First Year Starting QBs Since 2001
By Editorial Staff
This year the SEC appears to be as wide open as ever. More than half the teams in the conference legitimately think they should be in Atlanta and they all probably have enough talent. Three traditional powers that have a shot at competing for SEC Championship are breaking in new quarterbacks in a conference that prides itself on fast, attacking defenses. Florida and Auburn turn to Redshirt Juniors John Brantley and Cam Newton, respectively, while Georgia turns to Redshirt Freshman Aaron Murray. So basically I got curious and wanted to see exactly how well first year starters have done behind center. This glance at the quarterback position since 2001 focuses only on the traditional six powers in the league because nobody else has claimed a conference championship since expansion besides Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, or Tennessee. Let’s see what we come up with:
Alabama – 2
John Parker Wilson – True SO (2006)
Personal: Dubious honor of being the last QB during Mike Shula’s tenure
Team: 6-7 (2-6) 4th in West – 9 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 7/12 98 yds 2 TD
Stats: 216/379 57% 2707 yds 17 TD 10 INT
Signature Home Win: vs Hawaii (25-17) 16/29 253 yds TD
Best Away Win: N/A
Stinker: vs Mississippi State (16-24 L) 19/39 187 yds 2 INT
Greg McElroy – RS JR (2009)
Personal: John Parker Wilson backup; much-maligned even though he’s undefeated as a starter
Team: 14-0 (8-0) SEC Champions and National Champions – 4 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 16/20 73yds TD
Stats: 198/325 61% 2508 yds 17 TD 4 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. #9 LSU (24-15) 19/34 276 yds 2 TD 1 INT
Best Away Win: @ Auburn (26-21) 21/31 218 yds 2 TD
Stinker: vs South Carolina (20-6 W) 10/20 92 yds 2 INT
Auburn – 3
Jason Campbell –RS FR (2001)
Personal: Split time, 7 starts (4-3)
Team: 7-5 (5-3) 2nd in West
Prior Experience: N/A
Stats: 89/142 62.7% 1117 yds 4 TD 4 INT
Signature Home Win: vs Ole Miss (27-21) – 15/19 142 yds INT
Best Away Win: @ Vanderbilt (24-21) – 17/24 247 yds TD
Stinker: Peach Bowl vs North Carolina (10-16 L) – 12/18 74 yds INT
Brandon Cox – RS SO (2005)
Personal: Started every game after AU’s undefeated season in ’04
Team: 9-3 (7-1) 2nd in West – 7 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 22/34 357 yds 4 TD 2 INT
Stats: 177/306 57.8% 2324 yds 15 TD 8 INT
Signature Home Win: vs # 8 Alabama (28-18) 14/21 118 yds 2 TD
Best Away Win: @ # 9 Georgia (31-30) 16/28 279 yds INT
Stinker: vs Georgia Tech (14-23 L) 22/44 342 yds 2 TD 4 INT
Chris Todd – RS JR (2008)
Personal: Texas Tech transfer, spent a year at JUCO; Played in 7 games, 5 starts (3-2)
Team: 5-7 (2-6) 4th in West — 8 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 25/35 241 yds TD at TT; 1 year at JUCO
Stats: 86/156 55.1% 903 yd 5 TD 6 INT
Best Game: vs. Southern Miss (27-13 W) 21/31 248 yds
Florida – 2
Chris Leak – True FR (2003)
Personal: Split time early; 9 Starts (6-3)
Team: 8-5 (6-2) 3rd in East – 6 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: N/A
Stats: 190/320 59% 2435 yds 16 TD 11 INT
Signature Home (Jacksonville) Win: vs #11 Georgia (16-13) 13/23 235 yds TD
Best Away Win: @ Eventual National Champion #2 LSU (19-7) 18/30 229 2 TD
Stinker: vs Ole Miss (17-20 L) 14/27 234 yds 2 TD 3 INT
Tim Tebow – True SO (2007)
Personal: 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner
Team: 9-4 (5-3) 3rd in East – 6 Returning Starters
Prior Experience: 22/34 355 yds 5 TD INT
