Who'll be the new Elon QB?

[SoCon48]

From today's Greensboro News & Record:

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070503/NEWSREC0105/705030303

Elon loses QB after honor code violation

By Jeff Carlton
Staff Writer

Quarterback Wes Pope, who led Elon last fall to its best football season since the school joined the Southern Conference, will be suspended for the fall semester after violating Elon's academic honor code.

The suspension effectively ends Pope's college football career. Pope, a Ragsdale graduate, said he intends to re-enroll next spring and complete degree requirements toward a double major in exercise sports science and psychology.

Pope would have been a senior this fall. He will ineligible to play football in 2008 because he already has taken a medical redshirt.

"I understand that academic integrity is paramount at Elon University, and my decision compromised that integrity," Pope said. "As a result, I respect the university's decision to suspend me for the fall of 2007."

Neither Pope nor the university specified the nature of the violation. Pope wasn't available for further comment.

Last season, Pope passed for a school-record 2,572 yards, with 16 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 60.8 percent completion rate. Elon finished 5-6, its best record in four seasons in the conference.

Pope had played a number of other positions for two years for former coach Paul Hamilton, but he happily returned to quarterback last spring after Elon hired Pete Lembo. Pope proved himself a good fit for Lembo's a pass-oriented offense.

"Any time something negative happens to one of your players, it hits home," Lembo said, "and that it happened to Wes is just a reality check that we're dealing with kids, and even the best of them can make mistakes."

Lembo now must turn to an inexperienced quarterback. Two candidates are redshirt freshman Donny Kirby and true freshman Scott Riddle, who led Eastern Randolph to the Class 3-AA state title in December. Kirby, a prolific high school passer, was 12-for-19 for 103 yards in Elon's spring game.

Contact Jeff Carlton at 373-7065 or [email protected]

[appsfan]

My first thought would be Scott Riddle who played for a county high school in my area. If that is the case, then that will be good news for SoCon teams IMO. All that you need to do to take him off his game is to get physical with him, lay some good hits, and you can keep him from getting in a groove. A lot will depend on his willingness to take to coaching at Elon and how quickly he learns their system.

[SuperJon]

Haha, good for Pope. That does not surprise me one bit.


Sorry if that's mean, I just don't have many, if any, good images of him.

[youwouldno]

Kirby has been in the program for a season so he might have the edge. Since he's from the '757' I guess I'd like to see him do well, not against the Paladins of course.

[Tribe4SF]

Kirby got alot of hype at Landstown HS in Va. Beach after transferring there for his Senior year. He had possibly the best pair of WRs ever at one school in Damon McDaniel, now at Florida State, and the one-and-only Percy Harvin. Despite gaudy numbers from those two, recruiting interest in Kirby was lukewarm at best. Despite reports of opportunity at Bowling Green and ECU, I believe Elon was his only offer in the end. Even though he was a good student, he had no interest from W&M, UR or JMU.

[gophoenix]

Sorry if that's mean, I just don't have many, if any, good images of him.

So what's the deal with Pope? I don't think he played any games when we played Liberty. So it must be something else??


My first thought would be Scott Riddle who played for a county high school in my area. If that is the case, then that will be good news for SoCon teams IMO. All that you need to do to take him off his game is to get physical with him, lay some good hits, and you can keep him from getting in a groove. A lot will depend on his willingness to take to coaching at Elon and how quickly he learns their system.

According to the N&R, App was recruiting and at least offering a partial scholarship; so he must have some sort of talent. I haven't seen him play other than highlights on the news, so I have no idea.

I think Kirby will be starting. In the 2006 camps wwand practices, he was throwing better than Pope. He just didn't have Pope's size. We'll see what happens.

A Freshman or Redshirt Freshman QB starting behind an all sophomore line with a new RB all having to come together for a start against a big BCS school does not bode well. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[SoCon48]

Been there, done that. ASU played all year with a guy straight out of high school and it worked.

[AppGuy04]

Been there, done that. ASU played all year with a guy straight out of high school and it worked.

class of his own 2006

[lizrdgizrd]

Been there, done that. ASU played all year with a guy straight out of high school and it worked.
But he had a good experience line and backfield. It'll be tough for Elon this year but the potential is there for a great season in '08 or '09 when these kids are Jr/Sr. xnodx

[AppGuy04]

This might be a little smack, but does it really matter who they play at QB? I think they will digress severly offensively without Pope

[SoCon48]

But he had a good experience line and backfield. It'll be tough for Elon this year but the potential is there for a great season in '08 or '09 when these kids are Jr/Sr. xnodx

We shall see. Lembo played his predecessors players last year. Now in a couple years we get to see what he's brought in.

