FORT COLLINS — Moments before the opening of Colorado State coach Mike Bobo’s noon news conference Monday, the weekly media release distributed to reporters included this listing at quarterback on the depth chart page:
5 Faton Bauta Sr. OR
7 Nick Stevens Jr. OR
15 Collin Hill Fr.
A notation after the listing explained that the players were “listed in order by class year.”
Ah, the intrigue of college football.
Bobo indeed has named his starting quarterback — to his team on Sunday — but wouldn’t disclose that choice publicly Monday, with Friday’s Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado approaching.
It would be a shocker if the Rams’ starter was anyone other than the incumbent, junior Nick Stevens, a second-team all-Mountain West choice last season.
After practice Monday afternoon, Stevens first looked back on throwing for 282 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-24 overtime loss to the Buffaloes last year, and in spinning it forward, sounded very like a quarterback expecting to start.
“Going into the game, it was one of the bigger games on the schedule, instate rivalry and sometimes they look at us as little brother and all that stuff,” Stevens said. “I just tried to do it as any other game … I think the coaches had a great game plan going in and they have an even better one this year, so I really, really hope to have an even better game that I did last year.”
Bauta, who transferred in from Georgia in time for spring practice, had one career start for the Bulldogs, against Florida last season. Hill is a highly touted true freshman who also arrived in time for spring ball. Bobo had opened up the competition, even if all it did was push Stevens.
“Being in that competition … has really helped me make a lot of big strides,” Stevens said. “It has definitely helped me out a lot, has kept us competitive, kept us non-complacent, which is a great thing.”
What does Bobo gain by not disclosing his starter?
“I might gain an extra hour of Jim Leavitt trying to find tape on Faton Bauta,” Bobo said of Colorado’s veteran defensive coordinator. “Or Jim Leavitt watching Dorman High School (Roebuck, S.C.) to see what kind of player Collin Hill was in high school. Was he a guy they ran? Was he a drop-back guy? Coaches will watch hours and hours of tape and you’re trying to find out who’s playing at what position and you’re trying to find out everything you can about that individual.
“I know that’s how I am, and it’s how I know defensive coaches I’ve been around (are). When we don’t know who a starter is in the past, you’re watching anything and everything to try to get some sense of what kind of player is this. What kind of athlete he is. What kind of arm strength he has. Is he going to make the field throws? Is he going to stretch the ball downfield?
“I would think they’re going to watch a little more tape. It’s not to gain some big, big advantage.”
Bobo said the quarterbacks reacted well to his decision.
“They’re all great kids,” Bobo said. “And really all of them knew, the way we’ve been repping things since the last scrimmage. I just wanted some confirmation for myself. I didn’t really want to tell them until I put them in some situations, and wanted another couple of practices to confirm what I thought.
“The competition’s been great, they’ve been great to each other, they’ve been great teammates. They both have great leadership skills in their own way. And like I told each of them, you still have to prepare like you’re the starter.”
Stevens backed up Garrett Grayson as a redshirt freshman, then completed 60.8 percent of his passes last season when throwing for 2,679 yards with 21 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.
He said he felt “a lot better” than he did a year ago, when Stevens was named the starter during pre-season practice.
Stevens added, “I think I’ve progressed so much, grown as a quarterback, grown in this offense. Last year, I felt like I knew a lot about the offense, but it was things I was able to learn kind of through that game experience really, really sort of forced me to improve. I think I did that in summer and over spring ball and fall camp to really improve where I stand and improve the little things in my game and master my craft.”
