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2008 Florida State Seminoles - Rec. Class
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CollegeFootballNews.com Posted Feb 6, 2008
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Florida State Seminoles 2008
Head Coach: Bobby Bowden
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Florida State
Seminoles
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Nigel Bradham
LB 6-2 230 Crawfordville, FL
One of the top
recruits in the nation, Bradham is already enrolled at FSU...PARADE
All-American...SuperPrep All-American...a five-star rated outside
linebacker by Scout.com...Scout's top-rated middle linebacker and
Prep Stars No. 1 linebacker...ESPN ranks him as their fourth-best
OLB and the 60th-best player in America...Tom Luginbill of Scouts,
Inc. considers him an outstanding prospect...a finalist for the 2008
U.S. Army Player of the Year Award...received honorable mention Army
All-America honors as the best tackler...led the East team to a
33-23 victory and recorded four tackles in the 2008 U.S. Army
All-American Bowl...was the recipient of the EAS Speed and Strength
Award...Tallahassee Democrat All-Big Bend Defensive Player of the
Year...PrepStar Dream Team member...FSWAA All-State 3A First Team
Defense... AJC Super Southern 100...finished his senior season with
147 tackles, 12 sacks and four defensive touchdowns in leading
Wakulla to a district championship...as a junior he tallied 145
tackles, eight sacks and four interceptions, two of which he
returned for TDs...recorded over 430 tackles and 20 sacks during his
three-year career at Wakulla...had one of the five best games in the
nation this year according to Rivals when he registered 15 tackles
in a 16-0 win over Blountstown...timed at 4.52 in the 40-yard dash,
can bench press 440 pounds and clean jerk 310...had over 40 offers
and chose the Seminoles over Georgia, Mississippi and Florida.
Potential Instant Impact Players
EJ Manuel 6-4, 201, QB
Virginia Beach, VA (Bayside)
One of the top
quarterback recruits in the nation in 2008... PARADE
All-American...a five-star QB recruit according to Scout...rated the
best player in the state of Virginia this year by Rivals...Rivals
has Manuel rated second for arm strength and accuracy...Tom
Luginbill of Scouts, Inc. considers him an outstanding prospect...PrepStar
Dream Team member...AJC Super Southern 100... starting QB in the
Under Armour All-American game where he completed 5 of 6 passes for
71 yards in leading Team White to a win...Scouts, Inc. compared
Manuel to "a smaller JaMarcus Russell" after watching the QB
practice in Orlando...honorable mention "Best Arm" at the Under
Armour All-Star game...accounted for almost 7,400 yards and 68 TDs
in his high school career...threw for 48 TDs and ran for 12 in his
career at Bayside...completed at least 56% of his passes every
season of his high school career...passed for nearly 4,000 yards
combined in his junior and senior seasons... had at least 1,300
yards passing as a sophomore, junior and senior...nearly threw for
2,000 yards (1,973) as a junior and had 19 TD passes as a
senior...also rushed for 541 yards as a senior...earned
All-Tidewater district honors...named second-team all-state in Group
AAA...participated in Elite 11 camp...runs a 4.6 in the 40...a
Dallas Cowboy fan who models his game after New England QB and NFL
MVP Tom Brady...chose FSU over LSU, Oregon, Tennessee and Alabama
among others.
Corey Surrency
WR 6-5 210 Torrance, CA
Five-star
recruit according to Scout.com...one of the top junior college
players in America...PrepStar Junior College All-American...this
past season he had 30 receptions for more than 670 yards...had 23
catches for 432 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in
2006...had six catches for 125 yards in the state championship
game...runs a 4.45 in the 40...chose FSU over LSU, Oregon, West
Virginia, Oregon State, Cal, Colorado, Louisville and Arizona.
