CSU’s young quarterback practically a veteran in the MW

Nick Stevens will make just the fifth start of his college career Saturday at Utah State.

Yet the CSU sophomore already is somewhat of a veteran among Mountain West quarterbacks.

Five of the conference’s 12 schools already have lost their starting quarterbacks to long-term injuries this season. Five of the other seven, including Colorado State University, have first-year starters running their offenses.

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With veterans like Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury and Boise State’s Ryan Finley and Air Force’s Nate Romine out for the season, Stevens has risen to the top of the Mountain West in touchdown passes with nine and to the No. 2 spot in passing yards, averaging 219.2 a game. Wyoming senior Cameron Coffman, a transfer from Indiana who already has missed one game with an injury, tops the list at 314.7 yards a game. But Coffman is still looking for his first win with the Cowboys (0-4).

Stevens already has a pair or W’s, along with two losses, both in overtime to schools from Power 5 conferences.

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Stevens, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, is still learning new wrinkles every day in first-year coach Mike Bobo’s offense. But he doesn’t feel like a young quarterback anymore.

“I think it’s gone away a little bit,” he said earlier this week. “I got a little bit of play time last year, and now that I’ve gotten four starts this year, being able to play with the guys every game, that’s helped out a lot. I feel like I’m comfortable in this system.”

That comfort doesn’t always show on the field. Although he’s directing the No. 1 passing offense in the MW (268.0 yards a game) and No. 2 offense overall (462.5 yards a game), inconsistent play at quarterback has been the norm for the Rams. Like their young quarterback who threw five touchdown passes without an interception in the season-opener but was just 8 of 19 for 51 yards with two interceptions a week later, they look great for one series or one game, then struggle the next time out.

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“He’s gotten more consistent as the season, and I feel he’s doing OK,” quarterbacks coach Ronnie Letson said Wednesday. “Not great but not bad.”

Stevens has completed 68 of 114 passes for 877 yards and nine touchdowns, with four interceptions. His pass-efficiency rating of 143.31 isn’t as good as backup Coleman Key’s 160.78 but is better than all but three other starting quarterbacks in the MW.

Stevens “is playing well,” Bobo said and learning from the mistakes he’s made.

“I’m pleased with his progress and I expect him to continue to improve this week,” Bobo said.

Key, a redshirt freshman, has completed 16 of 23 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while playing in three of the first four games.

While fans have tried to create a quarterback controversy, Bobo and Letson have spent a lot more time analyzing the play of Stevens and Key. Both quarterbacks, Letson said, know what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong and why one is the starter and the other the backup. Neither one pouts when he comes out of game while the other goes in. They stand on the sidelines and cheer for each other.

They’re both young quarterbacks trying to get better every day while learning a new offense. And they both need some game experience “under fire,” Letson said, to develop. Each has his strengths and weaknesses.

And both are well aware that one of them could go down with an injury, like so many other quarterbacks in the MW already have, at any point this season.

“Neither one of them are just playing lights out,” Letson said. “But if something were to ever happen to one or the other, we’ve got to make sure we’ve got somebody ready to play.”

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news

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