Stats: 234/350 66.7% 32 TD 6 INT
Signature Home Win: vs #22 Tennessee (59-20) 14/19 299 yds 2 TD INT
Best Away Win: @ South Carolina (51-31) 22/32 304 yds 2 TD INT
Stinker: @ #1 LSU (24-28 L) 12/26 158 yds 2 TD INT
UGA – 4
David Greene – RS FR (2001)
Personal: #2 All-Time NCAA Wins by QB
Team: 8-4 (5-3) 4th in East
Prior Experience: N/A
Stats: 192/324 59.3% 2789 yds 17 TD 9 INT
Signature Home Win: vs Georgia Tech (31-17) 11/24 210 yds
Best Away Win: @ #6 Tennessee (26-24) 21/34 303 yds 2TD INT
Stinker: vs #6 Florida (10-24 L) 25/42 248 yds INT
DJ Shockley – RS SR (2005)
Personal: 3 year back up to David Greene; missed crucial game against UF with knee injury
Team: 10-3 (6-2) SEC Champions – 7 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 67/130 1167 yds 10 TD 4 INT
Stats: 173/310 55.8% 2588 yds 24 TD 5 INT
Signature Home Win: vs #18 Boise St (48-13) 16/24 289 yds 5 TD
Best Away Win: @ #8 Tennessee (27-14) 16/27 207 yds INT
Stinker: @ #20 Georgia Tech (14-7 W) 15/34 189 yds TD INT
Matt Stafford – True FR (2006)
Personal: Split time early in year, 8 starts (6-2)
Team: 9-4 (4-4) 4th in East – 4 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: N/A
Stats: 135/256 52.7% 1749 yds 7 TD 13 INT
Signature Home Win: vs #16 Georgia Tech (15-12) 16/29 171 yds TD
Best Away Win: @ #5 Auburn (37-15) 14/20 219 yds TD
Stinker: @ Kentucky (20-24 L) 16/28 230 yds TD 3 INT
Joe Cox – RS SR (2009)
Personal: Threw 2 TDs in 4Q vs Colorado in ’06 to save Stafford and lead ‘Dawgs to 14-13 win
Team: 8-5 (4-4) 3rd in West – 7 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 33/58 432 yds 5 TD INT
Stats: 185/331 55.9% 2584 yds 24 TD 15 INT
Signature Home Win: vs South Carolina (41-37) 17/24 201 yds 2 TD INT
Best Away Win: @ #7 Georgia Tech (30-24) 8/14 76 yds TD
Stinker: vs #1 Florida (17-41 L) 11/20 165 yds 2 TD 3 INT
LSU – 5
Rohan Davey – RS SR (2001)
Personal: Finally had the position to himself in 2001
Team: 10-3 (5-3) SEC Champions
Prior Experience: 69/111 1068 yds 11 TD 5 INT
Stats: 248/420 59% 3791 yds 21 TD 10 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. #24 Arkansas (41-38) 19/33 359 yds 3 TD 4 INT
Best Away Win: @ Alabama (35-21) 35-44 528 yds 2 TD INT
Stinker: vs #2 Florida (15-44 L) 7/17 154 yds INT
Matt Mauck – RS SO (2002)
Personal: Best career winning % for QB in LSU history; 6 starts (5-1) before injury
Team: 8-5 (5-3) 4th in West
Prior Experience: 18/21 244 yds 2 INT
Stats: 63/130 48.5% 782 yds 9 TD 2 INT
Best Game: @ #16 Florida (36-7 W) 13/20 153 yds 2 TD
Matt Flynn RS SR (2007)
Personal: Only started once before his redshirt senior season
Team: 12-2 (6-2) SEC Champs and National Champs
Prior Experience: 43/78 689 yds 10 TD 2 INT
Stats: 202/359 56.3% 2407 yds 21 TD 11 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. #18 Auburn (30-24) 22/34 319 yds 3 TD INT
Best Away Win: @ #17 Alabama (41-34) 24/33 353 yds 3 TD 3 INT
Stinker: @ #17 Kentucky (37-43 L) 17/35 130 yds TD INT)
Jarrett Lee RS FR (2008)
Personal: “Mr. Pick Six” 8 starts (4-4)
Team: 8-5 (3-5) 3rd in West — 7 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: N/A
Stats: 143/269 53.2% 1873 yds 14 TD 16 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. Mississippi State (34-24) 17/26 175 yd TD
Best Away Win: @ #10 Auburn (26-21) 11/22 182 yds 2 TD INT)
Stinker: vs. #9 Georgia (52-38) 14/28 287 yds 3 TD 3 INT — Pick six first play of game
Jordan Jefferson True Sophomore (2009)
Personal: Starred in 2009 Peach Bowl
Team: 9-4 (5-3) 2nd in West — 7 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 36/73 419 yds 4 TD INT
