The 2011 NCAA football season is just around the corner and the San Jose State Spartans football team has settled on its starting quarterback for the upcoming season. The Spartans announced that fifth year senior Matt Faulkner had won the QB battle and would start the season-opener against the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal. Dasmen Stewart will be the backup and Blake Jurich will operated as third string QB.
Faulkner enters his second season with the Spartans after transferring in from Mount San Antonio College. In 2010 he was 21 of 39 for 206 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception for the Spartans. He will make his first career Football Bowl Subdivision start when he faces the Cardinal.
Spartans coach Mike MacIntyre described the QB selection process and the expectations for the backups:
“We have our depth chart together. We’re excited about where we are at this point. Everybody’s been asking us about quarterback. Matt Faulkner will be our starter. Dasmen Stewart will be our backup. Blake Jurich will be our third team (quarterback). All of them have really improved. I’ve been in two programs before where the two first guys got hurt and the third team guy ended up being the starter after a while …
“I went into this (quarterback selection) wide open. We rotated them every day. One day, Matt would be with the third team; next day, the second team; and next day, the first team. Everybody had equal ‘reps,’ so it was a very true competition.”
Faulkner began his playing career with Fresno State where he redshirted in 2007 and did not play in any games in 2008. He transferred to Mount San Antonio where he led his team to a 13-0 record and the 2009 California Community College Athletic Association’s version of a national championship. That season he passed for 3,301 yards and 30 touchdowns.