[gophoenix]

Lembo was also playing his predecessor's predecessor's players last year too. Pope was recruited by Seagraves, not Hamilton. That is the interesting thing about this team. Some of these players are on their 3rd head coach and most (Up until this season) have not seen the same assistant coaches in two consecutive years.

[Mr. C]

In regards to inexperienced QBs in the SoCon, it is usually a recipe for disaster. The two exceptions I can think of during my time around the league are Chad Pennington at Marshall (1995, second in league, runner-up in playoffs) and Armanti Edwards at Appalachian State (2006, first in league, national champs). The distinction with those two is that they both had NFL-caliber athletic talent and they both had tremendous talent around them. Neither Pennington or Edwards had to do things by themselves. In years when the SoCon has been down (2003 comes to mind immediately), it generally has been when most of the teams had inexperienced starters.

[seantaylor]

In regards to inexperienced QBs in the SoCon, it is usually a recipe for disaster. The two exceptions I can think of during my time around the league are Chad Pennington at Marshall (1995, second in league, runner-up in playoffs) and Armanti Edwards at Appalachian State (2006, first in league, national champs). The distinction with those two is that they both had NFL-caliber athletic talent and they both had tremendous talent around them. Neither Pennington or Edwards had to do things by themselves. In years when the SoCon has been down (2003 comes to mind immediately), it generally has been when most of the teams had inexperienced starters.


Jayson Foster '05.

[SuperJon]

So what's the deal with Pope? I don't think he played any games when we played Liberty. So it must be something else??

Goes back to high school. Played baseball against him. Cockiest jerk I've ever been around. I also have a friend who went to Ragsdale for a year and said he was just a douchebag all around. Best thing he said about Pope was "Million dollar body, 10 cent mind."

[Libertine]

All I know about Wes Pope is that he is a far better quarterback than Kye Hamilton. Actually, I may be a better quarterback than Kye Hamilton. In fact, now that I think about it, my dog may be a better quarterback than Kye Hamilton.

I remember when Elon came up to Lynchburg in '04 and Hamilton had been out with an injury for a few games. When he came out on the field against us, however, many of us started cheering knowing that he was going to turn the ball over at least twice and that, barring an utter collapse, we would win. Now, we almost had that utter collapse but, fortunately, as Elon was marching down the field late, poor Kye couldn't handle the noise from the overwhelming crowd of 3,000 on hand and fumbled the snap on 3rd and short to end the drive.

Dude was lined up under center and lost the snap over his shoulder. Still not sure how that happened.

[gophoenix]

Goes back to high school. Played baseball against him. Cockiest jerk I've ever been around. I also have a friend who went to Ragsdale for a year and said he was just a douchebag all around. Best thing he said about Pope was "Million dollar body, 10 cent mind."

Where did you go to high school? I went to HP Central.... just thinking if you played him then you were probably around him more than 1 game.


I remember when Elon came up to Lynchburg in '04 and Hamilton had been out with an injury for a few games. When he came out on the field against us, however, many of us started cheering knowing that he was going to turn the ball over at least twice and that, barring an utter collapse, we would win. Now, we almost had that utter collapse but, fortunately, as Elon was marching down the field late, poor Kye couldn't handle the noise from the overwhelming crowd of 3,000 on hand and fumbled the snap on 3rd and short to end the drive.

I was there for that game and that typical outcome. It is behind us. We actually have a coach and someone who can throw the ball behind the line (regardless of Riddle, Milligan or Kirby being there).

[ngineer]

To hang on an old cliche--part of the 'game of life'...Curveballs all the time. THis is when you find out what your other guys are made of. Someone's been provided a big opportunity. Who will rise to the occasion?

[SuperJon]

Where did you go to high school? I went to HP Central.... just thinking if you played him then you were probably around him more than 1 game.

West Stokes. We were in the Tri-County 3A the first years the school was open so we had Pope his freshman and sophomore year. On the baseball field he was the biggest jerk I've seen in 7 years of working with that team (4 while in high school, 3 since I've been out). We never played HP Central but we played Andrews during that time.

[elonphan]

Prior to last season Pope had only played parts of a couple games at QB. He did quite well as an inexperienced QB in the SoCon. I hope Kirby's learning curve goes as well.