From today's Salt Lake Tribune:
BYU football: Battle is on for No. 2With Hall entrenched as the starting quarterback, the backup spot is up for grabs
By Rhiannon Potkey
The Salt Lake Tribune
PROVO - There are very few hours that go by when Brandon Doman doesn't mention it at least once.
During drills, during meals, during meetings.
The Brigham Young quarterbacks coach lets the statistic easily slip through his lips whenever he's around his players. "Sixty percent of the time, your starting quarterback is going to get hurt," Doman reminds them.
With so many starters returning, the fiercest battles on offense during BYU's spring practices have been for the backup spots, and the biggest priority is finding a No. 2 quarterback.
Brenden Gaskins and Kurt McEuen are the primary contenders to step in immediately should Max Hall be sidelined, while returning missionary Stephen Covey is still getting up to speed.
"Those guys are competing like crazy to solidify that spot and it isn't a given for any of them," Doman said. "Right now, they have a battle on their hands, and that is the bottom line. Whoever wants the backup job worse and is efficient enough to execute in practice is going to get it."
Gaskins was Hall's backup last season, and completed two passes for 31 yards in mostly mop-up duty.
Having to earn that designation again is something Gaskins isn't taking for granted.
"If they tell me it's up for the taking, I have to take it and do whatever I can to show I deserve the spot," he said. "That is what I want to do and I am willing to work hard to do it."
McEuen has viewed every snap he gets under center running BYU's plays as if they were taking place on Saturdays in the fall.
"For me, it's just a matter of when I do get a few opportunities team-on-team to perform well and be consistent," McEuen said. "All of our goals are to be our very best, and being the next guy behind Max is the next step for me and really my biggest motivation."
Hall believes the quarterbacks push each other to improve no matter their standing in the rotation.
"It's a good group, and all of us work hard together and have fun together," Hall said. "For those guys, it's just a matter of getting that experience and finally getting a chance with team reps. That is important, and I think everyone is getting better."
While McEuen will be a sophomore next season and is a year behind Hall, Gaskins is in the same class as BYU's incumbent starter.
Gaskins realizes if Hall remains healthy and productive, he may never get any valuable minutes during games. But it's a sacrifice he's willing to make.
"If I never play a down it's worth being a part of what is going on here," Gaskins said. "There is tradition here we are carrying on and it's not just the guys on the field, it's everyone who is a part of the program and that is what keeps us going."
Although Hall has a high pain tolerance - he played against Utah with a separated shoulder - Doman never lets his backups forget that 60-percent statistic.
After all, he is living proof. He ascended to the starting job at BYU in 2000 when Bret Engemann and Charlie Peterson went down with injuries.
"Backups are really just starters in waiting," Doman said. "You have to perform and play as good as the starter because you just never know."
Here's the link to the article: www.sltrib.com/ci_8779537?source=rss
