Turner moves up to Falcons' backup QB position
8/24/2004BOWLING GREEN - There has been a change at the quarterback position on the Bowling Green football team's depth chart.
No, starter Omar Jacobs still is firmly entrenched in the starter's spot as the Falcons continue to prepare for the season opener at Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. 4. But freshman Anthony Turner has been elevated to the backup position behind Jacobs.
"Anthony Turner is clearly the backup quarterback, which is good and bad,'' said BG coach Gregg Brandon. "What's good is that he has a great future here. What's bad is that I don't know if I want to play him if Omar goes down.''
Brandon said Turner, a 6-2, 218-pounder who played last season at Dayton Chaminade-Juliene High School, has earned the position.
"Turner has stepped up,'' Brandon said. "The learning curve is what he's going through right now. Jason [Washington] shows flashes of being able to get it done, but then he regresses. He's overwhelmed with the system right now, and that's what camp is all about: Finding out about what a guy can do.''
Turner's main competition for the spot behind Jacobs includes Washington, a sophomore who played last season at Long Beach City College, and Van Johnson, a redshirt sophomore from Union City, Ga.
"Jason Washington still needs to get a better handle on the offense,'' Brandon said. "Van Johnson can run the offense, but he is limited in some of the things he can do. We need to keep pouring the work to Jason and Anthony.''
Peter Winovich, a freshman from Jefferson Hills, Pa., has moved from quarterback to tight end. Brandon said Winovich is in the mix for playing time at that position and on special teams.
"Cole Magner can play quarterback, too,'' Brandon said. "That's the last thing I want to do. But three years ago at Akron he came in and rushed the ball for 98 yards in 16 carries.''
Brandon said his goal is to have Turner and Washington ready for duty for the Falcons' MAC opener at Northern Illinois on Friday, Sept. 24.
"We still have two weeks before we play Oklahoma, and three more weeks before we play Northern Illinois,'' Brandon said. "In my opinion, we have five weeks to get Jason and Anthony better in the system before we play [Northern Illinois].''
Contact John Wagner at:
jwagner@theblade.com
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