Taking snaps from under center and reading defenses is standard practice for quarterbacks at any level.
Doing these things in college and doing them in high school are completely different, as freshman quarterback Nate Davis will attest to.
However, Davis' improvement and natural ability has impressed coach Brady Hoke enough during fall practice that he will play Thursday night against Eastern Michigan University. Hoke said although Davis isn't as mentally strong as Joey Lynch, his athleticism is undeniable.
"Physically, Nate may be ahead [of Joey] because he's gifted with athleticism," he said. "Nate brings a little something different when you talk about that part of the game. He does have a wonderful arm, I just hope that he knows where it's going sometimes."
While there's no doubt about Davis' cannon arm, the ability to use it to his advantage is something he is still learning. He said the adjustment to playing against college defenses is difficult.
"I throw it into coverage a lot," Davis said. "I need to break that habit. In high school, I'd be able to throw it real hard between people. In college, everybody's a lot faster. They break on the ball a lot quicker."
Another adjustment Davis needed to make was taking snaps under center. At Bellaire [Ohio] High School, Davis rarely took snaps under center unless it was in short yardage or goal-line situations.
In the Big Reds' shotgun offense, Davis thrived. Last fall, he sliced up defenses, throwing for 2,932 yards and 42 touchdowns.
At Ball State University Hoke and offensive coordinator Stan Parrish spent most of fall camp getting Davis used to taking snaps from center Dan Gerberry and guard Justin Schneider, who had played center before.
Initially, Davis had trouble taking the snaps and getting his footwork down. Last week went much better though, with Hoke saying Davis didn't miss any exchanges. Although he prefers the shotgun formation, the coaches have convinced Davis of the benefits of lining up directly behind the center.
"I like shotgun because you see what's coming after you because you're standing up and you're looking at everyone," he said. "We played an all-passing game [at Bellaire]. We never ran the ball.
"It's a big difference. I like running the ball. It opens up the passing game. I like this offense a lot."
The Ball State coaches are being patient with Davis. Hoke said he'll have a limited playbook for Davis when he steps on the field Thursday.
"You don't do a whole lot differently," Hoke said. "You just have to scale back what you want to do when he's in the game. With Nate, we have to make sure that we have the right things and that he knows where to go with the ball."
When Davis does enter the game, he said nerves would be the last thing on his mind. The number one goal is leading the Cardinals to victory.
"Right now, I'm not nervous at all," he said. "I never get nervous. When the time comes, I'm going to have to step it up. You go out and have fun and help your team win."
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