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Quarterback Ponder Plays Well In Relief

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By JEFF GILBERT, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 11, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Christian Ponder hadn't taken a hit in two years, but he said the nerves went away the first time he was tackled as a college player.

That hit didn't hurt, but the one the redshirt freshman quarterback took while trying to bring his team from behind against Virginia Tech in the fourth quarter stung.

Ponder, who took over at quarterback in the second quarter when Drew Weatherford was knocked out, scrambled to near midfield and was fighting for extra yardage when Hokies tackle Barry Booker hit Ponder from behind. Ponder fumbled and linebacker Cam Martin returned the ball to the FSU 29.

"I should've just got down - I'm a freshman," Ponder said. "In high school I could run the ball all over the place."

In this raucous environment against the 11th-ranked Hokies, Ponder's fumble put Tech in control. A field goal followed for a 31-21 Tech lead, then Ponder, playing in a college game for the first time, threw an interception out of his end zone that Chris Ellis returned 5 yards for a TD and soon Tech was celebrating a 40-21 victory.

"I don't blame him," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "That's just a lack of experience."

Before the turnovers came, Ponder played well. He led a 54-yard drive that put the Seminoles up 21-20 late in the third quarter. He hit De'Cody Fagg on a 28-yard completion, then three plays later scrambled 22 yards to the 3. After a penalty, Ponder hit Fagg on a slant for an 8-yard touchdown.

"He looked like a starter to me," Fagg said. "He didn't look like a second-string or third-string quarterback. He came in real composed. He didn't get too excited about anything. He wasn't shy. He seemed like he'd been there before."

Ponder completed eight of 18 passes for 105 yards and threw two interceptions. He rushed five times for 51 yards, showing a dimension that Weatherford hasn't.

"He played better than I thought," Bowden said. "I thought we still might could win it. But then he began to make the mistakes that an inexperienced guy's going to make."

Doctors wouldn't let Weatherford return, but Bowden said he expects his starter to be ready for Saturday's home game against Maryland. Ponder could be the No. 2 quarterback for that game as well.

Xavier Lee, who has made three starts at quarterback, was expected to be back from a two-game suspension for skipping classes, but Bowden said he wasn't sure that Lee would be back.

Ponder got more reps in practice this past week than D'Vontrey Richardson, also a redshirt freshman. The coaches didn't tell Ponder he would be the guy if Weatherford got hurt, but he said he had a feeling he would get in the game.

"He did a good job executing the offense all week and understanding the whole grasp of it," FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher said. "Nothing that Devo didn't do, but I was just more comfortable in the overall picture and we were able to do more things I thought with Christian in there."

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