08/25/2006 — The race for the backup quarterback job at Boise State is no closer to the finish line as the Broncos begin preparing for the first game.
Coach Chris Petersen and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin say junior Taylor Tharp and sophomore Bush Hamdan have been up and down during their competition.
Freshman Nick Lomax has made a push recently, too.
Tharp still is listed as the No. 2 quarterback. Hamdan is No. 3.
Both coaches, though, said they wanted to continue to evaluate the quarterbacks.
It’s possible Tharp and Hamdan will end up splitting practice time this season, which could be a problem if starting quarterback Jared Zabransky falters or gets injured.
“If you’re not really prepared, you’re at a disadvantage,” Tharp said. “I think whoever is the second guy needs as many (repetitions) as possible.”
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We wrap up our position-by-position preview of the Broncos in Saturday’s edition of the Idaho Statesman with special teams.
And don’t miss Sunday’s newspaper, which will have a special commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the blue turf.
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Ten out of 12 ESPN experts picked BSU to win the WAC in predictions posted on ESPN.com. The other two chose Fresno State.
The forecast is at: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview06/news/story?id=2560479
