Antone Smith Practices In Preparation For BC

FSU Sports Information Excerpts:

History is not on the Seminoles side when they travel to Chestnut Hill, MA this weekend. FSU is just 1-8-0 all-time versus teams ranked second in the AP poll and has never defeated a team ranked No. 2 in their own stadium. On the other hand, the Seminoles have won two straight games at Boston College's Alumni Stadium and on Wednesday they worked 20 periods in hopes of extending that streak to three and picking up one of the biggest wins for the program since beating No. 4 Virginia Tech in 2000 Sugar Bowl that sealed the school's second National Championship.

After working on special teams, the Seminoles broke up into units and began working versus the scout teams.

Skel covered two periods. In the first period the team worked on down and distance situations and the defense had a good drill. Jamie Robinson picked off a dropped pass and Anthony Houllis also grabbed an INT. Christian Ponder had a couple nice completions to Rod Owens and Bert Reed. When the ball moved inside the 20 Drew Weatherford hit Preston Parker for a TD and then the period ended with Bert Reed making a leaping one-handed grab for a TD.

While skel was taking place on field three, the lines matched up in pass rush on field two and the offensive guys had a good day. Rodney Hudson looked dominant winning three battles while Ryan McMahon won a couple as well. Daron Rose, Shannon Boatman, Jacky Claude and Brandon Davis also held up their men. On defense, Paul Griffin had the best day getting three QB sacks while Budd Thacker was close behind with two. Neefy Moffett and Kendrick Stewart also beat their men.

The first part of 11-on-11 was down and distance and it was dominated by the defense. While the offense made some plays, the biggest ones were turned in by the D. Justin Mincey recorded a tackle for loss, Tony Carter and Patrick Robinson broke up passes and Michael Ray Garvin recorded a sack. The offense was unable to score in the 1:00 drill. Weatherford and De'Cody Fagg connected a few times to move the ball down the field but an early sack by Everette Brown put the offense in a hole. The practice ended with Weatherford's pass to Greg Carr in the endzone falling incomplete.

Coach Bowden Quotes
Injury Update:
"Antone Smith looked a little better today and Andre Fluellen got in a little bit of work. But they still need to improve a little more before game time. Greg Carr has practiced well and whatever he's wearing in practice is what he'll wear on Saturday."

Noles Need To Be Physical...Hudson Back

Will the Noles be physical on Saturday? They better be. This Saturday the Noles will square off against the nation's second-best rushing defense - a stout unit that allows only 55.1 ground yards per game. "This game is going to come down to being physical," Seminoles offensive line coach Rick Trickett said. "If we're physical, it's going to be one heck of a ballgame. If we're not, it's going to be ugly." The ankle injury that junior tailback Antone Smith sustained last weekend against Duke is not helping our chances. Smith, who has rushed for 260 yards in his past two games, was held out of contact Tuesday and likely will wear a blue, non-contact jersey all week. "He looks like he's about 60 percent," Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said.

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FSU's freshman guard Rodney Hudson, who has missed two games because of a sprained knee will return for the BC game. Hudson and seniors Jacky Claude and Shannon Boatman will rotate between the two guard positions.
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The game between FSU and Va. Tech has been picked up by ABC. The game will played at 3:30 as the Noles play Va. Tech at Blacksburg, Va.

Is Joe Pa Looking At The End?

The question of whether Joe Pa should go will get louder and louder as the time for his contract to expire gets closer. The Phiadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane is broaching ths subject now. Says McLane,"There's a significant number of Nittany Lions fans who just don't want to hear the excuses. At least the ones who recall when losing three games in a season was considered a huge disappointment and not something to be proud of." Apparently Paterno in his media conferences has a ton of excuses for why the Nittany Lions are losing to such teams as Ohio State. McLane asks,"The question then is,with Paterno's four-year contract set to expire after next season, are the decision-makers satisfied with a second-tier program and, if so, how many more years can Paterno coach?"

Head To Head Matchup: Wide Receiver

WR Brandon Robinson leads BC in receiving yards with 488 receiving yards and 4 TDs. The 5-10 195 lbs. junior from Minneapolis, Mn. leads a receiver corps that has put up lots of TDs from their Heisman Trophy candidate QB Matt Ryan. In 2006, Robinson played in 12 games and had 36 receptions for 490 yards and one touchdown. Against the Noles he had a team-high 67 reception yards on three catches in win at Florida State. The corners for the Noles wil hopefully be able to snag a few interceptions if they hope to win at BC. Patrick Robinson wilth 4 picks and Tony Carter with 2 are the most likely suspects.

Complementing Robinson is Canadian born WR Kevin Challenger who has 31 catches, 373 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Sophomore WR Rich Gunnell has 367 yards and 4 Tds. Plus you can't forget running back Andre Callender with 31 catches 304 yards and 4 TDs. In all, BC has 19 passing TDs which are spread among 7 different receivers. Compare this to Florida State who has 10 passing TDs among 5 receivers. Running back Antone Smith has no receiving TDs.