Rest of the Class
|
A.J. Alexander |
ATH |
6-0 |
180 |
Altoona, PA |
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Travis Arnold |
DB |
5-10 |
184 |
Madison, FL |
|
Nigel Carr |
LB |
6-3 |
220 |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
Avis Commack |
WR |
6-4 |
182 |
Jacksonville, FL |
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Andrew Datko |
OL |
6-5 |
285 |
Fort Lauderdale, FL |
|
Everett Dawkins |
DE |
6-2 |
242 |
Duncan, SC |
|
Garrett Faircloth |
OL |
6-6 |
260 |
Jacksonville, FL |
|
Jarmon Fortson |
ATH |
6-3 |
220 |
Columbus, GA |
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Josh Gehres |
WR |
6-3 |
190 |
Tallahassee, FL |
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Anthony Hill |
DT |
6-4 |
301 |
Pensacola, FL |
|
Ed Imeokparia |
ATH |
6-0 |
188 |
Blairstown, NJ |
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Carlton Jones |
RB |
5-11 |
215 |
Tampa, FL |
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Jabaris Little |
TE |
6-4 |
240 |
Tallahassee, FL |
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E.J. Manuel |
QB |
6-5 |
215 |
Virginia Beach, VA |
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Anthony McCloud |
DT |
6-3 |
295 |
Thomasville, GA |
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Moses McCray |
DT |
6-2 |
268 |
Tampa, FL |
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Nick Moody |
LB |
6-1 |
218 |
Philadelphia, PA |
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Terrance Parks |
DB |
6-1 |
200 |
Fairburn, GA |
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Tavares Pressley |
RB |
6-1 |
215 |
Torrance, CA |
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Zebrie Sanders |
OL |
6-5 |
273 |
Clayton, OH |
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Rhonne Sanderson |
OL |
6-4 |
280 |
Tampa, FL |
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Debrale Smiley |
RB |
6-0 |
235 |
Thomasville, GA |
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Blake Snider |
OL |
6-4 |
282 |
Heflin, AL |
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David Spurlock |
OL |
6-4 |
280 |
Murfreesboro, TN |
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Toshmon Stevens |
DE |
6-5 |
198 |
Crescent City, FL |
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Jermaine Thomas |
RB |
6-1 |
190 |
Jacksonville, FL |
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Markus White |
DE |
6-4 |
245 |
El Dorado, KS |
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Vincent Williams |
LB |
6-0 |
210 |
Davenport, FL |
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2007 FSU Season
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2007 FSU Preview
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2006 FSU
Season
2007
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 8-4
2006 Record: 7-6
Sept. 3 at
Clemson L 24-17
Sept. 8
UAB
W 34-24
Sept. 15
at Colorado
W 16-6
Sept. 29
Alabama
W 21-14
Oct.
6
NC State
W 27-10
Oct.
11
at Wake Forest
L 24-21
Oct.
20
Miami
L 37-29
Oct.
27
Duke
W 25-6
Nov. 3 at Boston Coll W 27-17
Nov.
10 at
Virginia Tech L 40-21
Nov.
17
Maryland
W 24-16
Nov.
24 at
Florida L 45-12
Music City Bowl
Dec. 31 Kentucky L 35-28 |
Recap:
All of those offseason coaching changes made by Bobby Bowden did
little to ignite Florida State, which lost six games for a second
straight year, and struggled to excel in Jimbo Fisher’s offense.
The Seminoles opened with a loss to Clemson, closed with an academic
scandal that robbed the team of two dozen players for the Music City
Bowl, and was out of contention in the ACC by mid-October. The
highlights of the season were wins over Alabama in September and an
upset of Boston College in November that ended the Eagles national
title dreams.
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Preston Parker
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Geno Hayes
Biggest Surprise: Parker. One of the few bright spots on
offense, Parker came out of relative obscurity to lead the team in
receptions, shift seamlessly to running back when Antone Smith went
down, and provide a threat on returns. Just a sophomore in 2007,
he’ll play a huge role in the offense in 2008.
Biggest Disappointment: The offense. Fisher wasn’t going to
be a miracle worker in his first year, but much more was expected
from a unit that’s underachieved the past few seasons. The ‘Noles
were never able to get the running game cranking, scoring fewer than
30 points in all but the visit from UAB.
