Defining Moments

Ivan Maisel of Sports Illustrated has too much time on his hands and decided to put together The 100 Moments That Have Defined College Football. Here are the ones that involve FSU:

11. Raising Cane: Miami's fourth-quarter comeback knocks out Florida State. (Oct. 3, 1987)

47. Twice As Nice: FSU holds off Nebraska for Bobby Bowden's first title. (Jan. 1, 1994)

52. Well Dunn: 79-yard TD catch/run by Noles Warrick Dunn seals Florida's fate. (Nov. 27, 1993)

60. Wide Right I:: Trailing Miami by 1, FSU's Gerry Thomas misses 34-yard FG. (Nov. 16, 1991)

84. Road Kill: Nebraska fans applaud FSU after Noles upset Cornhuskers. (Oct. 4, 1980)

86. Death Valley Deception: Florida State's puntrooskie to topple Clemson. (Sept. 17, 1988)

Clemson And Auburn To Play Again

University of Maryland junior offensive lineman Jared Gaither has decided to apply for entry in the 2007 NFL Supplemental Draft, head coach Ralph Friedgen announced Thursday.

"It's a decision he's put a lot of thought into," Friedgen said. "He's expressed a desire to get his degree, but I think the opportunity to make a living and the chance to be successful at the next level was a deciding factor.

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Clemson and Auburn have announced a two-game football series that will be played during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. The first contest will be played at Auburn and the second game will be played at Clemson. The Auburn series replaces the two-game set that had been scheduled with the University of Pittsburgh during the same seasons.

This will be the first time the two teams have met on the gridiron since the January 2, 1998 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Auburn won that contest 21-17 in the Georgia Dome thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback. Terry Bowden, the brother of Clemson Head Coach Tommy Bowden, was the head coach at Auburn for that game.
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Clemson offensive tackle Barry Richardson and defensive tackle Dorell Scott are both ranked among the top 10 players in the nation according to position rankings in the 2007 preseason college football issue of The Sporting News. Running back C.J.

Spiller was also named as one of the top 11 candidates for the Heisman Trophy and offensive coordinator Rob Spence is listed as the top offensive coordinator in the ACC.

S.I. Is Nuts

Sports Illustrated has a Mascot Power ranking on their site. Chief Osceola and Renegade only rank eighth in the poll below a fake alligator(Albert), a poisionous nut (Brutus Buckeye), and one of the ugliest dogs ever (UGA). Are they out of their minds?

FSU Recruits And Player In the News

According to the Orlando Sentinel, four Florida State University football prospects who were kicked out of Downtown Disney for loitering last week and banned for life from Walt Disney World can now come back. The four recruits were Avis Commack, Vincent Williams, Nickolas Moody, and Nigel Carr.

Disney World announced Thursday that it has decided to reduce the sanctions against the four high-schoolers, whose banishment last weekend amplified a controversy about Disney's recent efforts to reduce teen loitering and sparked accusations of racial profiling. All four of the students are 17 years old and black. When the Orlando Sentinel obtained 46 Disney World trespass-warning documents from the past two weekends, all but one turned out to have been issued to black or Hispanic visitors.

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Paul Griffin, the projected starting nose tackle for Florida State, was arrested this week for failing to appear at a violation-of-probation hearing stemming from a DUI last November, the Leon County State Attorney's office said. He was later released on bond. FSU's code of conduct states that athletes facing misdemeanor charges will be disciplined at the discretion of the coach, with Athletic Director Dave Hart's review.

"They Are Going To Tell Me What I Need To Hear"

"I'm pretty intelligent, I like to think. So (offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and I will see eye to eye. I'm a competitor. I'm not going to be afraid of playing in the Miami game or anything like that. I see a lot of similarity (in Fisher) that I see with coach (Darnell) Moore at my high school. They are going to tell me what I need to hear not what I want to hear.”
E.J. Manuel regarding his commitment to the Noles

Noles One Two Punch Secures Manuel Commitment

E.J. Manuel becomes the 12th commitment for FSU's 2008 recruiting class. It goes without saying that his commitment will be a big boost to the Noles recruiting and their pitch to other recruits.

Manuel's high school accomplishments are impressive. He passed for almost 2,000 yards as a junior and completed 56 percent of his passes last season for 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions

This illustrates that Bobby Bowden is still a terrific recruiter and the fact that Jimbo Fisher is the offensive coordinator was certainly a great attraction to the 6'5", 210 pound Manuel. It was thought until recently that LSU was the school to beat. The Bowden mystique and the Fisher asset were a perfect fit to attracting a five star athlete and from all accounts a great kid.

Manuel Picks The Noles

Virginia Beach(Va.)Bayside quarterback E.J. Manuel announced his decision before friends, family and teammates on Wednesday evening at his high school. The nation's No. 2 quarterback picked Florida State. More later.

Is Text Message Ban DOA?

Remember the NCAA decision to ban text messages to college football recruits? Seems that the NCAA is having second thoughts. Not that it would affect Bobby Bowden. Apparently however the obsessive/compulsive Urban "The Cryer" Meyer blew a gasket when he heard that he could not text message recruits 150 times a day.

The NCAA will reconsider the rule that bans coaches from sending text messages to recruits, at its Aug. 9 board of directors meeting.

The board could reaffirm the text messaging decision, reject the decision or create new legislation. Current rules place no restrictions on text messaging with recruits. The new rule is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1. Should the board make changes, the rule would be rescinded. If it is affirmed, the rule would remain in place until a January vote at the NCAA's annual convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Greg Carr Among Four Seminoles On Watch Lists

Four more Seminole football players landed on watch lists for major awards on Monday. Greg Carr headlined the group as he was the only FSU player named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is presented to the outstanding player in college football. Tony Carter, Andre Fluellen and Myron Rolle were all named to the Bednarik Award watch list given to the best defensive player in college football.

ACC Players Named To Watch Lists

Clemson safety Michael Hamlin and offensive tackle Barry Richardson have both been named preseason All-Americans by Street & Smith Magazine. The college football annual also ranked Clemson #22 in the nation in its preseason publication and has Clemson running back C.J. Spiller on the cover of its Southeast region edition. The publication will be available on newsstands in early July.

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Georgia Tech's Tashard Choice was named to the 2007 Maxwell Award watch list, and Philip Wheeler was selected to the watch list for the 2007 Chuck Bednarik Award, announced by Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski on Monday.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell. The Chuck Bednarik Award is given to the nation's top defensive player, and is named after University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Eagle great Chuck Bednarik.

Colorado Hit With NCAA Penalties And Saban Gets Dissed

Colorado's loss of one football scholarship per year for the next three seasons isn't expected to impact the football team according to head coach Dan "This Ain't Intramural Football" Hawkins. The NCAA handed down its ruling on June 21.

The infractions involved CU undercharging walk-on athletes for meals. Despite calling the infractions "limited in nature and narrow in scope," the NCAA hit CU with a $100,000 fine — nearly $40,000 more than CU recommended — along with two years' probation and the loss of three football scholarships.

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Quarterback Jimmy Barnes' decision to leave the University of Alabama football program had nothing to do with the California native being homesick or disgruntled over a lack of playing time, according to his father.

"To be honest with you, it's the way (Alabama head coach Nick Saban) is treating kids," said John Barnes, a longtime head football coach at Los Alamitos High in Southern California. "What Jim told Saban was he was not going to give up his dignity and be treated like that."

Manuel To Announce Choice On Wednesday

The visit by E.J. Manuel is over. Escorted by Myron Rolle among others, Manuel was pleased with his weekend visit and liked the family atmosphere at FSU. The highlight of the visit was with Bobby Bowden. According to an article in the local paper, Manuel stated, “Coach Bowden was awesome. At first, I was hung up on the glitz and glamour of meeting a legend. I like all the things he has to say to me and my family, too.”

He will announce his commitment this Wednesday. Stay tuned.

"Manuel Hasn't And Won't Change

"I've seen many recruits turn from humble to haughty overnight based on attention, but Manuel hasn't and won't change.College coaches, as jaded as they come, continue to rave about his rare character."
Mike Farrell in Sports Illustrated article regarding E. J.Manuel who visited FSU this weekend

FSU Schedule Creating Buzz

This time of year we see lots of polls and conjectures about what teams will do for the 2007 college football season. Not to be outdone, Sports Illustrated has compiled it's top 25 toughest schedules. FSU is ranked as having the third toughest schedule in the nation.It is also important to note that FSU is one of the rare BCS teams that didn't schedule a Division I-AA opponent. Compare that to the Gators scheduling of Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic this upcoming season. Sports Illustrated ranks the Noles as having the toughest schedule in the ACC.

"People Are Happy, And We're Happy"

"People who were Golden Chiefs are double Golden Chiefs. In terms of people who have said, in terms of when X happens I'll become a million-dollar donor or we'll give a scholarship, we've seen a lot of that. One guy called one of our fundraisers and said 'I told you I'd do it. Come pick up the check.' People are happy, and we're happy."
Seminole Boosters Inc. executive director/senior vice-president Charlie Barnes comments regarding Booster reaction to FSU coaching changes

Another Bag of Popcorn Game

On June 23 at 10 P.M.,Sun Sports will air a new "Gridiron Great" featuring the 1987 FSU-Florida game played on 11/28/87.

Down 14-3 after nearly two quarters of play, FSU mounted a second-half comeback to beat Florida 28-14. The win broke a six-game losing skid to the Gators. This was a pivotal year in that FSU has been 12-7-1 since that game against the Gators.

There will be commentary by former Nole players Danny McManus, Sammie Smith, Dane Williams and Herb Gainer.

“What you’re seeing in 1987 is the berth of something special at Florida State from the class of 1985. In 1985 we had a recruiting class featuring Odell Haggins, Eric Hayes, Pat Tomberlin, myself and Deion Sanders. We knew it was just a matter of time before we were a national powerhouse.”
Former Nole running back Sammie Smith

"Without Losing His Platinum Legacy"

"The reality is this: Bowden's gutting of his longtime, like-minded staff will allow him to gradually and gracefully walk away from the game a winner instead of going out kicking and screaming -- and losing. All without damaging his platinum legacy."
Matt Hayes, Sporting News

"I'd Rather Be Playing Middle Tennessee"

"I hear people say,`Coach Bowden is so happy, he gets to play Alabama'. I tell'em, `I can pick someone a lot easier for us play than Alabama.' This was set up by our athletic director, an Alabama grad.

"Me? I'd rather we be playing Middle Tennessee."
Bobby Bowden comments to The Birmingham News columnist Ray Melick

Saban Contract And Gator Charged

University of Alabama trustees approved the eight-year, $32 million contract for football coach Nick Saban late last week. Under the contract, Saban does not have to speak or appear at more than 15 engagements unrelated to endorsements, such as alumni and booster clubs.

Among other contract incentives are a country club membership, two cars, a luxury box at Bryant-Denny Stadium and up to 25 hours of yearly flight time for personal travel in a noncommercial plane.

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Prosecutors have filed two charges against suspended Florida player Ronnie Wilson in an early April shooting incident.

Wilson, 19, allegedly fired a semiautomatic weapon into the air after being chased following a nightclub incident. He was charged with battery and discharging a firearm in public. Arraignment was set for July 3. Wilson was a redshirt freshman offensive lineman for the Gators last year.

Top Ranked QB Visits FSU June 23

Ranked by many as the number one quarterback prospect in the country, E.J. Manuel from Virginia Bayside High (Va.) will visit FSU on June 23. The five-star quarterback will receive the red carpet treatment as he, his dad, mother, and grandmother can't wait to make the trip from Virginia Beach to Tallahassee. He will meet with Bobby Bowden and FSU President T.K.. Wetherell. Several sources are saying that FSU is his top pick and he should make his decision known shortly after his visit to Tallahassee.

Among the schools he is considering are Alabama,Florida,LSU, and Miami.

"You'll See A New Swagger Out There"

"It was my childhood number, the first number I had when I played Pop Warner since I was 7. I came here and I was disappointed that I couldn't get number 4, but I saw the number open up and I just had to get it. Hopefully you'll see a new swagger out there."
Cornerback Tony Carter on getting "his" number 4 back

"Everything Else Will Happen"

"Basically, just stay healthy. That's one of the things you really can't control, getting hurt, so I'm just going to come out and bust my butt every day. If I go down, I'm going to go down fighting. I don't have any numbers I have to put up, no touchdowns or anything. I'm just going to work hard and everything else will happen. "
Running back Antone Smith regarding season expectations

Fluellen Outland Nominee And Noles Road Schedule Toughest In Nation

Seminole senior Andre Fluellen was one of 41 linemen named to the watch list for the 2007 Outland Trophy. The Outland Trophy has been awarded to the best interior lineman in college football since 1946. The winner is selected by the FWAA's All-America Committee, which selects the association's 25-man All-America team and picks the three Outland Trophy finalists and the winner. The Outland Trophy is named after the late John Outland, a lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas won the 2006 Outland Trophy.

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Yahoo Sports has ranked the Nole's road schedule as the toughest in the nation for the 2007 season. It is not surprising given the fact the Seminoles must travel north to Boston College and to the Rockies to Colorado.They face four teams (Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Florida) that won at least 10 games last season.

Coker Haunted By Fight And Nagurski Nominee

Larry Coker, former head coach for the Hurricanes, admits that the brawl between the Hurricanes and FIU has impacted his getting another football job. "The image that created was a big thing," he told Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post. "I'm going to have to remove myself from this incident with FIU. It takes time."

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North Carolina State Wolfpack and Nevada Wolf Pack officials are planning to meet via conference call this week on issues regarding infringement of similar logos. N.C. State trademarked its logo, "Toughie," in 1984, but Nevada officials say its logo dates to the 1950s. By the way, the logos are almost identical.
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Amid the discussions about where the University of Miami will play its football games, Greg Cote of The Miami herald says the following,"At the Orange Bowl, UM is king. At Dolphin Stadium, UM would be the third tenant, after the namesake NFL club and the calendar-dominating Marlins."
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University of Maryland linebacker Erin Henderson was named to the preseason watch list for the 2007 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Tuesday in an announcement by the Football Writers Association of America.

The Nagurski Trophy is awarded to the best defensive player in college football and is sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Bama Gets New Athletic Trainer And Gator Player In Trouble

Alabama named Jeff Allen head football athletic trainer on Monday and moved Rodney Brown from head athletic trainer to director of rehabilitation services for the athletic program.

Allen has been Central Florida's head athletic trainer since 2004 after holding the same position at Tennessee-Chattanooga. His primary responsibilities with the Crimson Tide will be the care and prevention of injuries.

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Two University of Florida athletes, one a basketball player and another a football player, were arrested overnight by Gainesville Police on allegations of drug possession, jail records showed.

According to the Gainesville Sun, Brandon James was a freshman who played a major role in the 2006 national championship football team as a kickoff and punt returner.

Summer Conditioning Program Underway

The summer conditioning program is underway at FSU under new Strength and Conditioning Coach Todd Stroud.

The following are the NCAA rules for this program:

* Returning athletes and signed incoming athletes may participate in voluntary strength and conditioning programs during eight of the nine weeks in the summer.

* An athlete's participation is limited to a maximum of eight hours a week.

* Strength and conditioning staffers, not the football coaches, oversee out-of-season workouts.

* Those strength and conditioning coaches must be certified in CPR and first aid.
(Source: NCAA Division I Manual)

Rolle Headed Back To Tallahassee

Nole Defensive back Myron Rolle is wrapping up his school work with the London program in London, England. Rolle made a visit to Morocco where he encountered camels and cobra snakes. Thankfully he won't have those to contend with when the season begins.

