The 2001 season was a strange one for Zach Dyer.

The former Olathe South standout started four games at quarterback for Kansas University, played a backup role in four games and didn’t play at all in three others.

Dyer, who split time with Mario Kinsey, never started more than two games in a row, and his four starts were spread over a nine-game period.

So how tough was it to be a starter one week and benchwarmer the next?

“I don’t want to talk about last year,” the junior said.

While Dyer is mum on his last season under former coach Terry Allen, first-year coach Mark Mangino knows what the quarterback went through and what it did to his confidence.

“We would all have difficulty in our profession if every time we made a mistake we were pulled off the job,” Mangino said. “He needs an opportunity. If he proves he’s the No. 1 guy, then we’re going to go with him. Whoever the No. 1 guy is doesn’t need to worry about me standing on the sideline yanking him out of a game because he made a mistake or things didn’t go just right.”

Things didn’t go just right for Dyer (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) as a sophomore. He completed 43 of 89 passes for 460 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. More than half his passing yards came in a season-opening victory over Division I-AA Southwest Missouri State.

When Kinsey was dismissed from the team last winter and Mangino signed junior college transfer Bill Whittemore, many Jayhawk fans expected the Nashville, Tenn., native to take the starting job from Dyer.

After all, Whittemore, the Jayhawk Conference MVP last season, had passed for 2,082 yards and 16 touchdowns last season at Fort Scott Community College, despite playing only eight games due to a shoulder injury.

But strange things happened in the offseason.

Whittemore (6-foot, 195) had shoulder surgery on his throwing arm in November and didn’t throw a pass for about three months. When spring drills started, the junior developed a sore arm.

That opened the door for Dyer, who thrived in Mangino’s new offense.

“I feel very comfortable with what we’re doing,” he said, “and that helps me with my confidence.”

Mangino moved Dyer to No. 1 on the depth chart prior to the spring game, and Dyer responded by completing nine of 17 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns  all in the first half.

After that game, Mangino assured the media that the starting job wouldn’t be decided until preseason camp when coaches could evaluate a healthy Whittemore.

“He’s stronger than he’s ever been since the surgery,” Mangino said of Whittemore. “He looks good. He’s close to 100 percent and probably is 100 percent. He looks good physically. He looks stronger.”

Whittemore said his shoulder won’t be a problem.

“We’re all confident,” he said. “We want to get in there and battle it out. We have high hopes. Everybody’s working hard. Everyone was here this summer. We’ve definitely got the right attitude.”

Dyer and Whittemore were listed as co-No. 1s on the depth chart when full-squad, two-a-day practices started Aug. 10. When an updated depth chart was released Wednesday, Dyer was alone in the top spot ahead of Whittemore, senior Jonas Weatherbie and red-shirt freshman Brian Luke.

“Zach really is coming around,” said Mangino, whose team opens the season Aug. 31 at Iowa State. “He has a good feel for our offense. I think our offense suits his skills. He’s an intelligent young man. He’s gotten bigger, stronger and more physical. He runs well, and our quarterback has to have the ability to run the football. He can do those things.

“Zach has a slight edge over the pack, but that competition will continue during two-a-days.”