For the Noles, Greg Carr, Preston Parker, and De'Cody Fagg will be the main receivers.The Seminole receivers wil have to contend with highly regarded DeJuan Tribble. The BC senior corner is a playmaking cover corner with outstanding instincts. He has quick feet, backpedals nicely and is smooth in coverage. He reads plays well and anticipates a throw before it occurs. He has great closing speed and ball skills that cause opposing quarterbacks to purposely throw away from him. He lacks ideal height for a defensive back and has trouble against taller receivers, but his awareness, quickness, and toughness make him an elite defender.Overall, Tribble is an excellent cornerback who can turn defense into offense in a flash.

According to NFL analysts, Tribble is a borderline first-round selection with all the talent that may be available, but he'll be one of the first five corners off the board. for the year Tribble has 4 interceptions. Hopefully a healthy Greg Carr will be able to use his height against Tribble.

Carr missed the Duke game but that was one he could afford to miss. However, against BC, the Noles will need Carr's height and ability to make TDs. Carr has 28 catches for 549 yards and 3 TDs. Preston Parker is close behind with 516 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Parker's speed will be a definite asset at BC. De'Cody Fagg had a huge game against Duke and needs one against a more formidable Boston College. He has 425 yards and 2 TDs. The Noles will be without Richard Goodman who is out for the season with a fracture.

Noles Get OL Commitment

The Noles picked up a commitment this week from St. Thomas Aquinas offensive lineman Andrew Datko. Datko is 6 feet 6 and 285 pounds and chose Florida State after considering offers from UCF, Florida, Miami and Auburn. According to Datko, the idea of playing soon was a factor in his decison. "They showed me the depth chart and I know there's a chance I could play soon. That factored in."

FSU And BC Comparable In Defensive Stats

Points Per Game Allowed : FSU- 18.1 Boston College- 16.8

Average Rushing Yards Per Game For Opposition: FSU- 93.9 Boston College- 55.2

Rushing TDs For Opposition: FSU- 5 Boston College- 4

Average Passing Yards Per Game For Opposition: FSU- 213.1 Boston College- 257.4

Passing TDs For Opposition: FSU- 12 Boston College- 9

Red-Zone Scores For Opposition: FSU- 65% Boston College- 62%

Red-Zone TDs for Opposition: FSU- 52% Boston College- 48%

Noles Continue Practicing For Number 2 Ranked BC

FSU Sports Information Excerpts:

The Seminole football team got down to the business of preparing for their toughest test of the year on Tuesday. Florida State (5-3, 2-3) spent 21 periods in full pads as the squad began to prepare for Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Ryan and the second-ranked BC Eagles (8-0, 4-0). Boston College is the highest ranked team FSU has faced since battling No. 2 Miami in 2003.

After working on special teams, the Seminoles broke up into units and began working versus the scout teams.

Mid-way through practice the team moved into skel and pass rush drills. In skel Drew Weatherford connected with De'Cody Fagg and then hit Preston Parker on a deep pass as well as a mid-range strike. Both Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson connected on short routes.

In pass rush Letroy Guion had another great drill beating his man three times. Emmanuel Dunbar, Justin Mincey, Budd Thacker and Neefy Moffett all recorded multiple sacks. Paul Griffin and Eli Charles got to the QB as well. For the offensive line Ryan McMahon got a couple wins while Jacky Claude, Shannon Boatman and Daron Rose held their men up.

The offense couldn't get much going in 11-on-11 but scored on its first two possessions of goal line. Jamaal Edwards got into the endzone after being hit before the goal line and then Weatherford scored on a scramble. Kenny Ingram stopped the next play short of a TD and the practice ended with Seddrick Holloway unable to get in from the one thanks to a defensive charge led by Kendall Smith.

Coach Bowden Quotes

On the running game against Boston College:

"Well, they do have a very tough defense; there is no doubt about that. The front seven is real good. They're not where they are by accident, they're where they are because they are good. I think they have 17 graduates on their football team. They got the maturity going for them, too."

New Blocking Scheme Working Out Great For BC

Offensive right tackle Gosder Cherilus of Boston College discussed in August the new offensive zone blocking scheme initiated in 2007. Apparently it has worked in that BC has had a decent year so far rushing the ball and scoring rushing TDs.(By the way, Seminole offensive lines coach Rick Trickett is considered a master in the art of zone blocking.)

Coach Jagodzinski brought the zone-blocking scheme with him. You're an offensive lineman who has to learn and master this new system. Can you explain what the zone-blocking system is?

It's basically just what it sounds like. Say I'm working with you - you have a zone, I have a zone, or both of us have the same zone. If we do what we're supposed to do, it'll leave it up to the backs to make the right cut and everything. Sometimes later on in the block, one of us has to get off and pick up a linebacker, safety, or cornerback. It's not the easiest system. There are some techniques that we have to pick up and get a good feel for.

How big an adjustment is the new system? How hard has it been to learn?

It's not tough, but we're just used to doing things the old way, with more one-on-one blocking and muscling a guy out of the gap. It's been tough because we're still trying to learn the playbook. We're still trying to do things the old way, so it's a little tough right now.(This was in August)

"...everybody is ready to jump off a cliff."

