Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer broke his collarbone after taking a huge hit in the third quarter in a losing effort against Ohio State, 42-24, according to Hokiesports.com.
Brewer is expected to undergo surgery Tuesday, and could miss anywhere from four to eight weeks. Brewer was crushed to the ground on Monday night, as a large defensive linemen landed directly on top of him.
"I feel for Michael. He put so much into it. Throwing this week, I have never seen him throw a better ball," said head coach Frank Beamer via Hokiesports.com.
The senior quarterback injured his non-throwing shoulder, but was immediately taken back to the locker room. Brewer had played a great game up to his injury, throwing for 156 yards and two touchdowns. The score was 21-17 Ohio State when Brewer was injured and the Hokies spirits seemed to drop after losing their starting quarterback.
Quarterback Brenden Motley came in to back up Brewer, and had a difficult job filling Brewer's shoes. Motley was 4-for-9 with only 36 passing yards. He also threw a touchdown and an interception, but Ohio State's offense exploded in the second half and there was nothing Motley could do.
"It's a big opportunity for me. I'm really excited about this and the team is going to rally around me. We're still a great team," said Motley according to Virginia Tech's team twitter account. "I felt good going in tonight. Tomorrow is a new day and we need to focus on Saturday."
Motley is filling in for a senior quarterback, who has experience in big games. Last season, Brewer had 262 completions for 2,692 yards. Before last night, Motley had thrown three passes on the collegiate level, and he will be tested quickly in the ACC.
The Hokies play Furman next Saturday, and they may be able to handle that match up with their backup quarterback. The following week they travel to Indiana to play Purdue, which will likely be a tough test for Motley.
This is Brewer's last year at Virginia Tech, and the senior would likely want to return to his team and end the season on a high note. At least the Hokies have their toughest test behind them.
