Gators and Tigers preparing for two QBs

Saturday’s game between Auburn and Florida might as well be called the “Quarterback Bowl.”

Yes, it’s an extremely corny and hardly creative, but all anyone is concerned about when talking about this matchup is the quarterback position.

That’s what happens when you have Florida coach Will Muschamp fielding two true freshmen and Auburn’s Gene Chizik having to reaffirm earlier this week that his junior quarterback was still the starter.

If you haven’t heard by now, well, welcome back to Earth. Those freshmen are Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel, while the junior is Barrett Trotter, who is seeing freshman Kiehl Frazier get more snaps each game -- and all four could play this weekend.

Hence, the Quarterback Bowl.

Both coaches are working this week to defend multiple quarterbacks and both find it equally as challenging.

“It’s a problem preparing for them regardless of whether you even know who’s starting at quarterback because they do so many things with other guys too,” Chizik said Wednesday. “They’ll do stuff with [Chris] Rainey and they’ll do stuff with [Trey] Burton. They have other avenues to get other people at the quarterback position/wildcat.”

One advantage for the Tigers is that they won’t be game planning for two quarterbacks that are worlds apart in ability. Brissett isn’t quite the runner Driskel is, but he evaded LSU defenders well last week and he can use his legs if he wants to.

Both Muschamp and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis have said the game plan will be the same with both quarterbacks in.

As for Muschamp, he’ll have to scheme for a pure passer in Trotter and a runner in Frazier. However, knowing that Trotter will be the starter, simplifies the preparation to an extent. Facing two quarterbacks with two different skill sets can be frustrating, but knowing who will get the majority of the snaps helps.

“When we’re talking about two totally different, talented guys as far as doing different things, then, yes, that poses some problems and you kind of like to know who that guy might be,“ Muschamp said. “Obviously, they can switch gears in a game at any time and I know [offensive coordinator] Gus [Malzahn] can certainly do that.”

Malzahn no doubt will, but the player who should see most of the snaps is Trotter and Chizik said Trotter will continue to unless he starts regressing both on the field and in practice. Which is how Chizik treats all of his athletes.

“If we feel like there’s somebody’s that either better or somebody is not playing as well at his position and somebody can do the job better than him, then obviously we’ll make the change,” Chizik said.

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