QB Shuffle: WSSU might confuse Norfolk State

By: By John Dell | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: November 19, 2009

Omar Kizzie smiles at the prospect of playing quarterback again.

"It's been a while, but it will be great to get a different look out there at the defense," said Kizzie, a Winston-Salem State slot back who has been moved to quarterback this week because of injuries.

Although third-stringer Jean Jilmiste, a former junior-college quarterback, will start Saturday's regular-season finale at Norfolk State, Kizzie also will see time at the position he last played in 2006, when he was the quarterback for WSSU's scout team during his redshirt season.

"I'm not nervous, it's just natural, and it's exciting to get to go back there again…," said Kizzie, who was a two-time all-conference high-school quarterback in Richmond, Va.

The Rams (1-9) are trying to salvage something of their season, and maybe changes at quarterback will help.

Jilmiste is a rangy 6-2, 195-pounder with a strong arm but has spent most of his time at wide receiver. And one problem with moving Kizzie is that he's the Rams' leading receiver (26 catches, 261 yards, two touchdowns).

"I think the way we are going to do it is when Jean is quarterback, I'll be in at slot back, or I'll roll over to be the quarterback, and Jean can move to wide receiver," Kizzie said.

Coach Kermit Blount said that either player can do the job. The Rams are averaging just 11.7 points and haven't had much of a running game lately. That has put more pressure on the offense.

"We've put in a couple of packages this week to make sure we are prepared for whatever Norfolk State throws at us," Blount said. "Omar has the ability to do what we need done. He was an excellent quarterback coming out of high school, but we decided to put him at wide receiver, but we knew we could pull him back."

One advantage for WSSU is that Norfolk State doesn't know much about either quarterback.

"Jean hadn't played at quarterback since the Florida A&M game," Blount said, "and we do have an open exchange of tape, so they have a possibility of seeing every game that we've played, but that might be to our advantage."

Kizzie said he didn't lobby offensive coordinator Alan Hall or Blount to play quarterback. But when Jarrett Dunston (concussion) and Brendan Williams (ankle) went out, Blount approached Kizzie about a switch.

"It's a whole different mentality when you play quarterback," Kizzie said. "You get all the blame or all the glory."

Kizzie says he called his father, Lamont, about the switch.

"I let my dad know, and he'll let a lot of people know in Richmond about what's happening," Kizzie said.

jdell@wsjournal.com.

727-4081