Looking Ahead: Hey, it’s Florida State, so no one would be
floored if next year was the season that the program finally gets
back to double-digit wins for the first time since 2003. Mickey
Andrews’ defense will be fine, but to get over the hump, the Noles
need an offensive wake-up call and a breakthrough final year from QB
Drew Weatherford.
Dec. 31
2007 Music City Bowl
Kentucky 35 ... Florida State 28
Florida State was without 36 players due to academic
suspension and/or injury, but it still battled down to the final
play. UK QB Andre Woodson threw four touchdown passes with throws of
13 and 38 yards to Steve Johnson, a two-yard pass to Rafael Little,
and a 14-yarder to Jacob Tamme early on, capitalizing off a blocked
punt, to start the scoring. The Seminoles were helped by the defense
with Tony Carter taking a Woodson pass 24 yards for a second quarter
touchdown to tie it at 14, but it was all UK in the third quarter
with the Little score and a four-yard Tony Dixon touchdown run.
FSU's Drew Weatherford ran for two short scores and threw a
seven-yard touchdown pass to Greg Carr to stay alive, but was never
able to get the lead. The Wildcats couldn't run out the clock after
the Carr score, and Weatherford got a second chance after throwing
an interception to Micah Johnson, who fumbled it back to FSU with 29
seconds to play. On their own 17, the Seminoles got a 24-yard catch
from Carr and a ten-yard pass to Preston Parker to get to the UK 44
with a shot at a desperation pass with three seconds to play, but UK
broke up the final desperation pass in the end zone.
Offensive Player of the
Game: Kentucky QB Andre Woodson completed 32 of 50 passes for
358 yards and four touchdowns with an interception
Defensive Player of the Game: Kentucky LB Wesley Woodyard
made 15 tackles
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing: Drew
Weatherford, 22-48, 276 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Antone Smith, 17-156. Receiving:
Preston Parker, 8-105
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 32-50, 358
yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rafael Little, 28-152. Receiving: Rafael Little,
8-50, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ... Florida State played its guts out. With no
depth and missing a slew of starters, the Noles hung tough for a
full sixty minutes rarely playing like a short-handed team. ...
Kentucky will obviously be happy about getting a second straight
Music City Bowl win, but considering the circumstances, this wasn't
exactly an impressive performance. The Wildcats should've been able
to pound the ball and worn down the FSU defensive front, but
couldn't do it. The Noles held on to the ball for almost 11 minutes
in the third quarter. ... What is it about Florida State and running
the ball in bowl games? After having no ground game last year, it
ripped up UCLA in the Emerald Bowl, and this year it struggled all
year long on the ground but got 156 yards out of Antone Smith
against the Wildcats. ... FSU QB Drew Weatherford needed to be
perfect, and he wasn't. To be fair, he didn't get a whole bunch of
help on several key plays that could've changed the game. ... Andre
Woodson became UK's all-time leader in touchdown passes with 40 for
his career after tossing four against the Seminoles. ... Penalties
killed Florida State with ten for 102 yards. Kentucky committed
seven, but for just 45 yards.
Nov. 24
Florida 45 ... Florida State 12
Florida rolled up 541 yards of total offense with Tim Tebow
running for scores from 23 and five yards out and throwing for three
scores with two to Louis Murphy. Percy Harvin ran for 157 yards with
a 24-yard touchdown dash putting a cap on the scoring. Florida State
only managed four Gary Cismesia field goals, but he nailed a 60-yard
bomb at the end fo the first half.
Player of the
game:
Florida RB Tim
Tebow completed 19 of 28 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns,
and ran 13 times for 89 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing: Drew
Weatherford, 20-37, 188 yds
Rushing: Preston Parker, 12-48. Receiving: Preston
Parker, 6-55
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 19-28, 262 yds, 3
TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 16-157, 1 TD. Receiving: Cornelius
Ingram, 5-75
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... If
you needed an indication of how wide the talent gap is between
Florida State and the rest of the nation, witness the Florida
debacle. The Seminoles weren't just beaten by a better team, they
weren't even close the Gators did whatever they wanted to. Not
getting any offense is one thing, that's been a continual issue for
FSU, but for the defense to be gouged like it was against Tim Tebow
and company means the program needs to go back to the drawing board.
