| Running back James Wilder, Jr. and his Seminoles have outscored two FCS opponents 124-3. (US Presswire) |
Virginia coach Mike London made an interesting decision Saturday in his team’s 17-16 win over Penn State. With 1:22 left in the third quarter and the Cavaliers clinging to a 10-7 lead, London called on QB Phillip Sims to relieve starting QB Michael Rocco.
Sims, who transferred in from Alabama, was under center for two series. The first resulted in a three-and-out, and Sims lost a fumble on the second play of his final series. Rocco was then reinserted into the game and threw the eventual game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to TE Jake McGee.
“The quarterback situation, it is what it is,” London told reporters Monday. “Michael [Rocco] is the starter. And we're in a situation where we would like to be able to fill up some reps in a game -- heaven forbid that something happens to Michael -- with the next guy [Sims] in the game so he has had snaps in games. He got snaps in the game at Richmond because we were ahead, and then an opportunity presented itself for two series this game [against Penn State].”
Last year, Virginia got off to a 4-3 start before reeling off four wins in a row to get back to a bowl game for the first time since the 2007 season. The offense was inconsistent in the first seven games in part due to a quarterback rotation between Rocco and David Watford.
Now, London says he would like to get Sims reps but not “at the sake of trying to win the game for us or trying to do too much for us.” Still, London was not shy in going to Sims at a crucial part of a close game Saturday.
Virginia is entering a challenging stretch with a game at Georgia Tech this weekend followed by a trip to TCU on Sept. 22. It’s tough to gauge just how much of a leash Rocco has moving forward if the Cavaliers struggle.
“We feel very comfortable with what Mike is doing,” London said. “He and I are on the same page. We are on the same page -we're good.”
Florida State opens ACC play this weekend against Wake Forest
Considering Florida State’s first two opponents, it’s tough to get a read on the Seminoles. Florida State has beaten Murray State and Savannah State by a combined score of 124-3.
The game this past weekend against Savannah State was called early in the third quarter due to weather. At this point, there is nothing to indicate either way whether Florida State is worthy of its top-10 ranking. QB EJ Manuel told reporters Monday the team hasn’t even used 97 percent of its playbook.
EJ: We probably ran 3% of our play book this season so far. #Noles
— FSU Football (@FSU_Football) September 10, 2012
This weekend, Florida State hosts Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons beat North Carolina 28-27 on Saturday. After this week, the rest of the country should finally learn something about Florida State.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.