The Air Apparent

No matter what happened over the last two seasons, varsity football head coach Roger Hughes knew he could count on one thing: Matt Verbit '05 was his starting quarterback — and a good one at that.

But with Verbit's Princeton days now just a memory, Hughes was forced to spend the off-season trying to figure out who his starting quarterback would be when the 2005 season opened.

He had plenty of time to make his decision — nearly 10 months — but he needed it all.

Four candidates for the job took snaps last spring: juniors Jeff Terrell and Chris Lee and sophomores Bill Foran and Greg Mroz. After narrowing the field to Terrell and Foran by early September, over the weekend Hughes finally made the "very hard" decision and anointed Terrell his opening-day starter.

Having risen in the shadows of former quarterbacks Verbit and David Splithoff '04, all four candidates lacked a varsity start. Yet all of them, especially Terrell and Foran, displayed considerable athletic prowess and talent on the field, which made Hughes' decision difficult.

For that coveted starting position, though, it came down to one factor: who seemed most capable of putting points on the board. Terrell may have the starting job for now, but Foran will probably see time as well, Hughes said.

"I'm going to try to play the one who is the most consistent and produces the most," Hughes said a few days before making his choice.

After finally making the decision less than a week before the Tigers' season opener, Hughes said he thought that Terrell was more consistent than Foran.

"I just thought Jeff was doing a few things better than Bill was at this time, [though] it's nice to have the luxury of two guys you can use," he said.

Compared to the last quarterback duo the Tigers fielded — Verbit and Splithoff split time during the 2002 season — Terrell and Foran are significantly more similar in their playing styles. Verbit was more of a pocket-type passer, while Splithoff was adept at scrambling and running the ball himself when he saw an opening.

Terrell and Foran are both more similar to Splithoff in terms of athleticism, a common trait that proves invaluable to this year's Tiger offense.

"If you look at the NFL and college football in general, guys who can make plays with their feet back there are a commodity, especially ... as athletic as secondaries are, defenses are catching up to what offenses are doing," Hughes said. "I think having that extra running back being able to carry the ball and make plays is a huge advantage."

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As a direct result of both players' athletic prowess, Hughes said he may have his quarterbacks run the ball themselves more than in the past.

Likewise, the two quarterbacks are similarly proficient in some of the finer points of being a quarterback.

"They've been very good at reading progressions and going to the side of the ball that the defense allows them to go to," Hughes said. "They've been very good at staying within the offense and trying to play within our system."

Without question, both quarterbacks are highly athletic and both are "football smart." But what made the competition for the starting job particularly interesting were their slight differences. Foran is probably slightly more athletic, but the older Terrell has an extra year of experience in the Princeton offense.

Like any other position, the starting job decision came down to performance. At Princeton's final intrasquad scrimmage on Sept. 8, Terrell completed eight of nine passes — a performance Hughes characterized as "unbelievable." He also cited Terrell's performances in the Tigers' Sept. 3 scrimmage with Yale as a significant factor in the choice.

Hughes also looked at some intangibles in selecting the field captain of his offense.

"The unique thing at that position is they have to elevate the play of those around them," Hughes said. "In that huddle, there's 10 sets of eyes looking out, and one looking in, and they're all looking at him. [What's important is] how does he carry himself, does he feel confident, [or] does he get rattled."

Foran agreed that the quarterback's responsibilities are unique.

"As quarterbacks, we are definitely responsible for helping foster team chemistry. It's our job to help lead and keep the team loose and upbeat," he said.

And that's something Terrell can do — he was put on the team's Unity Council very early on in his career with Princeton, a mark of the respect his peers have for his leadership abilities. Hughes agrees, describing him as "the type of kid you'd want your daughter to marry."

But it took Terrell more than being a nice guy to win his job, and with Foran not far behind him, he'll have to stay on his toes.

"Every other position on the field you think we can rotate. For some reason they think you can't [do that at quarterback]. I'm not sure I buy into that totally," he said.

Moreover, any continuing competition is sure to make both quarterbacks even better.

"Any competition is good for the team, as both of us got better this fall camp because we were competing," Terrell said. "We are teammates first, though, both with the common goal of making Princeton an Ivy League champion."

The Ivy League championship is an elusive goal, one even the talented Verbit never came close to accomplishing. Ultimately, it is up to Hughes to chose the best man for the job — and trust him to chase that dream.