Two-quarterback offense is key to Panthers’ on-field success

Chapman’s football team relies on the leadership of a two-quarterback system. Despite having different styles, both Reed Vettel (left), a senior economics major, and Jonston McIntyre (right), a fifth year communication studies major have proven crucial to the team's success. DANIEL PEARSON, Staff Photographer

After being one of the best Division III football teams in the nation in 2019, the Chapman football team has picked up right where they left off. With a 5-2 start to the season, they have placed themselves in a good position toward the end of their season. Similar to their 2019 season, much of their success can be attributed to the joint leadership of quarterbacks Reed Vettel, a senior economics major, and Jonston McIntyre, a fifth year communication studies major. 

With Vettel and McIntyre, the team runs a rare offensive system. Though the Panthers are fortunate to have two of the best quarterbacks in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) on their roster, when it came to picking a starter in 2019, it wasn’t as simple as they had originally thought. 

During the 2019 training camp, both Vettel (then-sophomore) and McIntyre (then-junior) were hoping to lock down the starting quarterback position for the regular season. After being backups during the 2018 season, they were competing against each other for the spot. When neither emerged as the clear-cut option during training camp, the coaching staff had to make a call when the first preseason game came along. 

“The coaches decided to play with both of us, switching off every two series for a few games in the preseason, and then (they would) decide after that,” McIntyre said. 

After winning the first two preseason games with both players bringing their A-game, the answer for who was going to be the starting quarterback wasn’t getting any clearer.

“Neither one of us pulled ahead of the other, and we were both playing well,” Vettel said. “The coaches eventually just said that we should just stick with this system; it was clearly working. No one we were playing had ever really seen a two quarterback system before, so we stuck with it.”

The team finished out 10-1, and the duo was responsible for a combined 24 touchdowns. This unusual system produced an offensive powerhouse that was a force to be reckoned with. 

When both Vettel and McIntyre decided to return for the 2021 season, there was no question that the Panthers were going to use their trusty system again. So much of what makes the offensive strategy work is how much the other teams must prepare for both quarterbacks. 

Both quarterbacks play the position vastly different, making it even harder to defend. Vettel — at six feet and 5 inches — has one of the strongest arms in the league, and McIntyre is a dynamic dual threat who can run and pass, thus keeping the defensive off-balance at all times. 

When two teammates are competing against each other for a starting position, it is natural that competitiveness comes out. But for Vettel and McIntyre, they understand that splitting time in the quarterback position was best for the team.

“We’ve fully embraced it from the start,” McIntyre said. “ We both want the team to win. Neither of us are selfish, and Reed is a great teammate. It’s easy to root for each other.” 

Vettel and McIntyre frequently bond off the field too as both friends and roommates. As leaders, they understand the importance of having a great connection as teammates. 

“Getting close to each other off the field helps when it is time to play,” Vettel said. “You can’t really get to know somebody unless you hang out with each other off the field, so as a team, we’re competitive with each other. We play a lot of ‘MLB: The Show’ and ‘Mario Kart’ and all that.” 

As a result, Vettel and McIntyre have set a precedent of sportsmanship that trickles down to the rest of the football team.

“There are no big egos on the team,” Vettel said. “We pride ourselves on being a player-ran program. The coaches leave it to us to set the tone and culture.”

Part of that tone and culture is the team-first mentality. The two players attribute much of the team’s success to its athletes’ selfless mindset. With the 2021 season being both Vettel’s and McIntyre’s last, they said it’s important to them to leave a legacy at Chapman. 

“Every single day, our coach tells me how many days I have left of being a college football player; it makes me savor those days of being a teammate,” McIntyre said. “Just like the older guys did to me, I want to show the ropes to the younger guys on the team and keep the good culture of our program going.”

After a close loss to Redlands on Saturday, the Panthers now have one loss in league play. They will look to bounce back this week at Pomona-Pitzer Saturday, Oct. 30.