Zeb Noland addresses sudden QB competition: ‘Holy cow, I’m putting the pads on again’
By Keith Farner
Published:
The surprise name in the South Carolina quarterback competition in recent days is Zeb Noland, the North Dakota State transfer who was most recently a graduate assistant with the Gamecocks.
Noland’s insertion into the mix came after Luke Doty’s foot injury, and it was a jolt to him as much as any fan or coach. He told reporters on Tuesday that when he cut the tape off following his final game at North Dakota State, he thought it would be the last time he was ever going to wear pads again.
“I lay down at night and think ‘Holy cow I’m putting the pads on again,'” Noland said, and also told reporters that he’s “going to play this season like it’s his last.”
Noland started 7 games for the Bison last season, which was played this past spring. He was 51-for-100 passing for 721 yards with 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He previously played in 9 games over 2 seasons at Iowa State.
Noland is competing with Colten Gauthier, Jason Brown and Connor Jordan for the starting job to open the season against Eastern Illinois.
Zeb Noland says that competition at QB remains ongoing. Said when he cut the tape off following his final game at ND State, he thought it would be the last time he was ever gonna be in pads again. “I lay down at night and think ‘Holy cow I’m putting the pads on again.'” pic.twitter.com/kTi27VFEub
— Mike Uva (@Mike_Uva) August 24, 2021
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
