UM gets a look at its future at the QB position

CORAL GABLES — In the days leading up to the Hurricanes’ home opener against Division II-bound Savannah State, Miami coach Mark Richt figured there was a very good chance some of his youngest players would have the chance to see playing time against the Tigers.

And so, to prepare for that reality, reserve quarterbacks N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon — two redshirt freshmen who’d yet to play a down in college football before Saturday — got some much-needed practice reps with the Hurricanes’ first-string offense. Freshman quarterback Jarren Williams, meanwhile, spent time with the second and third-string offenses.

That preparation paid off as Perry, Weldon and Williams each made their Miami debuts in the Hurricanes’ 77-0 win over Savannah State.

Richt made it clear Sunday that Malik Rosier, who struggled in the Hurricanes’ season-opening loss to LSU on Sept. 2 and was 8 of 12 for 131 yards with two touchdowns against Savannah State, will be under center to start this week’s game at Toledo. But Richt, the Hurricanes and their fans left Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night knowing they’d gotten at least some glimpse of Miami’s quarterback future with Perry, Weldon and Williams each making plays when they had chances.

Perry, a former four-star prospect in high school who has become a sort of fan favorite since arriving in Coral Gables last summer, entered the game in the second quarter and was 9 of 14 for 94 yards with three touchdowns. Weldon came into the game in the third quarter and on his second play, scampered into the end zone on a 16-yard scoring run. And Williams, a beneficiary of new NCAA’s rule that now allows players to appear in up to four games and still redshirt, scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.

Each also had their struggles, but the hope, Richt said, was that each would find a way to build on his experience Saturday, even if that experience came in a blowout win over a thoroughly overmatched opponent.

“I think they all had their moments. … Probably everybody had a play or two that they wish they could have back. We know Weldon had one that could have gotten picked. N’Kosi had one that did get picked. Jarren pulled the ball in a zone read that he probably shouldn’t have pulled it and he should have handled the ball off,” Richt said. “Just off the top of my head — and I really don’t want to be negative tonight, other than those things. It’s expected — really every one of those guys was [getting] his first shot.”

Added Rosier, who took on a sort of mentor role as the game went on, “When you spend a lot of hours with people. … When you see them grow, getting from one route to the next and then throwing great balls — they all threw some dimes today — I feel like that’s when you start to say, ‘Okay, I’m helping these guys.’ There were certain plays that last year I don’t think they would’ve made the right read and this year you see them making the right read, making the right checks. You see them progressing.”

Injuries

Hurricanes freshman defensive end Greg Rousseau, one of Miami’s breakout players during spring drills earlier this year, injured his ankle and was not expected to practice Sunday night, Richt said.

The coach did not give any specifics about the nature of Rousseau’s injury and said “we’re trying to figure out how serious that is.”