If Seneca Wallace wanted people to quit hyping him as the next great college quarterback, he sure didn’t show it during Saturday’s spring game.

The Sacramento native wowed spectators with his moves on the field and provided the highlight of the day, a 35-yard dash to the endzone, leaving would-be tacklers in his wake as the Wallace-led Cardinal team held-off the White squad 35-30.

Already the first-team junior college All-American from Sac City Junior City is being hyped as the man who will make sure Iowa State goes to its second straight bowl game.

Forget about Cris Love and Gerrin Scott. Wallace is the real deal.

But is it fair to put all this pressure on a guy who hasn’t played an ounce of Division I football in the fall?

“You saw he’s got a strong arm; he’s got good accuracy; he’s got real good feet; he’s got good speed,” said ISU head coach Dan McCarney. “Yet he’s got a lot of room for improvement. He still hasn’t done it against a No. 1 Big 12 defense.”

What he did do, against the Cyclones No. 1 defense, was enough to leave fans wanting more.

Wallace nailed seven of his 11 passes for 124 yards. His longest was a 53-yarder to speedy receiver Lane Danielson. Wallace’s one touchdown came on a 15-yard pass to Jamaul Montgomery.

“He’s got a strong arm, made some real accurate throws and did a nice job under pressure,” McCarney said.

It’s when he didn’t throw the ball that Wallace seemed to be even better, at least on this day.

He led the Cardinal team in rushing with 72 yards tying with running back Hiawatha Rutland.

On a play early in the second quarter, Wallace brought the crowd to its feet with a run that could be a sign of things to come.

On an option play, Wallace lined up under center with Rutland in the backfield with him.

Wallace took the snap and immediately started to run to his right, Rutland following close behind. When the hole opened up, Wallace used his quickness to avoid two diving Cyclones and shot towards the sideline.

Rutland threw a block as Wallace avoided one more tackler on his way to the sideline. Wallace tight-roped the final 10 yards of his 35-yard jaunt into the endzone.

“Sometimes you know who’s gonna be blocking who and you just have to cut off those blocks,” the 181-pound junior said modestly.

Despite Wallace’s running abilities, McCarney wants a quarterback to do his first job – throw the ball.

“He’s very elusive, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “But I’d much rather have a quarterback that wants to throw the football first and scramble second.”

The 6-foot-1-inch Wallace said he is willing to do whatever the team needs him to do, whether it be running or passing.

“I can do both, whatever it comes down to,” Wallace said. “If it comes down to running, you know, I’m gonna run and try and get some yards. If it comes down to passing I’m gonna try passing.”

McCarney also pointed out that the pressure on Wallace may be premature, since he still has to beat Love and Scott out to get the starting quarterback position.

“He’s gotta hang on to No. 1, first of all, before there is any build-up,” McCarney explained.

Both Love and Scott have had a year to learn the offense, something that Wallace has yet to do completely.

“There are the little things he has to work on still,” ISU tight end Mike Banks said about Wallace, “but we all gotta work on the little things. He’s a good quarterback, I’m pretty excited about him.”

Wallace admitted that he still needs to be more comfortable with the offense.

“I understand it a little, but I want to get to a point where I’m real comfortable,” Wallace said.

Despite all the hype that does surround Wallace, he was lightly recruited said McCarney.

“I think when it’s all over and his career is done,” McCarney said, “people will be shocked at how few schools recruited him with the kind of player he can become. There was not a lot of traffic out there with Seneca, there was a few of them but not many.”

On Sept. 8 playing against the University of Northern Iowa, the college football world will get its first look at Wallace and a chance to see just how good he will be.

Until then, on with the hype.