"Florida State has been a national power for so long that when they wind up winning seven or eight games, everybody is ready to jump off a cliff. The biggest difference between them and the teams we've been playing is the speed."
Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski

New Poll: Which Position Has To Have Great Game?

There is a new poll question: "Which position has to have a great game in order for the Noles to have a shot against BC?"

Xavier Lee Statement Regarding Suspension

“My two-game suspension came about due to the team’s class-attendance policy. I made a mistake not holding up my responsibilities as far as going to classes like I should have. This is my fault, and I take full responsibility. I want to apologize to my teammates and coaches and let them know I plan on doing whatever it takes to make this situation right.”

Three And Out: FSU-Boston College

I am pleased that Matt Shineman from the Boston College blog Heights and Lows has answered our "Three And Out" questions regarding BC. Thanks again to Matt for taking the time to answer my questions.

1.If Boston College is to lose a game this year,what kind of team would it take to defeat the Eagles?

Based on the strengths and weaknesses of BC this year, the type of team that could defeat the Eagles is a team that has an extremely strong/quick/shut down core of DBs. BC has proven it can survive on Pass alone. But shut down the running game and the passing game, and you have a shot. Virginia Tech did that for 50+ mins of the game before switching to prevent defense. Bottom Line to beat BC, shut down Matt Ryan and his receivers.


2. Running back Andre Callender is putting up fantastic numbers.What is the main reason for his success this year as opposed to last year?

It's hard to say. Up until this year, BC hasn't really shown a strong running game since Derrick Knight was the start RB. There is no denying that Callender has benefited from the strong play of Matt Ryan. As Ryan is the #1 threat on our team, that leaves a little bit of room for Andre to gain more yards than he has in the past. Yes Ryan was our #1 threat last year,but this year he is more poised.

Also,the other thing that has helped Callender, something that has gone relatively under the radar in the media, is the new offensive line blocking system. Up until this year, our offensive line has blocked in a man system, where as this year they have switched to a zone blocking system. This is something that has helped the running game immensely.


3. A lot of critics are still not giving Boston College a lot of love.Are the Eagles overrated or under appreciated?

As odd as it may be to say, they are both. Is BC the second best team in the nation? Probably not. Have they played the toughest schedule? No, but neither has Ohio State and it is kind of hard to punish a team for winning when other teams lose to unranked teams. One last thing that I'd like to mention is about BC's unwillingness to compromise to get ahead.

A couple of weeks ago, there was an article that covered the graduation rates of every single top 10 team. BC was the highest at well over 90%. The next closest was somewhere around 55%. In other words, BC is in the middle of a great accomplishment ON the field and continues its great accomplishment OFF the field IN the classroom. I think that BC accomplishes a lot with less talent comparatively to the top tier teams.

Drew Is The Man

There is no more QB debate. Drew Weatherford is the man. With the announcement on Monday by Bobby Bowden of the suspension of Xavier Lee for two games, FSU is left with two freshmen QBs as backups to Weatherford.

After practice on Monday, Bowden said the following. "We were working D'Vontrey (Richardson) and (Christian) Ponder," Bowden said. "I think D'Vontrey probably got more (reps). " He added,"They have been getting some reps. Now they will start getting a lot more and we will see what they can pick up."

The absolutely frightening part of this is that Richardson and Ponder have taken one snap between them this season, when Richardson took a shotgun snap in the first quarter of FSU's win over Alabama.

So who are these backups to Drew?

D'Vontrey Richardson is a 6'1 205 lb redshirt freshmen from Leesburg, Ga, He has been described as being one of one of the most physically-gifted athletes at Florida State. He was behind in his development in that he missed time at spring practice due to starting 35 games for the FSU baseball team. In 2005, Richardson in high school threw for over 2,200 yards and 27 TDs and rushed for 1,050 yards and 17 more scores, leading Lee County to a 10-2 record in his final season in 2005.

The other QB is 6'2" 207 lb Christian Ponder. from Colleyville, TX. After enrolling in school in January of 2006, Ponder was redshirted in the fall. He had a good spring practice and was named the most improved QB by the offensive staff following spring practice. Ponder was ranked 14th in the nation among pro-style passers by one recruiting service. In high school, he threw for 2,214 yards and 20 touchdowns during his senior season. He also rushing for 911 yards and 12 scores.

Poll Results: Is Drew QB To Lead Noles In November

Results of the poll:"Do you agree that Weatherford is the QB to lead the Noles in November?"

Yes- 47.2%

No- 52.8%

Head To Head Matchup: Running Back

Thank goodness Halloween will be over by the time the Noles play Boston College because the numbers put up by BC players is frightening. Take the running game as one example. Senior running back Andre Callender is putting up great numbers in both rushing and receiving stats. The 5'11" 204 pound back from Roselle, New Jersey scored the winning TD in the win over Virginia Tech when he caught a pass in the end zone from QB Matt Ryan.

