One year ago, Jeff Tuel had his baptism by fire, taking on the USC Trojans at the Coliseum. The wide-eyed freshman saw his first action against USC, generating excitement in the fan-base with his play right out of the gate.

The Spokesman-Review's Vince Grippi took a look at Tuel and his maturation as the Cougars’ quarterback.

"He was a little shocked in L.A. against USC," remembers receiver Daniel Blackledge. "He was a little jittery (in the huddle), but after those first couple of plays, he kind of settled in."
[…]
"He’s taken more of a vocal approach this year," Blackledge said. "He’s really confident and he’s taken more of a leadership role."

Tuel and the Cougars take on the USC Trojans on Saturday at 12 p.m.