Stoudt feels confident if his number is called

Stoudt was 6-10 for 37 yards after replacing Tajh Boyd.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Oct 08 20:30:17 GMT-04:00 2011

CLEMSON – Backup quarterback Cole Stoudt Cole Stoudt
Fr. Quarterback
#8 6-4, 200
Dublin, OH
View Full Profile knew when starter Tajh Boyd Tajh Boyd
RS So. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
View Full Profile went down Saturday that it was his time to perform, and he led two scoring drives to help cap off Clemson’s 36-14 victory over Boston College.

Now, the true freshman out of Dublin, Ohio and the son of former NFL quarterback Cliff Stoudt looks at the possibility of gaining his first collegiate start next Saturday at Maryland, a tall order for a young player who was still playing high school this time a year ago.

However, Stoudt says offensive coordinator Chad Morris has been preparing him for this moment, and if he has to play he feels confident he can led the Tigers to a win.

“We have to see how Tajh is. I hope it’s nothing bad,” Stoudt said in the hallway outside of Clemson’s locker room. “It sounds like it isn’t anything bad. He should be alright. But, I have to prepare myself for anything. That’s how I’ve been practicing this whole year in camp and spring ball also- just preparing myself for anything. I take a lot of snaps with the twos in practice, but there are periods where coach [Morris] puts me in a situation on inside drill. He grabs a wet ball and I have to focus even harder on the snaps. When it’s with a dry ball, it feels the same and it’s comfortable.

“Whenever we come out in pre-game, I’m always throwing with Tajh. I’m always staying loose and staying warm during the game because you never know what’s going to happen. And, when we come out at halftime, I always throw with Tajh if they have to kickoff. I just try to keep loose to make sure that if something like tonight happens that I can warm up and get in there.”

Stoudt said he didn’t necessarily feel pressure when he saw Boyd go down.

“It was just, ‘hey, it’s my time. I’ve got to step up.’ I didn’t know what happened to Tajh at the time,” he said. “I just have to step in and take this one play at a time and do what I have to do and what I was coached to do. The coaches just told me to have ball security and have fun. Focus and have fun with it. And that’s what I did.”

Morris said he also has confidence in the freshman.

“We would put the whole package in for him,” Morris said. “He practices with the ones and twos all week, and he gets a lot of snaps. Now, would we put the whole package in on Monday for him? Probably not. We would bring him along slowly, but he knows the playbook. If we have to go play with Cole, I know he can do the job because that’s what I’ve coached him to do.”

Stoudt said he isn’t looking ahead to next week, and can't believe he was in the stands just a year ago as a recruit.

“It’s actually really exciting because everyone wants to play and it’s just waiting for the moment that it happens,” he said. “Last year, I was sitting in the stands thinking, ‘I’m going to be on that field next year even if I’m on the sidelines or not.’ I come out here this year after five games and three quarters in the sixth game and I have to go in. “

He said he also feels like his family – his brother Zack Stoudt is a quarterback at Ole Miss - has prepared him for this kind of situation

“It’s like having two more coaches. When I go home, my dad and I are always throwing or going over stuff,” he said. “When I went home after spring, I brought my playbook and we went over it. He’s literally just another coach. He did the same thing when I was in high school. When I wasn’t around my high school teammates, he was always there and he would always be coaching me. It’s awesome that my dad knows the game so well and that he can just come in on any offense and coach me, but also be my dad at the same time.”