“Decker competing for starting quarterback job at New Hampshire” |
| Decker competing for starting quarterback job at New Hampshire Posted: 24 Aug 2010 03:56 PM PDT After watching and learning most of his freshman season, University of New Hampshire quarterback Kevin Decker was thrust into the spotlight several times last year. And the strong-armed, 2007 Brunswick School graduate didn't disappoint. A star quarterback on three Bruins championship teams, Decker showed flashes of brilliance for the Wildcats in 2009, passing for 380 yards and five touchdowns as the No. 2 signal caller. This season, Decker hopes to spend more time under center. The 6-foot-3 Decker is vying for the starting quarterback job and an increased role on the team. "I felt good about what I did last year," said Decker, who appeared in nine games for the Wildcats last season. "I received playing time in some meaningful spots. It was nice to get in the flow of things and figure out how I could help the team." Currently, there are four quarterbacks on New Hampshire's roster, one of whom is senior co-captain R.J. Toman, who threw for 2,181 yards with 15 touchdowns as a starter in 2009. Toman, who played at Mission Viejo High School in Calif., the same high school New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez attended, threw 28 touchdown passes as a starter in 2008. "R.J. is a very talented quarterback who had a great season for us last year," Decker said. "I am just going to leave it all on the field and give it everything I have. Whatever role I have, my goal is to do everything I can to help the team win." UNH coach Sean McDonnell, who recently noted during training camp that both Toman and Decker are capable of leading the offense, believes Decker has made the competition for the starting spot closer than ever. "One thing coach has always stressed is that it is an open competition," said Decker, an Armonk, N.Y., native. "No matter how many guys are on the depth chart everyone has to push to earn a spot. There are four of us -- anything can happen." The Wildcats posted a record of 10-3 last season, earning a berth in the NCAA FCS playoffs for the sixth straight year. UNH, which was ranked seventh in the nation and won its second consecutive Colonial Athletic Association conference title a year ago, dropped a 46-7 decision to Villanova in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. New Hampshire, which averaged a league-best 31.8 points per game last season, has also made it to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs five of the last six years. Decker gained the confidence of the offensive unit with several strong performances during the Wildcats' 2009 campaign, one of which occurred in his first collegiate start against Towson State. Displaying the arm and savvy that helped him lead Brunswick to victories in 34 of the 35 games he started, Decker completed 11-of-19 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns in New Hampshire's 57-7 rout of Towson State. "R.J. got hurt (an injured foot), so I got thrown in there and had some valuable playing time," Decker noted. "That first start against Towson State I had a little bit of nerves, but I knew I had a great team behind me, and all I had to do was do my job." New Hampshire's 44-14 blowout win against Dartmouth College saw Decker complete 9-of-14 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown off the bench. He also connected on 11-of-21 attempts for 104 yards and a touchdown in the team's disappointing postseason setback against Villanova. Indeed, Decker, who weighs 200 pounds after adding 25 pounds of muscle to his frame since his Brunswick School days, knows preparation is critical for a backup quarterback. "The one thing coach stresses is that you are one play away from going in there and being the starter," said Decker, who also ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns on the season. "It is tough sometimes, because you don't get as many reps in practice. But you really have to pay attention to every detail and do whatever you can to stay prepared. You have to stick with it every day." Decker, who redshirted his first year, quickly noticed how advanced the collegiate game is. "As the quarterback at Brunswick I would only see two kind of defenses," explained Decker, who passed for 75 career touchdowns and 5,763 yards for the Bruins. "Here there are about 10 different coverages and so many blitz tendencies. There is so much more film study involved." Seeing how effectively UNH graduate Ricky Santos and Toman ran the team's spread offense the past three years has helped Decker improve. "Watching Ricky Santos at quarterback my first year was incredible," Decker said. He won the Walter Payton Award (2006), which is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy Award for Division I-AA. I learned a lot from watching him. R.J. has also been great." The Wildcats, who will host Central Connecticut State in its season-opener on Sept. 4, return a wealth of firepower on offense. Senior Terrance Fox, junior Mickey Mangieri and sophomore Joey Orlando lead a talented group of wide receivers, while senior Sean Jellison powers the running game. "Sean Jellison is a tremendous running back who has a nose for the end zone," Decker said. "We also have a very explosive receiving corps. Our team has a lot of weapons offensively." The Wildcats will visit formidable Division I-A foe Pittsburgh Sept. 11 and travel to Rhode Island the following week before playing its second home game against Lehigh on Sept. 25. UNH will also host Richmond (Oct. 9), UMass (Oct. 23) and Towson State (Nov. 20). Decker entered UNH with an impressive resume. He flourished under former Brunswick coach Sean Brennan's spread offense, leading the Bruins to three consecutive NEPSAC Class C titles (2003-05) and a fourth appearance in the finals his senior year in 2006. One of the most memorable games in Brunswick football history came in the NEPSAC Class C final in 2005. Decker passed for an astounding 417 yards, completing 31-of-55 passes, with five touchdowns in a 46-36 victory over Belmont Hill School. "Those years that I played at Brunswick were awesome," Decker recalled. "I give coach Brennan a lot of credit for getting me to where I am today. He really helped me find the right school. Tom Philip (Brunswick's headmaster) was also always looking out for me. He was a huge mentor." Decker and the Wildcats head into the upcoming season believing their ultimate goal is tangible. "We have made it to the quarterfinals the last four or five years, but we know we have the talent to win the national championship," Decker said. "That's what we're determined to do." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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