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'Noles QB job goes to Rix

Anquan Boldin returns to receiver, leaving the redshirt freshman as the projected starter

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 16, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State's quarterback quandary is over.

Redshirt freshman Chris Rix, in a battle with junior Anquan Boldin since the spring, claimed the starter's job Wednesday night thanks to his play and the team's need to move Boldin back to receiver.

"You can list him a solid No. 1 right now," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said of Rix.

"To be honest with you, it doesn't really change my frame of mind; I'm still going to be working hard," Rix, 20, said. "But it is a good feeling."

Assuming he starts the Sept. 1 game at Duke, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Rix will become the first redshirt freshman to start at quarterback in a season opener during the Bowden era at FSU.

"He's got a lot to learn," Bowden said, "but he's the best quarterback right now."

And Boldin's the best receiver.

At least, right now.

Senior Atrews Bell, junior Talman Gardner and freshman P.K. Sam are nursing mild hamstring injuries, and senior Robert Morgan, expected to have a breakout year, suffered a season-ending knee injury on Tuesday.

Had Morgan not gone down, Bowden said he wouldn't have switched the 6-2, 205-pound Boldin. He would have continued to let Boldin and Rix compete, perhaps share the job initially.

"But when you're trying to run our offense and you don't have enough receivers, we ain't a very good offense," Bowden said, adding that Sam and fellow freshman Craphonso Thorpe are unproven.

Boldin, the 20-year-old former prep quarterback who moved to receiver after three practices as a freshman, had 41 catches for 664 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Although still wearing the green jersey of a quarterback, Boldin worked exclusively at receiver during the two hour evening practice, hauling in several eye-catching passes.

"Anquan looked like a million dollars," Bowden said. "That's the first time I got excited in four days. ... For the first time today, we began to look like a daggum offensive team. His presence was felt over there."

Bowden said Boldin will continue to work at receiver for the next several days to catch up, but then take snaps at quarterback to prepare for certain packages or take over if Rix is injured. Freshman quarterback Adrian McPherson will see more action in practice.

"It was kind of expected," Boldin said, adding that his experience at quarterback has given him a firmer grasp of the offense.

He said he realized it was what the team needed at this time.

In the spring, he realized FSU needed him elsewhere. When junior Jared Jones, the early favorite to succeed to Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, was dismissed from the team in January, the Seminoles had only one quarterback on the roster, Rix.

"Me making the move back to quarterback was more for the team," Boldin said. "Some of the guys on the team asked me if I would be willing to make the switch. For those guys, of course. Those are the guys I work hard with every day, with who I sweat and bleed. It wasn't even a hard decision."

Rix and he were close, but Bowden said earlier Wednesday that Rix had been "throwing better than any of them as far as consistency is concerned," offering a hint of the decision to come.

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