Brousseau Taking the Change in Stride

Leave it to Jackson Brousseau to keep things in perspective.

He understands the circus atmosphere that comes with being a quarterback, particularly one going from backup to being named the starter for this Saturday's game with Washington State. Even more noticeable after guiding a pair of touchdown drives when he came on in relief against UTSA, putting Colorado State in position to win a game it had trailed all night.

He's in the center ring, but it's not the biggest change in his life recently. No, that happened over the summer when he married Jordyn Denton.

"It's way better," referring to the wedding. "It's so much better. Yeah, I love it."

Brousseau was very casual about his performance after the game, just as casual after coach Jay Norvell named him the starter against the Cougars. It was all about being prepared and being able to do what was asked. No more, no less.

In his view, nothing changes now.

But in reality, it does.

"Preparation stays the same. It changes a little," Brousseau said. "Coach does a great job. I still take reps with the ones; I've been doing that for three years now, it's just more. We've just got to really focus on making sure that we're dialed in and we're being efficient with what we're trying to do."

Norvell let it be known to Brousseau, as he did with Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, the position is not a one-man act. He can rely on his offensive line, a strong stable of running backs and playmakers on the outside and at tight end.

All Brousseau has to be is himself, and that's a person with whom Norvell possesses confidence.

"Jackson has a great personality for the position. He really does have natural leadership skills," Norvell said. "He's an excellent communicator, which is so vital for the quarterback position, and he handles coaching well. I think the biggest thing that we were really excited about was when he went into the game. He really executed things the way that we wanted him to. He had some excellent checks in the game too, running the football, which is really important for us offensively.

"We just need a guy who can manage it and put people in position and let the skill players do what they do best. And he does a great job of that. He's a winner. He won four state championships in high school between football and baseball. The team has a lot of confidence in Jackson."

Those additional reps aren't just for Brousseau to gain comfort, but for those in the huddle with him. The offense won't change with Brousseau taking the snaps, but the vibe of the huddle will, as will the rhythm in which he runs the show.

Those are key nuances his supporting cast will need time deciphering this week during practice.

"It's weird. Brayden and JB, they've got different things about them, like cadence; each one is different. How they act, how long they take, where they stand in the pocket, stuff like that," tackle Aaron Karas said. "It's just getting used to that, and it's been good that he's been here for the past three years. We know that, and it's not that big of a change, but there's still little things we gotta tweak, but it shouldn't be a problem."

Before the UTSA game, Brousseau had only appeared in two games – one in each prior season -- throwing eight passes and completing four of them for 27 yards. Against the Roadrunners, he hit on 10-of-12 for 78 yards and his first career touchdown. He also scrambled once in the game, picking up a key first down.

When he was called upon, there was a rush of adrenaline, but he also felt a sense of calm. As a backup, one always had to be ready to go in, regardless of the situation. Previously, he never imagined a particular situation, just the idea of being ready when the time came.

He was, and while he led a pair of scoring drives, he didn't walk away feeling he was spot on in his task. Then again, he's always been the type of person to be a bit meticulous about his performances, be it winning state titles in football or baseball at Lehi High School. Having those things on your resume requires a bit of resolve, a stockpile of calm in key situations.

"You try to be; 100 percent you try to be," Brousseau said. "You've got to just keep the emotions out of it and think logical and just do the right thing. I think there's always room for improvement, though. There were still some plays I didn't execute the way I wanted, and so I need to get back and study harder and practice harder, but I thought I did a decent job of getting the guys in the right situations. We can build off that, and instead of 10 minutes, you've got 60 minutes of it, so you've got to execute for longer and be more consistent."

To do that, he will require help from plenty of people around him. Those in the huddle, the coaches in his earpiece between plays. To the outside world, this is a substantial change – it always is at quarterback.

Inside the facility, it's steady as she goes. Just a normal week.

"Right now, we're not trying to treat anything different. It's just another man steps up, keep it the same, treat him like the starting QB. Nothing changes," Karas said. "Obviously, we're trying to give him that confidence back there right now and give him that confidence to perform and give him the best opportunity he can. Your boys have confidence in you. Nothing changes."

But a lot has for Brousseau as of late. And come to think of it, stepping into a huddle with 10 of your teammates and staring down an opposing defense might not be as nerve-racking as waiting for your lovely bride to walk down the aisle.

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