With one day left before MSU football kicks off the 2004 season, head coach John L. Smith has yet to name a starting quarterback.

The question for fans is, what quarterback card will Smith play - senior Damon Dowdell or redshirt freshman Stephen Reaves?

"At this point, it's more of an advantage not to name a starter," Smith said.

Smith announced on Monday that his decision would be between the Detroit-native Dowdell and the Florida-native Reaves. The two were previously competing with sophomore Drew Stanton, who cannot play due to lingering effects from a knee injury suffered in the Alamo Bowl last season.

The debate has been going on all week and Smith said he expected to have a decision by today.

"By Saturday, hopefully there is a starter named," Reaves said. "We're both competing and making each other better everyday."

Both Dowdell and Reaves said they split taking snaps with the first team offense evenly throughout the week. Each player said they would have preferred to know by now.

"It would make things easier," Dowdell said. "I'm just going to keep working hard and hopefully

coach can make a decision."

Dowdell's case

The main difference between Dowdell and Reaves is game experience. Dowdell has played in 16 games in three years for MSU, six of those being starts.

"Damon gives us a little more savvy," quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier said. "He's been around a little longer, he doesn't have a ton of game experience, but he's got more savvy (than Reaves)."

Dowdell has been through a quarterback race before, but said he has never seen anything like this in his career.

"I've fought for the starting quarterback job every year I've been here," Dowdell said. "I'm kind of a veteran at this now.

"I'm giving it all I've got. This is my last year and I just want to leave saying I did everything I could to be the (quarterback)."

Dowdell has refocused off the field, including academically, to give himself a chance to play this season. Nussmeier said Dowdell's dedication to his work off the field has been a huge change the coaches have seen. It's led to a newfound confidence on the field.

"Damon showed that he was willing to do the things we asked of him, so he would have the opportunity to play," Nussmeier said. "The guy has worked his butt off."

Reaves' case

Smith has said all preseason that if the quarterbacks are on the same level, he would choose the younger guy before the older one. Thus, if Reaves is at the same level as Dowdell, then he would get the nod as starter.

Reaves has just recently begun to grasp the offense and what he needs to do to be successful in it. Both Smith and Nussmeier have seen a change in the last week for Reaves - one for the better.

"You go through a progression where a guy learns plays, goes out on the field - he can sometimes do them right and sometimes not," Nussmeier said. "You stay there for awhile until the light goes on. Then all of the sudden, things start to conceptualize and make sense.

"I think that's what's happened to Stephen in the last week or so," he added. "He's conceptualizing what we need him to do and knows where to go with the ball."

Reaves has been called the most talented of the three quarterbacks by Smith.

"That kid can throw the ball through a wall," Smith said. "He has a lot of ability and he is learning."

Conclusion

To the team it doesn't matter who is chosen as the starter on Saturday at Rutgers. The group who will be most affected by the decision is the receivers, because Reaves is left-handed and Dowdell is right-handed.

"It's a little different trying to catch the ball - it tails the other way," junior wide receiver Agim Shabaj said. "We want the best guy out there and whoever it is, we just want to go out there and catch the ball for whoever is throwing it to us."

Regardless of who the coaches choose as the starting quarterback, the team must play its cards right to do the one thing it wants - get a win.

"We have confidence in either guy," Nussmeier said. "We'll play the guy we feel gives us the best chance to win at Rutgers."