The storyline for the starting quarterback competition in East Lansing has apparently undergone a revision. True freshman Damion Terry has gone from “drowning” in the playbook just two weeks ago to adjusting quite swimmingly.
Terry, from Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep School, is a dual-threat quarterback who was expected to make a big impact at Michigan State as early as 2014. However, he’s entered the conversation for 2013 after an impressive showing in Saturday’s scrimmage.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder with speed, strength and a big-time arm completed 10 of 14 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran 12 times for 40 yards.
Terry put up those numbers against the first-string defense – a veteran unit that led the Big Ten last year in scoring, total, rushing and passing efficiency defense.
“Damion Terry is a big, physical guy,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. “He’s sudden, and he can create. He’s still a freshman and that’s the thing that bothers you a little bit, but he can create. The name of the game – and I’ve said this over and over again – is you’ve got to create at quarterback.
“You’ve got to take a bad play and make it a good one because things are going to break down. That’s just the way football is. (After the scrimmage) it makes it (the quarterback race) even more interesting. Damion throws a nice ball, and guys went up and caught the ball. It’s exciting to see (his development).”
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tailback Le’Veon Bell, who rushed for 1,793 yards last year for MSU, tweeted from @L_Bell26: “So Damion Terry must be nice! I wish I could see him play.”
The buzz is out.
Terry was rated the No. 9 quarterback nationally by Scout.com, and threw for 3,599 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a senior. He led Cathedral to a 15-0 state championship season, and also ran for 699 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Two days after practice began for MSU, which opens at home with Western Michigan on Aug. 30, I spoke with Spartans co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner about Terry.
“He’s a very good athlete – a big, strong kid,” Warner said. “Right now he’s swimming through – I should say drowning – in knowledge. You can see the talent with his feet and upper body. Thinking to the future, there are great things ahead for him.”
But is the future now?
MSU began practices with incumbent senior starter Andrew Maxwell being challenged by redshirt sophomore Connor Cook, who came off the bench to spark the drive for the game-winning field goal in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
Dantonio said he intended to play them both when the season begins, and redshirt freshman Tyler O’Connor also was praised for improvements.
However, if Terry can continue sparking the offense, he could be the choice.
“I was very pleased with the way the offense responded because early in the scrimmage it simply wasn’t the case,” said Dantonio in comments released by MSU. “The offense started making plays during the second half of the scrimmage. We spotted the defense 26 points and they came up with another seven, but the offense came back and did the job. We were able to run the ball a little bit there during the second half of the scrimmage. We threw the ball well and caught the ball well.
“The guy who made plays was Damion Terry. So, we’ll look at the film and evaluate it.”
Maxwell was 9-for-19 with 77 yards passing in Saturday’s scrimmage, while Cook completed four of nine passes for 67 yards, one interception and a 15-yard touchdown to DeAnthony Arnett. O’Connor was 11-for-16 for 102 yards with one interception and 7-yard touchdown passes to both Bennie Fowler and Arnett. Cook also did well in third-down situation drills.
Consider that the three returning quarterbacks threw 44 times for 246 yards and three touchdowns combined. That’s six yards more than Terry on 30 more passes with the same number of touchdowns.
How it shakes out is anybody’s guess. But you can count on this: If Terry takes one snap this season, foregoing his redshirt capabilities, it will be to start at some point this season.
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
--- “Jeremy Langford had a good scrimmage and Delton Williams did some good things as well,” Dantonio said. “Gerald Holmes busted off one (long run) too.”
--- Williams, an incoming freshman and high school teammate of Terry’s, carried 10 times for 37 yards and a 15-yard touchdown. Langford, a junior from Westland John Glenn, led with 13 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while freshman Holmes (Flint Carman-Ainsworth) had seven carries for 41 yards.
--- Riley Bullough, the converted linebacker listed as the starting tailback, did not carry the ball in the scrimmage.
--- Andre Sims Jr. (seven catches, 87 yards), Arnett (five catches, 64 yards), Aaron Burbridge (three catches, 49 yards) and Fowler (three catches, 44 yards) led the receivers. Arnett and Fowler caught a pair of touchdowns, while Burbridge and Sims had one each.
“DeAnthony Arnett and Bennie Fowler played the ball well down the field,” Dantonio said. “Tony Lippett came up with a big catch (41-yard reception to set up the last touchdown). Especially in the second half when we started clicking a little bit, the offense made plays and that was great to see.”