Nov. 17
Florida State 24 ... Maryland 16
Florida State jumped out to a 21-3 first half lead with Drew
Weatherford running for a one-yard score and throwing a ten-yard
touchdown pass to DeCody Fagg, but the star of the show was Preston
Parker, who ran for an 18-yard score in the first half and finished
with 133 yards. Maryland pulled within eight on a 14-yard Darrius
Heyward-Bey catch late in the third quarter, but the Noles got a
30-yard Gary Cismesia field goal to get comfortably ahead. The two
teams combined to convert just five of 27 third down chances.
Player of the
game:
Florida State RB Preston Parker ran 20 times for 133 yards and a
touchdown and caught a pass for 21 yards
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing: Drew
Weatherford, 16-26, 204 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Preston Parker, 20-133, 1 TD. Receiving:
DeCody Fagg, 4-68, 1 TD
Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 16-32, 242
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Keon Lattimore, 13-46. Receiving: Darrius
Heyward-Bey, 5-82, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Noles might not be anything special, but they've done a good job of
pulling out of the midseason tailspin by winning three of four games
before dealing with Florida. It's possible the quarterback situation
is finally settled a bit with Drew Weatherford back and solid, but
the real key has been the running of Preston Parker, who unlike
Antone Smith, has been able to make things happen. The defense kept
Maryland's offense under wraps, especially the running game, but to
have a shot at Florida, Weatherford has to be more effective on
third downs.
Nov. 10
Virginia Tech 40 ... Florida State 21
Virginia Tech was down one going into the fourth quarter
thanks to a an FSU run sparked by a 40-yard Dekoda Watson
interception return for a score and an eight-yard DeCody Fagg catch,
and then came 20 unanswered points. Tyrod Taylor ran for a
three-yard score and Chris Ellis picked off a pass for a five-yard
touchdown. Taylor threw two first half touchdown passes and Branden
Ore ran for a two-yard score on the way to a 20-yard Hokie lead
before the Noles made their midgame run.
Player of the
game:
Virginia Tech QB
Tyrod Taylor completed ten of 15 passes for 204 yards and two
touchdowns with an interception, and ran 17 times for 92 yards and a
score
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing:
Christian Ponder, 8-18, 105 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Christian Ponder, 5-51. Receiving:
DeCody Fagg, 4-63, 1 TD
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 10-15,
204 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyrod Taylor, 17-92, 1 TD. Receiving:
Justin Harper,
5-167, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Considering Drew Weatherford got knocked
out of the game and Xavier Lee wasn't around to rely on, the
Seminoles did a great job of staying alive against Virginia Tech for
three quarters. When the wheels started to come off, it would've
been nice if the offensive line could've taken over and Antone Smith
could've been the man, but that didn't happen. Erased from the
gameplan early, it was all Christian Ponder, and this wasn't the
time to get his feet wet. With Maryland and Florida to close out,
this might not be a pretty few games to close things out unless the
quarterback play is steadier.
Nov. 3
Florida State 27 ... Boston College
17
Boston College couldn't pull out a second straight close game
with Matt Ryan getting picked off three times, with the last one a
by Geno Hayes for a 38-yard score with 1:10 to play. Drew
Weatherford bombed away for 354 yards for the Noles with a 23-yard
touchdown pass to Preston Parker and a 42-yard pass play to Decody
Fagg, but the Eagles stayed in the game with a 30-yard Brandon
Robinson touchdown catch and a one-yard Ryan Purvis catch. Jamie Silva
made 16.5 tackles with a forced fumble and a sack for BC. The two
teams combined for 786 passing yards and 18 penalties
Player of the
game:
Florida State QB
Drew Weatherford completed 29 of 45 passes for 354 yards and two
touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Matt
Ryan, 26-53, 415 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Matt Ryan, 9-30. Receiving: Brandon Robinson,
7-163, 1 TD
Florida State - Passing: Drew Weatherford,
29-45, 354 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 22-63. Receiving: Preston Parker,
9-93, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
After the loss to Miami a few weeks ago, and with the switch to Drew
Weatherford, the passing game has finally found some consistency,
helped by an offensive line that's doing a good job of keeping him
upright. While Weatherford was tremendous in outplaying Matt Ryan
this week, punter Graham Gano might have been the MVP of the game
highlighted by a brilliant 64-yard kick that pinned the Eagles deep,
and averaging 49.5 yards on four kicks. Will this win over BC give
the team the confidence to win road games at Virginia Tech and
Florida in the final three weeks? A good season could turn into a
fantastic one if the team continues to play this well.