For the year, Callender has rushed for 656 yards and scored 8 TDS. He is averaging almost 5 yards a carry. Callender is also used extensively in pass plays out of the backfield. In receptions, he has 304 yards receiving on 31 catches and 4 TDs. His longest run has been for 69 yards which resulted in a TD. Frightening indeed! Callender is backed up by 5'11" running back L.V. Whitworth who has 307 yards and 3 TDs for the year. He also is averaging almost 5 yards a carry. His longest run of the year has been for 52 yards.

Callender in high school earned SuperPrep All-America honors as a senior running back at Seton Hall Prep. He was named to recruiting analyst Tom Lemming's All-East team in 2002. He is described as an elusive and shifty back. He completed the 2006 regular season with 1,978 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 426 career carries. Callender has also recorded six career 100-yard rushing performances, including a career-best 174 yards against North Carolina in the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl. In last year's win at Florida State Callender did not have much running success rushing for only seven times for 24 yards.

As some have said, Andre Callender had always been a nice little player for Boston College. However, under new offensive coordinator Steve Logan’s system, Callender has become more than just a nice little player. He has become a leading man. Perhaps most importantly, Callender has been the man to go to when the Eagles need to get into the end zone. Initially, Callender was struggling in the zone blocking scheme instituted by new head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, “At first, I was really curious about (the offense),” Callender said. “There would be some days when I would do really well in it and other days when I was like, ‘What am I doing out there?’

Boston College Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who has to contend with Callender in spring and summer for five seasons, is not surprised at how he has performed this year. “He was always an explosive player,” Dunbar said. “The old scheme was a power scheme, and I don’t think that suited him as much. In this zone, cut-back kind of scheme, I think that suits Andre the best, and he has blossomed in this scheme. I think this offense really fits Andre. I’ve always known Andre was fast, and he’s a guy that works hard. Sooner or later, he was going to have one of those seasons that was going to be eye-opening. And this is that season.” Let's hope the Noles can find a way to stop Callender on Saturday.

On the Nole side is Antone Smith who was limited in practice on Monday but still is expected to play on Saturday. Smith has had two games in a row now of 100 yards or more. Smith for the year has rushed for 582 yards and 3 TDs. Against Duke, Smith rushed for 146 yards on 23 carries. Smith will need to have a good game against Boston College and will need to hang onto the ball. If Smith can't go, then Jamaal Edwards will probably have to carry the load. Edwards has not had that much playing time and has only had 31 carries for 64 yards.

Noles Begin Practicing For Boston College

FSU Sports Information Excerpts:

Both offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews were happy with the way their units played in Saturday's 25-6 victory over Duke. Tonight the team worked on correcting the few mistakes that were made versus the Blue Devils as the team practiced for 10 periods on the band field. Tomorrow the team will begin to put in its game plan for second-ranked Boston College.

Coach Bowden Quotes

On FSU's defense vs. Duke:

"Boy, the defense really played well. If the defense could play like that every Saturday, it gives you a chance to win. We did the same thing against Colorado and just kind of shut them down. Since then, they've won some big games. They've beat Oklahoma and Texas Tech last week. When our defense is playing that good, it gives us a chance to win."

On the November schedule:

"We've got Boston College away, Virginia Tech away, Maryland here and Florida away so you've got your highest-ranked teams ahead of you. Of course, Boston College is No. 2 in the nation so it gives us a chance to be the spoilers. You can remember how many years where we were ranked one, two, three, four and they would come in and be the spoilers. Well now, the opportunity is in our hands."

Silence Not Golden For Game

* Watched the game at one of the local watering holes and it was no problem getting a table. Could almost hear a pin drop in the place. It's a sign of the times.

* Charlie Ward was at the Duke game and Chris Weinke was at the Miami game. Two QBs that we could really use now.

* Can we forget the black uniforms? Find some other way to honor the Seminoles.

* In watching the crowd on television in the first half they looked almost comatose.

Lee Suspended Two games

Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden has suspended second-team quarterback Xavier Lee for two games for a violation of team rules. Bowden said the suspension was for academic reasons but indicated that it was not related to academic misconduct the school self-reported to the NCAA earlier this fall. Lee apparently will be allowed to practice but will not be allowed to travel for the next two games against Boston College and Virginia Tech.

Gators Become Turkeys

This week there were a lot of turkeys but I am nominating for my Turkey Of The Week my favorite team to hate. Remember the Gators? The team that such morons as Kirk Herbstreit told us were so powerful. The Gators that were favored by over seven points against poor Georgia. The Gators that had beat the Bulldogs so many times. Guess what? The Dogs from Georgia beat the mighty Tebows in Jacksonville 42-30. Ouch!

USF No Longer Media Darling

USF loses two in a row and the Gators get a beat down from the Dogs:

1. Florida (5-3) - Gators lose to Dogs.

2. Miami (5-3) - Canes had a bye.

3. USF (6-2) - Bulls get beat by UConn.

4. FSU (5-3) - Noles beat hapless Duke.

5. UCF (5-3)- The UCF Knights beat Southern Miss on Sunday night..

Smith And Carr Expected To Play On Saturday

First the bad news. Wide receiver Richard Goodman's career-best 11-reception night against the Blue Devils ended with a fractured right ankle that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season. Goodman suffered the injury in the fourth quarter.

