University of Tennessee at Chattanooga quarterbacks Terrell Robinson and Jacob Huesman are ready.
They're ready to start the season Saturday at South Florida, they're ready to run the Mocs' new offense and they're ready to lead.
"I think they both have a great understanding of what we're doing and have confidence in what we're doing," offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said Tuesday. "I feel really good -- as good or better than I ever have going into a game with a mature quarterback or a young quarterback."
That's saying something considering last season he wrapped up three years of working with B.J. Coleman, now a rookie on the Green Bay Packers' roster.
Robinson gained some experience last season while filling in for Coleman. In a thrown-together spread offense, he thrived in his four appearances and shared Southern Conference freshman of the year honors.
Head coach Russ Huesman said a starter will be named Saturday. That game experience last season is one thing that separates Robinson from Huesman. Another is Robinson's ability to juke defenders.
"Terrell is pretty twitchy -- he can make you miss -- and I don't think Jacob is that type of guy," the elder Huesman said. "Jacob will run past you or around you; Terrell's a blur. I'd like for [Jacob] to be a little bit twitchier, and I think he can be.
"Terrell, he can make anybody look stupid."
Both quarterbacks were on campus almost daily this summer, working out, watching video and doing everything possible to be ready for Saturday and beyond. That work has yielded results.
"I'm a hundred percent ready," Robinson said. "I'm ready for the first game. I've put in a lot of work in the offseason, and I'm ready to see what it's going to do for me."
Jacob Huesman has the nerves of never having played in a college football game but also the confidence of a young player who has run the offense and made a lot of plays in the spring and preseason. The redshirt freshman dressed out for most of the 2011 home games and for road games at Nebraska and Elon, but putting on the UTC uniform on Saturday will feel a lot different.
"Last year, every time I put the pads on it was kind of like, well, I knew there was .0001 chance that I would go in," he said. "Probably even smaller than that. But this time I'm putting the pads on for a reason."
Both quarterbacks will play; they may be on the field at the same time on occasion. They don't know how all that will work out -- each has his plays and packages -- but Robinson and Huesman believe they'll be ready.
"Both of us get to play, and we'll just see how it works out for us," Robinson said. "Hopefully it's going to take us a long way."