College football: Michigan State vs. Jacksonville State

Michigan State quarterback Tyler O'Connor (7) looks to pass in the third quarter of their game against Jacksonville State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing Friday, August 29, 2014. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

EAST LANSING -- Eleven days before its season-opener, Michigan State has at last named a starting quarterback.

Senior Tyler O'Connor will start for the Spartans when they open against Furman on Sept. 2, Mark Dantonio announced on Monday.

"I can say right now he'll start week one," Dantonio said.

The announcement brings to a close a nearly eight-month race to see who will take the first snap of the post-Connor Cook era, and brings it its expected conclusion.

O'Connor is the most experienced of Michigan State's quarterbacks and served as the team's backup last year. When Cook injured his shoulder late in the season, he started for Michigan State's win at Ohio State.

Still, the Spartans considered all four of their scholarship quarterbacks before narrowing the list to O'Connor and junior Damion Terry following the first week of camp.

After another week of camp and another scrimmage in which O'Connor played well, Dantonio said he was comfortable naming O'Connor the team's starter for the season-opener.

"I think Tyler O'Connor's our quarterback right now," Dantonio said. "He's the number one guy, he's had a good enough camp to say that right now.

Dantonio said it's possible that other quarterbacks will play in addition to O'Connor for the opener. As to who is number two on the team's depth chart, Dantonio said that it "remains to be seen" but that Terry is currently the team's No. 2 quarterback. Redshirt freshman Brian Lewerke has also been seen as in the mix in the Spartans' quarterback battle.