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Back in the Rix FSU quarterback race reopens after McPherson strugglesPosted: Sunday November 24, 2002 9:18 PMTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has opened up the competition at quarterback again after watching Adrian McPherson struggle against North Carolina State. Bowden said Sunday he will decide whether McPherson or Chris Rix will start the finale against No. 15 Florida after he watches them practice. The Seminoles lost 17-7 to the Wolfpack on Saturday and dropped nine spots to No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25. FSU failed to score an offensive touchdown, and McPherson went 8-of-20 for 80 yards. "I don't like doing it, but I think the situation, the play of our quarterbacks, requires me to take a strong look at both of them," Bowden said. Rix came into the game with a little more than two minutes left and effectively moved the Seminoles down the field before throwing an interception in the end zone with 8 seconds remaining. "The way he moved the football team in the brief time he was in there was enough make you think that we better let these kids fight this out another week and decide if we need to make a change," Bowden said. McPherson took over for Rix after the Seminoles lost 34-24 to Notre Dame on Oct. 26. Rix struggled and turned the ball over three times before giving way to McPherson, who led Florida State to two scores at the end of the game. McPherson led Florida State to victories over Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Though his numbers through those three games were not spectacular -- 51-of-98 for 654 yards -- McPherson threw one interception while throwing eight touchdowns. "I feel like [McPherson] was making progress and just needs experience," Bowden said. "I felt like he was gaining it, and he wasn't losing games for us, but this last week he took a few steps backward." Bowden also would not rule out rotating Rix and McPherson -- pulling out a trick former Florida coach Steve Spurrier used to beat the Seminoles in 1997 when Doug Johnson and Noah Brindise played. "If everything else fails, we would try anything, even that," Bowden said. "Steve Spurrier did that to us and beat us that way, but most of us don't know how to do it that way."
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