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UCF picks DiNovo as QB starter

 
Published Aug. 11, 2014

UCF announced Sunday that Pete DiNovo, the former record-setting quarterback at East Lake High School, would be the starter for the Knights.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that the redshirt freshman won the competition for the starting job over Justin Holman, Nick Patti and Tyler Harris. According to the report, DiNovo and Holman had been splitting the most reps recently in practice.

But Sunday, DiNovo took all of the first-team snaps.

"I kicked the coaches off the field this week for tag scrimmaging and when you look at that and break it down, he had sideline to huddle management the best of the four as far as I was concerned. And that was really the deciding factor," coach George O'Leary told the Sentinel. "I think all four of them can play, I think right now we're in a good situation. But we need to move on and he's (No.) 1."

DiNovo set Pinellas County career records for passing yards (6,733) and touchdowns (59) at East Lake and was the Tampa Bay Times' all-Suncoast offensive player of the year in 2012.

Auburn: Quarterback Nick Marshall, speaking to the media for the first time since his marijuana citation over the summer, said he apologized to teammates and coaches. The senior will not start the opener, Aug. 30 against Arkansas.

North Carolina State: Coach Dave Doeren said junior linebacker M.J. Salahuddin is out indefinitely because of a knee injury that will require surgery. Doeren said it is unclear whether Salahuddin is out for the season.