If Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff handle the quarterback job as adeptly as they did Tuesday’s initial press conference after practice Tuesday, the position will be in good hands.
Articulate, calm, and poised, both players handled questions adeptly and with equal aplomb during the 20-minute session. It was an unexpected opportunity for the assembled scribes not used to speaking with quarterbacks this early in their respective careers.
Although neither has an idea of what Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo might have in mind, both quarterbacks had all the right answers.
That includes a response to the first message Bobo relayed to all the quarterbacks before spring practice got underway.
“The first day he came in the quarterback room he said, ‘I’m going to coach y’all hard, and I hope y’all are open to that,’” Vandagriff recalled. “He didn’t really give us a choice. He said I’m going to coach y’all hard, and that’s the way it’s going to go. We all said yes, sir.”
Confidence is not an issue with either, although both readily admit there are tons of improvements to make.
“Of course, every day I went out there, I felt like I was the guy,” Beck said. “That’s the mindset you have to have, because there’s only one guy out there. When you get the opportunity, you’ve got to seize it.”
Vandagriff feels the same.
“That (confidence) hasn’t really changed. Everybody is going to say they have belief and trust in themselves. I base a lot of my life on my faith, and I believe God has a plan for me, regardless of where I’m at or what I’m doing,” Vandagriff said. “That’s never changed. I believe God has a plan for me. I’m going to be here, I’m going to do my job, do what’s asked of me, and control the controllable.”
While the competition appears to be a close one, Smart’s already made it clear what he’s looking for before determining who will open the first game against Tennessee-Martin.
“Decision-making is the number one thing I want to see at the quarterback position. Can you make consecutive, good decisions over and over that don't cost our team games?” Smart said. “Because we have enough playmakers, and we have enough plays that you will make a play inevitably. Don't make a bonehead play. That's what we're trying to avoid.”
For Beck, who threw three interceptions during situational drills at Saturday’s scrimmage, that’s a message he hears loud and clear.
“There’s a lot of things that come with playing the position of quarterback as far as mentally, physically, and obviously, decision-making, which goes back to the mental aspect,” Beck said. “There are certain things that Bobo wants us to do, and there are certain things within every play that we call, whether it’s a check, a change, or reading it the right way. Obviously, we’re going to make mistakes, but for me, just trying to separate every play that no matter what happens, the next play is going to be different, and I’ve got to play each play individually.”
Shaking off mistakes is something Beck admits hasn’t always been easy. But he feels he’s getting better.
“It’s never easy,” Beck said. “Obviously, you’re going to get upset if you do something wrong. There are going to be interceptions and you’re going to have incompletions. Things will go wrong. But it’s more about how you react to it at that one moment, and not letting it affect you in the future.”
Vandagriff believes he’s also improved in that area. But if he wants to win the job, he’ll need to be consistent.
“When it comes to decision making, it’s all about being consistent, not going by this right here. At the quarterback position you’ve got to have somebody that’s here,” Vandagriff said. “Whether that’s the physical aspect or the mental aspect, you’ve got to stay the same during practice. When you make a bad play, you can’t let that play become a catastrophe. That’s what Bobo always tells us. That’s something I think I’m getting better at, making sure I stay the same. Just keep hammering the nail."