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University of Maryland linebacker Erin Henderson garnered one of the first accolades of the 2007 football season when he earned a spot on the prestigious Playboy Preseason All-America team.

This is the 51st year of the Playboy All-America team tradition, which has included players such as Dan Marino, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders and Peyton Manning.
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Virginia and Penn State will renew their football rivalry for a two-game series in 2012 and 2013 the schools jointly announced this past week. The Cavaliers and Nittany Lions have met seven times with the most recent contest taking place in 2002. The series will mark the fourth time the teams have met in back-to-back seasons during their respective football histories.

Football Or Hard Ball?

Taiwan Easterling. The name sounds like it should be involved with the United Nations. It is the name of a two star athlete from Mississippi who signed with the Noles in the last signing day period.The gifted receiver had originally committed with Southern Miss until he changed his mind and signed with the Noles at the last minute. He is not only a gifted football player but he was named Mr. Baseball by one Mississippi paper.

Now he has another decision to make. The question is whether he will ever set foot in Tallahasee again. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the MLB Draft in the sixth round last week. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet," said Easterling, who graduated with a 3.3 grade-point average and is on course to meet NCAA freshman eligibility requirements. "I'm just going to sit down and talk it over with my dad. I could go to Florida State for a few years, do both and still get drafted in a few years."

"Every Muscle Is Hurting This Year"

“Every muscle is hurting this year.Coach (Todd) Stroud really has us working hard. I am very, very sore right now. Hopefully my body can catch up and I can get on a steady pace.”
Defensive linemen Letroy Guion regarding new strength coach Todd Stroud and the summer workout program

Popcorn And A Nole Game

On Gridiron Greats on Sun Sports, Seminole fans can tune in and watch the 1989 FSU @ Florida game. Eight former FSU players, seven of which went on to play in the NFL, gathered recently inside Doak Campbell Stadium to watch the game and add their insights. P.T. Willis, Terry Anthony, Bruce LaSane, Lawrence Dawsey, Odell Haggins, Reggie Johnson, LeRoy Butler and Dexter Carter sat with host and former FSU DB Keith Jones to relive some of the memorable moments from that game.

The show airs on Sat. at 9:30 P.M.

Brooks To Be Honored In Pensacola

The Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) will join with the City of Pensacola and Escambia County to honor former Seminole great, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star and Pensacola native Derrick Brooks as the fourth inductee to the City of Champions Wall of Fame exhibit at Pensacola Regional Airport.

The exhibit will be unveiled at a banquet on June 28th at the Pensacola Civic Center, starting at 6:00 PM. The evening will include dinner, celebrity guests and a video tribute to Derrick. The festivities will culminate in the unveiling of his brand-new portion of the Wall of Fame. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Pensacola Sports Association and Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc. Congratulations to a most deserving player and an even better human being !

Prediction: Noles Will Win ACC Atlantic Division

As stated previously in another post, preseason polls and predictions are fun to read but not particularly useful. In the interest of fun, here is another one. The Sporting News is predicting another ACC Atlantic Division Championship for Florida State. The magazine is predicting a 10-2 mark for FSU and has the Seminoles ranked 11th in its pre-season Top 25. Also the magazine ranks three Seminoles in the top 10 at their position nationally in the magazine. Andre Fluellen is rated as the fifth-best defensive tackle in America, Myron Rolle the No. 8 strong safety and John Frady the 10th-best center. Xavier Lee was named the QB in the ACC with the strongest arm and De'Cody Fagg as the conference's most physical receiver. So much for fun.

Stadiums Of 2007 FSU ACC Foes: Wake Forest Groves Stadium

It is payback time at Wake Forest. As Nole fans remember, the Seminoles were humiliated by Wake at home 30-0.

The home of Wake Forest Football is Groves Stadium. The facility, which celebrated its 35th season in 2002, underwent a $1.5 million refurbishing in recent years which added significantly to both its appearance and utility heading into the 21st century. Of course, the most obvious and striking improvement to the complex is Bridger Field House. The third phase of Wake Forest University Football Project has hit full stride with the demolition of the existing press box and construction of the new Deacon Tower. The estimated completion date of phase three is June 2008.

