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Logan • Bill Kennedy spent $1,000 on plane tickets, flew 2,059 miles with his family, and relished the opportunity to see his son fulfill his dream of finally playing major college football.

Adam Kennedy, a 6-foot-5 quarterback with a huge arm and sniper-like accuracy, was slated to be Utah State's missing piece at the start of this season. He was USU's biggest recruiting prize in the winter of 2011. He was supposed to take over for Diondre Borel, provide the Aggies with the ability to throw the ball downfield and complement the running of Robert Turbin.

Auburn, the site of Utah State's season opener, was to be his introduction. Bill Kennedy was going to be a witness. But in Utah State's 42-38 loss to the defending national champions, Adam Kennedy never played a snap.

Instead, true freshman Chuckie Keeton stole the show and the starting quarterback position with his quick feet and his ability to lead USU to what could have, and perhaps should have, been a huge upset over the defending national champion. The coaching staff had promised to play both of their guys. But Keeton's performance forced offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin to change up. It turned out to be one of the most disappointing moments of Adam Kennedy's career.

"The hardest thing was having to see him after the game," Bill Kennedy said. "It was extremely disappointing. We fully expected to see him and Chuckie play, and we were surprised it didn't happen. We told everyone we knew that he was going to get a chance, so there were a lot of people back home in California who were watching on television. It was a very disappointing day for us."

Of course, Adam Kennedy is now known around here as the savior of Utah State's season.

The junior, who took over when Keeton left the Hawaii game with an injury, is 4-0 as a starter. He has engineered three fourth-quarter comebacks. He has jump-started the passing game by making threats out of Matt Austin and Travis Van Leeuwen. He salted away Saturday's 21-17 win over Nevada with a clutch 10-yard run up the middle, allowing USU to run out the clock and become bowl-eligible.

But not many who saw Keeton and his talent thought this day would come for Kennedy. The first six weeks of the season were some of the darkest moments of his life. Sure, he was a team guy. He became good friends with Keeton. He never missed a film session. He stayed after practice and prepared for games as if he would be the starter.

Deep down, however, he wondered if his chance would ever come. He was a junior, Keeton a true freshman. Doing the math, there were good odds that Kennedy had signed on with USU just to become a career back-up.

"It was definitely hard," Kennedy said. "Just the fact that Chuckie was an underclassman seemed like it would be the end for me. Naming a guy below you a starter is usually a death sentence for a college athlete, so I was hugely disappointed to not get the nod. But a big reason for me coming here was to be a part of a team. That helped a lot, the relationship I had with my teammates."

A survivor

Adam Kennedy has almost made a career out of making comebacks when it looked as if he were done. His competitiveness and ability to shake off setbacks have allowed him to keep things moving.

At Franklin High in Elk Grove, Calif., Kennedy played just one full year as a starter when he easily could have played three. He was hurt with a mysterious injury in his sophomore season. By his junior year, he realized that he had a hamstring tear so deep that it started from his pelvic bone and extended down the back of his leg.

Surgery followed, highlighted by more than 100 stitches starting from his buttocks. He missed the entire season, and although he had a great senior year, he missed the chance to be recruited.

"All of the big colleges want film from a player's junior season," Kennedy's high school coach, Mike Johnson, said. "His senior season was the first full year that he played, so I don't think there was much to go on. I've never had a kid battle back from as much as Adam has."

With very few options, and with good grades, Kennedy was forced to go the junior college route to San Joaquin Delta. There he shared time as a freshman before taking over as a sophomore, becoming one of the best players in the California junior college ranks. When he signed with Utah State, he was considered a cornerstone recruit.

Battling for his place

Kennedy was able to fight off Alex Hart in spring and summer practice. Hart eventually left the program, but Keeton was a revelation in the preseason and won the job.

To get through it, Kennedy and his father talked every day. Bill Kennedy would remind him that he needed to stay ready, no matter how much he hurt inside. Kennedy's former high school teammate and current Washngton Redskins Brandon Thompson also was a valuable sounding board.

"I've been around football for a long time," Bill Kennedy said. "I know that the chances of a team getting through the season with one guy aren't very good."

That proved prophetic, as Kennedy had to come on during the Hawaii game when Keeton was carted off the field after a vicious hit.

Kennedy has brought a different set of skills to the Aggie offense. But the one constant is that Utah State has won with Kennedy at the helm. Even with Keeton back and healthy, the coaching staff has stuck with Kennedy, and for good reason.

He led the Hawaii comeback. He threw two touchdowns in the final five minutes to beat San Jose State. With the offense struggling against Nevada, he tossed a huge touchdown pass to Austin, and the improvement in the passing game has provided more room for Turbin and the run game. Had the Aggies lost any of those games, they wouldn't be heading to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in three weeks.

"I have all the respect in the world for Adam Kennedy," USU head coach Gary Andersen said. "For him to never complain, stay ready and then to perform like he has is special. Not many kids could do what he did. He was beaten out by a freshman, and yet he continued to do his job. He's playing because he's earned the right to play." —

Adam Kennedy file

• Has thrown seven touchdowns in four games as a starter.

• Threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to beat San Jose State.

• Has thrown for 786 yards in four games.

• Is friends and a former high school teammate of Washington Redskins cornerback Brandon Thompson.

• His family has attended every game this season.

• Recovered from a severely torn hamstring to play his senior season at Franklin High in Elk Grove, Calif. —

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