In better news, tailback Antone Smith limped off the field in the fourth quarter with a mild left ankle sprain, but is expected to play at BC.It is considered a minor injury. Wide receiver Greg Carr did not play against Duke. He was sidelined with a sprained wrist but is saying that he will be back for the Boston College game.

Defensive tackle Andre Fluellen did not play, due to his injured elbow and hand. His status for this weekend's game at BC is still unknown.

Recruiting Q&A: Dwayne Allen

After having Seminole tight end Brandon Warren deciding to transfer last year, the Noles need to get at least one or two tight ends to commit for the 2008 class. One of the prospects is 6-4, 243 lb. Dwayne Allen from Fayetteville, NC. Allen is a commit to the Georgia Bulldogs but it is considered a soft commit. Allen committed to Georgia last December but has opened back up his recruitment The Seminoles still feel they have a shot at landing him. I have seen some film on Allen and he has good hands, speed, and good blocking skills.

The following Q&A is from Sammy Batten who has covered Atlantic Coast Conference football and college football recruiting for The Fayetteville Observer since 1989. He's also a regular contributor to several recruiting publications and websites, including WRAL.com, SuperPrep, The ACC Sports Journal, Carolina Blue and Bonesville.net. A native of Goldsboro, N.C., he graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Journalism in 1981. He spent five years covering the likes of Lawrence Taylor and Michael Jordan for Carolina Blue, a specialty newspaper devoted to UNC athletics, before moving to Lumberton, N.C., for a five-year stint with The Robesonian newspaper. Batten has twice been named N.C. Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. You can view his football recruiting column each Tuesday afternoon at FayObserver or every Wednesday on WRAL.com.Thanks to Sammy for taking the time to answer my questions.

1. It seems that schools now are as concerned about character as much as the athlete. What can you tell me about Dwayne Allen the person?

"Dwayne is a young man who has grown from a trouble maker who had to be assigned to an alternative school as a middle schooler to a model citizen and student. Dwayne and his mother will tell you that Terry Sanford High School coach Wayne Inman saved Dwayne when he convinced him to come out for football in the ninth grade. Since then, all I've ever heard about Dwayne Allen are good things. In my personal experiences with Dwayne, he has always been extremely polite and gracious with his time. You don't sense an ounce of arrogance when you talk to this guy. In fact, during a recent interview I had with him to talk about his recruitment, we spent more time discussing about a receiver on his team who has taken the pressure off Dwayne than we did about Dwayne himself. I haven't heard one person in our community say a bad thing about Dwayne, which in this day and age is rare."

2. Florida State would like to have a TE who can not only block but catch the ball. Does Allen have good hands?

"Dwayne has such good hands and speed that he probably spends about 40 percent of his time on offense lined up at wide receiver. Because he grew up playing basketball, he has developed exceptionally soft hands from receiving passes in the pivot. Many of the schools recruiting him feel he catches the ball so well they're considering him as more of an H-back player, who they can line up at tight end, fullback or out wide as a receiver."

3. What kind of success has Allen had in high school?

"He's been one of the better players in our county for two years, and this county annually produces eight to nine Division I-A players. Dwayne currently ranks second in our county in receiving with 31 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He was recently selected to represent North Carolina in the annual Shrine Bowl All-Star game scheduled for December against South Carolina. He's been a three-year starter at Terry Sanford who has played tight end, wide receiver, fullback and defensive end over the course of his career. Dwayne, along with Coach Inman, has helped revive a football program at Terry Sanford that was for several years one of the worst in our county. The Bulldogs are closing in on their third straight state 4-A playoff appearance, and last year tied for the conference championship."

4. I know that Allen has orally committed to Georgia. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being solid, how solid do you think is his commit to Georgia?

"This is just my personal opinion, but I'd say about a 2.5. I base that on the fact Dwayne is planning to take all five of his official visits, which, if he were 100 percent solid with Georgia I don't think he'd do. Also, he's spent a lot of time over the summer and during the first half of the football season visiting North Carolina, N.C. State and South Carolina, all of which are in close enough proximity to Fayetteville that it's not a long drive for him. He's spent more time at North Carolina than anywhere else to this point and has said on several occasions he's developed a good relationship with the new coaching staff there. Dwayne has remained firm about Georgia being his leader, but at this stage I think it's still anybody's game. I know Coach Amato and Coach Lilly were in attendance a couple of weeks back to watch Dwayne play in Lumberton, and Coach Inman told me at that time he expected Florida State would get one of his official visits. I think those schools (UNC, N.C. State, South Carolina, Florida State) along with Virginia Tech and Georgia are the main players for Dwayne right now.''

