By: Joey Johnston
Tampa Tribune
September 2, 2010

Their time has arrived.

"I've been counting down to this moment for a long time," Robert Marve said.

"I'm excited, a little bit nervous, but it can't come soon enough," Aaron Murray said. "It's going to be a big day for both of us."

From "Between the Hedges" to the Golden Dome, let's call it the most significant afternoon ever for Plant High School's quarterback pipeline.

Saturday at 12:21 p.m., Murray, a redshirt freshman, gets his first start for the University of Georgia when the Bulldogs host Louisiana-Lafayette. Then, in an NBC-televised game at 3:30, Marve, a junior transfer, will make his Purdue University debut when the Boilermakers visit Notre Dame.

"We couldn't be more proud of those guys," Plant coach Robert Weiner said. "Their bodies change and the speed of the game changes, but their ability to lead a team and win, that doesn't change.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Georgia in the mix for a national championship during Aaron's career. I wouldn't be surprised to see Robert playing in the Rose Bowl before he leaves Purdue. I believe these guys are on the road to success."

The path has sometimes been bumpy.

Marve landed at Purdue after his acrimonious split from Miami, where he started 11 games in 2008. But he was twice suspended and developed a strained relationship with Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon. Shortly after announcing his Purdue plans, Marve tore his ACL during a workout.

"There were quite a few tests along the way," said Marve, who led Plant to the Class 4A state championship in 2006. "It's hard to watch when you have to sit out. It's like if you never had a cell phone, you wouldn't know what life was like with one. But once you get one, you couldn't live without it. I have missed it, and now I'm really going to embrace the moment. Purdue is a great place for me."

Marve has been educated in the tradition of Purdue quarterbacks. He recently met former Boilermaker Drew Brees, Super Bowl-winning leader of the New Orleans Saints. Marve said Purdue's wide-open spread offense will accentuate his strengths and has fueled his excitement.

Purdue coaches seem equally excited about Marve's presence.

"He can beat you with his arm or beat you with his legs," Boilermakers coach Danny Hope said Aug. 2 during Big Ten Media Days. "Robert has great passion for the game. He has fit in well and his teammates love him. We like everything about him. We certainly think he has the potential and talent for us to win on Saturdays with."

At Georgia, Murray's first-year outlook is described in more cautious tones.

The Bulldogs return 10 offensive starters, including All-America receiver A.J. Green, so Murray sees his job in clear terms.

"I'm the question mark everyone is wondering about," said Murray, who helped Plant to a 4A state title in 2008. "I understand that. I haven't done anything yet.

"I need to be smart and careful with my reads and decisions. They're not going to give me the whole playbook right away. If I can allow our playmakers to stand out, let them do the work instead of trying to win the game myself, I think I'll earn some trust."

Only Georgia coach Mark Richt could express that philosophy with more clout. And he did just that July 22 at SEC Media Days.

"We can't just say, 'Let it rip,' and hope he doesn't stumble," Richt said. "I mean, we have to manage him. I think he understands that, but now he just has to live it out.

"I'll say this about our team. They respect this kid because he prepares, because he puts the team first, because he has talent. So they're all rallying around this kid. He's not abusing that trust because he's working his tail off."

Murray can't wait to experience the atmosphere. He's eagerly anticipating his first SEC road game, Sept. 11 at South Carolina. It's a Plant-Jefferson matchup of sorts as Murray will face Stephen Garcia, who began his junior season Thursday against Southern Miss.

"Our area has a few (starting quarterbacks) in college football now," Murray said. "This is going to be a lot of fun."

"Aaron and I have even talked about our teams matching up in a bowl game one day," Marve said. "How amazing would that be? But that's way off in the future. We've got to do our job by taking it week by week."

Their time has arrived.

James Wilder cuts through a hole in the TBT defense. PHOTO BY: BILL WARD Tampa Tribune

"I don't know if the chicken was fried or what, but it was frozen and I knew I needed to eat it to get right," Wilder said. "They fed me that and I got right."

Wilder picked up 52 of his 78 rushing yards in the second half and recovered a Tech fumble with less than two minutes remaining to help seal the victory.

Feeling a bit woozy in the first half because of a stomach virus, Wilder emerged from the locker room with a belly full of chicken and a renewed vigor.

"He came out like an animal," Plant coach Robert Weiner said. "First on defense, he was all over the place. And then, as we've done it before, we just put the ball in his hands to seal the game."

Putting the ball in his hands became a necessity after quarterback Phillip Ely aggravated the ankle injury he sustained last week in the loss to Bradenton Manatee. Ely led the Panthers into the end zone on an 11-play drive to take the lead 7-0 with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter. On Plant's next offensive series, Ely had to be helped off the field after he was sacked and fumbled.

He returned after sitting out one series and led Plant to the Titans' 8-yard line, but another turnover on fourth-and-goal kept the Panthers out of the end zone.

Plant, which had five unsportsmanlike penalties, turned the ball over again at the beginning of the third quarter, but Tech failed to capitalize despite having first-and-goal at the Panthers' 9-yard line. A false-start penalty, a sack and an incomplete pass brought up fourth-and-goal. Tech lined up for a field goal, but faked it with a direct snap to the kicker, who was tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

Plant controlled the clock for most of the fourth quarter and got a key special-teams play from junior Austin Aikens, who downed a Plant punt at the Titans' 1-yard line.

That series resulted in Wilder's recovered fumble and led to Grant Van Aman's 37-yard field goal.

"We'll see them again. This was just Volume 1," Tech coach C.C. Culpepper said. "I hate to say that I am happy because we did lose, but we built some character. We learned a lot. We'll build and we'll be fine."

• P - Ely 1 yard run (Van Aman kick)
• P - FG Van Aman 37 yards