COLLEGE FOOTBALL Marshall's Hill wants backup to be ready

He remembers how it was for him last year behind Brian Leftwich.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Stan Hill learned last year how quickly a quarterback can go from a chilly sideline to the heat of competition. Now Marshall's starter, Hill is making sure his understudy understands it, too.
Graham Gochneaur is one play away from replacing Hill, just as Hill stood ready to replace Byron Leftwich a year ago. And in case of injury or ineffectiveness, Gochneaur believes his teammates can count on him to produce, just as Hill did in his first college start last year.
"I don't want anything bad to happen to anybody, but I'm just waiting for my chance," Gochneaur said Saturday during Marshall's media day. "That's what I practice for every day. I just feel like I've got myself prepared that I can step in anytime and carry on just as well, or better, than anything that's happened so far."
Admits he wasn't ready
Hill admits he wasn't fully ready for his first chance last year, when Leftwich's injury "kind of slipped up on me."
He was wearing a bulky coat and trying to stay warm when Leftwich severely injured his leg during the first quarter of the Akron game.
So, he wants Gochneaur to learn from his experience.
Leftwich's injury "caught me off guard last year, and I hate myself for that," Hill said. Being the backup "is a lot of pressure, but at the same time, that's what the quarterback position is. You've got to take it on your shoulders and get the job done."
Hill made believers of his teammates during his first college start, a thrilling nationally televised 36-34 win over Miami of Ohio in which he threw four touchdowns and scored on a 1-yard run in the final seconds.
The Thundering Herd players always believed Hill would adequately replace Leftwich against Miami, and they have similar faith in Gochneaur, offensive lineman Nate McPeek said.
"If you're going to go out there and play in a big game ... you've got to have confidence in your quarterback," McPeek said. "Stan played as well as he could in that situation, and he's going to be even better this year. ... At the same time, Graham has got to be ready, because you never know. Look at Byron -- you're one play from going in."
Receiver Darius Watts says Gochneaur might have a stronger arm than his mentor.
"We feel like Graham knows his stuff, and he can go out and do the same things that Stan did," Watts said.
Hill and Gochneaur are the only upperclassmen at quarterback. Two redshirt freshmen are below them on the depth chart: Jimmy Skinner is Gochneaur's backup, and Adam Black will miss four weeks with an inner ear condition that has severely affected his balance.