Terrel Hunt hasn’t played in a game since fracturing his fibula in Syracuse’s loss to Louisville on Oct. 3. And though Saturday’s spring game is, as SU head coach Scott Shafer put it, more of a practice, the quarterback is just happy to be playing football in the Carrier Dome in front of fans again.

“I just feel more confident in knowing things because I just had a bunch of time to just look at coverages and study coverages and study and see everything,” Hunt, Syracuse’s starting quarterback, said. “I know our defense like the back of my hand.”

Hunt said on Tuesday that he had no idea that the spring game would have a practice format with no score being kept until a reporter asked him, but noted he was just ready to just go out and play. He’s also expressed excitement about working with offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who was promoted the game after his injury occurred. Hunt didn’t shy away from saying that it’s beneficial for a quarterback to have a quarterback coach calling the shots.

“We’re way further (along) than we were last year,” Hunt said. “And you can ask any player that. Every player knows their job and they do their job right. Last year we had a ton of plays we were trying to run and nobody knew exactly how to run them.”

On Saturday, he hopes to make sure he gets the ball out of his hands with good timing. He wants to make sure the energy is up and hopes to stay in the pocket longer.

Lester has said he sees Hunt more as pocket passer than the run-centric quarterback he’s been viewed as in the past.

“If we have a guy that can run, fantastic,” Lester said. “But he has to drop back, read coverage and make the throw.”

He noted that it’s different this year to not work with former offensive coordinator George McDonald, who wasn’t a quarterback coach. He said McDonald couldn’t point out the little things like Hunt’s footwork that Lester sees instinctively.

Hunt is using the spring to adapt to a new offense with a new mindset. He’s happy to finally be playing and not on the sideline or in the coaches box helping to call plays. The only thing holding him back is a sore leg. But he knows the only thing that will cure it is time.

“It’s been a while,” Hunt said. “I can’t wait to be back.”

Published on April 2, 2015 at 11:36 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3