Dedicated on September 14, 1968, in a 10-6 loss to rival NC State, Groves Stadium represents an extensive fund-raising effort undertaken by the college during the mid-1960s which, for all practical purposes, made possible Wake Forest's continued membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The stadium, which has 31,500 permanent seats and boasts a splendid natural grass playing surface, is located between Reynolds and Deacon Boulevards, one mile from the Wake Forest campus. It also is part of the athletic center of Winston-Salem which includes Lawrence Joel Coliseum, home of the Demon Deacon basketball teams, as well as Ernie Shore Field, where the professional minor league baseball Winston-Salem Warthogs play each summer.

The history of Groves Stadium can be traced back to the original home of the university in the eastern North Carolina village of Wake Forest. When the school announced its planned move to Winston-Salem in 1948, the Groves family, led by Henry (the original stadium's primary benefactor) and his brother Earl, made an additional financial commitment to insure that their family name would remain on whatever new facility that the football program would construct.

FSU and the Deacons tangle at Groves Stadium on Oct. 11.

FSU-UAB Game Scheduled For ESPNU

The Noles are scheduled to open the 2007 football season with night kickoffs for four of the first six games. Starting times haven't been announced for the Sept. 29 game vs. Alabama in Jacksonville and the Oct. 6 game vs. N.C. State at Doak Campbell Stadium. However, the The Seminoles' game against UAB on Sept. 8 will begin at 5 p.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium and will be shown on ESPNU.

Colorado Uniforms And Saban Response

The tale of Colorado's latest football uniform innovation is in the tape - the reflective fabric on the jersey numerals.

"It's going to be awesome when we play Florida State Sept. 15 at 8 at night. Absolutely awesome," Buffs linebacker Jordon Dizon said at the uniform unveiling.

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The University of Alabama will submit a report to the Southeastern Conference office regarding possible NCAA recruiting transgressions by first-year coach Nick Saban in southern Florida, a source close to the university athletic department said Thursday.

Saban's recruiting activity in the Miami area was first questioned by the Web site canesport.com, which suggested Saban had more than the allowed "greeting" with prospects. During the evaluation period between April 15 and May 31, college coaches are allowed to evaluate prospects on their campuses, but NCAA rules state "no contact may occur in this evaluation.

Preseason Polls and Miami Schedules Another In State Foe

We all know how much stock to put into preseason polls but it still is fun to debate them. Athlon Sports has come out with their Top 25 and FSU is nowhere to be seen. However, ACC teams Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech are respectively ranked at number 9 and 14. Miami is at 24. Powerhouse Hawaii is at number 19.

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The University of Miami and University of South Florida will play four games on Thanksgiving weekend from 2010 through 2013.

Two new games have been added to the schedule, on Nov. 27, 2010 in Miami and Nov. 26, 2011 in Tampa. The dates of games already scheduled in September of 2012 and 2013 (which were announced a year ago) were changed to Nov. 24, 2012 in Miami and Nov. 30, 2013 in Tampa.

Retro Look Back: Danny McManus

Danny McManus spent four seasons at Florida State University, from 1984 to 1987. McManus spent his first two years as a Seminole on the bench, but in 1986, despite a pair of concussions suffered the previous year, QB McManus was named the Seminole's offensive most valuable player, after a season that saw him come out of the backup position to end the year as the starter, throwing for 872 yards and seven touchdowns.

In 1987, McManus started every game for Florida State, leading them to an 11-1 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl, which they won 31-28 over the University of Nebraska. McManus, who threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns in the bowl game, was named the most valuable player, and wound up with 1,984 yards and fourteen touchdowns on the year. After this season, McManus was selected in the NFL draft, but late: in the eleventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

After a one year stint in the NFL, McManus traveled north to the CFL. He managed to accumulate a record 53,255 career yards- yards that a Manning or Brady would love to have in their careers.

He was inducted into the FSU Football Hall of Fame in 1995.