THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 1994 TAG: 9408280198
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: R10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Football Preview: College Football '94
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long : 116 lines
University of Virginia junior Symmion Willis is older, a little wiser, and considerably more relaxed than he was a year ago.
``I am not nearly as nervous,'' assures Willis, who emerged victorious last year in a three-way preseason battle for the No. 1 quarterback position.
``I can concentrate on having a pretty good year without really looking to prove so much.''
Virginia coach George Welsh and offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien also feel more relaxed about the quarterback position.
This is the first season since 1990 - Shawn Moore's senior year - that Virginia has had the luxury of a returning starter at quarterback. The fact that Willis was so impressive while gaining experience last season makes it even sweeter.
The towering 6-foot-4, 203-pound Willis broke the school single-season passing record by throwing for 2,347 yards. He was 14 yards shy of the school total offense mark, and his 19 touchdowns were only two short of another school record.
Still, Willis' rookie season as a starter ended up being a bitter-sweet experience.
The Cavaliers lost three of their final four regular-season games and slipped into the Carquest Bowl, which they lost to Boston College, 31-13.
Willis, who played brilliantly in the Cavaliers' 6-1 start, struggled through the 1-4 finish.
He was intercepted 10 times in the last four games after having only four in the first seven games.
``Willis didn't play as well at the end of the year as he did early, but there were some factors,'' said Welsh. ``We lost several receivers because of injuries and I think that affected him. We had to make changes in our passing game and he was throwing to different people.''
Welsh noticed improvements in Willis in spring practice.
``He was a little better making decisions and throwing the ball,'' Welsh says. ``His passes were more accurate and he was making it easier for his receivers to catch them.''
But it is a seasoned maturity Virginia quarterbacks haven't had the last three years that is most noticeable in Willis as he prepares for his second season as a starter.
``He has experience in that he has ridden the roller coaster,'' O'Brien said. ``He has been high, and he has been low. I think that can help him through any stretches he may have this season.''
Willis agreed.
``Going through what happened last year, being so good and falling off at the end of the season, I learned a lot,'' Willis said.
``You have to accept the good with the bad. Last year I got beside myself a little bit and thought the good things that were happening would continue without much effort. Then when bad things started happening, I tried too hard to correct them and they just piled up.
``I was trying too hard to be the leader, and sometimes I tried too hard to make the plays myself instead of spreading the ball around,'' he said.
O'Brien said there are several other benefits to having a returning quarterback.
``He understands now some of the mistakes he made and how they affected outcomes of games and that should make him a better quarterback,'' O'Brien explained.
``It is easier for us to communicate, too, now that he has an understanding and working knowledge of the offense. He has been through it for a year. Now you can go to a situation where you can say, `Remember last year? This isn't in the gameplan, but you remember last year, so and so did this to us and we went to this thing.'
``He can do that now, whereas he didn't have that experience last year to draw on.''
Unfortunately, though, one of the things Willis had last year that he doesn't this year is a stable line.
``For the past three years, when we were breaking in new starting quarterbacks, we had to ask the offensive line to help out,'' said O'Brien. ``Now we got to ask our quarterback to help the offensive line.''
Both O'Brien and Welsh agree the offensive line is Virginia's biggest question mark.
``But, there is enough talent so if the guys we start off with can play and can get better by the end of the year, we should be fine,'' O'Brien said. ``The biggest key is we have to stay healthy.''
Despite the frequent turnover in quarterbacks, Virginia has had one of the most explosive offenses in the ACC the last several years.
In fact, the Cavaliers are the only team in league history to score 300 or more points in five consecutive regular seasons.
The only offensive weakness lately has been an inability to score on long drives. Most of the touchdowns have come as a result of the passing game, and that could be the case again this season.
``We would like to get back to being able to control the ball,'' said Welsh, ``but you take touchdowns any way you get them.
``Having a relatively young offensive line makes it harder to control the ball. They make mistakes and you have losses. We used to control the ball 32-33 minutes a game. That would be nice, but this may be a difficult year to do that.''
If the offensive line develops, though, U.Va. has quality backs.
Kevin Brooks was a part-time starter at tailback last year. He could split the position again this season with sophomore speedster Tiki Barber. At fullback, starter Charles Way and Darrell Medley, his backup, return.
But the strength of the offense is in the receiving corps, where there is good depth and quickness despite the loss of big-play artist Larry Holmes.
``We will miss Larry because he could pick up a team just by being around,'' said Willis. ``But we still have one of the best receiving corps in the nation, with guys like Pete Allen, Tyrone Davis, Patrick Jeffers and Bobby Neely.''
Willis is confident the offensive line will hold up, too.
``I am not worried about them at all,'' he insisted. ``I don't think their lack of experience will matter that much. It might hurt a play here, a play there, but I have faith in the linemen and feel they will do the job they have to do.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PAUL AIKEN, Staff
Virginia's Symmion Willis set the school's single-season passing
record last year with 2,347 yards.
by CNB