East Hartford — Bryant Shirreffs enjoys the family atmosphere on the UConn football team. He’s especially fond of his fellow quarterbacks.

“We’re all really close,” Shirreffs said Saturday. “We wake early and get to the (practice) facility really early. We’re constantly pushing each other and helping each other. It’s not a derogatory battle between us.”

Shirreffs has emerged from that tight-knit as the front-runner for the starting quarterback position for this upcoming season.

A North Carolina State transfer, he shook off the rust and displayed flashes of his all-around ability during Saturday’s Blue-White Spring football game at Rentschler Field. He last played in a game on Nov. 16, 2013, facing Boston College.

Shirreffs spent last season as the scout team quarterback and watched UConn’s games from the stands.

“It felt really good to be back…,” Shirreffs said. “Finally being in an atmosphere like this, felt really good. … I just had a lot of fun today. That pretty much summarizes my day.”

Coach Bob Diaco got everything that he wanted out of the spring game. He was pleased with the crowd support — an estimated 4,000 fans showed up on a sunny afternoon — and the effort put forth by the Huskies.

Diaco treated the entire day like a regular season Saturday, playing a full game but using running time in the second half.

“I love the way the guys competed and fought and work…,” Diaco said. “Our hearts are in the right place and going the right way and our team is starting to look like a team and not just a collection of individuals.”

The Huskies are coming off a dismal 2-10 season in Diaco’s first year.

Perhaps the biggest issue to address is starting quarterback. Tim Boyle and the now departed Chandler Whitmer split time last season and operated a woeful offense that averaged just 15.5 points per game.

On Saturday, Diaco used three quarterbacks — Shirreffs, Boyle and freshman Tyler Davis. He really liked what he saw from Shirreffs.

Shirreffs’ ability to keep a play alive with his feet gives the Huskies a dynamic that they lacked last season. In his true freshman season at North Carolina State, he saw limited time in eight games, playing mostly in the Wildcat formation. He ran for 158 yards while throwing just five passes, including one for a touchdown.

But he was a dual threat at Jefferson High School in Georgia, throwing for 2,369 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 1,372 yards and 20 touchdowns during his senior year.

With Shirreffs taking the majority of snaps, the Blue team emerged with a 13-3 victory on Saturday. He completed 13 of 24 passes for 168 yards and threw the game’s only touchdown, hooking up with tight end Sean McQuillan on a 41-yard scoring strike. He also ran three times for a team-high 26 yards.

“It was nice to see him settle in and really throw those touch passes,” Diaco said. “He throws great on the move and he’s great on the move. You got a chance to see that. … He’s a threat that way.”

Diaco kept the play calling very basic on both sides of the ball.

It took time for Shirreffs, a 6-foot-1, 216-pound redshirt sophomore, to settle in.

“The first couple of drives, I feel like I was a little antsy,” Shirreffs said. “But after that, I felt really comfortable. With the offense, I’m excited about what we have yet to install and what we’ve already installed that we didn’t get to run today.”

Boyle, who appeared in nine games last season, also had a good day. He split time between the two teams, completing 14 of 24 passes for 118 yards.

He attributed his improved play to finally being healthy.

“I tried keeping it quiet last year, I had a couple of injuries that were bothering me,” said Boyle, the former Xavier-Middletown standout. “I had a lower back issue and a foot issue that I had taken care of in the offseason. I just feel like a completely different person and it’s shown on the field.

“I feel a lot healthier and a lot more confident.”

At 6-4, Davis has a size advantage over his competition but comes up short in experience. He played just a couple of possessions on Saturday, going 6 for 14 for 53 yards and throwing an interception.

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe