Storrs — Chandler Whitmer knows from experience about the impact of multiple concussions.

He's had three during his football career, two at UConn.

Fortunately, the redshirt senior quarterback has been able to recover and continue playing.

That's not the case for teammate Casey Cochran, a former New London High School and Masuk standout.

Cochran, 20, decided to end his career after suffering multiple concussions, the latest in the season-opening loss to Brigham Young on Aug. 29. He informed the team on Monday.

"He's had concussions before and that's not something you play around with," said Whitmer, who replaced Cochran at starting quarterback last week against Stony Brook. "It's tough because you work your whole life and you put everything into it up to this point to play the game and it kind of gets taken away from you like that.

"It's pretty eye-opening. It just makes you realize that you never know when it could be over, so you've just got to enjoy every day and every moment that you get and go out and give it your best effort."

The Huskies (1-1) will continue to use a two-quarterback system, with Whitmer starting against Boise State on Saturday in East Hartford and sophomore Tim Boyle, an all-state star at Xavier, serving as backup.

Coach Bob Diaco learned last Wednesday that Cochran was dealing with a concussion, leading to a series of discussions with Cochran, his family and UConn medical staff about his future.

"Up until that point, he's such a gutsy guy with such moxie and toughness that he was just going to carry on," Diaco said.

After Saturday's 19-16 win over Stony Brook, Diaco made a point to talk to Cochran on the sideline to "make sure he didn't feel alone in the moment."

Diaco said that Cochran, who will retain his scholarship, is ready to move on. The redshirt sophomore will remain as a coach-in-training, staying involved with all activities.

"Sad in that I hope that he has achieved what he set out to achieve," Diaco said. "I believe that he has. I don't think he's walking away with any regrets. I'm pretty confident in saying that. He pours his heart and soul into everything that he does. He's done that.

"He'll transition nicely into the next phase of his life. He seems like he's completely at peace with it. Him addressing the team (he) wasn't teary-eyed. ... It was pretty business like. ... He's resolute and happy and feels fulfilled. I'm happy that he's in that place. If he was upset, then I would be upset."

The Huskies need either Whitmer or Boyle, or both, to put a charge into a sluggish offense that is averaging just 14.5 points and 289 yards per game. Their running attack has generated just 76 yards per game. Chandler led the team in rushing against Stony Brook with 29 yards.

On the season, Chandler is 20-for-44 for 255 yards and a touchdown. He's likely to receive the bulk of the snaps against Boise State.

"We're thin," Whitmer said. "We've both got to be ready. ... It's hard to go a season - we saw last year - with just one quarterback."

Diaco had hoped to redshirt Boyle before Cochran's career-ending injury. As a Notre Dame assistant coach, Diaco recruited Boyle, who took a recruiting visit to South Bend with his father.

Boyle started four games last year, completing 59 of 133 passes for 621 yards.

"Tim has all top-notch traits," Diaco said. "He's fast, he's big. He's got great vision over the linemen. He's got a very strong arm. He can throw all the passes. He's got a good touch. … He's got enough escapability to be a problem."

It's probably not be a great idea for Whitmer and Boyle to rely too heavily on their legs to pick up yardage. The Huskies can ill-afford to lose another quarterback. Whitmer said he doesn't think about the long term impact of his concussions, adding that he trusts the team's training staff.

"I just go about my business, train as hard as I can," Whitmer said. "You can't play scared or think about things like that. You've just got to play."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe