One thing should be made clear: redshirt junior Pete Thomas isn’t some worthless chump who just happened to become the starter due to injury. Thomas and graduate student Brandon Mitchell were neck and neck during preseason practice, considering that Doeren waited until the first game to announce his starter. Because of his previous experience at Colorado State, the coaching staff has confidence in his abilities to lead the team.
Thomas has become the man of the hour for the Wolfpack after Mitchell was sidelined due to a broken bone in his left foot.
In relief of Mitchell against the Bulldogs, Thomas completed 15 of 27 passes for 212 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. In his first Wolfpack start last Saturday against Richmond, Thomas connected on 24 of 31 passes for 237 yards, improving his completion percentage from the previous week by about 22 points. However, he also threw two interceptions.
Interceptions have been Thomas’ pitfall throughout his career. During his freshman year at Colorado State in 2010, he threw 13 interceptions and 11 touchdowns. During his sophomore season, he cut down that figure to eight interceptions and seven touchdowns. It should be noted that in 2011, Thomas threw 261 passes, 130 fewer than his freshman year.
Thomas, who stands 6-foot-6-inches, is regarded as a pocket passer, but in the game against Richmond, Thomas showed flashes of mobility, running nine times for 47 yards. If the Wolfpack wants to continue to be successful with Thomas at the helm, Thomas will have to keep working on using his legs as well as his arm.
Thomas won’t be doing it all by himself. He has been supplemented under center by freshman Bryant Shirreffs. The true freshman has seen action in both games this season, but has been used almost exclusively as a runner. Against Richmond, he broke off a 28-yard touchdown run. He also completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to freshman running back Matt Dayes, one of just three passes this season.
Normally I’m not a huge fan of when teams play musical quarterbacks. However, when different quarterbacks bring different strengths to the table like Thomas and Shirreffs do, it becomes a valuable asset that can work to State’s advantage.
On top of that, the Wolfpack boasts a deep running back rotation that helps take pressure off the passing game. Dayes scored three touchdowns in the season opener, and junior Tony Creecy added another score. Sophomore Shadrach Thornton, who led the team in rushing in 2012 with 694 yards, is also available after serving a suspension against Louisiana Tech.
Thomas has the ability as well as the supporting cast around him to keep the Pack on course for a season to be proud of. It’s understandable for a fan base to have reservations about a second-string quarterback, but in State’s case, it could be a lot worse.
