Missouri coach Gary Pinkel recently asked his quarterback whether he could have played as a true freshman.
Keep in mind that Brad Smith started as a second-year, or redshirt, freshman and was spectacular in his debut against Illinois.
“He said he couldn’t even imagine playing as a freshman,” Pinkel said.
That’s how difficult it is to play college football, especially quarterback, when high school graduation was only three months earlier.
And that’s why the invasion of the impact rookies was the story of college football’s first weekend.
Freshman quarterbacks started for Tennessee and Michigan and guided their storied programs to victory.
The Vols’ Brent Schaeffer became the first freshman to start at quarterback for a Southeastern Conference team since 1945 and helped Tennessee beat Nevada-Las Vegas 42-17.
When Schaeffer wasn’t taking snaps, another 18-year-old freshman, Erik Ainge, was.
Michigan’s Chad Henne was a surprise starter in the Wolverines’ 43-10 victory over Miami, Ohio. A sore arm kept announced starter Matt Gutierrez on the sideline, and coach Lloyd Carr started Henne.
Louisville’s Brian Brohm didn’t start the Cardinals’ 28-0 victory over Kentucky, but he entered the game on the third series.
Not so successful in debuts were two more freshman quarterbacks, Joe Fields of Syracuse, whose Orange lost to Purdue 51-0, and Air Force’s Shaun Carney. The Falcons were drubbed by California 56-14.
Freshmen were making an impact at other positions throughout the nation.
Alabama cornerback Simeon Castille returned an interception for a touchdown against Utah State. Indiana cornerback Tracy Porter picked off two passes against Central Michigan, returning one 96 yards for a score.
Georgia’s Danny Ware, who rushed for three touchdowns against became the first freshman tailback to start a Bulldogs opener in 61 years.
Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 100 yards against Bowling Green and looked nothing like a freshman on his 35-yard touchdown run.
“He hit the crease and exploded through the hole,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. “Not many players have that kind of burst.”
Freshman are arriving on campus faster, stronger and in some cases earlier than ever. It’s not unusual for a high school recruit to complete course work and arrive in December.
Ware wrapped up his studies at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia by Christmas and didn’t miss a day of spring practice in Athens.
“In that sense, he’s not your normal true freshman,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said.
But what is a normal true freshman these days? For one thing, he’s in better shape than years past.
“The strength and conditioning starts so much earlier than it used to,” Stoops said. “The coaching they receive in high school is better. Everything just seems more developed.”
Even the confidence. Schaeffer admitted to a nervous stomach before Sunday’s game, but you couldn’t tell by his performance, completing seven of 10 for 118 yards.
He led Tennessee on an 80-yard touchdown drive on the second series, and Ainge, the nephew of former NBA guard Danny Ainge, threw a 42-yard touchdown pass on his first series.
“I had butterflies,” Schaeffer said. “But being a freshman, that’s no excuse. You just have to play.”
In front of more than 100,000 fans at Tennessee and Michigan. At least they were friendly fans.
“There’s just no way to express that feeling,” said Henne, who completed 14 of 24 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was awesome to go out and see all of those people. You have to play through the nerves, play like you’ve practiced all week.”
Tennessee plans to go with the freshmen all season. Carr hasn’t determined whether Henne or Gutierrez, a junior, will start this weekend against Notre Dame.
“I’m a pretty slow thinker,” Carr said.
One true freshman, wide receiver Will Franklin, played for the Tigers in their 52-20 victory over Arkansas State on Saturday.
Three played for Kansas defensive tackles Todd Haselhorst of Olathe East and James McClinton and wide receiver Marcus Henry.
No true freshman played for Kansas State.
Five freshmen played for Iowa State, including former Aquinas place-kicker Brian Jansen, who nailed a 37-yard field goal into the wind against Northern Iowa. All of them worked their way into the lineup, Cyclones coach Dan McCarney said.
“It’s maturity, and they’re further along than most freshmen,” McCarney said.
The Cyclones are rebuilding after a 2-10 season and were able to offer playing time to top-line recruits.
But Baylor coach Guy Morriss said he plays freshmen only out of necessity.
“Unless I had a superstar, I’d redshirt an entire class if I could,” Morriss said.
“Every true freshman you put on the field, it will cost you that many games. But that’s something you have to live with.”
A freshman quarterback has won a national championship, Oklahoma’s wishbone specialist Jamelle Holieway in 1985.
But the odds are against such success.
“No other position is more difficult to play, not just in football but in sports,” Pinkel said.
“It’s very, very difficult for a true freshman to play it.”(c) 2004, The Kansas City Star.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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