"At this point, maturity" set Crawford apart, Stiegelmeier said. "He's been in the battle some, has made plays in tough situations. They're all good players, they're all great young men, but now we can go ahead and start game planning to the specific abilities of the No. 1 guy."

And what does he do well? While O'Brien has the biggest arm and Whittier is the most athletic, Crawford handles pressure, can make enough throws and understands the offense, according to Stiegelmeier. Of the four quarterbacks involved in the open contest, he is the only one with more than one full year of experience in the Jacks system. He has made 10 career appearances, going 15 of 21 for 111 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Nine months ago, there was little doubt that Crawford would succeed all-conference pick Ryan Berry and become the program's first one-year starter in more than 30 years - the coaching staff even moved third-stringer Corey Jeske to safety. But in the season finale at North Dakota State, Crawford - thrust into the lineup when Berry suffered a concussion - injured his throwing wrist, breaking one bone and dislocating another after completing 10 of 13 attempts for 50 yards and one score before a sold-out crowd in a win at the Fargodome. Five pins and one screw were subsequently surgically inserted, and he spent the next three months in a cast. Doctors told him that he might never play again.