Let me be clear. Before the season started, I was in the “Chris Brown” camp. “Team Chris” seemed to have more upside than “Team Dano,” more poise than “Team Tanner,” and more explosiveness than “Team Vince.”

While Cal Poly head football coach Tim Walsh ultimately chose Vince Moraga, the more savvy veteran, the perception was that all four potential starting quarterbacks were very close. When Moraga went down to a knee injury, the theory fans were told to operate under was that Brown and Graves were close enough that, on some level, it shouldn’t matter that much who was in there.

After Moraga got hurt, Brown decent until the Yale game. Graves looked solid until the Montana game. Trosin has looked good in limited mop-up action. Brown looked great the last two weeks. Round and round we’ve gone — the door wide open for armchair coaches to criticize and second-guess coaches’ decisions about who should play the most important position on the field.

Chris Brown has established himself as the best quarterback Cal Poly has. By Owen Main

Throughout the year, we have maintained the de facto premise that all the quarterbacks are still very close in what they can bring to the table. This week, they were close enough in the minds of the coaching staff that Chris Brown at less than 100 percent meant that going with Dano Graves was the best option. Brown rushed for a program record (for a quarterback) 195 yards and three touchdowns in Davis, then threw four touchdown passes last week in a big win over Sacramento State, a team who beat Cal Poly last year in Sacramento. But he was hurt this week, so he didn’t start.

Instead, Dano Graves did. Graves, who transferred into the program after last season, has looked slippery at times, running the ball decently and generally taking care of the ball. He has been able to move the ball some. But it has been nothing like Brown, especially against tougher opponents. With Brown not starting, I figured Trosin would probably be the number two quarterback. If Brown could play at all, I thought, he would be in the game after the last two weeks he’s had.

So, when the Mustangs only scored three points in the first half, despite multiple opportunities and great field position, I thought Walsh might make a move. Yes, it would be uncharacteristic for him to make a change that quickly, but down 14-3 to the number-three team in the country might have called for a little shake-up. Instead, Graves stayed in. Here’s how the third quarter went for Cal Poly:

* EWU six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive (21-3)

* Mustangs run six plays, gain 16 yards in under three minutes, and punt. The punt goes 21 yards

* EWU five-play, 70-yard touchdown drive with a second-string quarterback (28-3)

* Graves drives Cal Poly to the EWU 40 yard line, but is intercepted. Again, a six-play drive, taking up less than 2:00.

* EWU five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive for their final score of the game. The score was 35-3, in favor of the Eagles.

* Graves and the Mustangs again drive a little. Graves is again picked-off — his third of the game.

After Eastern Washington punted, Cal Poly got the ball back at the 50. Three plays later, the Mustangs were punting, again unable to move the ball.

When Cal Poly got the ball back, Chris Brown, not Tanner Trosin, was the quarterback and things changed quickly for the Cal Poly offense. Brown led three consecutive touchdown drives in the quarter, running the option to perfection. He showed-off his best-on-the-team speed, long-striding for a 47 yard run. He showed his best-on-the-team arm, going 4-7 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown. He showed his good decision-making, committing zero turnovers. Brown put guys in position to make plays, and they did.

Maybe it was against a bunch of EWU second-stringers. Maybe the visiting third-ranked team in the country let down after going up 35-3. We saw at Fresno State what can happen when a good team takes their foot off the gas pedal too quickly. But, at this point in the year, with the information I have, I don’t care. Chris Brown has to be the guy. For this year and, for my money, to start next year.

The premise that the quarterback options are still so close has, at this point, been busted. I’m not saying that Graves is that bad. Maybe he’s not, but Brown seems to really be that good. At this point, Brown is good enough that he can take limited reps, be a little hurt, and still be effective. He has done enough to be the guy. When his health is “borderline,” like he was today, he has earned the right to give it a try. It’s a luxury that Graves was afforded at Montana, where he admitted he could barely stay upright for much of the second half with an injury. If Graves is allowed to stay in under those circumstances, why wasn’t Brown starting?

