Not so sunny QB situation

Future unclear for Sunshine State signal callers in '98

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Posted: Sunday August 16, 1998 08:22 AM

Not so fast: Both Steve Spurrier (left) and Bobby Bowden are unsure of their quarterbacks, which may be the key to each team's season AP

MIAMI (AP) -- Florida State's offense will be led by a 26-year-old sophomore.

The trigger of Florida's Fun 'n' Gun comes down to a transplanted Canadian and a baseball prospect with a bum shoulder.

Miami's candidate remains only because the Hurricanes didn't grant his transfer request two seasons ago.

For more than a decade, college football could count on at least one of Florida's Big Three schools producing a well-established, Heisman-hype quarterback. In 1998, none of them is quite sure what to expect.

"Certainly, it's easier when one quarterback can step up and be the best at that position," said Florida coach Steve Spurrier, unable to settle on one candidate since Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel left two years ago. "We'll wait and see."

For more than a dozen years, the potent passing attacks at Miami, Florida State and, more recently, Florida rolled out high-profile quarterbacks almost like clockwork.

The Hurricanes passed the torch from Jim Kelly to Bernie Kosar to Vinny Testaverde to Craig Erickson to Steve Walsh to Gino Torretta. The Seminoles kept rolling through Danny McManus, Peter Tom Willis, Casey Weldon, Charlie Ward, Danny Kanell and Thad Busby.

And once Spurrier got to Florida in 1990, it wasn't long before Shane Matthews and Wuerffel took their place among the national passing leaders.

All received varying degrees of Heisman consideration. Testaverde (1986), Torretta (1992), Ward (1993) and Wuerffel (1996) won the trophy, accounting for one-third of the winners during that span.

Since Kosar began the run in 1984, a Sunshine State quarterback has finished among the top five Heisman vote-getters 10 times in 14 seasons. Six of those votes have come in the 1990s.

"Ideally, you want to try to space your quarterbacks," Miami coach Butch Davis said. "You'd get a guy to come in and learn for a couple of years, then he'd get the chance to be the starter for two or three years."

Now, for varying reasons, all three schools find themselves at ground zero. The four candidates have combined to make nine career starts, seven of those by Florida's Doug Johnson.

Under normal circumstances, that would place Johnson at least on the fringes of those Heisman Watch lists. But Johnson struggled in losses to LSU and Georgia last year, sandwiched around a one-game suspension for breaking curfew. Noah Brindise wound up with the starting job.

Worse, Johnson underwent surgery in May to repair minor frays in his rotator cuff, likely brought on by overuse from spending summers playing baseball in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays system. He began throwing a football again only two weeks ago.

That inactivity has allowed Jesse Palmer to stake his claim. The sophomore, a product of club football in his native Ontario, outshined Johnson in the spring game by throwing for three touchdowns. Johnson had three interceptions, three fumbles and two botched snaps.

"If you've got two who are very capable and it seems like you need both of them to win the game, there's nothing wrong with playing both of them," Spurrier said.

The coach also bristled when it was suggested the Gators didn't have experience at the position.

"Doug played a lot there last year. He throws seven touchdowns against Central Michigan and you had him up for the Heisman," he said. "There are no questions. We've got two really outstanding players at quarterback."

At Florida State, the job fell into Chris Weinke's hands when heir apparent Dan Kendra tore knee ligaments in the spring game.

Weinke was a prime candidate to plug into the Seminoles' quarterback factory when he came out of high school -- eight years ago. He showed up in 1990 to join a group that included Weldon, Brad Johnson (now with the Minnesota Vikings), Ward and Kenny Felder.

Weinke and Felder also were first-round draft picks in baseball, and both took that route. Weinke spent six years in the Toronto chain before asking for another shot at football.

"How's he going to do? I just hope he can have some success early," Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said. "That could be the thing that leads us out there where we want to be."

Scott Covington's situation at Miami was more conventional. In 1994, he lost a battle with fellow freshman Ryan Clement for the No. 3 job. After a redshirt season, he spent the past three years as Clement's backup.

The Californian tried to get out of his scholarship two years ago to pursue a starting job somewhere else, but Davis turned him down. Now he's being counted on to lead Miami out of the rubble of last year's 5-6 season.

"I don't feel cheated," Covington said. "I told myself I'm going to suck everything I can out of my last college year. I've got my one shot."

All three positions may be question marks now, but it isn't too late to build on the schools' traditions of excellence. Combine some key wins with gaudy passing stats, and the accolades are bound to follow.

"In this type of program, everything we do, people know about it," Miami tight end Daniel Franks said. "If Scott has a good year, he'll be up for some awards."

Ditto for Weinke, Johnson and Palmer.

Related information
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Ohio State voted as preseason No. 1
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1998 Miami schedule 1998 Florida schedule 1998 Florida State schedule 1997 NCAA Team Passing Leaders Scott Covington's 1997 stats Doug Johnson's 1997 stats Jesse Palmer's 1997 stats Chris Weinke's 1997 stats
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