Matt Carroll knew this was coming.

The third-year University coach was well aware Randy Price had to graduate eventually, even if it seemed at times like the four-year starting quarterback had been under center for the Trojans forever.

Now that Price, the only quarterback Carroll has ever known as a head coach, is finally gone, Carroll has a quarterback “situation” on his hands for the first time in his tenure at University.

After a 7-5 season, University’s first playoff appearance since 2006 and its first playoff win since 2002, the timing leaves a little to be desired.

“What we do is when those guys are leaving in the offseason, we challenge those guys to see who’s willing to do what it takes to fill those spots,” Carroll said. “I think you hope some of it is just carry-over, because a lot of these guys were a part of the season we had last year.”

Indeed, it was quite a season. Duplicating it will take some doing.

Price’s departure is the headliner, but Carroll is dealing with heavy losses pretty much everywhere else. Only three starters return on offense, and just two come back defensively.

University broke new ground in a lot of ways last season. In particular, beating Waco High was one of the many shattered milestones the team left trailing behind it last year.

Whatever the Trojans accomplish this year, it will be with a bunch of fresh faces.

One of those offensive returners is Gerrell Griffin, an all-district running back last year. Due to Price’s glaring absence, and without a returning quarterback to fill those shoes, Griffin will slide under center to start the year. How much playing time he actually logs there will depend on a few factors.

While the job is technically Griffin’s, Price’s former duties will essentially fall to two players. Griffin’s spry legs will hold up one end of the job, while sophomore Ray Washington’s arm will complete the package deal.

Washington will be eased into the position over the team’s five nondistrict games to maximize Griffin’s athleticism elsewhere on the field. Carroll clearly has a plan in place, but the situation is still fairly fluid.

“It really hurt our offense that Randy left,” said Washington, a Super Centex Newcomer of the Year as a freshman point guard on the basketball team. “But coach is working hard to get us some quarterbacks that are like Randy, that work hard, quarterbacks that will push themselves and help the offense.”

Burns key to run game

This level of reshuffling wasn’t a necessity for Carroll and his staff until now. How it pans out will likely determine University’s season with a tough nondistrict slate and then a difficult District 8-4A schedule.

The health of the running game now becomes crucial. Running back Derious Burns, last year’s district newcomer of the year, suddenly steps into a big role as a junior.

Still, Carroll insists that the Trojans are deeper than they appear.

“I really feel good with just the retention from a year ago,” Carroll said. “We’re returning three on offense, two on defense. That’s not very many, but some guys who saw some significant playing time and understand our system and have been there are really coming on.”

Among those keys, with the offense still finding its legs, will be the virility of a refurbished defense. The offense rolled up at least 35 points four times last season, which may be tough to duplicate. Can the defense keep pace?

The defense’s finest hour last year was holding Terrell to 12 points in the bi-district playoffs, just enough to help University eke out a playoff win the school coveted for eight years.

But with two starters returning from that unit, University has heard the doubters.

‘Just hustle and hit’

With or without Price, the Trojans want to prove they have staying power.

“There have been some doubts about us, that we might fail worse than (Carroll’s 2-8 first year) because we don’t have the players from last year,” senior linebacker Isaac Carrillo said. “But that’s all just talk right now. Like coach said, we put our money in the bank to get better and work hard every day. Just hustle and hit, that’s all we have in our mind right now.

“We’re not worrying about our size, we’re just worrying about our speed, quickness and our motivation and our mindset, that we’re going to be better than last year.”

wparchman@wacotrib.com

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