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Backhanded compliment: UVA coach Mike London ‘happy’ for former QB Greyson Lambert

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Mike-LondonUVA football coach Mike London said Wednesday that he is “happy” for former Virginia starting quarterback Greyson Lambert, who set an NCAA QB record last week in a win for sixth-ranked Georgia, though you could tell that he wasn’t all that happy by the way he said it.

“I’m happy for him. I’m happy that Greyson is at a place where he feels he can make a contribution and do the things he needs to do. I’m happy for our guys. I’m happy for the guys that stayed here to be here at Virginia,” said London, answering a question from a reporter on his ACC media teleconference.

Lambert wasn’t good enough to be the starting quarterback for 1-2 UVA, but he is good enough to be the starter for Georgia, and to set a single-game NCAA record for completion percentage, going 24-for-25 passing for 330 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-20 win over South Carolina.

This is the same Lambert who lost his starting job at Virginia last spring in a battle with Matt Johns. London famously said after announcing his decision on a starter that the decision to go with Johns “wasn’t even close.”

Lambert transferred out after getting his degree at UVA in May, and landed at Georgia, where he won a three-way battle to be the starting quarterback in August.

Through three games, Lambert, a redshirt junior, is 43-for-58 passing (73.1 percent) for 587 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 187.6 passer rating.

Johns, also a redshirt junior, through three games at Virginia is 64-for-96 passing (66.7 percent) for 790 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions and a 150.2 passer rating.

“You always wish players well that leave your program, for the various reasons they may have,” London said. “The things I can control, we can control, are the players that stay here, want to be here, become great student-athletes here. That’s what the focus has been, on our game, and getting ready for the Boise State coming up.”

– Story by Chris Graham

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