Brown will make some mistakes, I think we’ve always known this. But if the alternative to Brown is an offense that is held to three points over three quarters, I’ll take a few mistakes as a fan — and the learning that goes with them. All four remaining candidates for next year’s starting position — as of now, they’ll all be back — have something going for them. But Brown has put himself head and shoulders above the others. We have more information now than we did at the beginning of the year about all of these players. Eleven games have been played. Five quarterbacks have been used. Brown has started five games, Graves four, and Moraga two. Decisions need to be made based on that information, not on a stale premise established at the beginning of the year.

If my calculations are correct (and it’s possible they aren’t), Andre Broadous threw five interceptions in 28 games where he threw a pass. To expect that out of any quarterback isn’t realistic. Cal Poly does have a talented quarterback who has proven himself better than the rest. Perhaps Broadous spoiled everyone over the past few seasons, but if we are still searching for the next Andre Broadous, we’ll be looking for an awfully long time.

For now, Brown is the best Cal Poly’s got, and even though there is only one game remaining, he needs to be given the reins of the Mustangs offense. If there is one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s how things can be offensively when the starters are different week-to-week.

By the Numbers:

PASSING

RUSHING

Photos by Owen Main

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

Earlier this week, as first reported by JD Scroggin of the Tribune, Cal Poly football coach Tim Walsh put a halt to the four-man scramble that was the Mustangs’ quarterback competition, naming Vince Moraga the starter.

Walsh: Moraga 'gets keys to car, can't crash it twice.' | #CPQB #BigSkyFB http://t.co/1qjqS4n9fx @VinceM_06 @vcspreps

— Joshua D. Scroggin (@SLOcollegebeat) August 20, 2013

Moraga, who got some playing time last year as the backup, beat out three other younger, less experienced players in Dano Graves, Chris Brown, and Tanner Trosin and will start the team’s opener vs. San Diego in a few weeks.

Junior Vince Moraga will be under center in Cal Poly’s triple option offense for the season opener August 31. By Owen Main

What does it mean?

Walsh said that it wasn’t just the scrimmage and game situations that the coaching staff looked at when making the decision. Moraga has the most experience, is a fifth-year Junior, and is the safest pick of the four.

Why it isn’t the sexy pick.

Moraga was as close to a known commodity as Wash had.

But the unknown is always the sexiest. Raw upside is tantalizing, and several of the players in the running have undeniable physical tools. From watching the limited number of practices I have and the spring game, Moraga is not the tallest, strongest, or fastest of the four options Walsh and offensive coordinator Saga Tuitele evaluated. For them though he was the best pick.

What Moraga does have, is knowledge of the offense, the ability to read a defense, and a real idea about what his job is. Like a basketball point guard, he prides himself on putting his playmakers in positions to be successful. He has a comfort-level with the offense and a maturity that may have set him apart in the minds of the coaches.

PHOTOS FROM LAST SATURDAY’S SCRIMMAGE

The door isn’t slammed shut…

Walsh said that whoever was his quarterback at the beginning, they would continue to have to compete and perform. In the Tribune article, the coach said, “You have the keys to the car, drive it. But if you wreck it twice, I’m not going to keep giving you the keys. He has to play well.”

After the scrimmage, I asked Walsh about the possibility of using more than one guy. Perhaps he was just humoring me, but he put it in the realm of possibility, especially if there were two guys who were equally reliable.

Multiple quarterbacks is far from his ideal, but Walsh’s take that practice hasn’t dropped-off no matter who was under center throughout camp may give him confidence in a second quarterback should he choose/need to use another one.

But,

Does that mean Walsh will have a quick trigger? History says no. Having a clear quarterback and sticking with that guy is something Walsh puts value in. So is maturity.

Moraga will get the most reps in practice during next few weeks and will get the “keys to the car” vs. San Diego. After that, it will be interesting to see how things go in back-to-back games against FBS teams. A successful first three weeks could squash additional controversy or heat it up leading up to the Big Sky conference opener Thursday, September 26 at Portland State.

Vince Moraga (15) is the most experienced of Cal Poly’s four quarterbacks competing for the starting role in 2013. By Owen Main

I should have known better. The actual quarterback battle couldn’t have lived up to the anticipation. I built up the hype in my mind and in my posts, only to be let-down.

On Saturday afternoon, Cal Poly’s football team capped off five weeks of spring practice with its annual Spring Game at Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The game was supposed to be a chance for four quarterbacks to show head coach Tim Walsh what they could do. It was going to be a high-level battle, and someone was supposed to come out the clear favorite. At least we’d have a little more of an idea.

