Spring Practice Report: Quarterbacks
3/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 27, 2014
The Clint Conque era at Stephen F. Austin has officially begun as the Lumberjacks have commenced on their 2014 spring practice schedule. Each practice session, SFAJacks.com will highlight a different position with today's report focusing on the position with the most question marks - the quarterbacks. The reports will conclude with coverage of the 2014 Spring Game, being held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12th at Homer Bryce Stadium.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - There are a number of storylines surrounding Stephen F. Austin's spring football camp as the Lumberjacks gear up for the 2014 season. But few are more prevalent than who will be taking the snaps once the `Jacks take the field at Kansas State on August 30th.
It is a valid question for SFA football fans who are coming off a seven-year stretch that completely rewrote not just the program record books, but the Southland Conference' as well.
From 2007-13, Jeremy Moses and Brady Attaway combined for 24,508 passing yards, an average of 3,501 yards per season, and 207 touchdowns. The top two passers in program history, the duo's names are plastered all over the SFA passing record book, appearing a combined 50 times among the single game, season and career marks.
Big shoes for the current five-man quarterback corps to fill, which has combined for 770 yards and one touchdown in an SFA uniform.
"Obviously we've had two great quarterbacks come through here back-to-back, and now it's time to find that third," said offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Kubik. "I've been really impressed with the cerebral part of this group. They are all smart kids and have been putting in the extra work in the film room and learning our system. Now we just need to transfer that to the field."
The returner with the lions' share of the experience is junior Joe Minden, who spent two seasons as Attaway's backup. Minden has seen action in 11 games during his SFA career, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 769 yards and four touchdowns as the Coppell native has three 100-yard passing games on his resume.
Sophomore Hunter Taylor is the only other snap caller that has seen action in an SFA uniform, appearing in two games in 2013. Colton Brennan and Dru Smith both utilized their redshirt seasons last year, leaving both with four years of eligibility remaining.
A fifth member of the group joined the team in January when sophomore Zach Conque transferred to SFA from UT-San Antonio. Conque spent two seasons with the Roadrunners, redshirting his freshman season and appearing in one game for UTSA in 2013.
Wednesday night, the five got to begin to show what they have to offer as SFA went under the lights at Homer Bryce Stadium for the fourth spring practice of 2014. The `Jacks went through an 18-period drill, including six periods of "live" contact at full speed, giving SFA its first contact of the spring season.
"There were some good things that were done tonight, and we definitely have a lot to work on," Kubik said. "Our decision-making needed a little work tonight as we had some bad reads, and we need to do a better job of protecting the football. This is a smart group with strong arms and good feet and they really have exceeded our expectations so far on how quickly they've grasped the offensive schemes through the first four days."
The 2014 season also signals a new beginning for Kubik, who will be taking over the responsibilities of the `Jacks offensive coordinator. A two-year starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech, Kubik spent the last three seasons working with head coach Clint Conque at Central Arkansas as the Bears' wide receivers coach. The chance to take on this new role at SFA, especially to work with his natural position, has been an opportunity he has embraced.
"It's really pumped new life into me as a coach," Kubik said. "It gives you a different perspective as you watch things a little bit closer. Every offensive coach at times sits back and thinks about what they could have done differently or what they would do in certain situations. But I'm extremely grateful for coach Conque giving me this opportunity to take the reigns of the offense. We should be an exciting team to watch."
2014 Spring Practice Schedule
Monday, March 24 - Q&A with head coach Clint Conque
Wednesday, March 26 - Quarterbacks
Friday, March 28 - 4 p.m. (shells)
Saturday, March 29 - 4 p.m. (scrimmage one)
Monday, March 31 - 4 p.m. (shells)
Wednesday, April 2 - 8 p.m. (full pads)
Friday, April 4 - 4 p.m. (shells)
Sunday, April 6 - 4 p.m. (scrimmage two)
Monday, April 7 - 4 p.m. (shells)
Wednesday, April 9 - 8 p.m. (full pads)
Thursday, April 10 - 4 p.m. (shells)
Friday, April 11 - 4 p.m. (helmets)
Saturday, April 12 - 6:30 p.m. (spring game)
-SFA-
