North Carolina State University Athletics
Growing Pains
10/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Virginia has been down this road before--many times. A productive quarterback graduates and is replaced by a player with very little experience. Somehow though, Cavaliers head coach George Welsh and his staff have always had this uncanny ability to develop young quarterbacks.
The pattern goes back to the mid 1980's. Don Majkowski gave way to Scott Secules, who gave way to Shawn Moore, who gave way to Matt Blundin, who gave way to Bobby Goodman, who have way to Symmion Willis, who gave way to Mike Groh, who gave way to Aaron Brooks.
The new heir to the Virginia quarterback throne is Dan Ellis. Prior to this season, Ellis, a junior, had thrown only six passes. Given the circumstances, it's really no surprise that he's been inconsistent. But then again, Virginia's history with quarterbacks does lead to higher expectations.
"I'm not worried about his confidence," said Welsh, who was a quarterback at Navy. "It's his execution and decision making that have to be improved. Sometimes the receivers aren't getting open either. That's why he's holding the ball and forcing it sometimes."
Virginia does seem to be missing the type of game-breaking receiver it has often featured in the past. While capable, Kevin Coffey isn't in the class of former Cavalier wide-outs like Herman Moore, Germaine Crowell, Patrick Jeffers or John Ford.
Through six games, Ellis has connected on nearly 60% percent of his passes for 1134 yards and seven touchdowns. But there have also been seven interceptions.
"It's tough to play as a quarterback for the first time in this league," Welsh said. "The teams we've played have veteran defenses and they are doing some things that we aren't doing so well against. We are playing good corners. You've got to give the defenses credit."
This Saturday, Ellis will encounter one of the best corner-combos in the league when he tests himself against NC State's Tony Scott and Lloyd Harrison.
"I think he has been somewhat of a hot and cold quarterback," NC State head coach Mike O'Cain said of Ellis. "Some of that has to do with the pressure you're able to put on him. I don't think it's just him totally. He's not the type of athlete who'll beat you running the football. You've got a little bit better idea of where he's going to be in the pocket so you can bring pressure in different ways against a quarterback like that."
If given time to throw, Ellis has proven that he is capable of putting up some impressive numbers. In UVA's 35-7 thrashing of Wake Forest last month, he completed 19 of 25 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown.
Dan Ellis appears to be a quarterback whose time will come. NC State is hoping that time won't be this weekend.
