Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Stepping up
Stilley plays big in first career start
By Kelly Morris
Skiff Staff

Before the TCU football team played Army, head coach Gary Patterson said during the week he wanted junior backup quarterback Sean Stilley to play more like a leader than a participant in his first career start.

Stilley, playing for junior quarterback Casey Printers, who was sidelined with a bruised shoulder, followed Patterson’s direct orders Saturday by having the best game by a TCU quarterback this season.

David Dunai/SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Junior quarterback Sean Stilley scrambles during Saturday’s football game against Army. Stilley completed 21-of-29 passes (72.4 percent) for 273 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Frogs to a 38-20 victory. He was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

“There’s a lot that goes into being a leader, and it started Tuesday (Oct. 16) at practice,” said Stilley, who was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week. “In order to build confidence, you have to build confidence in the players you’re surrounded by. When you step in there, and you’re all of a sudden the No. 1 quarterback, you lead (not just) by what you say but by what you do.”

And that he did.

With 307 total offensive yards, Stilley completed 21-of-29 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. With 56 seconds left in the third quarter, Stilley scored a four-yard touchdown to give the Frogs a 15-point lead.

Patterson said Printers could have played Saturday, but Stilley started because he received all the snaps in practice. Despite Stilley’s performance, Patterson said Printers did not lose his starting position.

“No one ever loses their job because of injury,” Patterson said. “But know this: If Casey doesn’t do what he needs to do, we know we have a quarterback that can and is ready to go.”

Statistically, Printers’ best performance of the season was in the Frogs’ 27-24 overtime loss to Northwestern State (La.) Sept. 22. He completed 18-of-32 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns in the defeat.

Even though Printers was not contributing to the Frogs effort on the field, he played an active role on the sidelines.

“(I was) motivating,” Printers said. “I was screaming. I almost lost my voice. I was yelling for Sean. I was high-fiving, just encouraging (everyone).”

Before his start against Army, Stilley most recently played in relief for Printers against Tulane after Printers left the game with an injury. During that time, Stilley completed 15-of-32 passes for 158 yards. He also had three interceptions.

Against Army, Stilley had no interceptions, which allowed TCU’s possession passing game to surface, Patterson said.

“One of the things we have is a good possession passing game,” Patterson said.

One of the things we haven’t done is use it, but we did (Saturday). We took the third step, let the ball go and completed it. The ball (Stilley) threw to (junior wide receiver) Terran Williams, there is not a quarterback in the country that can throw a better ball than that on the arrow route.”

In the third quarter, Stilley completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Williams, which was Williams’ first career touchdown as a Frog. Stilley’s longest pass of the game also came in the third quarter when he threw a 37-yard completion to junior fullback Reggie Holts, which later led to Stilley’s four-yard touchdown run.

Stilley might have done everything Patterson asked of him Saturday, but in his first career start, he also gained the respect of his teammates.

“Normally, when you get a backup quarterback in, he’s real wide-eyed and looks a little unconfident,” Madise said. “But this guy got in there and was calling out the plays with confidence. Every assignment was done, and we got everything taken care of no problem.”

Kelly Morris
k.l.morris@student.tcu.edu