WMU’s Zach Terrell posts “gutsy” performance against MSU, may start against Nicholls State

KALAMAZOO – Prior to Western Michigan’s 26-13 loss at Michigan State, Zach Terrell was No. 2 on the Broncos’ depth chart.

Aug 30, 2013; East Lansing, MI, USA; Western Michigan Broncos quarterback Zach Terrell (11) attempts to throw the ball against the Michigan State Spartans during 1st half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

But he prepared like he was a franchise quarterback in the NFL.

Terrell stepped in for senior Tyler Van Tubbergen after the Holland native suffered a concussion in the second quarter.

He finished the game by completing 12 passes for 120 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His first touchdown pass was his first snap of his collegiate career.

“It was gutsy,” Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck said. “That’s what he is, he’s a gutsy kid.

“He knows our system inside and out, and he knows how to manage the game. He’s a confident kid, for how young he is. I thought he went in there and did an excellent job.”

That’s not to say Terrell had a perfect outing. Fleck noted several areas of improvement the QB needs to focus on fixing. But the first-year coach did admire Terrell’s efforts against a BCS-level defense.

“He’s got to learn on that one fumble, sometimes a sack is OK,” Fleck said. “Sometimes you throw the ball away. You get a chance to see the next play. You don’t always have to create something. I think he learned from that play which was why I was glad it happened, because he’s going to learn from it. If he didn’t learn from it, it wouldn’t be worth it.”

Fleck had several skeptics question whether or not Terrell should have passed 28 times against a Big Ten Conference school. The coach brushed off the critics, and he sided with his backup quarterback at practice Sunday.

“People ask me, ‘when Zach goes in on his first play, you’re going to throw the ball,’” he acknowledged, “Well, yes, he’s trained to do it.

“We don’t have a second playbook for Zach or a second playbook for Zack Wynn. They’re trained on a daily basis to go in there and play and perform. We hold them accountable to be ready at any second. They’ve done a nice job at that, and it’s kind of like getting caught. He was caught, but he got caught doing the right thing. I thought Zach was very, very well prepared, and it showed.”

Although Terrell did a respectable job Friday, he did not walk away from the game unscathed. According to Fleck, the redshirt-freshman quarterback suffered a thumb injury. Terrell will be ready to play Saturday, if the team needs him to start in place of injured Van Tubbergen.