3 QBs who can start isn’t a controversy to coordinator

On the depth chart for Saturday’s game against BYU, Cal lists its starting quarterback as Ross Bowers OR Chase Garbers OR Brandon McIlwain.

The Bears will make neither the quarterbacks nor quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo available to the media during the week leading to the game.

What started as a quarterback competition is sure showing signs of becoming a quarterback controversy in Berkeley.

“It’s not anything new, and, at the end of the day, they’re another position player,” offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin said. “I get it. They are incredibly important. I don’t devalue what a quarterback means to a football team, but the fact that only one quarterback can mean something to the entire football team, that’s misleading.”

Baldwin referenced Florida using both Chris Leak and Tim Tebow on the way to the 2006 national title and Ohio State winning the 2014 crown after third-stringer Cardale Jones became the starter.

When he was the head coach at Eastern Washington, Baldwin had Vernon Adams and Kyle Padron split time during his team’s 2012 FCS semifinal run. Baldwin admitted that he had not used three quarterbacks in a first half until a less-than-inspiring 24-17, season-opening victory over North Carolina on Saturday.

The Bears totaled just 279 yards on 3.4 yards per play and were 4-for-17 on third-down conversions as the quarterback carousel spun wildly.

Bowers, the incumbent, and Garbers, a redshirt freshman, each took the first snap on six possessions. McIlwain, a transfer from South Carolina, was used generally as a change of pace in between the 30-yard lines.

None of the three was able to separate himself from the pack, and Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said he won’t publicly announce a starter until minutes ahead of Saturday night’s kickoff in Provo, Utah.

“We’ll be ready for all three,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “We know them as Nos. 3, 5 and 7, so we’ll see who shows up on the first snap.”

Bowers, who wears No. 3, completed 8 of 17 passes for 56 yards in leading Cal on just one scoring drive (a 35-yard field) and three three-and-outs. He didn’t play in the second half.

Garbers, No. 7, was 7-for-13 for 54 yards and a touchdown and ran 10 times for 39 yards. And though he led the Bears on two touchdown drives, that’s a little misleading.

The first scoring drive was a 23-yarder set up by Jaylinn Hawkins’ interception, and half of the possession’s yards were gained on a questionable pass-interference call. During Garbers’ six possessions, Cal committed three pre-snap penalties (a snap infraction by center Addison Ooms, a delay of game on the first play from scrimmage to start the second half and a false start by lineman Kamryn Bennett).

Garbers was at the helm for most of the Bears’ best possession of the day: a 10-play, 79-yard march, during which No. 5 McIlwain accounted for 17 rushing yards and 9 passing yards. Garbers ran twice for 23 yards and connected on a 4yard touchdown pass to Patrick Laird to complete the drive.

Even with North Carolina selling out to stop the run, the Bears had trouble throwing the ball down the field. Bowers and Garbers each had only one completion of more than 15 yards. Garbers and McIlwain also added 17-yard runs on a day when Cal managed five explosive plays (the other was a 19-yard run by Laird).

“It’s fun, actually,” Baldwin said of game-planning for three unique quarterbacks. “It’s a lot like practice, because in practice, you go out and call plays for three and sometimes four different quarterbacks. You figure out ways to utilize each of their skills or talents. …

“I think we have a number of guys who we can win with, and it excites me to see them compete.”