[Quack Attack]

WSU still undecided on starting quarterback

Kevin Lopina and Marshall Lobbestael are still neck-and-neck for the coveted spot.



By Vince Grippi
The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review
Originally published Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 6:38 PM

PULLMAN — No, there isn't a starting quarterback yet.
With a week of practice left before Washington State begins putting in the game plan for the Stanford season opener, the Cougars' Kevin Lopina and Marshall Lobbestael are still neck-and-neck for the coveted spot.
But don't take our word for it. "Right now it is a dead heat," said Todd Sturdy, WSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Pretty clear. In fact, Sturdy won't even hint who might be ahead, the senior Lopina or the sophomore Lobbestael. He did, however, eliminate any chance true freshman Jeff Tuel would be the guy.

In the next few days Sturdy and coach Paul Wulff will make the decision.
"I want to win games and if it means Marshall playing or both of us playing or me playing, that's what it's going to be," said Lopina, who started eight times last season. "Obviously I'm a senior, and it's my last go-round so I'm going to try extra hard.

"But if the coaches feel he'll give us the best chance to win or if they need me to go into a game and help us out as well, that's what I'm going to have to do."

In last year's 2-11 season, Lopina endured a broken bone in his back, bore the brunt of a majority of the 43 sacks allowed, threw 11 interceptions and zero touchdowns. He heard about it on messages boards throughout the offseason.

Lobbestael didn't emerge unscathed. The knee brace — thanks to a sack-induced MCL and ACL tear suffered against Oregon State — on his left leg is testament to that. In his five games, he completed a little more than 50 percent of his passes, and had as many interceptions as touchdowns (four, two-thirds of WSU's total). But that was last year. This year one of them has to take the reins of the offense.

"I'm pleased with the progress but I'm also still striving to get more out of them," Sturdy said. "I think they have an opportunity to get better. I think their best football is ahead of them if they continue to grow."
For the WSU offense to develop, either Lopina or Lobbestael will have to play better than they did last season, when they both took their first college snaps.

"I think both have grown a lot, and they've both made some strides," Sturdy said. "They need to understand too, hey, it's deadlocked. It's going to come down to executing the offense. They're both getting lots of opportunities. They're both in there with the ones. They're both in there with the twos. They're both getting all these repetitions."