Spurrier speaks about freshmen quarterbacks Nunez, Lock ahead of Mizzou showdown
Saturday's showdown in Columbia (Missouri, not South Carolina) will pit two true freshmen quarterbacks up against each other. Both Lorenzo Nunez and Drew Lock will be making their first starts against SEC competition. For Lock, it's his first start overall on the collegiate level.
Steve Spurrier was asked about both players during the SEC teleconference on Wednesday afternoon. However, he offered his opinions on freshmen quarterbacks around the country in a general sense.
"It is interesting," said Spurrier. "Around the country, I think more and more freshmen are playing. You just try to give your quarterback a gameplan so he knows what's going on and let him go play. As coaches, you've just got to let them play and see what happens."
Nunez is coming off of a game in which he accounted for over 300 yards of total offense. While he isn't supremely polished as a passer, his ability to run the football makes him incredibly dangerous for Missouri to defend against.
"He handled about everything. We've got a bunch of formations," said Spurrier. "We don't have a lot of different plays, but he handled it well. I think he's steadily learning the offense well."
Lastly Spurrier spoke about Missouri's starting signal-caller. While there are some polar differences between Lock and suspended quarterback Maty Mauk, Spurrier doesn't think the Tigers' offense will change much.
"Most teams don't really change their offense all that much when they change quarterbacks. The one they are going to play now is an excellent passer from the pocket. Who knows if maybe he plays better than the guy before him? Time will only tell."