Oct. 27
Florida State 25 ... Duke 6
Preston Parker caught a nine-yard touchdown pass and scored on a
14-yard end around in the third quarter, and Gary Cismesia hit four
field goals, as Florida State dominated Duke. The Blue Devils gained
nine yards rushing and only got nine first downs, with the only
score coming on a three-yard Brandon King catch midway through the
fourth. Florida State held on to the ball for 39:38 and outgained
the Blue Devils 534 yards to 222.
Player of the
game:
Florida State QB
Drew Weatherford completed 35 of 47 passes for 339 yards and a
touchdown
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis,
16-30, 198 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Thaddeus Lewis, 8-18. Receiving: Jomar
Wright, 7-141
Florida State - Passing: Drew Weatherford,
35-47, 339 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 23-146. Receiving: Richard
Goodman, 11-73
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Noles might have only come up with 25 points in the win over Duke,
but it was as dominant a game as the team has had all season long.
Drew Weatherford was accurate and decisive in his throws, and Antone
Smith finally, finally started to run like he's expected to.
No, beating Duke isn't like coming up with a win over Boston College
or Virginia Tech, but after a confidence builder like this week,
anything might be possible in a brutal final month (at Boston
College, at Virginia Tech, Maryland, at Florida).
Oct. 20
Miami 37 ... Florida State 29
And the rivalry just keeps getting more bizarre. Florida State
got five Gary Cismesia field goals, including two 45-yarders in the
second half, a 45-yard Toddrick Verdell interception return for a
touchdown, and a six-yard Xavier Lee touchdown run on the way to a
29-24 lead late in the fourth quarter. The game appeared to be all
but over when Miami's Kirby Freeman was stuffed on fourth and one on
the FSU two, but the Canes got another chance and went 83 yards in
1:30 with Freeman hitting Dedrick Epps for a 13-yard touchdown pass
with 1:15 to play. The two point conversion failed, leaving the door
open for the Noles, but 11 seconds later, Colin McCarthy scooped up
a Lee fumble for a 27-yard score to seal the win. FSU turned it over
five times, Miami four times.
Player of the game:
Miami LB Colin McCarthy made ten tackles, a tackle for loss and
recovered a fumble for a 27-yard touchdown
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Kyle Wright,
6-10, 88 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 10-80, 1 TD. Receiving:
Darnell Jenkins, 4-106
Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 14-32,
208 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Antone Smith, 22-114. Receiving: Preston Parker,
5-83
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What
kind of head and heart does Florida State have? To lose in painful
fashion to Wake Forest is one thing, but to lose in heartbreaking
fashion in the final minute at home to Miami is another. The
turnovers were a major issue, but the big problem was a defense that
couldn't come up with a key stop late for the second week in a row.
Xavier Lee continues to make mistakes, and has problems at times
being on the same page with his receivers, but he's still moving the
offense relatively well, and he's adding a rushing element that
Antone Smith isn't providing. Lose to Duke next week, and things
then get truly ugly.
Oct. 11
Wake Forest 24 ... Florida State 21
Kenneth Moore caught a 35-yard touchdown pass to put Wake Forest
up 21-14 late in the fourth quarter, and Sam Swank put it away
with a 48-yard field goal. Florida State made it interesting
with a 17-yard Xavier Lee touchdown run with 17 seconds to play,
but the Demon Deacons recovered the onside kick. Josh Adams
started off the scoring with an 83-yard run, and tied it for
Wake with a six-yard scoring grab in the third, while Lee threw
two touchdown passes, highlighted by a four-yard jump ball to
Greg Carr. The two teams combined for seven turnovers and 18
penalties.
