Washington State’s Minshew Is A Qb To Watch In The Pac-12

At the beginning of the season, Washington State coach Mike Leach played coy with the media — as he often does — over his choice for starting quarterback. The Cougars had four candidates and Leach wryly said it would be a “thrill a minute” to discover which one would emerge. Gardner Minshew II ultimately overcame the competition, taking on the tough job of replacing record-breaking starter Luke Falk while also stepping into a role meant for Tyler Hilinski, Falk’s successor who took his own life in January. Since then, Minshew has become one of the surprises in the current Pac-12 quarterback class as past stars like Washington’s Jake Browning and Arizona’s Khalil Tate have been uneven in the early going. “You come into the game thinking, ‘Oh wow, finally, Luke Falk is gone’ and maybe you’re going to catch a break.