Coming off the heels of one of the worst performances in recent memory (and beyond), the Syracuse Orange may have just opened up the quarterback competition again. Per Tim Lester, both Terrel Hunt and Drew Allen are getting first-team reps in practice.
"They both have been getting reps with the ones just because we have to keep them both ready," Lester said. "Terrel has been taking the majority of the reps, but they have both been getting reps with the ones, which hasn't been the case the last couple weeks. So we want to get them both ready to go."
"(Tuesday) looked like a good day for both of them," Lester said. "We'll probably have a plan going into the week. There will be some type of plan, but we won't decide on that plan probably until Wednesday, and by Thursday we'll probably practice the plan in practice is my guess."
Tim Lester loves plans.
On one hand, it's not like Hunt has done too much in recent weeks to secure his grasp on the position.
On the other hand, as poorly as Hunt has played, has Allen played any better? Not for nothing but all three of Syracuse's wins came with Hunt behind center.
Not to mention, re-opening up a quarterback competition in the middle of a season when only one of those quarterbacks in here for the long haul just doesn't sound like the kind of idea that's going to work. Maybe Terrel Hunt won't be able to turn Syracuse around this season, but do you have any reason to believe we should stunt his growth for Drew Allen? I'm just not seeing it.
Of course, this might be making a mountain out of a mole hill. Shafer and Lester may still hand the ball over to Hunt, on a shorter leash than previously, for the rest of the year. And maybe this more motivation than anything (Hunt certainly seemed to play better when he was beating Allen off with a stick, opponents notwithstanding).
Regardless, Hunt seems fine with the situation and the challenge:
"Just go out there and play my game. Coach Shafe trusts me. I trust him. We're going to ride."
And thus was born a thousand "Terrel & Shafe cruising around town in a convertible" photoshops...
