THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 5, 1996 TAG: 9610050223
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: 100 lines
Virginia coach George Welsh is playing games with his quarterbacks again. Since spring camp, Welsh had been asking Tim Sherman or Aaron Brooks to step forward and make a decision for him.
``Show me that you deserve the job,'' Welsh said.
So, in the last two games Sherman makes it easy for Welsh. He throws a 60-yard touchdown strike against Wake Forest and he performs flawlessly against Texas, passing for 180 yards and scoring on a 24-yard run, as the Cavaliers moved to 4-0 and jumped to No. 12 in the national rankings.
An emotional Welsh said minutes after the Texas game that Sherman was his man. But, hey, he's the coach; he can change his mind. And on Monday, Welsh said that maybe Sherman is his man, maybe Sherman isn't. He still wants to see more of Brooks before making a decision.
While Welsh's wavering would be unsettling to most quarterbacks, Sherman is taking it in ho-hum fashion. He's seen it before.
Sherman's dad, Tom, has been an assistant coach under Welsh since 1982. Tim grew up in the program. He remembers when Welsh had trouble deciding between Scott Secules and Shawn Moore in 1987. He watched from closer range as Welsh bounced back and forth between Symmion Willis and Mike Groh two years ago.
``I came in knowing what type of coach Coach Welsh is,'' said Sherman, a red-shirt senior. ``I knew what to expect and that helps me to handle the situation. I know how he is going to react. He treats everyone on this team the same. He has no favorites and he doesn't single anyone out.''
Sherman and Brooks, a red-shirt sophomore, emerged from preseason camp in a dead heat, according to Welsh. Sherman started the first three games but shared time with Brooks.
Then, Sherman came into his own against Texas. He was in such control that Brooks didn't get into the game until the final three minutes. By then the Cavaliers were celebrating a 37-13 lead.
``Coach came up to me in the locker room and shook my hand,'' Sherman said. ``He said I played a good game. If you do your job the way you are supposed to, coach will acknowledge that. But he's not going to single people out.''
Welsh says Sherman will start Saturday against Georgia Tech. But is he the quarterback?
``I haven't made that decision yet,'' Welsh said. ``I've got to think about a lot of things.''
This is Welsh's game: Never let your quarterback get too comfortable. He was noticeably reluctant last year to pass out compliments to Groh, who took the program to unprecedented accomplishments, until the end of the season.
But if the Cavaliers are to have the kind of season they had last year, Sherman likely will be the man.
``All along I thought Sherman would be the one to take the reins of this team,'' tailback Tiki Barber said. ``He has the experience. He has the composure, and he is less likely to make mistakes.''
That's the way Sherman saw it, too, although he knew Welsh was not going to just hand him the ball based on his outstanding play last year against Michigan and Virginia Tech when Groh was out of the games nursing injuries.
``It's `What have you done for me lately?' that counts in this business,'' Sherman said. ``Those two games helped me and they showed the coaches I could perform in those situations. But I knew coming into the season that it was going to be open competition for the quarterback job.''
Sherman never doubted, though, that he would emerge No. 1.
``My frame of mind was that I was going to be the man,'' he said. ``I thought we would rotate early on and in the big games I would shine through. That's what happened in the Texas game. Coach kept confidence in me and it all worked out.''
Sherman said being able to stay in the game and develop a rhythm made it easier.
``There came a point in the second quarter that I started to wonder if I was about to come out of the game, but no one approached me to tell me that Aaron was going in,'' he said. ``So I kept focusing and I thought we were able to maintain a good rhythm through the whole game.''
Despite having to wait four years to get the chance to play, Sherman said he never had second-thoughts about staying home to play collegiately.
``When I made my decision everyone told me it would be hard for me to play where my dad was coaching and not leaving town,'' Sherman said. ``But I never saw it as a problem. I have a great relationship with my dad and I think having him around helps my performance. I wouldn't have had it any other way.''
Sherman hasn't had any problems fitting in, either, despite being the son of one of the coaches.
``I do as much stupid stuff as everyone else,'' he said. ``So, if I tell on them, they tell on me. I've never had a trust problem with the team.''
The Cavaliers find Sherman a more quiet leader in the huddle than Groh was last year.
``Mike was a no-nonsense guy who would get on a lineman if he wasn't protecting him,'' Sherman said. ``I'm not going to get in anyone's face. That can get some people down. I prefer taking a more positive approach.''
Meanwhile, Sherman isn't going to get down with the games that Welsh is playing.
``I always felt I was capable of getting the job done, and the people around me feel the same way,'' Sherman said.
Besides that, Sherman knows Welsh generally winds up making the right decision. ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot
U.Va. quarterback Tim Sherman will start today against Georgia Tech
but he's still not officially No. 1, according to coach George
Welsh. by CNB