Clemson Quarterbacks Splitting Practice Time 50-50

Charlie Whitehurst and Will Proctor continue to be about "50-50" in practice work this week.

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Wed Nov 09 20:10:10 GMT-04:00 2005

CLEMSON - Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden has a pretty good idea who his starting quarterback will be Saturday when Florida State visits Death Valley.

He just isn't in a sharing mood.

Bowden said Wednesday that senior Charlie Whitehurst and junior Will Proctor continue to be about "50-50" in practice work this week. And just as he had an idea last Wednesday as to who would be his starter, the seventh-year coach said the same holds true this week.

"I do have an idea but I don't want to reveal it," Bowden said. "I generally knew last week at this time, but I'd rather not say."

Though he won't say how much work Whitehurst is getting, Bowden did say the workload was increased from this time last week. But the offensive staff is making sure Proctor also prepares as if he's the definite starter, just in case."

"(Charlie's) still splitting reps, because if he goes down Thursday (and you haven't) then you've wasted a bunch of time," he said. "So you have to split reps. He could wake up Thursday and the (shoulder) is hurting, so you've got to prepare 50-50.

"He's doing more than he did last (week)...He's getting some work. Whether it's enough or not, we have to decide."

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The team worked without shoulder pads Wednesday, which was a change from last week's practice schedule.

The design, Bowden said, is to try and keep his players fresh.

"It's just that time of year," he said. "It's the 10th game. We back off a little bit this time every year."

Despite the lack of full contact in Wednesday's practice, Bowden said the team enthusiasm was "really good." The trick, he said, is making sure the team doesn't get too high, too soon.

"I want to play the game at noon on Saturday," he said. "I don't want to play it today, tomorrow or Friday. You have to be careful about that from an intensity standpoint."

"But I don't have to motivate them. Saturday at noon they'll be ready to go. This is a game they have no trouble getting ready to play."