Once again, there will be a change at the quarterback position for Colorado State.
Junior Nick Stephens (pictured), the incumbent who was named second-team All-MWC last season, started the opener against Colorado, but was benched after going 6-20 for 31 yards and two interceptions. Faton Bauta, the graduate transfer from Georgia, started the Week 2 win over UT-San Antonio and continued the poor play at the position, going 6-17 for 82 yards.
Hoping the third time is a charm, head coach Mike Bobo announced that Collin Hill will start Saturday’s game against Northern Colorado. Hill is an 18-year-old true freshman who was an early enrollee and participated in spring practice.
Bobo stated that he nearly pulled the trigger and named Hill the starter ahead of the season opener, but decided Stephens’ experience should win out. Now, faced with a passing “attack” that’s last nationally in completion percentage and pass efficiency as well as 126th out of 128 teams in yards per game, Bobo has decided the future is now.
“I talk about it all the time. I talk about competition and having to do your job, but I feel comfortable with him going forward,” Bobo said in explaining the decision. “I expect him to play well, I expect us to improve in our passing game and improve offensively. Hopefully we’ll do enough to put ourselves in a position to win the ball game on Saturday.”
In the UTSA win, Hill hit on two of his six passes for 26 yards.