Red Zone TDs and TDs Scored Big Difference Between Two Teams

Won/Loss Record: FSU- 5-3 Boston College- 8-0

Home Record- FSU- 3-1 Boston College- 5-0

Road Record- 2-2 Boston College- 3-0

Points Per Game: FSU- 23.9 Boston College- 32

Passing Yardage: FSU- 1,953 Boston College- 2,461

Rushing Yardage; FSU- 1,005 Boston College- 1,017

Penalty Yards: FSU- 605 Boston College- 495

Fumbles Lost: FSU- 10 Boston College- 4

Third Down Pct: FSU- 33% Boston College- 43%

Fourth Down Pct: FSU- 40% Boston College- 62%

Field Goals Pct: FSU 81% Boston College- 78%

Red-Zone Scores: FSU- 79% Boston College- 81%

Red-Zone TDs: FSU- 41% Boston College- 64%

TDs Scored: FSU- 20 Boston College- 34

FSU It's Time Play Of The Game:FSU-Duke

Was there really a significant play of the game in the FSU-Duke game? Not really. But let's make the touchdown scored by FSU early in the third quarter that put the Noles ahead 16-0 the play of the game. With FSU looking at second down and eight at the Duke nine yard line, wide receiver Preston Parker took a quick pitch from Drew Weatherford in the left flat and turned it into a 9-yard scoring play. It did have significance in that this was the first offensive touchdown scored by the Noles in more than five quarters.

"to have a successful year you've got to win the close games."

Excerpts from Bobby Bowden conference with media. Not sure how to read Bowden's comments regarding Greg Carr:

Q: The schedule you have coming up - with road games to Boston College, Virginia Tech and Florida - you've got a chance to end the season on a high note, don't you?

A: You're dealing with the upper crust now. First thing I thought of is that used to be us. People used to have to deal with us. We were there. Every Saturday, every Saturday. Aiming at Florida State. Aiming at Florida State. Now here it is the other way around. We're aiming at them. It will be a great challenge. I don't know how we came out on injuries last night. I saw [Richard] Goodman on crutches. I didn't get to see Antone after the game. He came limping off the field. I hope it's nothing.

Q: How much is the lack of touchdowns in the red zone a case of when you get down there, you're just trying to come away with something so you play it safe?

A: There's two ways of looking at it. I think Jimbo [Fisher] looks at it one way, and I look at it the same way he does. When I get down there, I don't want to come away with nothing. That is a morale factor for the defense of the other team if you go down there and can't get in. So in the back of your mind, you're thinking, "Don't do anything stupid. Don't do anything stupid." Then you're a little bit more cautious than normal. The other way is, "We're going to go after a touchdown, and we don't care what happens." Well, they might get more touchdowns, but they might lose the ball more too. So there's a couple ways of looking at it. At least we came out of it with points each time except once.

Q: The next three teams you have to play - Boston College, Virginia Tech and Maryland -- none of them have had a lot of success offensively against good defenses. Can you talk about how precious those points will be in these next three games?

A: There's no doubt about it. And it goes back to, to have a successful year you've got to win the close games. That is the key. But you need to come out of there with seven instead of three, or else it won't become a close game.

Q: What's the status of Greg Carr. He didn't play with that sprained wrist.

A: Carr could have played, and I think he wanted to play. He's a hard kid to read. But he didn't practice much this past week, which made us mad. So we held him out. But if something urgent had come up, we'd have put him in. But I really don't know how effective he would have been. I don't know how effective he'll be this week. It's just according to how tough he is with that hand. He had it in a cast all week. They took it off about Thursday and put a soft cast on there. He didn't seem to respond to it too well.

Q: Boston College is coming off of that big win against Virginia Tech. Their quarterback is pretty good, isn't he?

A: Boy, he is tough. You know to me, they've passed every test there is. What worse place could you put Boston College in than to be in Blacksburg, Va., the crowd's all for them, a rainy night - a good passer doesn't like to see rain all that much - that's as adverse a situation as you could put a team that plays like they do. And they still won the game. They're passing all the tests. It seems like every year there's some team where it seems to be their year. And Boston College has met every challenge this year that they've faced.

Q: What makes you say Matt Ryan is the best passer in college football? What jumps out at you?

A: Accuracy. And awareness in the pocket. He doesn't like to run, but when he does run, it's usually effective because he's intelligent. He makes great decisions with the ball. And can put that ball right on the button.

Q: Was last night kind of a perfect example of why you went back to Drew?

A: Yeah, I guess. To me, it's like pushing a button on a machine - you push a six and you get a six. What kills you is you push a six and you get a seven. This dog-gone thing's broke. There's something wrong here. With Drew, I feel like if you push a six, you might get six. He executes [the offense] better.

Dogs Bite Gators

The Georgia Bulldogs behind redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno ran over UF's helpless defense, and Georgia knocked the Gators close to the brink of elimination in the SEC East race with a 42-30 victory before 84,481 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. It was Florida head coach Urban Meyer's first loss to a rival (Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State) and it was Georgia's first victory in the series since 2004 and only third in the last 18 games. "It hurts a lot," UF quarterback Tim Tebow said, fighting back tears at the postgame podium.

