Tim Plough did not have to name a starting quarterback after the UC Davis spring game Saturday. It was hardly necessary because the second-year head coach sounded as if he has made his pick. Plough’s comments at the postgame press conference left no doubt as to which player he thinks prevailed in the three-week quarterback battle.
Plough heaped praise on Cadin Pinnick after the redshirt freshman led two touchdown drives in the first quarter. Pinnick ran for the first score and then heaved an 80-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Gbatu, Jr. Pinnick did not make it through the quarter, however, after sustaining a high ankle sprain.
“That was a scary moment,” said Plough, who might have held off on announcing a starter until he got word about the severity of Pinnick’s injury. Plough might have also pumped the brakes because he needs to explain to Grant Harper why the senior will not start after three years of paying dues.
Breaking the bad news to Harper will be difficult for Plough, who can speak from the experience of having won and lost quarterback competitions when he played for the Aggies. Plough has made it clear to his assistants and the players that competition at every position makes for a stronger team.
As much as Plough understands “how emotional it is” for the players, difficult decisions come with being a head coach. “I think too many times we want to appease people and not make the hard decision,” he said. “It’s important not to mess around with that. It’s really what’s best for the team.”
Naming the starter in April jumpstarts preparations for the season as far as Plough is concerned. “You can get a lot more accomplished when you know the guy’s going to be,” he said. “You don’t want to force it. If you really believe someone has (won the job), it’s important to make that known.”
Having the competition resume when the players reconvene in July will result in the eventual starter getting fewer snaps in practice, “It’s that ambiguity,” Plough explained. “Even though you want to give the guys as many opportunities as possible, I think that actually hurts a team in the long run.”
Pinnick has done as much off the field to impress Plough as he did taking snaps in three weeks of spring practices. “I don’t know if we’ve had a guy come in here and in a short amount of time make that kind of impact since I’ve been around,” Plough said. “He makes everyone around him better.”
Plough shared how Pinnick sacrificed sleep in 2023 as a senior at Del Oro High to make trips to UC Davis to meet with offensive coordinator Paul Shelton. “(He) would take the train over in the morning before 6 a.m.,” Plough said, “and then he would take the train back and go to high school.”
A compelling case was made by Plough for Pinnick to be the starter without the coach coming right out and saying it. “He’s had some really, really bright moments this spring,” Plough said of the 6-foot, 190-pound Pinnick. “He’s a special player and has a chance to be a real unique leader.”
