Trevor Siemian
won’t concede Northwestern’s starting quarterback job to
Kain Colter.
“I’m trying to be a starter,” Siemian said. “It’d be crazy for any quarterback to say they don’t want to be. I’m competing, and at the end of the day the coaches will decide what’s best for this team.”
Colter adopted the same attitude last fall and started the opener at Boston College because of a setback in
Dan Persa’s
Achilles tendon rehab.
Barring an odd development, Colter will get the call Sept. 1 at Syracuse. He’s a far better runner and has more experience.
But no one will be surprised if Siemian plays. By completing 16 of 26 passes for 256 yards last season, he actually posted a higher passer rating (174.6) than Colter (157.7) and Persa (154.8).
“He can make all the throws,” Fitzgerald said. “We have 1a and 1b, two very good quarterbacks. That’s encouraging.”
The 6-foot-3 Siemian, a redshirt sophomore, said he spent the summer “lifting and eating as much as I can.” He’s up to 210 pounds.
Said Fitzgerald: “When he came in, he was a little pencil neck. He found the weight room and is getting stronger and more athletic, more powerful when he runs.”
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
Mick
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McCall
said the next step for Siemian is “having command of the offense and being a threat to run. He’s not Kain, but he’s a threat. Like (third-stringer)
Zack (Oliver).
They’re not slow, stiff guys back there. They can move around and make plays.”
Live action:
Practice ended with starters competing in an 11-on-11 drill. Some highlights: Colter fired a strike across the middle to
Cameron Dickerson.
Cornerback
Daniel Jones
drilled
Kyle Prater
after a catch.
Venric
Mark
rushed around right end for a touchdown. Siemian threw a perfect deep ball to
Tony Jones,
who dropped it.
“That’s a focus play he has to make,” Fitzgerald said of Jones. “The good thing is, this was Thursday, not at (Syracuse’s Carrier) Dome. And Tony’s a very good player.”
Extra points:
Ifeadi
Odenigbo
,
a star linebacker in high school, worked out Thursday at defensive end. Fitzgerald said the position is “a little more natural for him” but that he also would continue to get a look at weak-side linebacker. … Friday’s practice will be NU’s first in full pads. Said Fitzgerald: “The real bullets will start flying.” … Freshman tailback
Malin Jones,
sidelined Monday with dehydration, returned to practice but took a huge hit from freshman safety
Joseph Jones
and briefly left the field. … Country music blared through the speakers at times Thursday at the request of linebacker
Collin
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Ellis.
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein