The season began with senior Ethan Schweir making his first collegiate start after riding the bench behind quarterbacks Spud Dick ‘10 and Michael Engle ‘11 in his three previous years on the team.
Since then, the story of the offense has been a season-long revolving door of quarterbacks.
The Tiger coaching staff decided to go with a senior at starting quarterback for the second year in a row. Schweir was touted as a highly athletic and mobile quarterback, new qualities in the DePauw offense.
In week three in Memphis, Tenn. against Rhodes College, Schweir tore an ACL, ending his collegiate football career. In three starts, Schweir threw five interceptions and just one TD. His injury started a line of succession for the Tiger offense at the quarterback position.
In stepped another quarterback, sophomore Jackson Kirtley. He, like Schweir, brought a highly mobile and athletic presence to the quarterback position.
But in two starts, Kirtley struggled to move the offense downfield and went 0-2 against Centre College at Blackstock Stadium and away against Sewanee: The University of the South. Frustrated with Kirtley’s performance late in the game, DePauw offensive coordinator Joe Deifel called up freshman quarterback Drew Seaman. In four starts, Kirtley threw for just one TD and three interceptions.
For a newer offensive line with just two veteran players in seniors Lewis Brown and Mitch Turnbow, the adjustment between quarterbacks was trying.
“It’s tough for people to get in sync, not so much in the run game but especially in the passing game,” Brown said. “On top of that, we’re going through different types of quarterbacks. Ethan Schweir was more of a pocket quarterback, Jackson Kirtley was a scramble and look down field quarterback — that for the offense line is tough, because you don’t know where he’ll be.”
As the third starting quarterbacak, Seaman ended DePauw’s four game losing streak with a 34-10 win other Ohio Wesleyan University.
Seaman, with a blend of athleticism and good passes to junior tight end Bobby Coburn, brought new energy to the offense.
“The whole team just comes together and is working towards the same goal,” Brown said. “It is up to us to make the QB comfortable. When Drew Seaman was back behind center, we all came forward and said, ‘This is a freshman QB, we have to make him comfortable.’ It’s the same thing with Will [King].”
Two weeks ago against Austin College, Seaman was hit after a play and suffered a serious concussion in the third quarter, ending his season. In stepped DePauw’s fourth quarterback of the season, senior Will King.
The senior started for the first time in his collegiate career in last weekend’s game against Albion College. The Tigers won with a score of 7-3. The offense, led by King, netted just 126 yards. But the key for King was that he never turned the ball over.
“It’s been tough,” King said. “People get hurt that you can’t predict. Every quarterback who has been called to step up has done that.”
King is now set to start the 118th Monon Bell Classic. The team has battled through adversity not only at the quarterback position, but multiple positions on the offense.
“We’ve been battling it since camp,” Brown said. “We’ve had receivers go down, tight ends go down, offensive linemen go down and while you don’t wish that on any team, it’s really helped us come together. If anything happens on Saturday, we are confident we’ll be able to rebound from it.”
The quarterback injuries has taken its toll on the development of chemistry with wide receivers, but the Tigers are ready to face a tough Wabash defense with King at the helm.
Head coach Robby Long was pleased with what he saw from King last week against Albion.
“Will executed the game plan,” Long said. “It’s never going to be perfect, Will went out there and did the things we asked them to do. He knows the offense pretty well, now, we just have to get him going in the right direction all the time.”
King will need to get going in a hurry to compete with the proven Wabash offense, but he has confidence the team’s ability to produce positive results in the 118th Monon Bell classic.
“I need to be prepared mentally to take control of the team,” King said. “Luckily, I’m just one of 11 guys to help soften the fall a bit.”
—WGRE sports staff contributed to this article
