The quarterback who started the season opener for Idaho will be back under center the next time Idaho takes the football field — and nobody saw it coming.
File photo by Philip Vukelich | Argonaut
Bushnell started the season opener against Eastern Washington and will get his second start of his career Saturday at home against San Jose State.
Logan Bushnell, a redshirt senior from Puyallup, Wash., is in line to make his second start of his career Saturday when Idaho hosts San Jose State.
Bushnell said if anybody told him he’d be starting two games in 2012, he’d be the first to say he wouldn’t believe it.
“It’d been shocking,” he said “I would be questioning your question, that’d be for sure. Wouldn’t have thought of that, but since it’s here I’m going have to take advantage of it.”
He hadn’t been given an opportunity to climb the depth chart earlier in his career. Blocked by Nathan Enderle, Brian Reader and Taylor Davis, the highest he had ever been elevated to was No. 3.
When Jason Gesser took over tutelage of quarterbacks this spring, that seemed to change.
“I think the biggest difference is how he approached everything,” Gesser said. “Previously it was ‘I know I’m the No. 3 guy, I know I’m not going to move up, I know where I’m at’. Then going into the off-season, the way he approached the summer time, the way he prepared himself.”
His push over the course of fall camp earned him the No. 2 job, even ahead of Taylor Davis when Davis lost out on the starting job. Because of that, Bushnell got the start in the season-opener on the heels of then-starting quarterback Dominique Blackman’s one-game suspension.
It was a start that not many people saw coming, even Bushnell.
“I was excited. I never thought in a long time that I’d be starting a game here at the University of Idaho,” he said. “I just prepared like I would any other game, watched film and got ready for that week in practice and what not. Not the outcome I wanted (losing to Eastern Washington), but definitely was a good experience.”
On Sunday, the team was informed of starting quarterback Dominique Blackman’s dismissal from the program. On Monday, Gesser said Bushnell would be granted the start, but would have to give way to Davis sometime in the second quarter. By the third quarter Gesser hopes to have one of the two take firm control of the spot.
“As much as I’d like to sit here and say, ‘Logan’s our guy,’ he’s started (one game). His production on Saturday is kind of unknown, so you always have to make sure the other guy is ready too,” Gesser said.
The other guy is Davis, who started three games for the Vandals last year and will have every bit the opportunity to keep Bushnell on the bench in the second half against San Jose State.
“It’s my job and I want to keep it my job,” Bushnell said. “Hopefully I work hard and get this ‘W’ this weekend.”
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]