CUSA Football: 7 New QB’s Arrive on Campus

When the 2012 college football season opens 7 of the 12 teams in Conference USA will have new starting QB’s. Central Florida, East Carolina, Memphis, Southern Miss, Houston, SMU, and Tulsa all lost their starters from last year due to graduation, left on their own or transferred.

Jeff Godfrey left UCF after just two seasons after a 5-7 mark in 2011. Blake Bortles was named the starter in the spring and used a solid spring to solidify his position as the starter for 2012. Bortles is no stranger to the UCF offense however. Bortles finished the 2011 season 110-175-958-3 with 6 TD’s in 10 games last season in a reserve role last season. After spring football it was announced that Godfrey would be returning to the team, but not at QB. He will probably be used as a receiver.

East Carolina comes into 2012 without the services of Dominique Davis who led a high powered Pirate offense the last two seasons. Sophomore Shane Carden and last season’s backup Rio Johnson battled in the spring for the QB position. Carden went down with a finger injury that will sideline him and that left Rio Johnson as the starter for opening day in 2012. In mop up duty last season Johnson went 20-29-157-1 and without a TD.

Memphis will open the 2012 season with their fourth different starter at quarterback for the fourth straight year. Freshman QB Taylor Reed had moved into the starting role last season. He asked for his release in the spring and will transfer. He will be replaced by former Texas Tech QB Jacob Karam who joined the team in the spring and will be immediately eligible. The backup will be Will Gilchrist who has yet to take a snap in college.

Southern Miss comes into 2012 with the biggest problem. Two quarterbacks battling for the starter role and neither of whom have taken a college snap. Arsenio Favor was supposed to start this season, but has been sidelined by an injury. Junior Chris Campbell and Freshman Ricky Lloyd will battle it out to see who gets the call on opening day against Nebraska.

Houston comes into a somewhat good position in 2012. Even though the Cougars lost record breaking QB Case Keenum the offense is in good hands. Redshirt Sophomore QB David Piland returns for his second stint as starting quarterback for Houston. Piland started 8 games in 2010 when Keenum was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Piland went 201-345-2641-14 and 24 TD passes in 2010. Piland redshirted last season.

SMU comes into 2012 having to replace two quarterbacks. J. J. McDermott played out his eligibility and Kyle Padron transferred to Eastern Washington in the spring. Texas transfer Garrett Gilbert will almost certainly be the starter in 2012. Conner Preston ran the offense in the spring while the Mustangs awaited the arrival of Gilbert to campus.

Tulsa will open the season with Nebraska transfer Cody Green. Green will be asked to carry on a Tulsa tradition that has seen the three previous quarterbacks break school records. Green appeared in 17 games with 4 starts for the Cornhuskers. Green will be backed up by redshirt sophomore Kalen Henderson. Henderson does have some playing experience. Last season, as a reserve behind G. J. Kinne, Henderson went 8-29-122-4 and 3 TD’s.