Instead, only three of the four played and the offense looked generally sloppy throughout. Cal Poly’s top seven offensive linemen did not play, and the game left more questions than it gave answers.

For more photos from the Spring Game, visit our Facebook page and “LIKE” it.

Sam Holquin catches the first touchdown of the Spring Game from Tanner Trosin. By Owen Main

So, who did impress at quarterback?

Three guys got time on Saturday. Vince Moraga started the game. The Junior from Oxnard is clearly the most comfortable when it comes to hiding the ball, footwork on misdirection running plays, and general knowledge of the offense. Moraga’s early drives stalled relatively quickly. Moraga did manage a touchdown drive ending in a 16 yard pass to Carson McMurtrey in the “second half,” one of only two touchdown drives Cal Poly managed all day.

“I’m really comfortable with our offense as a whole,” said Moraga. “I know what we’re trying to do when we’re out there on the field. I’m really poised and there’s nothing really that I’m going to see that I don’t know when it comes to defenses, so I feel like that’s my upside.”

The second quarterback on the field was Tanner Trosin. Trosin, a redshirt freshman from Folsom High School, came into the game as the team’s best pure passer. Trosin did not disappoint in this regard, moving the pocket, showing poise, and finding open receivers. Trosin found Sam Holquin for the game’s first touchdown, the only one of the first half. His drives seemed to offer the most dynamic attack, though a guy who can scramble and find open guys down-field doing well makes sense for a team with a limited offensive line.

The third quarterback who played on Saturday was Dano Graves. Graves, a transfer from Air Force, might be the best pure runner out of the three who competed. He doesn’t have a lot of height to pass over linemen, but he showed shiftiness and proved difficult to bring down with the first hit. His ability to get to and turn the corner was by far the best. I don’t think Graves will be able to be judged properly until he plays with first-string linemen in front of him. That being said, I could see him getting some snaps as both a slotback and quarterback. Cal Poly has a need for probably an additional slotback to get 10-15 carries per game and having him at either position would definitely put the opposition on their heels.

To see a successful version of a split between Graves and one of the other three quarterbacks, you can look at Sam Houston State last season. The Bearkats split two quarterbacks successfully during the season and ended up in the FCS Championship. Other teams like Eastern Washington also had success in a two-quarterback system. It may not be Walsh’s ideal, but with the talent he has, Cal Poly’s head coach may not have a choice.

In high school, Trosin and Graves played on the same team. Now, they find themselves competing for the same quarterback position in college.

“We’re cool,” said Trosin. “I’ve known him for a long time… we like competition, especially with each other… . “This is a first for me. It’s cool to experience a four-man battle so I don’t know how to view it, just go out there and play your best and see where that takes you.”

Walsh talked about getting spoiled by his senior quarterback last year.

“I was telling somebody that you have Andre Broadous for three years and you start taking things that he does for granted,” said head coach Tim Walsh. “This made for some eye opening for our coaches that we have some things that we really need to tighten down on as far as the fundamentals and how to play the triple option part of the game… We have a lot of things that we still need to clean up, but when you get an opportunity to play 110 plays, you’re going to learn a lot.”

Walsh had some good things to say about each candidate after the game too.

“Tanner improved,” he said. “Dano showed that he’s kind of a tough, honery little guy in there too, and I think Vince moved around real well and I think Vince made some good throws that ended up not being touchdowns that probably should have been… . Again, I think if we combined them all we have a great player.”

Kevin Porsche (34) and Kori Garcia are competing for playing time at slot back. By Owen Main

Is there a frontrunner?

Walsh started to say Trosin won the day, though he would not commit to anything being set at this point. He talked about needing to settle things probably during the first week of practice in the Fall.

There are lots of problems with that strategy, but I don’t think Walsh has any choice in the matter at this point. Nobody separated themselves enough to be the clear favorite going into Fall camp. Trosin was the closest, but Walsh wasn’t ready to crown him yet.

As for the quarterback competition itself, the players are putting being teammates first.

“Behind the scenes, we’re all brothers, so we have each others’ back,” said Moraga. “When we’re out there on the practice field it’s not too much of a competition. We’re correcting each other and we’re picking each other up, so I’m getting used to it.”

Offensive lineman matter. Especially in large groups.

