UND returned to practice at Memorial Stadium today not knowing who will open at quarterback for the Sioux on Saturday at Northern Colorado.
Either sophomore Joey Bradley, who started UND's first seven games, or senior Brent Goska, who came off the bench last week to rejuvenate a stalled Sioux offense against Cal Poly, will get the call.
But the announcement on who will start against UND's former North Central Conference rival may not be made until a few minutes before kickoff. And that's by design.
"We'll put together a plan for both guys," UND coach Chris Mussman said. "I anticipate both being ready. Right now, I'd be leaning toward Brent. But I do want to give Joey his opportunity this week to bounce back. That's a part of athletics and a part of life.
"It's not what happens to you; it's how you react to it. That's the lesson for Joey this week."
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Goska was scheduled to take the bulk of the reps with the No. 1 offense today. That could change Wednesday, Mussman said.
Mussman said he wants both quarterbacks to have a fair shot this week.
"I said it on Sunday; I don't want to have a culture where you're afraid to make a mistake," Mussman said. "We want our guys to go out there and play the game not looking over their shoulders.
"Speaking directly about Joey, I want him to go out there and play like he doesn't have a care in the world. I want him to go out there and have fun."
As the starting quarterback, Bradley led the Sioux to a 4-2 record. But the junior college transfer struggled early against Cal Poly, throwing two interceptions that led to 10 points for the California school. Cal Poly went on to take a 23-19 win in a matchup of unbeaten Great West Conference teams.
Goska replaced Bradley late in the second quarter and nearly rallied the Sioux to an improbable win.
The decision on who'll start at quarterback may take a few days. But the players will know who'll open at quarterback.
"I want our guys going onto that flight knowing who's going to play (quarterback)," Mussman said. "You guys (media) may not know who's going to play because I may want (Northern Colorado) to prepare for two different things."
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The quarterbacks have different styles. Bradley is a passing quarterback, while Goska is more of a running quarterback although he did throw for more than 200 yards against Cal Poly.
Goska, however, will take things in stride this week.
"Either way, I just have to keep preparing like I'm going to play and see what happens," he said. "Every week, I come ready. Last Saturday was no different. I knew the team needed a spark. I just want to get the ball into the hands of our playmakers. That makes my job a lot easier."
Up next
Who: UND at Northern Colorado.
When: 2:35 p.m., Saturday, Greeley.
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM).
Records: UND 4-3, Northern Colorado 0-8.
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Of note: The former North Central Conference rivals have not met since 2002.
Nelson reports on sports. Reach him at (701) 780-1268; (800) 477-6572, ext. 268; or send e-mail to wnelson@gfherald.com .
