John Joyner
Sophomore quarterback Manny Stocker takes part in a drill during spring practice at the Dail Football Practice Complex Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Photo by John Joyner.
With former quarterback Mike Glennon’s departure from the football program, newly appointed head coach Dave Doeren has a big decision – whether to start redshirt junior Pete Thomas or sophomore Manny Stocker at quarterback.
Doeren’s philosophy at Northern Illinois last season, eventually leading to a BCS Discover Orange Bowl berth, is no secret — a dual threat quarterback.
Last season with the Huskies, Doeren had quarterback Jordan Lynch under center. Lynch excelled in Doeren’s system, throwing for more than 3,000 yards, rushing for 1,815 yards and accounting for a combined 44 touchdowns.
Now, at N.C. State, Thomas and Stocker are the front-runners for the starting quarterback position, both with a very different skill set. Thomas is more of a pocket passer while Stocker has the wheels to make a play with his feet, completing a pass on the run or taking the ball up the field himself.
Thomas, who sat out last season after transferring from Colorado State, started two years for the Rams, throwing for 4,269 yards and 18 touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 121.17. In his freshman season, Thomas broke the Colorado State single-season record with a .647 completion percentage.
Stocker has attempted two passes at the collegiate level, both incompletions, in limited playing time last season.
In his senior season, at Coatesville high school, Stocker passed for more than 1,500 yards, 20 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing.
At 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, Stocker may fit the bill for Doeren’s offense if he decides to stick with the same game plan at State.
If Doeren decides to go with experience and build around the best player at the position, Thomas may get the nod.
Either way, State fans should see a completely different offensive approach.
Last season, Northern Illinois was No. 10 in total offense among NCAA Division I-A teams, finishing with 6,574 total yards and scored an average of 38.6 points per game.
In 2012, State ranked No. 44 in the country, gaining 5,475 yards of total offense and averaged 28.1 points per game.
The direction in which the team goes offensively and deciding who the field general will be must come soon. That decision may be seen as soon as April 20, when fans will have their first chance to see the 2013 squad in the annual Kay Yow Spring Football Game.
The other option: a two-quarterback system, but that doesn’t always pan out. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer ran a two-quarterback system while coaching at Florida with former Gator quarterbacks Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. Meyer saw an immense amount of success with the system in 2006 as Leak and Tebow led Florida to a national championship.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke tried the two-quarterback system in recent years, but to no avail.
Either way, the product on the field this season will not resemble that of a typical former head coach Tom O’Brien offense. Doeren’s system won’t lull players or fans to sleep.
If Doeren wants experience, he should go with Thomas. If a system quarterback similar to Lynch is desired, go with Stocker, even if he is raw.