TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Christian Ponder will start at quarterback for Florida State on Saturday when the Seminoles meet unbeaten Colorado in Jacksonville, Fla., while D’Vontrey Richardson remains the backup.
Although neither sophomore was effective in Saturday’s 12-3 loss to Wake Forest, Florida State coaches didn’t turn to the more experienced Drew Weatherford, who is languishing on the bench despite 33 career starts.
“It wouldn’t do any good except to cause more confusion,” coach Bobby Bowden said Monday.
Ponder and Richardson combined for just 118 yards passing and threw five interceptions in Saturday’s loss.
“Everything that could go wrong, went wrong,” Ponder said. “The next game is going to be the most important game we have, showing that we can come back.”
Cougars QB walks out of hospital
PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State quarterback Gary Rogers won’t play college football again but was able to walk out of a hospital a day after breaking a bone in his spine.
The fifth-year senior was hurt on a late hit during Saturday’s 48-9 victory over Portland State that fractured a cervical vertebra but did not require surgery. The team said his expected recovery time is three to four months.
Rogers had gone in after starter Kevin Lopina left before halftime with a deep bruise on his throwing shoulder and didn’t return.
Freshman Marshall Lobbestael is preparing in case Lopina can’t start Saturday against Oregon.
Footnotes.
Ball State senior receiver Dante Love is expected to live a normal, healthy life after breaking his spine and suffering a spinal cord injury during Saturday’s victory at Indiana. However, coach Brady Hoke said: “His football career is expected to be over.”
• North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates has a broken left ankle and is expected to miss at least six weeks.
• New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie is out for the season after tearing two ligaments in his right knee during Saturday’s 56-14 loss at Tulsa.
• Larry Munson, Georgia’s 81-year-old radio announcer who underwent surgery April 4 to remove blood clots from his brain, retired, effective immediately.
The Associated Press