Stats: 182/296 61.5% 2166 yds 17 TD 7 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. Auburn (31-10) 21/31 242 yds 2 TD
Best Away Win: @ #18 Georgia (20-13) 18/27 212 yds INT
Stinker: vs. #1 Florida (13-3) 11/17 92 yds INT
UT – 2
Erik Ainge – True Freshman (2004)
Personal: Started 9 (7-2) games before giving way to injury against Notre Dame
Team: 10-3 (7-1) 1st in East — 5 Returning Starters
Prior Experience: N/A
Stats: 109/198 55.1% 1452 yds 11 TD 9 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. #9 Florida (30-28) 16/24 192 3 TD INT
Best Away Win: @ #3 Georgia (19-14) 12/21 150 yds 2 TD
Stinker: vs. #8 Auburn (10-34 L) 17/35 173 yds TD 4 INT
Jonathan Crompton — RS JR (2008)
Personal: Hyped recruit who waited his turn behind Ainge; 6 starts (3-3)
Team: 5-7 (3-5) 5th in East — 9 Returning Offensive Starters
Prior Experience: 38/78 498 yds 5 TD 4 INT
Stats: 86/167 51.5% 889 yds 4 TD 5 INT
Signature Home Win: vs. Kentucky (28-10) 6/8 101 yds TD
Best Away Win: N/A
Stinker: @ #15 Auburn (12-14 L) 8/23 67 yds
Observations
- There are two distinct groups when talking about new QBs within the last decade. The older group (4th or 5th year in the program), which consists of seven QBs and the younger group (everybody else), which consists of eleven QBs.
- The older group stats: 60-18, four SEC Championships, and 2 National Championships. Breaking it down further, it’s really McElroy, Flynn, Davey, Shockely, and then everybody else. Take out those four and Joe Cox, Chris Todd, and Jonathan Crompton have a combined record of 14-10 with no championships.
- Fun Fact: Joe Cox is the only QB in the older group that neither made the SEC Championship Game nor got his coach fired. I’m not sure what that means.
- Look at the younger group and there is a huge discrepancy. Their overall record is 78-38 with only one SEC East Championship.
- Have a Plan: Part of that may have to do with not settling on a QB early in the year. 2006 Georgia, 2001 Auburn, and 2003 Florida should have stuck with their young guys early.
- Injuries really affect the teams of the younger group. 2002 LSU was rolling along at 5-1 with Mauck, but then he goes down and they fall to 8-5. Similar story for 2007 Tennessee. They were 7-1 with a full time Erik Ainge, but only 3-2 without him.
- Losing seasons are unlikely. A lot of pundits are suggesting that Mark Richt and Les Miles may miss a bowl this year and lose their job. Well, I doubt it. There were only 3 losing seasons in the whole study. 2008 Auburn and 2008 Tennessee both hired new Offensive Coordinators that doomed their teams and ultimately cost Phil Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville their jobs. 2006 Alabama had just recovered from probation.
- The young guys can win away from home. Six of the eleven (Cox, Leak, Greene, Stafford, Lee, and Ainge) all won a game on the road against a Top 10 opponent.
- The young guys also stink up the joint from time to time, whether they start airmailing picks or are just plain ineffective. You can’t expect a flawless performance from them week in and week out.
- Fun Fact II: The only QB from the young group that did not hold onto the starting job going into the next season was Jarrett Lee.
- Conclusion: Out of Cam Newton, John Brantley, and Aaron Murray, it looks like Brantley and Newton are more poised to win a championship simply because of their age. And I’d probably give an even bigger nod to Brantley simply because this will be his fourth year in the same system as opposed to Newton.