QB Controversy Strikes the Pride

After 2+ seasons of leading the Cougars out onto the field, QB Jeff Carrion was relieved of his starting duties at the end of last season amidst a string of terrible play after ROARing out of the gate with 8-straight victories. Ball security became a big problem for Carrion as the Cougars would lose 5 of their final 7 games to slide right out of the Independent Division lead and all the way out of the bowl games.

Carrion would account for 7TDs and 10INTs in these 7 games, with a woeful 3 picks coming in the final game of the year that cost the Cougars a post-season berth for the first time in 7 seasons.

Enter Zach Wilson who has been carrying the clipboard for 2 years and itching for a chance to show the FAITH-ful what he is capable of. Zach clearly out-played the incumbent through camp, and was tapped as the new started to enter the 2032 season. Solid from the out-set, Wilson has grown each game, and had the Cougars high atop the Independent Conference once again at a record of 7-0 with wins over rivals Notre Dame and Navy in the process. Everything was going smoothly as the offense was humming along at a respectable clip, but there wasn't the explosive element that we has seen in the past with Carrion under center guiding the offense.

In a surprise move prior to the game last week vs Stanford, Coach King sat his quarterbacks down and let them know he was going to be making a change for this week, playing a hunch that Jeff Carrion was ready to dust off the cleats and lead the team out of the tunnel and onto the field once more.

"The Vulture" had been saying all the right things at practice, and playing the part of a supportive teammate but there was an uneasyness about him, unaccustomed to watching from the sidelines; and here was possibly his final opportunity to regain the trust of the coaching staff. In short, he proved he was every bit as ready for the moment as he would abuse the Cardinal secondary for 6TDs and go on to be awarded Player of the Week honors.

The Cougars are headed to South Bend this week to face heated rival Notre Dame for the rematch of their Week 1 win - the Irish have been the only team to register more than 20pts against the nations #3 defense. Coach King will once again have a tough decision on his signal-caller for this game - go with the steady play he's gotten from Wilson, or let it ride with Carrion in hopes that "The Vulture" will rise into a Phoenix.