Mark Konezny- USA TODAY Sports
With first-year head coach Scott Shafer and the Syracuse Orange making a huge splash a few weeks ago by landing Oklahoma QB transfer Drew Allen to the roster, replacing the NFL-bound Ryan Nassib seemed all but set in stone. Allen’s physical attributes, as well as his experience from OU, make Allen nearly a virtual lock to start the year under center for one season.
In Saturday’s spring game, current ‘Cuse sophomore Terrel Hunt didn’t really seem to care much about the Allen hype.
Commanding the first-team offense, Hunt played more than favorably for Shafer. Completing 19-of-29 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, the sophomore showed that grasping the starting job may not be as simple as Allen may think.
Definitively outplaying Charley Loeb and John Kinder on Saturday certainly put Hunt, Allen, and the Syracuse football program in a very interesting position.
In the highlight of the offensive production for the game, Hunt hit WR Jarrod West on a beautifully thrown 49-yard strike down the sideline, culminating in the first of Hunt’s two scoring plays through the air.
Probably the most important part of offensive coordinator George McDonald‘s scheme that Hunt excelled at were the short throws. While not flashy to most people, this is a very integral part of the offense. With the Orange relying on a powerful run game to spring the offense, success on short passing plays is crucial in setting that up.
In all, Hunt did not do Drew Allen any favors in regards to him walking straight on to campus and taking the starting job without a fight. With the Syracuse football program having dealt with its fair share of disappointments in recent years, I’d imagine that having two capable quarterbacks on the roster is something that they would be more than happy to deal with.
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Jack is a College Football Contributor for Rant Sports. Follow Jack on Twitter @FSUYankee14
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