Kegel Shows He May Develop Quickly

The maturation of Matt Kegel took a quantum leap Saturday.

The backup Washington State University quarterback, who was used in a mop-up role last week, had the lead role this week. And for the most part, he stepped up to the spotlight.

The freshman was thrust into the Oregon game when regular quarterback Jason Gesser broke his left leg on a sack in the second quarter. After a rough start, Kegel settled in, directed two scoring drives and had the Cougars in position to beat the seventh-ranked Ducks.

“He was right on top of the offense,” said WSU coach Mike Price.

That might be because, in an effort to rest Gesser arm this week, Kegel took half the snaps in practice.

“As it turns out, he needed it,” Price said.

“He did a good job mentally,” added quarterback coach Eric Price. “He wasn’t flustered. He can do a lot of the things that Jason can do.”

Kegel can also do some things Gesser can’t. The freshman is faster than Gesser and with a 6-5, 225-pound frame, he is more durable. That was certainly evident by his 8-yard run through the teeth of the Oregon defense on a third-and-7. He also had three fourth-and-1 QB sneaks for two first downs and a touchdown.

“We have the utmost confidence in Matt,” said running back Adam Hawkins. “He competes. He’s going to stand back there take the shot to deliver the ball. That guy has a huge arm. That guy is fearless. You see him run, he never slides, he’s stretching the ball out, running guys over. He’s just a Montana boy that comes to play every day.”

Kegel will be playing every day now that Gesser is out.

“I just need to get the confidence of every player on the Cougars football team,” Kegel said. “I need to show them that I can lead the team. I need to show then that I can win.”

It will be two to three months before Gesser can start rehabilitation on his leg.