Monday Morning Quarterback: FSU-Duke Game

Noles got the win which was the most important goal on Saturday:

Offensive Line: Running game and passing game was good so line was doing something right. Duke only had one sack.
Grade: B

Running Game: Antone Smith had another good game although it was against a horrible Duke defense.
Grade: B+

QB: Drew put up good numbers and had no interceptions. He did throw quite a few balls high.
Grade: B+

Offensive Coaching: Points on the board were less than average scoring by other Duke opponents.
Grade: B

Receivers: De'Cody Fagg had great night and Parker had another good game with Carr out. All the reception yards resulted in only one TD.
Grade:B+

Defense and Defensive Coaching: Defense played good game but let shutout get away from them.
Grade: B

Intangibles: Penalties were once again too many.
Grade: C-

Special Teams Play: Cismesia had good game but once again special teams were fooled by fake kick.
Grade: B-

Duke Game Balls

Game balls for the Duke game go to the following:

Drew Weatherford- Had 339 passing yards,was 35 for 47,and had 1 TD.

Antone Smith- Smith had 146 yards rushing in the game with a 30 yard gain as his longest of the night.

De'Cody Fagg- 134 receiving yards on 9 catches.

Gary Cismesia- Missed one field goal but made four and scored all of the nine Nole points in the first half.

Honorable Mentions: Richard Goodman for his 11 receptions and Preston Parker for his 8 catches.

BC Remains At Number 2 In Coaches Poll

1. Ohio State 9-0

2. Boston College 8-0

3. LSU 7-1

4. Oregon 7-1

5. Oklahoma 7-1

6. Arizona State 8-0

7. West Virginia 7-1

8. Kansas 8-0

9. Missouri 7-1

10. Georgia 6-2

11. Hawaii 8-0

12. Texas 7-2

13. Virginia Tech 6-2

14. Michigan 7-2

15. Southern California 6-2

16. Auburn 6-3

17. Florida 5-3

18. Alabama 6-2

19. Wisconsin 7-2

20. Connecticut 7-1

21. South Florida 6-2

22. Boise State 7-1

23. Kentucky 6-3

24. Clemson 6-2

25. South Carolina 6-3

Can Robinson Keep The Streak Going?

Sophomore corner Patrick Robinson is full of surprises. The first came when he switched his commitment from the Gators to the Noles in 2006. Now he is a pleasant surprise as he has four interception in four games. The latest came against Duke and matches Roger Williams team-high total for the 2006 season. Robinson, who has "Miami" tattooed in script down his left forearm, has emerged as a top corner for the Noles. Why the Miami tattoo? "I got that in the spring,"he told the media. "I am just trying to represent the hometown."

At Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep, Robinson was known for his blazing speed and quickness. That speed was very evident on the football field in his last two seasons in high school with Robinson recording 11 interceptions on defense and over 10 touchdowns on offense. His first year at FSU in 2006, Robinson played in 12 of Florida State's 13 games as a back-up to Tony Carter at the field corner position. He recorded 11 tackles, one tackle for minus yardage and one blocked kick. He blocked a PAT against Clemson that was returned for a defensive score by Tony Carter. Robinson then returned a blocked PAT in the Seminoles' victory over Duke.

In the upcoming game against Boston College, someone like Robinson or Tony Carter needs to have a big game against Matt Ryan. In his last game against Virginia Tech, Matt Ryan was intercepted twice. Can Robinson make it a five game streak against the Eagles?

Ryan Getting Rave Reviews

So where does Boston College QB Matt Ryan stand in regard to top ranked QBs who will be drafted into the NFL? One NFL draft site has Matt Ryan as the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. This is what they say about Ryan. "Ryan might be the best quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft. Matt Ryan has an NFL caliber arm and is a natural leader." Another NFl draft site has Ryan ranked as the Number 2 QB in the 2008 draft behind Kentucky's Andre Woodson. NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper has Matt Ryan as his number one QB. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Columnist Mark Bradley has high praise for Ryan."I think Matt Ryan is the best passing college quarterback I’ve ever seen in person." (Note that I didn’t say the best quarterback per se: I’ve also seen Archie and Peyton Manning, Charlie Ward, Matt Leinart and Vince Young. They were pretty good, too.)

"Matty Ice" Hype Begins

Looks as if Boston College is pulling out all the stops in promoting Matt Ryan for the Heisman trophy. Beginning yesterday, fans and media now have 24-hour access to video highlights, updated biographical information, statistics and other information about Heisman Trophy candidate QB Matt Ryan on a new website, www.mattyice.com.

"Matty Ice," as his teammates call him, may have positioned himself as the Heisman frontrunner Thursday night when he engineered one of the great comebacks in BC football history, leading the second-ranked Eagles to a 14-10 win at No. 8 Virginia Tech. Down 10-0 with 4:11 left in the game, Ryan led the Eagles on a nine-play, 92-yard scoring drive in 2:05. Then, after BC recovered an onside kick, he put together a seven-play, 66-yard drive that culminated with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Andre Callender with 11 seconds remaining in the game. He finished the game 25-52 for 285 yards and two touchdowns.

