Missouri State starting quarterback Trevor Wooden has been dismissed from the football team, head coach Terry Allen announced Thursday.

“This is obviously a very difficult situation and it’s never easy to make a call like this, but based on the circumstances, I feel it is in the best interest of our program to make a clean break and start moving forward,” Allen said a press release.

Wooden was the team’s starting quarterback for all but one game last season and led the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 2,420 yards. He sat out the season-opener against Arkansas due to a separate violation of team rules.

Athletic director Kyle Moats, the only athletic department official to speak with the media on the subject, would not give details on Wooden’s dismissal except that it was a “violation of team rules.”

“We’re not going to get into specifics of what it may be,” Moats said in a press conference at JQH Arena. “He did things he shouldn’t have done.”

Moats did not allow head coach Terry Allen to comment.

“I think just one person needs to talk about it,” Moats said. “That’s me.”

Moats said the decision was disappointing, but the team needs to look forward to improve from their 2-9 record last season.

“It’s going to be a tough blow to our team, no question,” Moats said. “He’s one of the best players in our league and probably one of the best players at our (Football Championship Subdivision) level. But there’s more to it than just playing football.”

Sophomore Kierra Harris and incoming freshman Brodie Lambert are the only quarterbacks on MSU’s roster.