Pokes' top priority: Picking a backup QB
OSU football
Cate, Weeden will compete for No. 2 spot
Pokes' top priority: Picking a backup QB

By Scott Wright

Published: July 31, 2008

STILLWATER — There's no better way to kick off football practice than with a good ol' quarterback battle.

Or backup quarterback battle.

When the Oklahoma State Cowboys open fall camp today at 4:45 p.m., the top priority for coach Mike Gundy will be to figure out which of his young quarterbacks will be second-string behind starter Zac Robinson.

Sophomore Alex Cate and redshirt freshman Brandon Weeden will get an equal shot to win the job, but Gundy hopes to work quickly in making the decision.

"We'd really like to have that position solidified by the middle of fall camp,” he said.

"We're gonna give them equal reps and an opportunity to earn the second spot. They had good springs, but nobody really stepped out and said, ‘OK, I'm the No. 2 guy.'”

The importance of selecting a backup as soon as possible is two-fold: First, neither Cate nor Weeden has any meaningful game experience, so it will be key for the second-stringer to get as many snaps in camp as possible.

Second, Robinson is known for running and taking hits, heightening the possibility of injury.

The Cate-Weeden duel will be an interesting one, considering the backgrounds of the two players.

Cate, a Salt Lake City native, is the son of a former college quarterback and spent his high school career at Cottonwood High in a spread offense much like OSU's.

"He had a great ability to put the ball in tight places, right where you want it,” Cottonwood coach Tom Jones said in February 2006, when Cate signed with the Cowboys.

"He was able to do that not only from the pocket, but on the move. He's more of a pocket passer, but when things broke down, he could get out and make plays.”

Weeden only played two years of high school football at Edmond Santa Fe, then spent five seasons playing minor-league baseball before walking on at OSU a little more than a year ago.

"After playing five years of baseball, the toughest part for him will be getting up to speed mentally,” said Santa Fe coach Dan Cocanouer.

"Last spring, he said his mind was spinning trying to learn everything and reading defenses.

"But he can throw it like a dart, and he'll put it on the money. I don't know how much they'll run him, but he can sprint out and throw, too.”

Neither player is as mobile as Robinson, who utilizes the option run game well to keep defenses off balance.

So the Cowboy coaches will have to tweak their play-calling should one of the backups get into a game.

"We wouldn't necessarily need a different game plan, but we would lean in one area more than the other,” Gundy said. "I think that we always have to play to the strengths of our quarterback, or whoever our key players are that need to touch the football in order to score points.”

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