As he heads into Saturday's game at Virginia, N.C. State quarterback Philip Rivers is the current ACC Rookie of the Week.
For some freshmen, that award could be the pinnacle of their first season, but for Rivers, this is the seventh time in nine chances that he has won that honor. With that kind of track record, Rivers should be an easy choice for ACC Rookie of the Year.
The true freshman from Athens, Ala., broke the 20-year-old conference record for most passing yards in a single season by a rookie - in just seven games. He stands seventh in the nation in total offense, trailing only Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen among freshmen.
Rivers has set or tied six school records this year and is on pace to rewrite every major N.C. State passing mark. His 24 touchdown passes are already a single season best and put him in sixth place on the all-time Wolfpack career touchdown pass list.
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The sturdy, 6-foot-5, 221-pounder needs only 521 yards in the 'Pack's final two games to break the N.C. State single-season passing record set by his predecessor, Jamie Barnette. That feat looks like it will be no problem for Rivers, who is averaging 294.3 yards per game.
Rivers has done all he can to cut down on his freshman learning curve. He graduated from Athens High School with a 3.7 GPA in the fall of 1999 so he could participate in spring practice at N.C. State. The quick jump hardly gave him time to enjoy being named the Alabama high school Player of the Year, but the payoff has been evident this season.
"To me, he's like a redshirt freshman," Virginia coach George Welsh said. "It's pretty remarkable. You get the right kind of guy with talent, but I don't think he would have been able to do what he did if he weren't there in the spring."
Spring practice isn't the only reason Rivers has flourished this quickly. At Athens High, Rivers played for his father Steve, a former quarterback who was deeply invested in furthering his son's knowledge of the game. Growing up in a football environment helped Philip become poised and confident in the pocket, and having the guidance of his father helped to turn him into a young prodigy. Yet Rivers thanked his offseason work with the Wolfpack for his rapid success.
"It helped me get a feel of how fast the game was," Rivers said. "I think [my spring practice] had a lot to do with the offense being together, being on the same page and not having to struggle too much early in the year."
Though the offense didn't disintegrate in the beginning of the season under Rivers' rookie leadership, the Wolfpack certainly tested the durability of a few pacemakers.
After a double-overtime victory over Arkansas State in week one, Rivers gained national recognition for a come-from-behind victory over Indiana in his second game. Rivers threw three of his five touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, upstaging his counterpart, former Heisman hopeful Antwaan Randle El, while stealing a victory from the Hoosiers.
Rivers has since pulled off last-minute victories over Georgia Tech and Duke, and had a near miss against then-No. 5 Clemson. But he won't let his age serve as a justification for any failure.
"I try not to let that be an excuse when things go wrong," Rivers said. "We've got two games left and they are very important games bowl-wise and for a successful season. I am a freshman, but I don't think that's something I keep in mind or think about a lot"
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