Junior Josh Nunes won Stanford’s quarterback competition, which comes with the no-win situation of replacing two-time Heisman finalist Andrew Luck.
Coach David Shaw named Nunes the starter over Brett Nottingham on Tuesday, but he’s already asked Nunes not to try to be Luck.
“It’s not possible,” Shaw said.
Nunes has appeared in only four career games and did not play in a game in 2011. Nottingham, a sophomore, has a stronger arm but Nunes displayed the best grasp of the system, which will feature a healthy dose of running back Stepfan Taylor.
Taylor will be the focus of the offense and has the all-around ability to stay on the field no matter the down and distance. He had a bit of a coming-out party in the Fiesta Bowl, with 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 1,330 yards and 5.5 yards per carry in 2011.