that according to Stump, Fant had been the better QB "for a year". That would go back to the middle of the 2000 season. Considering how easy Wayne made it look while starting the Egg Bowl with the flu, yes, I would still expect a better QB to come off the bench and win that game.
As for the 2001 stats, I'd have to go back to box scores, but IIRC, Wayne went out after having played all of our ranked SEC opponents plus eventual conference champions LSU. Throw out the Troy State tornado game, and the competition is a tad stiffer for the senior.