Some game-changing QB switches in FBS even with most Week 1 starters still in that role

Updated Oct. 31, 2024 6:00 a.m. ET

Associated Press

While two-thirds of the FBS quarterbacks who began this season as QB1 also started in the latest game for their teams, there have been some game-changing switches.

Tenth-ranked Texas A&M (7-1) is the only team in the expanded SEC going into November without a conference loss after redshirt freshman Marcel Reed replaced an ineffective starter in the second half Saturday night and immediately sparked a 31-point surge to beat LSU.

Earlier that day, Tulsa rallied from a 28-point halftime deficit against UTSA with backup quarterback Cooper Legas. The second-biggest comeback in school history made him The Associated Press national player of the week.

Atlantic Coast Conference newcomer SMU (7-1) hasn't lost since Kevin Jennings took over as the starter in the fourth game, a week before the No. 20 Mustangs went into conference play. The third-year, dual-threat sophomore replaced incumbent Preston Stone, who had a 13-3 record but his only three drives during an 18-15 home loss to undefeated No. 9 BYU were all three-and-outs while getting sacked each possession.

“Once you make a switch like that, there’s usually not any going back,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “It wasn’t like we were trying to find our quarterback, and didn’t know who could play. ... And so when you make a switch like that, you know it’s a permanent switch. It’s not ‘Hey, let’s try it out for a game.’ It’s a switch for not only this year, it’s a switch for your future.”

Jennings was the quarterback for SMU's win in the American Athletic Conference championship game last December after Stone broke his leg in the regular-season finale.

Neither Texas A&M coach Mike Elko nor Tulsa coach Kevin Wilson would say who they planned to start at quarterback this week.

There are 134 teams playing at the FBS level this season, and 69 have had the same QB1 for every game. Another 20 have gotten their season-opening starters back after missing games.

Ranked starters

No. 13 Indiana and SMU are the only Top 25 teams that in their last game didn't have the same starter that opened the season.

Sixth-year player Kurtis Rourke started the first seven games for the undefeated Hoosiers (8-0) before surgery on his injured right thumb. Coach Curt Cignetti is optimistic that the Ohio transfer, who just turned 24, can return Saturday at Michigan State.

There are 21 ranked teams that have had the same starting quarterback all season, including No. 3 Penn State. But the Nittany Lions are unsure about Drew Allar's status for Saturday's showdown against No. 4 Ohio State because of an apparent left knee injury against Wisconsin last week.

NIL dispute

There was one quarterback change not related to injury or ineffective play. UNLV was 3-0 when Matthew Sluka announced his decision to sit out the rest of the season over a $100,000 NIL payment that his agent said was promised but never paid after he agreed to transfer from Holy Cross last winter.

Hajj-Malik Williams has since been a dual threat for the Rebels (6-2). The graduate transfer from Campbell is one of the nation's most efficient passers in his five starts, completing 74 of 109 passes (67.9%) for 1,017 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 407 yards and five TDs rushing.

Reed's rally

Texas A&M trailed 17-7 when Reed replaced Conner Weigman midway through the third quarter, right after the Aggies got an interception. Reed ran 8 yards for a TD on his first snap, and put them ahead with two more TD runs by the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

Reed started and won three games in September when Weigman was injured. Weigman was in his third game back when the second-year freshman took over, running nine times for 62 yards and completing both of his passes for 70 yards.

After Elko said this week that he hadn't decided how to handle the QB situation moving forward, the Aggies coach was asked about playing more than one.

“I think the possibility’s there for a lot of things,” he said. “We just have enough wrinkles within our system that we can tailor it to who the quarterback is. ... So when the offense isn’t firing or isn’t being efficient enough and you feel like you have an opportunity to try to inject some life into the game, that’s kind of what you do.”

Tulsa time

Legas started Tulsa's previous game at Temple before getting replaced in that loss by regular starter Kirk Francis, who then came out of the UTSA game in the second quarter with an ankle injury.

The Hurricane (3-5) trailed 20-0 before Legas had the first of his five TD passes — the last two came in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the 46-45 win. The graduate transfer from Utah State transfer threw for 333 yards.

“Cooper’s a great leader,” tight end Luke McGary said. "He came in with a presence. He really did. Cooper really set the standard of what we need to do.”

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