Gundy wants backup QB decided by end of spring

By Mike Baldwin

Published: March 9, 2008

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy hopes Brandon Weeden or Alex Cate earns the backup quarterback job by the end of spring drills.

"It's pretty important you don't linger into August,” Gundy said. "Fifteen or 20 days out (from the season opener) you'd like a guy to be taking all those (backup) reps instead of splitting them. I don't like splitting reps.”

Junior Zac Robinson set the single-season school record for total offense after replacing Bobby Reid as the starting quarterback the third game last season. Since Reid transferred to Texas Southern, OSU is searching for Robinson's backup.

"It's really unfair to comment,” Gundy said. "Weeden has a strong arm and Cate has been a savvy player throughout his career. That's about all we know at this point.”

Cate, a sophomore from Salt Lake City, has been in the program two years. Weeden, a 24-year-old redshirt freshman from Edmond Santa Fe who played professional baseball for five years, joined the program last summer as a walk-on.

"You don't really know where they're at because we never really give the third-team quarterback reps,” Gundy said. "Cate has done just a little. Weeden has been reading (scout team) cards. Neither guy, so to speak, has earned their stripes, so they'll get equal reps.”Co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer is coaching quarterbacks after coaching wide receivers for three years.

"(Weeden) is a big, strong guy who has a cannon,” Brewer said. "Now we'll see what he can do with it. It's the same thing with Cate. He has a good arm and had a tremendous high school career. We're looking for him to continue that when given the opportunity.

"It should be a dogfight with those two guys to see who can earn the job... You just want them to have the opportunity this spring to get enough snaps to gain experience running this offense because if they ever go in, they will be the guy.”

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