Player of the game:
Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner completed 19 of 27 passes for
215 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions
Stat Leaders: Wake Forest - Passing: Riley
Skinner, 19-27, 215 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Josh Adams, 18-140, 1 TD. Receiving:
Josh Adams, 6-29, 1 TD
Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 24-45,
283 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Antone Smith, 14-32. Receiving:
Greg Carr,
8-108, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This
is one maddening team. It shows flashes of dominance with
breathtaking athleticism and skill, and then it can't get
anything working. Against Wake Forest, crushing penalties, four
costly turnovers, and no running game opened up a shot for the
upset, and it happened. If nothing else, Xavier Lee showed again
that he deserves to be the main man, sink or swim. The offense
had way too many down drives, but Lee also showed off the speed
and mobility to throw a mega-scare into defenses. Now there's no
margin for error; the Noles have to win out in ACC play.
Oct. 6
Florida State 27 ... NC State 10
The Seminoles got a two-yard touchdown run from Xavier Lee and
a 40-yard scoring pass to Greg Carr, but the game turned around
early in the second half on a Michael Ray Garvin interception
for a touchdown. The Wolfpack held a 10-7 lead at the end of the
first quarter with a 23-yard field goal and a two-yard John
Dunlap touchdown catch, and then FSU scored the final 20 points.
NC State turned it over four times and gave up six sacks.
Player of the game:
Florida State QB Xavier Lee threw for 257 yards
and a touchdown on 16-of-28 passing, while rushing 12 times for
14 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel
Evans, 19-32, 172 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 14-101. Receiving:
Jamelle Eugene, 5-30
Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 16-28,
257 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 17-55. Receiving: Preston
Parker, 6-61
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
defense mostly gets the credit for the win over NC State,
getting into the backfield early and often, and coming up with
four turnovers. However, the real story was Xavier Lee, who had
a nice, efficient game throwing the ball, even though he didn't
run much. There wasn't enough of a running game overall, as the
offense still can't seem to find a way to get Antone Smith
rolling. Even so, the Noles are winning, and are right in the
thick of the ACC race with winnable games against Wake Forest,
Miami and Duke ahead before the big battles on the road at BC
and Virginia Tech.
Sept. 29
Florida State 21 ... Alabama 14
After a 0-0 defensive slugfest at halftime, the two offenses
woke up in the second half with Xavier Lee taking over at
quarterback for Florida State and working with DeCody Fagg for
touchdown passes from seven and 70 yards. Antone Smith ran for a
five-yard score for a 14-0 Seminole lead held late in the game,
but the Tide got a seven-yard D.J. Hall touchdown catch with
just over five minutes to play, and Keith Brown caught a 17-yard
touchdown pass with just over a minute left to pull within
seven. The Tide recovered the onside kick, but it was ruled FSU
ball since the ball bounced off a Tide player.
Player of
the game:
Florida
State QB Xavier Lee completed 12 of 19 passes for 224 yards and
two touchdowns with an interception, and ran 11 times for a
team-leading 59 yards
Stat Leaders: Alabama - Passing: John
Parker Wilson, 28-53, 240 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Terry Grant, 9-36. Receiving: D.J. Hall,
7-83, 1 TD
Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 12-19,
224 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Xavier Lee, 11-59. Receiving: Greg Carr,
5-107
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's
not like Xavier Lee hadn't gotten his shot in the past, but
against Alabama, things started to click, and the talented
receivers made the most of the switch. Lee not only threw well,
but he finally showed off his mobility that makes him such a
dangerous option in place of Drew Weatherford. Now the coaching
staff has to pick him for next week's game against NC State, and
stick with him. Lee can't be looking over his shoulder. Can
there be a running game at some point? Alabama's defense might
be nasty, but the ground game simply didn't work.
