Vanderbilt could turn to freshman QB Kyle Shurmur
Vanderbilt has not announced whether freshman quarterback Kyle Shurmur will make his debut against Missouri on Saturday, but his teammates say he’s ready, if called upon.
“The other quarterbacks have definitely grown this season, even though they haven’t been playing,” senior center Spencer Pulley said. “Just look at Kyle Shurmur. He’s a freshman, and I give him a hard time because I’m an older guy and I like to see if he’s ready.
“Well, I’ve tested him before games to see if he knows the gameplan, and he does. When it’s his time, he’s ready.”
Coach Derek Mason said Tuesday he was “exploring every option” at quarterback after starter Johnny McCrary’s turnover issues continued in last week’s 19-10 loss at South Carolina.
That could mean sophomore backup Wade Freebeck gets his first start since Oct. 11, 2014, versus Charleston Southern, or it could point to the debut of Shurmur, a highly touted true freshman.
Though listed as the No. 3 quarterback on Tuesday, Shurmur was included on the gameday depth chart for the first time this season. Freebeck was slotted as the No. 2 behind McCrary. Mason would not confirm that McCrary would indeed start, and he said all three quarterbacks were options.
If Vanderbilt goes with Shurmur against Missouri on Saturday (3 p.m./SEC Network), it would mark only the second time in SEC history that two true freshman quarterbacks started in the same game. The first time that occurred was three weeks ago when Missouri’s Drew Lock started against South Carolina’s Lorenzo Nunez.
Vanderbilt quarterbacks are not made available for interviews during the week. But wide receiver Trent Sherfield said he had been impressed by how well the reserve quarterbacks had picked up the offense since preseason camp.
“They have grown and definitely developed,” said Sherfield, who leads Vanderbilt with 36 receptions for 483 yards. “… I still see this (game) as a continuation of the season. You can plug in a different guy at quarterback because they know the offense really well. They can run with it and do the same things with us.”
Vanderbilt 'exploring every option' at QB
McCrary has started 11 consecutive games at quarterback — the last five games last season and all six games this year. In those 11 starts, he has thrown 14 TD passes and 15 interceptions.
But in seven starts versus SEC teams, McCrary has tossed six TD passes and 11 interceptions. Last season, Freebeck threw one TD pass and four interceptions versus SEC teams (three games, two starts). In Freebeck’s lone appearance this season, he was 2-of-6 passing for 26 yards and one interception versus FCS foe Austin Peay.
McCrary beat out Freebeck and newly arrived Shurmur in preseason camp. But Mason said McCrary’s four turnovers in the second half at South Carolina “took me all the way back to game one, and that’s what you can’t do. You have to be a forward-moving, forward-ascending football team.”
Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said his reserve quarterbacks have done well this season watching and learning from the sideline while McCrary played.
“There are two kinds of reps, the reps you take and the reps you steal,” Ludwig said. “I think our guys do a good job of stealing reps and watching someone else run the play or execute the play. That’s a big part of our game because there’s only one ball, only one QB.”
Pulley said Shurmur has paid close attention to adjustments during games, preparing for his chance either this season or next.
“Mental reps have been a big emphasis in games,” Pulley said. “But obviously there are some things you can only learn from playing in a game. You’ll get those things from the experience of being on the field.”
Shurmur is the son of Pat Shurmur, the current Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator and former Cleveland Browns head coach. The 6-foot-4, 226-pound pro-style quarterback was rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports. He passed for 4,996 yards and 53 TDs in two seasons at La Salle College high school, a college preparatory institution in Philadelphia.
An all-around athlete, Shurmur also swam for a record-setting 200-meter medley relay team for his school’s 2014 swimming state title squad.
Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.
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VANDERBILT (2-4, 0-3) vs. MISSOURI (4-3, 1-3)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
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