Warszawski: For now, Fresno State’s two QBs better than none

The last time Zack Greenlee played at Bulldog Stadium, the stage was too big for him.

On Thursday night, Greenlee looked like he’d grown into the role. He kept his wits when the pocket collapsed. He showed confidence in his arm. He found open receivers and fit the football into tight spots.

I doubt there’s a stage in the world too big for Chason Virgil. He seems like one of those guys who’d be comfortable up there trading verses with Mick Jagger on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

Upon entering Fresno State’s 34-13 pasting of Abilene Christian in the second quarter, the freshman promptly led a 10-play, 53-yard touchdown drive.

Bulldogs fans, meet your new quarterbacks. Yes, plural.

At the risk of upsetting football purists who insist there can be only one, coach Tim DeRuyter was wise to rotate Greenlee and Virgil against an FCS opponent with a revamped secondary. Next week the Bulldogs travel to face a Mississippi team with one of the nation’s best defenses. Both will benefit from that experience just as much.

No, it can’t go on forever. Soon DeRuyter and offensive coordinator Dave Schramm will have to decide on one quarterback – unless injuries make that choice for them. (Until a fumbled punt nixed a late possession, there was even talk about giving transfer Ford Childress a look.) But that time isn’t right now.

There was some concern about how Greenlee would handle games. The sophomore eased some worry by capping Fresno State’s opening drive with a scrambling 25-yard touchdown pass to Jamire Jordan.

Flushed out of the pocket, Greenlee avoided a sack and rolled to his right while never losing sight of his receivers.

“Just kept my eyes downfield and found Jamire standing by himself by the pylon,” Greenlee said. “I just put it on him and he made a great play.”

Greenlee’s second touchdown, a 32-yard strike to Josiah Blandin, was one of those teensy-window throws Bulldogs fans haven’t seen since You Know Who was at quarterback.

It wasn’t like Blandin was open. The coverage had him step for step. Greenlee unleashed the pass anyway and the 6-foot-4 receiver snared the ball at helmet level to put Fresno State ahead 14-7.

“When I got back to the sideline a lot of people thought the defender hit it,” Blandin said. “It was just a great ball.”

Greenlee didn’t make every play available to him. In the third quarter he missed KeeSean Johnson streaking toward the end zone because the pass went to the wrong shoulder.

Still, Greenlee made enough of them to show why he earned the starting nod.

“I thought our quarterbacks played well, in particular Zack,” DeRuyter said. “He’s made a ton of growth from a year ago. We saw that at practice, but until you go out on a Thursday night or a Saturday and do it against somebody else you don’t really know.”

Even less was known about Virgil, who entered the game by design on the first full drive of the second quarter. Facing third-and-6, the freshman found Blandin for 21 and 8 yards on consecutive plays to bring the Bulldogs down to the 20-yard line.

Six plays later, Virgil and tight end Chad Olsen connected from 4 yards out as Fresno State went ahead by two touchdowns.

“There are some things he’d like to take back, but I thought (Virgil) showed incredible poise and we got to see a little of his athleticism,” DeRuyter said. “He can wing the ball.”

Virgil and Greenlee each threw interceptions on their final passes of the first half – Greenlee’s came at the 2 following a 64-yard drive – though the film will reveal both were more the receiver’s fault.

Which brings us to the only position group on the Bulldogs’ sideline with less experience than the quarterbacks.

Most of Fresno State’s receiving corps had never caught a college pass heading into the season opener. Now they have, and most of them also recorded their first college drops.

Greenlee finished 14 of 32 for 156 yards, while Virgil went 8 of 13 for 61 yards. Greenlee’s completion percentage in particular would’ve benefited had his receivers hung on to at least four or five well-thrown balls.

“There were a lot of plays left on the field, and that’s where we’ve got to learn, get better and get ready for next week,” Greenlee said.

I’m going to go out on the world’s thickest limb here and say Fresno State is not going to score 34 points against Mississippi. Frankly, it would be a mild surprise if either Bulldogs quarterback directed a long touchdown drive against the Rebels’ first-string defense. (Boise State failed to do so last season on a neutral field.)

So, no, let’s not go overboard about what Greenlee and Virgil accomplished against Abilene Christian. But after an offseason wondering if the Bulldogs had any capable quarterbacks, now at least there’s the possibility they have two.

During his postgame news conference, DeRuyter said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if both quarterbacks played next week in SEC country.

Based on what we saw Thursday night, it would be no surprise at all.

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 6:36 AM with the headline "Warszawski: For now, Fresno State’s two QBs better than none."