Holy cow. The sloppiness of this game was baffling to me at first. I thought with so much on the line for each quarterback, everyone would be at their best. Then I realized that the second or third-team offensive linemen were going up against the first team defense at the beginning. Then I was told that the top-seven offensive linemen were all out. Then it all made sense.

“We all know we were limited up front with the O-Line, but they played their hearts out and we rallied,” said Moraga. “We had a couple great drives, but there’s definitely a lot we can go back and check out in the film room and fix.”

An injured Chris Brown could do nothing but cheer his teammates on as the other three quarterbacks competed for the starting spot on Saturday. By Owen Main

Maybe the Defense is just really good?

This is actually a valid point. While Sullivan Grosz has been “non-contact” throughout the spring, Cal Poly’s defense proved itself a physical match-up for a juggernaut Sam Houston State team in last season’s playoff loss. They return most of their starters and played like they were the most experienced of the two sides of the ball.

Would one of the quarterbacks move to a different position?

Cal Poly does have some great athletes at quarterback. Graves looks like he could be a legitimate slot back, Chris Brown is probably athletic enough to play any number of positions, and they had conversations last year with Vince Moraga about changing positions. The only guy I don’t really see playing in a different place is Trosin, but I could be wrong about that too.

Here’s a pretty long Tim Walsh quote on the subject:

“Part of the beauty of the position of quarterback here is that you probably are a good enough player to play another position,” said Walsh, addressing the possibility of someone changing positions. “All four of the guys probably are. We even toyed last year with Vince playing slot. So, yeah, that goes through our mind if they want to play because they are four really good athletes and three of them are going to be standing next to me. So that’s something that would be talked about but the one thing about a quarterback’s mentality: they all think they’re the best. So therefore none of them are going to be happy if we go to them and say ‘Hey, you’re going to have to go play slot.’… . They’d probably do it, but the reality of the situation is they believe they’re the best quarterback and that’s a mentality that you don’t want to break  on a quarterback because you want them to have it.”

What will the 2013 team actually look like?

Last year’s Spring Game seemed crisp. Whether it was Andre Broadous or Chris Brown under center, Cal Poly’s offense moved and competed. Their defense was opportunistic and held its ground, but the offensive seasoning of Broadous and Company ruled the day.

With that in my head, this year’s game seemed helter-skelter and not fantastically-played. Blocks were missed, passes were barely dropped, and quarterbacks almost broke big plays. In a game that was supposed to crown a frontrunner at quarterback, there were virtually no signature moments.

As I walked away from Spanos on Saturday afternoon, I pondered exactly what this team will look like next year. With new coaches, a new quarterback, and continually higher expectations, they better have a clear plan. I would hate to be talking about a great defensive team that just couldn’t find its offensive identity in December.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWFgNi_pUYs

Katie Ryan is the founder of the Line of Scrimmage blog.

As Cal Poly football winds down spring practice, Katie Ryan from the Line of Scrimmage made her second appearance on the podcast this week to discuss the team, the quarterback battle, and what it’s like to be at practice at six AM.

This Saturday’s Cal Poly Spring Football Game is fast-approaching and fansmanship contributor Trent Merfeld put this video piece together for CPTV on the team’s fourth week of Spring practice.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfSuQTaA9nE

Redshirt freshman Tanner Trosin is one of at least four players vying for the starting quarterback job. By Owen Main

Spring is in the air. With the sun peaking over Cuesta Peak, the Cal Poly football team continued their second week of spring practice. The Mustangs have a lot going on this Spring. Their offensive coordinator took a job at Georgia Tech just a week before spring practice began. Coming off a successful 9-3 season and a trip to the playoffs, Cal Poly has a number of personnel question marks, especially with some high-profile offensive positions.

After losing quarterback Andre Broadous to graduation, the Mustangs have four quarterbacks vying for the vacated position. As reported in the link above by J.D. Scroggin of the Tribune, head coach Tim Walsh would like to have a solid idea of his depth chart by the end of Spring practice.

If you want to see the quarterback battle in-person, Cal Poly will have scrimmages each of the next two Saturdays. This Saturday, they’ll run about 60 plays on the upper field of the Cal Poly Sports Complex. A week from Saturday, the Mustangs will hold their Spring Game at Spanos Stadium.

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