Poljan was supposed to go back out on the field after Lazzaro's single drive against Northern Illinois Sept. 15, but a touchdown run from the junior with 3:06 left in the third quarter gave himself another possession.

The result – another touchdown.

Now, Lazzaro is Central Michigan football's starting quarterback.

Head coach John Bonamego named Lazzaro the starting quarterback at practice on Sept. 18 and placed Poljan into the backup spot.

In three games as the starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Poljan completed 40-of-70 passes for 344 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He's added just 84 yards on 32 carries. With Poljan under center, CMU was ranked in the bottom 15 total offenses in the nation.

The Chippewas are 0-3 to start the season, losing to Kentucky, Kansas and Northern Illinois, a Mid-American Conference opponent.

Lazzaro played one and a half quarters against the Huskies and was immediately effective. He was 13-of-22 through the air for 128 yards and a touchdown. The junior chipped in 55 yards and a score while running the ball.

"He has the ability to move the team down the field," Bonamego said of Lazzaro. "He's decisive and aggressive with his throws. I saw his ability to maneuver in the pocket and extend plays."

His lone interception went in-and-out of redshirt freshman receiver Cameron Cole's hands and fell into the arms of Vinny Labus to end the game.

It was the 21-year-old's first ever appearance for Central Michigan since transferring to the program after the 2015 season with Dodge City Community College in Kansas.

The journey was not easy. At Pine Creek High School in Colorado, Lazzaro excelled in the classroom and on the football field, but Dodge City was the only school to offer him. Lazzaro was just a kid chasing a dream.

"I knew I could play," Lazzaro said. "Nobody recruited out of Colorado back then."

Lazzaro, at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, led Pine Creek to back-to-back Class 4A Colorado state championships in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He set school records with 3,340 passing yards and 37 touchdown throws throughout three years on varsity.

As a senior, he pushed Pine Creek to a 14-0 record while slinging the ball for 1,512 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 116 times for 967 yards and 14 scores.

Going to a JUCO was an extreme culture shock, but Lazzaro bounced back.

There was never much to do in Dodge City, Kansas, at least that's how Lazzaro viewed it during his tenure. It was an area that made Mount Pleasant seem like a massive city.

His hometown, just outside Colorado Springs, was less populated than Mount Pleasant, but much more than Dodge City.

"It was a culture shock out of high school," Lazzaro said of Dodge City Community College. "The boys there really brought me in."

Dodge City head coach Gary Thomas and Central Michigan offensive line coach Derek Frazier worked together in 2001 at Adams State College in Colorado. The duo went their separate ways, but stayed in touch.

Once Lazzaro's time at Dodge City was coming to a close in 2015, Thomas made a connection with Frazier, who was in his first year coaching for the Chippewas.

Lazzaro turned the Conquistadors to a 9-3 team in 2015 after the group was 3-9 without him a year prior.

"There was never a time that I wanted to leave football while I was there," Lazzaro said.

The Chippewas, led by Bonamego, extended a scholarship offer. Lazzaro committed and signed on Dec. 17, 2015.

Upon arriving at CMU, Lazzaro sat behind Cooper Rush in 2016 and Shane Morris in 2017. Pushing for a starting position, the coaching staff instead gave it to Poljan in 2018.

"No one is ever happy to be second-string," Lazzaro said. "There were definitely days where I didn't want to do it anymore. Getting through those makes the good days a lot better."

Three weeks into the 2018 season, Lazzaro took it away and is now running with the opportunity.

Sitting behind Rush and Morris is something Lazzaro calls a blessing in disguise. Rush taught him how to watch film and study for an upcoming game, while Morris instructed him on playmaking and preparation.

Fast forward nearly three years from his transfer and Lazzaro nearly brought the Chippewas back against Northern Illinois.

After scoring in the third quarter, Poljan jumped at the chance to congratulate Lazzaro.

"It's a testament to his character," Lazzaro said. "It's not the situation anyone wants to be in, but he handled it in an amazing way and was helping me throughout the entire game."

Bonamego plans to use Poljan, at 6-foot-7, as a wide receiver and tight end. He will remain the backup quarterback, but is too valuable to keep off the field.

"Tony Poljan's too good of an athlete to stand on the sidelines with a clipboard," Bonamego said. "We need to get him on the field because he can help us win."

In 2017, Poljan lost the quarterback battle to Morris, but appeared in all 12 games as a quarterback and wide receiver, with plenty of designed quarterback run plays.

Poljan is back at receiver and ready to help the team. Bonamego said the Poljan has handled the situation with the utmost class.

"Ultimately, I'm a team player," Poljan said. "I trust my coaches. I'll do what's best for the team."

Lazzaro's parents attended the CMU's first two games against Kentucky and Kansas but did not travel to DeKalb. It was the first game he played in that his parents could not attend.

Regardless of the absence of his family, Lazzaro's phone was filled with love from friends and family at every stop in his football career – Pine Creek High School, Dodge City Community College and Central Michigan University.

"I was surrounded by love. It's been a long time coming," he said. "A lot of people reached out to me and I appreciate it."

Lazzaro, despite the loss, began a new era – not only for Central Michigan football but for himself.

"Scoring that first touchdown and seeing it all come full circle is one of the greatest feelings of my life. It was a dream come true," he said.