson, are hoping to see much more consistency from the quarterback position. Wilson believes it to be much more mental than physical, as the QBs still are getting used to the alignments and coverage.
Junior running back Darius Willis was in uniform for Thursday's practice, but his role remained limited and it is still unclear when Willis will serve his one-game suspension and what his role will be in the backfield this season.
Wilson pointed out that it is a four-man race in the backfield at the moment: freshman D'Angelo Roberts and sophomore transfer Stephen Houston are pulling their weight, while redshirt freshman Matt Perez - one of the strongest players on the team - and speedy sophomore Nick Turner complement each other well.
Coaches want to see the offensive players - especially at running back - hold onto the ball more securely.
"That's the quickest way to lose games," Wilson said. "Most games are lost more than won, and the quickest way to lose it is laying the ball on the ground."
The team will scrimmage on Saturday, and Wilson would like to see:
1.) The defense "fly to the football,"
2.) The offense move off the line of scrimmage quickly,
3.) The team play with speed,
4.) The offense take care of the ball and
5.) The players "tackle and knock the crap out of each other"
