Break the huddle.  Walk up to the line.  Identify the safeties.

Do the cadence. Down, set, hut.  Ball is snap.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi.  Identify the linebackers, who’s open.  Three Mississippi, four Mississippi.  Make decision, throw it.

The quarterback is the General of the football squad, the person who holds everything together, who makes the offensive decision and gets the play started.

For Southern Oregon University, Austin Dodge is that General of the Raiders’ offense.

The Vancouver, Washington native has been playing football since he was nine-years-old and redshirted as a freshman at NCAA Divison-II Central Washington University before transferring to SOU before the start of the 2011-2012 season.

“The reason why I decided to come to Southern Oregon just because of the coaches being really welcoming and they knew what they wanted, the wanted a national championship, and they’re doing the right things to get there,” said redshirt sophomore Austin Dodge

He entered camp that year as a back-up to Michael McDonald, with seeing his first action in a Raiders uniform against Portland State.  He had taken over the starting role by week three against Willamette University.  In which he threw for 249 yards on 25 completions.

“There’s always competition at the quarterback position, wherever you’re at on the depth chart, whether your first or last you’re always in competition to improve yourself, to move up the ranks,” he said, “Therre were quarterbacks in front of me last year, it would’ve been like any other situation that would be for a transfer and I mean as long as I worked hard and as progression goes, things just fall into place.”

After he took over the starting spot at the point of the season, the Raiders went 5-3 and finished the season 5-5.  For Dodge, he finished the season with 2,195 yards, and 13 touchdowns in eighth starts for the Raiders.

“Well, I mean I get nervous every now and again,” said Dodge on getting the starting role, “but it’s not so much as nervous as anxious, so I’m just excited to be out there playing.”

He headed into this past off-season and into this season, excited for himself and his teammates.

“Every quarterback, every player being in this offense for a year now,” Dodge started, “being around these coaches, being able to understand this offense, to understand this program and where we want to go.  Having a year under our belts is a huge deal, so everyone is a lot more confident, a lot less rattled in situations and we’re able to overcome adversity better.”

Not just that, coach Craig Howard is even excited for the potential that Dodge not just brings to the offense, but to the team.

“Southern Oregon offense is quarterback driven, so we need a great gunslinger at quarterback and we found that in Austin Dodge,” Howard started, “I believe that he is one of the finest quarterbacks in the country, in the NAIA and maybe in the NCAA, I am that high on him.  He does things right, on and off the field.  He’s a hard worker, he has a extremely strong arm, he’s very intelligent, he studies the game, he’s the epiphany in our program, the attributes of character, respect, strength and honor.”

If we compare Dodges 347 yard, and his 25 completions from the Montana-Western game compare to the Heisman Hopefuls at the Division 1-A level.  He is tied for 10^th in passing yards ahead of West Virgina’s Geno Smith, Michigan’s Denard Robinson and Oklahoma’s Landry Jones.  In completions, he is tied for 23^rd, three head of USC’s Matt Barkely.

“Playing with Austin is a great experience.” said Senior Left Guard Zach Urruita, “If you give him time, he is going to make plays. Knowing that the person behind you has a cannon and can put the ball anywhere he wants on the field gives me more incentive to protect him.”

So what can we expect from this Heisman hopeful for here on out?

“To put a ring on everyone’s finger on this team.  To win a conference championship, to win a national championship.  We have the ability and were working hard to get there so as long as we stay focus and stay healthy, we’ll be alright.”

Dodge and the rest of the Raiders will be taking the 18-hour bus trip up to Montana this weekend to face the Grizzles of Rocky Mountain College.

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki4X-s2aBIU&feature=plcp