"I think it's very clear these
two young men have separated themselves throughout
the spring,'' Andersen said of
Phillips and Stave. "It's production-based. It's also their
ability to carry themselves
and lead the offense.
a fifth-year senior from Sullivan South High School
in Kingsport, Tenn., and a survivor of three ACL
surgeries on his right knee. Prior to taking over as
the starter at Indiana, Phillips had not seen any
game action since 2009. Undaunted by his inactivity, Phillips started the last five games and twice
sparked late fourth-quarter rallies that led to overtimes.
Although it was initially assumed that Stave had
been lost for the rest of the season, he resumed
practicing in December and wound up playing one
series ― in relief of Phillips ― against Stanford in
the Rose Bowl. They entered the spring in a dead
heat. "Both possess a solid skill set to play quarterback in the Big Ten,'' offered UW offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. "I like watching them compete
every day.''
Taking advantage of a sixth year to complete his
college eligibility, Phillips affirmed, "Competition
brings out the best in everybody. Fortunately since
I've been here the quarterbacks have always gotten
along really well. No matter who was playing (last
year) ― me, Joel or Danny ― when you came off
the field, you could ask them what they saw and
you could trust them.''
Spelling out some differences ― "Curt has been
around here longer so we have a different style
of leading" ― Stave shed light on the competitive
instincts that he shares with Phillips. "I'd like to
think that me and Curt are friends,'' he said. "We
talk about what we see on the field and help each
other when we can. But we're both competitors and
want to be the one who plays at the end of the day.''
W
● ● ● ●
hen Phillips got to Madison in
2008 as a four-star prospect
(according to Rivals.com), he
was regarded as a dual-threat
quarterback who could impact a
game more readily with his feet than his arm. During Phillips' redshirt season, Dustin Sherer and Allan Evridge were the co-starters and Scott Tolzien
was No. 3 on the depth chart. Phillips and Tolzien
have remained close over the years and they spoke
last week.
Phillips related how Tolzien reminded him to
"just be relaxed'' and "not to look at what anybody
else is doing within the starting quarterback competition'' but "just let it come to you.'' Suitably
moved, Phillips said, "Ultimately all that matters is
what I do, not what is going on around me.''
In 2010, Tolzien broke out of the pack to lead
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