Practice Not a Snap for Weinke

Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke threw in practice for the first time since spraining his left ankle against Maryland last week, but he did not take any snaps. Weinke, third in the nation in passing efficiency, hopes to play in Saturday’s game against No. 7 Miami.

“I felt a lot better,” Weinke said. “I was able to throw from the shotgun, but I haven’t tested it yet from any dropping back.”

He has been receiving electric stimulation to increase blood flow to his ankle to try to speed up recovery.

“I don’t think he could play today,” Coach Bobby Bowden said. “I don’t think he would be effective today, but there’s hope that everyday we walk out here (the injury) is better. He did look better today.”

Weinke is 98 of 154 for 1,478 yards and 12 touchdowns through five games this season.

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Freshman Matt LoVecchio is expected to start for Notre Dame against Stanford Saturday, giving the 25th-ranked Irish (2-2) their third starting quarterback in five games.

Coach Bob Davie didn’t name a starter at his weekly news conference, but he said the Irish need to get the option back in their offense. Gary Godsey, the starter the past two weeks, can’t run the option.

“We’re an offense that needs to get productivity out of our quarterback running the football,” Davie said.

That leaves the three freshmen: LoVecchio, Jared Clark and Carlyle Holiday. Davie said LoVecchio is the best prepared.

LoVecchio would be only the fourth freshman to start at quarterback at Notre Dame since 1952. Kent Graham started one game in 1987, Steve Beuerlein became the starter in the Irish’s fourth game in 1983 and Blair Kiel started the last nine games in 1980.

Davie said he’s not sure LoVecchio is ready.

“In football sometimes you have to take the test, unfortunately, before you’ve had a chance to do the lessons,” he said.

About the only sure thing at quarterback is that Arnaz Battle, who started the first two games before breaking his wrist, won’t play. It is doubtful Battle, who still accounts for a third of the Irish offense so far this season, will return this season.

So the Irish desperately need to find a quarterback who can spark their offense. Notre Dame has averaged 224 yards total offense the past three games, their lowest production in three consecutive games in 35 years.

The Irish are rated 106th overall in total offense in Division I-A at 249.75 yards per game. The combined record of the eight teams behind them in total offense is 1-34. Notre Dame’s passing offense is ranked No. 113 at 98.50 yards, ahead of Navy by two-tenths of a yard.

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Virginia Tech starting cornerback Larry Austin is expected to miss the rest of the season after hurting his knee during Saturday’s victory over Boston College. . . . Winless Colorado got more bad news when it learned that leading rusher Marcus Houston will be sidelined three to eight weeks because of a hip injury. . . . Starting offensive tackles Kenric Fairchild (kidney) and Pork Chop Womack (leg) are nursing injuries and could miss 20th-ranked Mississippi State’s game against No. 15 Auburn. Also hobbled are cornerback Kendall Roberson (knee sprain) and defensive tackle Dorsett Davis, who had surgery on his calf Monday.