LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline and his Louisville counterpart Adam Froman both feel they give their teams the best chance to win.
Their coaches agree.
Monday they were named the starters for their respective squads after months of having every throw and every decision broken down during hard-fought position battles against mostly younger competition.
The two seniors will face off on Sept. 4 when the Wildcats travel to play the Cardinals in the Governor’s Cup.
Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said Hartline clearly beat out sophomore Morgan Newton and redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski to be the opening game starter for the third straight season.
“The experienced guy is playing fast, he’s being more efficient with things we want to get done,” Phillips said. “We feel like he’s the guy.”
go but went down with a knee injury against South Carolina and never fully recovered.
Finally healthy, he’d like to hold onto the job for an entire season.
“Experience, I think, was a key factor,” Hartline said. “I still have that acceleration as far as playing fast and keeping with the guys on the field.”
Froman, like Hartline, had trouble staying healthy last season.
He threw for 1,354 yards and six touchdowns and proved to be capable making plays with his feet behind an inexperienced offensive line. The junior college transfer edged senior Justin Burke and sophomore Will Stein to become Louisville’s fourth different season-opening quarterback in the last four years.
“He was the most productive,” said Louisville offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, who pointed to Froman’s strong play in last Saturday’s scrimmage as a deciding factor.
Froman viewed himself as the incumbent from the beginning even as new head coach Charlie Strong declared the competition wide-open.
“It’s the mentality you have to have,” Froman said.
Froman’s mobility should help behind a reshuffled offensive line and he has experience playing in a Spread offense, though Froman knows his job is to get the ball in the hands of playmakers like running back Victor Anderson.
“I hope I give the defense something to worry about,” Froman said. “I want to put them in a bind.”
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