for ajoytoy
for ajoytoy
Martinez conquers nerves as replacement for Schaub
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published September 2, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Like any quarterback, Anthony Martinez will always remember his first touchdown pass. And, lest he get a big head down the line, he'll always be reminded of his first attempt.
It was midway through the first quarter of Virginia's season opener against Duke, and the Cavaliers had second-and-one from their 37-yard line. Martinez noticed something in the Blue Devils' defense, so he checked off to a slant pattern for wideout Art Thomas.
It was the right call: Thomas was wide open, and Martinez's throw was right on target. Problem was, Thomas was looking to throw a block as the ball drilled him in the helmet.
Somebody screwed up, and it was the rookie. Though it was the right call, he made it in such a low voice that only the linemen around the ball heard him.
"I think if I had been louder, it would have been a touchdown," Martinez said. "But that was just nerves. I thought I was being loud enough, but the nerves had the best of me."
Martinez hopes that is behind him. With Matt Schaub out for at least this week with a separated right shoulder, Martinez, a redshirt freshman, will make his first start at South Carolina. The joint holds 80,250 and the game is sold out.
Martinez did his job in last week's 27-0 victory over Duke, which was, as Cavaliers coach Al Groh put it, to "bring his team home." His numbers (6-of-15, 76 yards) weren't impressive, and some of his incompletions weren't even close. He was nervous, and at times he played like it.
"When I first got in there, the speed of the game was so fast," he said. "Everything was going past me like lightning bolts. But after a while, I calmed down and looked around, looked at everything, and it started to slow down.
"It was just so much in such a little bit of time. It was little things, like the wrist band (with the list of plays) fogged up a couple of times, so I was trying to keep up with the play clock and the wrist band at the same time. The little things added up. But I started to get more confidence as the game went on."
He needed a spark, and he got one. After starting 0-for-3, he faced third-and-nine from the Duke 41. With Thomas in one-on-one coverage, Martinez lofted a pretty deep ball that Thomas hauled in at the 2. Wali Lundy scored on the next play to make it 10-0.
That first touchdown pass came with 49 seconds remaining in the half. On second-and-goal from the 9, Martinez threw it right where he was supposed to on a fade route. Tight end Heath Miller's catch made it 17-0 at halftime.
"I saw him sitting on the bench kind of shaking a bit at first," tailback Alvin Pearman said. "But he wound up doing extremely well for us."
Martinez has the physical tools. At 6-foot-3 and 249 pounds, you wonder if he could play linebacker in a pinch. But with that arm, Groh would never let him. Martinez is as strong as Schaub is accurate.
"Amazing arm strength," wideout Ottowa Anderson said. "He can get the ball anywhere on the field he needs to get it. He can really throw it."
Martinez could be the Cavaliers' quarterback of the future. With Schaub gone next season, Martinez should have a leg up on true freshman Kevin McCabe, incoming freshman Scott Deke and Notre Dame transfer Chris Olsen.
But that's next year. For now, Martinez simply wants to do his job.
"I'm just waiting for Matt to get healthy," he said. "Until he does, I'm ready to step in and do what I have to do to lead the team. I feel bad for him because this was supposed to be his year. I'm ready to go step in and do the job as I think he would."
