Backup QB baptized by fire in SEMO FCS Kickoff win

Most college football teams with a senior quarterback enter the new season feeling that they will go as far as he will take them.

Well, what happens when said senior QB goes down within the first half of the first game of the season?

Halfway through the second quarter of the FCS Kickoff matchup between SEMO and North Alabama, Redhawks quarterback Paxton DeLaurent kept the ball and carried it 15 yards before a collision with Jahbari Hill sent him flying until he landed on his shoulder.

DeLaurent, whose junior season ended with a shoulder injury, had to leave the game before halftime. A season full of hope and promise felt over before it began.

Carter Hensley was thrust into the calamity taking place on the field of the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. Having redshirted last year, this was the first time Hensley saw the field since playing high school ball in Arkansas.

And wouldn’t you know it? The offense kept humming along.

DeLaurent completed 14 of 17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown before his exit. Hensley finished the game having completed 10 of 14 passes for 100 yards, as was as scored a rushing touchdown. The Redhawks went on to defeat the Lions 37-15.

“The guys believed in me. I had guidance from Paxton,” Hensley said. “Great leadership on the team helped me succeed.”

Hensley is the ideal backup for DeLaurent, as they both have similar traits as quarterbacks.

“Carter’s a very similar player,” SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz said. “I don’t think Carter has gotten a B in his life. I had everybody do an evaluation at the end of the year. He typed his up and gave me pamphlets, so I knew he was going to be prepared and smart, and ready for the opportunity.”

Much like the Redhawks during the game, it took Hensley a while to adjust to the speed of the game and apply his preparation.

“I feel like I was ready and got better I kept going,” Hensley said.

By the second half, he was comfortable under center and confident in both himself and the offense. Using the defense’s focus on running back Peyton Brown to his advantage, Hensley kept it and ran through daylight for a 47-yard gain, longer than any carry from SEMO’s running backs.

“It was awesome. I knew I was gonna pull and get the first down,” Hensley said, “but I was that open and I’m a little slow so I didn’t get the touchdown but an awesome run. It helped spark the team. It kind of gave us motivation to finish out the game.”

That run helped set up freshman running back Peyton Brown’s third touchdown of the night. As capable as he has shown to lead the offense, having the ground game be the focal point has made Hensley’s adjustment easier.

“It for sure made it easier, took some pressure off me,” Hensley said. “I feel like I’m perfectly capable of throwing the ball, but a run game is great.”

The status of DeLaurent’s health and potential return is unknown. If Hensley is to be the quarterback of the future at SEMO, the future has just become the present.