All Eyes Will Be On Davis and Vick This Sunday
All Eyes Will Be On Davis and Vick This Sunday
Signal callers vital to success of Hokies, Wolfpack.
Sept. 1, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick watched from the sidelines last season as the Hokies snatched a conference championship in their first year in the ACC. Before being suspended from the team for disciplinary reasons, the speedy quarterback was expected to compete for the starting job with eventual conference player of the year Bryan Randall. Now Vick is back, but when he trots out on the field to face an NC State defense that was ranked No. 1 in the nation last year, the younger brother of Virginia Tech's most famous football alum will be taking his first snap since 2003.
The Wolfpack and 8th ranked Hokies will face off Sunday night at Carter-Finley Stadium. The 7:15 contest will be the season opener for both teams.
While Vick shared the quarterbacking duties with Randall back in 2003, he was never a starter, meaning this Sunday night's game will be his first ever starting assignment.
"He was back for spring practice and back for preseason practice and he's played very well," said Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. "Of course he's been wearing a yellow shirt where we don't him. It's going to be a different deal on Sunday night of course, and he's going to have some really good players chasing him, too. He's always been a calm guy and doesn't let that much get to him. I think he's ready to go out there and face what he's going to see."
Just carrying the name Vick has been pressure enough. As soon as he arrived on campus three years ago, it was inevitable that Marcus would be compared to older brother Michael Vick, who guided the Hokies to the national title game in 1990 before moving on to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
Like Michael, Marcus Vick is a fast, athletic quarterback who has as much speed as most wide receivers. What remains to be seen is how accurate he'll be in the passing game and how effective he'll be in leading his team. Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato suspects that Vick has had enough work to come out sharp.
"The rust has worn off," Amato said. "He's gone through spring practice, he'll go through 29 practice opportunities and he's a tremendous athlete. I would love to know what they're doing with him; that's the main thing."
Vick's plight isn't much different from what NC State quarterback Jay Davis experienced last year. After backing up record-breaking quarterback Philip Rivers for three years, Davis was thrust into the role as a starter for the first time. The results were mixed. While Davis had some big games and often moved the football, he also threw 15 interceptions during a 5-6 campaign that left the Wolfpack one win short of bowl eligibility.
With that season now under his belt, Davis has become a more vocal and poised leader in the huddle. He's also getting a fresh start in the system brought in by new coordinator Marc Trestman.
"He's attacked the new terminology and the position of leadership on this team like I didn't see last year," said Amato. "Last year he knew the terminology because he'd been around for three years, but the leadership and the demeanor that he has, the presence in the huddle and on the field, he just has so much more confidence. The stigma of Philip Rivers is gone. He's just being Jay right now. All players can get better and improve and he's improved, there's no question about it."
Along with seeing some action at wide receiver in 2003, Vick completed 30-of-57 passes for 475 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. Prior to becoming NC State's starter last season, Davis connected on 18-of-29 throws for 177 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
With his on the job training now complete, Davis, a fifth year senior, has impressed his teammates throughout the preseason.
"Jay has become a tremendous leader out there," said NC State tight end T.J. Williams. "He's leading by example for everybody on the offense. He really knows what's going on, which is really important at the position. At the quarterback position you have to be a coach on the field and he is a coach on the field. That makes it better for the whole offense in general."
