Thibodaux Regional Medical Center’s North Hospital project complete
October 20, 2006
At any level of football, the back-up quarterback is one play away from being the starting quarterback. Three games into the season Nicholls has not yet faced that situation, but came close in its 56-7 loss at Nebraska.
On the fifth play of the Colonels’ opening drive, starter Vince Montgomery injured his knee while trying to recover a fumble. He sat out the remainder of the game, while back-up Chris Bunch took the rest of the snaps.
Head coach Jay Thomas said he had planned to split the quarterbacks’ playing time 50-50, and although the change came earlier than expected Saturday’s switch was a positive in that it let Bunch get quality playing time.
“Obviously, we didn’t want Vincent to get hurt, and we wanted to split time,” said Thomas. “But on the other hand, it was good that (Bunch) got to play that much.”
Playing in front of 84,076 Cornhuskers’ fans, Thomas said he was pleased with Bunch’s performance. “He handled it very well,” the coach said. “He was very calm. Now he didn’t make all of his checks correctly, but he’ll get better as we go. You line up against a top-20 team and go out there and compete, that says a lot about you. It shows a lot of courage on his part.”
Having survived Saturday’s matchup, Bunch values the playing time against Nebraska.
“I was nervous,” he said of entering the game. “But it was a good experience, facing a big crowd like that. I’ll be ready for something else like that if it comes my way. You’ve always got to be ready as the back-up quarterback.”
For Bunch, a native of Crystal River, Fla., the road to Thibodaux has led through Rainy River Community College in International Falls, Minn., and back south. The 6-foot 3-inch, 190-pound quarterback played in nine games at Rainy River, throwing for 1,233 yards and running for 313 yards.
Bunch, a junior majoring in general studies, is not listed as the starter. However, the plan is for him to split time with Montgomery throughout the season, Thomas said.
In the season opener against Southern Arkansas, Bunch completed his only pass of the game — a 29-yarder to Zack Morgan that put the Colonels in position to score a touchdown two plays later. Against Nebraska, he carried 11 times for 13 yards, but went 0-for-3 in passing.
A month into the season, Bunch is still learning the triple-option. “We ran a little bit of (the option) in high school, and a little bit up there in Rainy River,” he said. “But it was mostly out of the shotgun. So, I ran the option, but I just have to get used to getting under center.
“I’ve got to adjust to … not being used to being at the line, and looking at (the defense) like that. I’m used to being in shotgun and looking at it. I’m going to adjust to it, it’s just going to take some time.”
Thomas agrees with Bunch’s assessment.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” the coach said. “He’s got a strong arm, and he’s a great kid. He’s going through that adjustment time, trying to learn something a little bit new. Previously, he operated out of the shotgun, and ran some option from shotgun. So he understands the option game, but it’s a little bit different when you get a little closer to the line scrimmage.”
Bunch has not had a lot of time to adjust. He arrived on campus Aug. 3, less than a month before the season started. Still, he has elevated himself to the second quarterback on the depth chart, and even in his limited time with the team the coaching staff has not had to scale back the playbook when he is in the game.
“We try to keep it the same for both of them,” said Thomas of his quarterbacks.
Bunch said the closeness of the quarterbacks has helped him with the transition. “We help each other out all the time. We’re close,” said Bunch. “We do a lot of stuff together. Me, Vince, Zack (Chauvin), Nolan (Dumas) and Bryson (Janaseck), we’re always talking, keeping each other up and keeping everybody up with what we have to do.”
The team’s other units have also played roles in helping Bunch adjust to the Colonels’ offense. He credited experience in the backfield and on the offensive line as aspects that have sped up the process. “To have that experience in the backfield, it’s nice,” he said. “When I came on my recruiting trip, I heard about Broderick (Cole), so I wanted to see how it is getting in the backfield with experienced players lake that. Plus, we have speed in our backfield, so I really like it.”
Bunch said the Colonels’ offensive line is the best he has ever played behind. “It’s phenomenal,” he said. “I’ve never had a line like this before. When I got here, I was surprised playing behind big guys like this.”
And even with the Colonels’ offensive focus being on the running game, Bunch has confidence in his arm. Against Southern Arkansas, he placed a pinpoint pass between three defenders, striking Zach Morgan at the 9-yard line. “It was a pocket throw, but I saw the guy come up field, so I thought if I could rollout, I could just fit it down on the sideline,” explained Bunch.
That pass in the opener explains why coach Thomas wants to give both of his top quarterbacks plenty of play time. “He is very talented,” the coach said.
And as long as Bunch is prepared for action, his playing time will remain the same.
As he said: “You’ve always got to be ready as the back-up quarterback.”
Matt LeBlanc can be reached at (985) 876-3008 or matt@tri-parishtimes.com.
Nicholls State University’s primary back-up quarterback Chris Bunch, a junior, is getting significant playing time.
