In a quandary
CSU uncertain on starting quarterback for opener
Steve Addazio, 10-plus months on the job and three days away from his headcoaching debut for Colorado State, declined to reveal his starting quarterback Monday but maintained his humor ahead of Thursday night’s 2020 opener at Fresno State.
Coming off Saturday’s canceled season opener against New Mexico — the third such cancelation for the Rams in this Covidcrazy
year — and the Fort Collins blizzard Sunday and Monday, Addazio and his team just want to get on the field.
“We were talking about it yesterday, like, ‘OK, it’s the end of October. It’s almost Halloween. We haven’t played a game.’ We’ve had a blizzard. School’s canceled today. You’re just sitting here shaking your head, like ‘What’s next?’” Addazio said. “It’s a long time in the making. So we’re excited. I think the kids are excited, anxious to get going.”
A week ago, the Rams’ home opener against the Lobos was canceled by coronavirus concerns in New Mexico. While that kept them from kicking of f 2020, it also gave them one more week to assess their quarterback situation.
Addazio will choose between incumbent Patrick O’brien, a redshirt senior, and Todd Centeio, a redshirt junior graduate transfer from Temple. O’brien,
who transferred from Nebraska before the 2018 season, is in his third year at CSU while Centeio joined the Rams after graduating from Temple in May.
“They’re both doing a great job, working hard, and we’ll probably settle in here in next 24 hours as a staff (and choose the starter), but they’ve taken equal reps and had a great deal of prep time and both have excelled in different areas,” Addazio said. “It’s a good, healthy competition.”
Running back Marcus Mcelroy Jr., the senior from Mullen High, said the Rams “couldn’t ask for two better quarterbacks” to choose from.
“I have complete confidence in whoever they pick. They’re different, just from the standpoint that Todd’s a little more mobile than Patrick, but at the same time they both have leadership qualities and … they both have a great way of getting things going (and) have the ability to drive the team to really where we want to go,” Mcelroy said.
Last season at Fresno State, Mcelroy set careerhighs in carries (18), yards (117) and touchdowns (two) in a 41-31 victory. O’brien connected on 23-of-42 passes for 322 yards and two TDS.
That game, played Oct. 26, served as CSU’S third win in eight games.
“I’m really excited to play this game,” Mcelroy said. “A lot of my family is from California, so it gives me somewhat of at-home feeling, so it’s kind of nice for me.”
It’s going to be nice for ever y member of the Rams, par ticularly the head coach and his staff.
“Last week got taken away last minute, which was hard, understandable, but hard. We’re all anxious to get going here,” Addazio said.