If Shane Buechele were unable to take snaps for SMU for the remainder of the 2020 season, the only other current roster player to have attempted a pass this season is a wide receiver.

Tyler Page has attempted two passes on trick plays this year for the Mustangs. He has a 55-yard completion to Rashee Rice in the game against Tulane.

If something were to happen to Buechele during or before Saturday's Temple game, then SMU is planning on filling the position with a player who has three pass attempts to his name -- all coming in 2019. And of those three attempts, one was completed to an SMU teammate, and one was intercepted by an SMU opponent.

No pressure, though. None at all, in fact.

Rarely does the backup quarterback get ink, but for the No. 18 Mustangs, Derek Green is a name to know. Injuries are never wished upon, but every team understands the importance of having a "next man up" mentality.

Green was named the new backup to Buechele on Monday during head coach Sonny Dykes' weekly media meeting. SMU lost backup quarterback Terrance Gipson, who has chosen to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Green's a player who Dykes tons of confidence in. Dykes wouldn't have offered Green, then a walk-on, a scholarship back in February if he didn't believe he could get the job done.

"He's got some experience," Dykes said of Green, "and when he's gotten into football games for us, historically, he's played well."

So who is Derek Green? He's a 6-3, 205-pound sophomore from Leawood, Kansas. He's seen all of his time in 2020 as the holder for the Mustangs.

Green led Rockhurst High School to a trip to the Kansas Class 6A state semifinals as a junior. He compiled more than 2,100 yards and completed 60% of his passes as a senior.

Older NFL fans will know his father -- Super Bowl XXXIV champion Trent Green, who earned a ring with the St. Louis Rams. The elder Green was projected to be the starting quarterback for the Rams in 1999 but was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury in preseason. That team was then quarterbacked by Kurt Warner, who led the team to a Super Bowl XXXIV win.

The younger Green joined SMU in 2018. He redshirted that year and played in three games the following year. In 2020, Green has been one half of a talked-about special teams duo that also consists of kicker Chris Naggar.

In fact, Naggar, Dykes and the entire staff praised Green for his holding efforts in an overtime win against Tulane on Oct. 16.

Green's responsibilities heighten as he now will be called on if Buechele goes down -- or is replaced -- for whatever reason. Dykes on Monday said the battle in practice between Gipson and Green had been close, and he believes Green will be ready if his number is called.

"Derek has really prepared well. We didn't think there was much of a difference, honestly," Dykes said, speaking on the backup battle between Green and Gipson.

The Mustangs have five quarterbacks on its current roster. Buechele is the starter, and Green is No. 2 on the depth chart. Jacob Oehrlein is a sophomore, and Josh Stupin is a true freshman.

Redshirt sophomore William Brown battled for the No. 2 quarterback spot last year but has been working at wide receiver this year. In fact, Brown has the most experience at quarterback behind Buechele after throwing for 625 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman in 2018.

But if Buechele happens to go down, for whatever reason, all eyes will be on Green.

"We anticipate Derek sliding right in now and being ready to go," Dykes said.

No. 18 SMU (6-1, 3-1 AAC) at Temple (1-3, 1-3)

11 a.m. CT Saturday

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

TV: ESPN+