A Glance at the 2010 SFA Quarterbacks
8/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 11, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - A lot has been said about Stephen F. Austin All-American quarterback Jeremy Moses throughout the course of his career. The 2009 Southland Conference Player of the Year enters his senior season as the school's all-time leader in completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and total offense and is on pace to set new conference career standards this season. Last season Moses paced an offensive attack that led the nation averaging more than 343 passing yards per game. Most of the high expectations for the 2010 season rest squarely on his shoulders, but as it is with every team, SFA is only one play away from handing the reigns over to one of the current backups. It is for that reason that reason that we will spend our time looking the rest of the SFA quarterback roster.
Dalton Williams would get the early nod at the No. 2 spot based on his experience. At 6-4, 225 pounds, Williams looks the part and has put up decent numbers in mop up duty. He has completed 77 percent of his passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns over the course of his two years on campus, but has not yet faced the pressure of being the team's starter.
Williams did everything he could during the spring to prove to fans the pressure of being the starter would suit him just fine. He spent considerable time with the first-team offense, and posted the best numbers of the 'Jacks top three signal-callers. Williams finished the spring completing 30-of-40 (75 percent) passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns.
"Right now Dalton would be the back up," said offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. "He has been around the program for a couple of years, and I've really seen steady improvement from him every season. It takes some time with this offense, and we were lucky with Jeremy because he ran this offense in high school. With Dalton, he just needed to get some reps and get comfortable. He has worked really hard in the weight room to prepare himself, and mentally you can see that he is more comfortable out there. The game is really starting to slow down for him."
In the past one of the things that slowed Williams' progress was his tendency to over analyze every detail of the offense. Dawson believes that is no longer a hindrance for the third-year player.
"Dalton is a really smart kid," said Dawson. "He thinks through every situation whether it is on the football field, or in everyday life. The more he can become a reactor on the field the better off he will be. I can really see a big difference in that part of his game from the time he arrived until now."
The Coppell, Texas native is being pushed by the 6-2, 214-pound Brady Attaway, who was one of the key signees from Harper's 2009 signing class. A youngster with a big-time arm, Attaway came to SFA with impressive stats during his prep career, and has shown flashes of what he can do at this level during limited time in scrimmages.
"Brady probably has the best arm strength of the group," said Dawson. "All three guys are comparable, but in terms of just pure arm strength, Brady can throw it through a brick wall. There is a similar adjustment period between Dalton and Brady. I would say Brady is currently at the same place where Dalton was at this time a year ago. The game is starting to slow down for him, but it needs to continue."
The Lumberjacks also have brought in another quarterback who will be expected to push for playing time in the form of 6-0, 186-pound Garrett Riley. After walking on at Texas Tech, Riley transferred to SFA where he will have four years of eligibility remaining. Although he may be the low man on the totem pole in terms of overall experience working with the SFA receivers, Riley has a few things in common with Moses.
"This is all Garrett has ever done," said Dawson. "Whether during his high school career, or during his time at Texas Tech, this is all he knows. Garrett is right where you want your quarterbacks to be mentally, we are working on his arm strength."
