3 Big Ten teams announce starting quarterbacks

Tyler O’Connor led Michigan State to a win over Ohio State in Columbus. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

 

Three Big Ten teams unveiled their Week 1 starting quarterbacks on Monday. None were surprising.

First, Purdue announced that David Blough will regain his starting role after starting eight games in 2015. He began the season behind Austin Appleby (now at Florida) on the depth chart but took over in late September. He finished the year with 1,574 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Blough’s season ended when he sustained a concussion at Iowa on Nov. 21.

Monday’s news seemed like a given, but coach Darrell Hazell gave redshirt freshman Elijah Sindelar a shot to compete. Blough and the Boilermakers, entering Hazell’s fourth season, open up at home against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 3. Purdue went 2-10 last year.

	Purdue Football @BoilerFootball
Coach Hazell has announced that @David_Blough10 will be the starting QB #BoilerUp #FocusFightFinish pic.twitter.com/3oRTm75zk0 8:46 AM - 22 Aug 2016

In the Big Ten East, first-year Rutgers head coach Chris Ash went with Chris Laviano over Zach Allen, a graduate transfer from TCU. Like Blough at Purdue, Laviano was Rutgers’ top quarterback for most of 2015. The redshirt junior started 11 games for the Scarlet Knights, throwing for 2,247 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during a 4-8 season.

There could still be room for some snaps for Allen in red zone and short-yardage situations, but Laviano will receive the bulk of the snaps when the Scarlet Knights open up on the road at Washington on Sept. 3.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten East, Mark Dantonio told reporters Monday that senior Tyler O’Connor will start when the Spartans open up against FCS Furman on Sept. 2. O’Connor finally gets his shot as starter after backing up Connor Cook for three years.

“I think Tyler O’Connor’s our quarterback right now,” Dantonio said per Mlive.com. “He’s the number one guy, he’s had a good enough camp to say that right now.”

He outlasted versatile junior Damion Terry to win the job. Terry, who has been used at other positions in the past, will likely still see some action in the opener. Redshirt freshman Brian Lewarke could also see action. Dantonio would not commit to Terry being the team’s No. 2 quarterback.