Boise State begins 2012 the way it started 2004, 2007, and 2008 with a new Quarterback at the helm. It marks the first time since 2008 (unless you count that one game in which Bush Hamden started on senior day) that the Boise State Broncos have a new QB under center. This past Sunday Coach Pete announced that redshirt Junior Joe Southwick would start at Quarterback when the Broncos take on Michigan State in East Lansing this Friday August 31.
In 2004 Bronco Nation found out that Jared Zabransky was going to start, well when he ran on to the field to take the snap under center. He beat out Senior Mike Sanford, now the running backs coach at Stanford University.
In 2007, coming off of the Broncos Fiesta Bowl win it was Senior Taylor Tharp getting the nod, beating out Junior Bush Hamden, Nick Lomax and Mike Coughlin. Oh yea there was that freshman Kellen Moore as well.
In 2008, Coach Petersen named Kellen Moore as starting QB during a press conference. It seams like only yesterday that Kellen with his Justin Beiber hair cut was fielding questions from media types like he had held the job for 4 years.
Joe Southwick inherits the starting job in 2012, with his first game under center as a starter comes against the Michigan State Spartans on the road. What can Bronco Nation expect from Joe in this game? One way would be to look at how Zabransky, Tharp and Moore handled their first big game.
Each of these past 3 starting quarterbacks had a tough early season test against a AQ school. All 3 had Chris Petersen as a coach in some form or fashion. Continue reading

