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McClure's Career Ends After Injury

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 18, 2008

TALLAHASSEE The solution won't be as easy as moving a safety over if rover Myron Rolle misses a significant part of Florida State's football game at Maryland on Saturday.

That's because the career of senior FS Darius McClure is over.

McClure injured his knee against Boston College while celebrating his first touchdown. McClure slipped and landed wrong following his celebration jump with Toddrick Verdell.

Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews had considered moving McClure from free safety to rover because of Rolle's appearance Saturday afternoon before the Rhodes Scholarship committee in Birmingham, Ala.

Rolle, one of seven finalists for the two scholarships given in District 7, must be in attendance for the announcement of the winners. It will come no later than 6 p.m. EST and possibly hours earlier. He'll then travel by charter plane to participate in the Maryland game that begins at 7:45 p.m.

VERY PERSONAL: A personal foul on Derek Nicholson was considered one of the more costly mistakes for FSU's defense on Saturday. It came after FSU stopped Boston College on third down and kept alive a drive that resulted in the Eagles using almost nine minutes on the clock and scoring a field goal at game's end.

"The [Boston College] center was tackling," Andrews said. "He wasn't just holding, he was tackling our linebacker. Our linebacker reached down there and pushed on him.

"He didn't hit him, he pushed on him. I think part of it was to keep his balance."

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS: Sophomore Christian Ponder is on his way to matching Drew Weatherford's first season as a starter at quarterback in touchdown/interception ratio.

It's not what Ponder had in mind. He has 11 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions after 10 games. Weatherford, as a redshirt freshman, matched touchdown passes to interceptions at 18 apiece.

Ponder said he was hoping for half the number of interceptions to touchdowns at this point.

"There's a lot I still have to fix," Ponder said. "I'm still on the learning curve."

Steve Ellis

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