Syracuse offensive coordinator Tim Lester said Zack Mahoney took the most reps at practice on Tuesday and was the most consistent.

“Right now Zack’s the guy that’s shown the most and he’s most consistent with the things we’re doing,” Lester said. “We feel confident that he can execute all facets of our offense.”

Mahoney and Austin Wilson split time at quarterback after starter Eric Dungey was injured midway through the second quarter of Syracuse’s (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) 30-27 overtime win over Central Michigan. Wilson was 4-of-7 for 49 yards, while Mahoney completed all four of his passes and led the game-winning overtime drive. SU head coach Scott Shafer said that Dungey is doubtful for Saturday.

The last game Mahoney started was for the College of DuPage, a junior college. He came to Syracuse as a walk-on and was the fifth-string quarterback as recently as three weeks ago. Now he’s likely starting against No. 8 LSU (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern) on Saturday at noon in the Carrier Dome.

“No, no time for nerves,” Mahoney said. “You’ve just got to prepare with all the preparation, there’s no time for nerves.”

Mahoney said that on a good JUCO team, there might be a couple of guys that are good enough to play for a SEC team. Now he’ll have to face all 11. He said it makes the game faster.

He never expected to start. With Terrel Hunt as the incumbent starting QB, Mahoney spent a chunk of time in training camp holding kicks. Now, with two quarterbacks injured and another two jumped, Mahoney is unexpectedly taking the reins.

“You’ve got to prepare yourself every week that you can go in whenever,” Mahoney said. “I like to think I’ve prepared myself.”

Published on September 22, 2015 at 8:56 pm

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