Sept. 15
Florida State 16 ... Colorado 6
Gary Cismesia hit thee field goals and Antone Smith tore off a
36-yard touchdown run as Florida State battled its way past
Colorado. The Seminole offense sputtered and coughed all game
long, but it appeared unstoppable compared to a Colorado attack
that was stuffed for -27 rushing yards and could only manage an
11-yard Tyson DeVree touchdown catch in the final minutes. The
two teams combined for a mere 500 yards of total offense.
Player of
the game:
Florida
State DB Tony Carter made seven tackles, picked off two passes
and made a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing: Drew
Weatherford, 8-18, 126 yds
Rushing: Antone Smith, 19-66, 1 TD. Receiving:
Greg Carr, 3-61
Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 34-53,
306 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Demetrius Sumler, 8-14. Receiving: Scott
McKnight, 6-62
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
For all the excitement and all the hubbub over Jimbo Fisher
taking over the offensive reins, the Noles aren't exactly
lighting anyone up. 221 yards against Colorado? 126 yards
passing?! This isn't what the program was hoping for, and there
needs to be more explosion and more pop, especially from the
passing game, to make any noise in the ACC. Third down
conversions continue to be a big problem, converting just one of
13 chances. On the plus side, the defensive line was dominant.
CU had nowhere to run all game long.
Sept. 8
Florida State 34 ... UAB 24
It took a while, but Florida State eventually put UAB away.
Tied at 24 late in the third quarter, the Noles finally pulled ahead for
good on a 50-yard touchdown pass to Richard Goodman. Gary Cismesia added
a 40-yard field goal for a little breathing room, and FSU escaped.
Weatherford threw three touchdown passes, but UAB hunt tough thanks to a
21-yard Will Dunbar interception return for a touchdown, a four-yard Sam
Hunt scoring run, and a 16-yard pass from Hunt to Joseph Webb. The Noles
outgained UAB 520 yards to 345, but turned it over three times.
Player
of the game:
Florida State QB Drew Weatherford went 22-of-35 for 332 yards, three
touchdowns and an interception.
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Sam Hunt, 17-35, 226 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: Sam Hunt, 11-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Joseph
Webb, 6-89, 1 TD
Florida State - Passing: Drew Weatherford, 22-35, 332
yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Antone Smith, 19-62. Receiving: Preston
Parker, 4-89
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Florida State has hardly looked like a world-beater to start the year,
but it's not quite time to completely panic. Chalk up the struggles
against UAB to the short week. Remember, the Noles had an emotional
opener just four days before facing the Blazers and were hardly focused.
Even so, a good team blows out a bad Blazer squad, and the Noles
couldn't do it. The secondary was a bit off, the running game didn't
show up, and the offense reverted to its old ways with Drew Weatherford
bombing away. Three turnovers, 12 penalties for 131 yards; the team
needs to quickly come up with a good game to finally kick its season off
the right way.
Sept. 1
Clemson 24 ... Florida 18
Clemson roared out to a 21-0 lead on two Cullen Harper
touchdown passes and a 29-yard James Davis run, and seemingly
had the game well in hand late in the third quarter up 24-3. And
then everything changed as Jimmy Maners took an errant punt snap
out of the end zone for a Florida State safety, and then it got
interesting as Antone Smith ran for a one-yard score and Richard
Goodman caught a 15-yard touchdown pass to pull the Noles to
within six. But Clemson would hang on as time ran out on a final
Seminole drive.
Player of
the game ... Clemson LB Nick Watkins made 11 tackles, one
sack, one tackle for loss, and recovered a fumble
Stat Leaders: Florida State - Passing: Drew
Weatherford, 17-34, 142 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 14-90, 1 TD Receiving:
Antone Smith, 5-57
Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 14-24,
160 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Davis, 18-102, 1 TD Receiving:
Aaron Kelly, 5-98, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... New
coaches, same problems. FSU couldn't find any consistency in the
running game against Clemson, and it had a nightmare of a time
protecting Drew Weatherford. While the team did a good job of
pouncing on the momentum swing, it only finished with eight
first downs, did nothing on third downs in the first half, and
only converted three of 17 chances. Weatherford was sacked five
times, and he'll need far more time to get the passing attack
moving. Working on the ground game against UAB next week is
vital.
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