YOUNGSTOWN
YSU coach Eric Wolford had just finished his press conference on Tuesday when he spotted quarterback Kurt Hess and said, “Hester, what’s up? Ready to go? I told them boys they got the best quarterback around.”
“They” was Illinois State. The “best quarterback” was Redbirds junior Matt Brown.
“We’ll see on Saturday, huh?” Wolford said.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Hess said.
After finishing second in the league last year in passing yards (2,665) and touchdown passes (22), Brown was one of two Missouri Valley quarterbacks to earn preseason honorable mention honors. Indiana State’s Ronnie Fouch was the other. UNI’s Tirrell Rennie earned first team honors
Brown was the conference’s freshman of the year in 2009.
Hess was the conference’s freshman of the year in 2010.
Both are classic, pass-first quarterbacks. Both are off to good starts this fall, with Brown leading the league in passing yards (264.5 per game) and TDs (5) in a pass-heavy offense. He’s coming off a five-touchdown performance against Morehead State.
“Their quarterback, you could argue, is the top quarterback in the league,” Wolford said of Brown. “He’s in the top one or two, depending on what style of quarterback you’re looking for.
“If you’re looking for a guy who can throw the deep ball and manage the offense ...”
Hess completed 179 of 304 passes for 2,117 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall, setting school freshman records for attempts, completions and yards.
Hess is averaging 165 yards per game this season — the Penguins lead the league in rushing offense, so Hess hasn’t had to throw as much as others in the league — and is coming off a 12 of 13, 204-yard performance against Valparaiso. Outside of a fourth-quarter interception against Michigan State, he’s played efficiently.
“I’m more comfortable back there and they’re more comfortable with me,” Hess said. “I think a comfort level is great. It gives me got great confidence and gives me confidence in my teammates.
“When I feel good about what we’re doing, I’m able to lead them as well as lead myself.”
Hess isn’t the type of player who relishes comparisons to other quarterbacks — when asked who he thinks is the best quarterback in the conference, he named Rennie — but, like any quarterback, Hess is eager to show he can win a game, not just manage it.
Wolford thinks Hess is ready to take that step.
“Obviously we feel a lot more confident being that Kurt’s been through the rodeo,” said Wolford. “We’ve put more on his plate. [Offensive coordinator] Shane Montgomery has done a good job of preparing him in how to manage the offense. And we’re carrying a lot more football plays than we used to last year.
“We’re able to manage and do more because he has experience and he’s been there and done it before.”