Ryan has been the subject of intense national media attention the past two weeks, being featured in USA Today, ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated and others. He has led Boston College to its best start (8-0) and highest national ranking since the 1942 season.

Noles-Boston College Game Set For ABC At 8 P.M.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced that the Florida State-Boston College Nov. 3 football game will be televised by ABC. Kickoff time is set for 8 p.m.

Wake Wins Again...Virginia Loses...BC Takes Down Hokies

Kevin Marion returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, Josh Adams rushed for two scores and Wake Forest routed North Carolina 37-10 on Saturday. Linebacker Aaron Curry returned one of his two interceptions 77 yards for a touchdown - the Demon Deacons' ninth non-offensive TD of the season. Riley Skinner completed 12 of 15 passes for 133 yards to help Wake Forest (6-2, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) win its sixth straight and remain behind only unbeaten Boston College in the Atlantic Division race.

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James Davis backed up his guarantee of a Clemson victory, running for 129 yards and a touchdown to lead the Tigers past Maryland 30-17 Saturday. Clemson (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 20-3 at halftime and coasted. Cullen Harper threw two touchdown passes to tie the single-season school record of 21, set by Woodrow Dantzler in 2001 and matched by Charlie Whitehurst in 2003. Maryland (4-4, 1-3) scored on its first drive, but lost the ball twice and committed several costly penalties as the Tigers built their lead in the first half. The Terrapins scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after Clemson went up 30-3
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Daniel Evans threw for a career-high 347 yards and three touchdowns, two to Donald Bowens, to lead North Carolina State past No. 21 Virginia 29-24 on Saturday. Bowens finished with 11 catches for 202 yards for the Wolfpack (3-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a nine-game conference losing streak that dated to the middle of last season.
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On Thursday night football, Matt Ryan bought some time, scrambling to his left away from the Virginia Tech rush while searching for an open receiver. He found just what he was looking for, fired a pass all the way across the field and kept No. 2 Boston College perfect. The senior quarterback threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Andre Callender with 11 seconds left and the Eagles validated themselves as national title contenders with an improbable 14-10 victory over No. 8 Virginia Tech.

Field Goal U...Special Teams Fooled Again...Carr Misses Game

The field goals scored by Gary Cismesia last night are significant from the standpoint of the Noles not being able to score TDS within the vicinity of the red zone. An interesting stat puts it into perspective. FSU has scored 25 of 31 times in the red zone, but only 12 of those scores have been touchdowns. In November field goals will not be enough.

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How does the saying go? Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Well, the Noles special teams were fooled for the second week in a row with a fake kick. The Blue Devils executed a fake punt midway through the second quarter. On fourth-and-6 from the Duke 27-yard line, Devils punter Kevin Jones threw a 15-yard pass to receiver Eron Riley.
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In what was really not much of a surprise, Greg Carr, who leads the Seminoles in receiving yards (549) and touchdown receptions (three), did not play Saturday because of a sprained wrist.

Noles Dominate In Stats

First Downs: FSU- 30 Duke- 9

Net Yards Rushing: FSU- 195 Duke- 9

Net Yards Passing: FSU- 213 Duke- 339

Total Offense Yards- FSU- 534 Duke- 222

Third Down Conversions: FSU- 44% Duke- 17%

Red Zone Chances/Scores- FSU- 71% Duke- 100%

Penalty Yards: FSU- 60 Duke- 50

Hayes And Watson Defensive Leaders

Defensive leaders for Noles in Duke game:

Geno Hayes- 6 tackles (4 solo), tackle for loss for 1 yard

Dekoda Watson- 4 tackles (2 solo), sack for nine yards, 1.5 tackles for loss for 9 yards

Derek Nicholson- 4 tackles

Patrick Robinson- 3 tackles (2 solo), interception

Budd Thacker- 3 tackles (2 solo), tackle for loss for 1 yard

Toddrick Verdell- 3 tackles (2 solo)

Penalties And Fumbles Concern For Noles

9- Number of yards rushing by Duke.

30- number of first downs by FSU.

1- Number of interceptions by Noles.

5- Number of field goal attempts by FSU.

4- Number of field goals made by Noles.

1- Number of passing TDs by FSU.

2- Number of fumbles and fumbles lost by FSU.

60- Number of penalty yards on Noles.

New Poll: Is Weatherford The QB In November?

There is a new poll question:"Do you agree that Weatherford is the QB to lead the Noles in November?"

Noles Make Duke Blue 25-6

The good news is that the Noles are 5-3 and beat Duke 25-6. However, before the Nole nation gets too giddy, let's consider a few facts. Duke ranked 104 out of 119 major universities in pass defense. Opponents have passed for 272 yards a game against Duke. FSU exceeded that with Drew passing for 339 yards. In rush defense, Duke ranked 74th in the nation and was allowing 166 yards a game by opponents. FSU exceeded that by rushing for 195 yards. In points scored by opponents, Duke ranked 100 in the nation allowing 33 points a game. The Noles underperformed in that category when compared to other Duke opponents by scoring 25 points.

This is a team that somehow cannot seem to put points on the board in the red zone. Tonight they put up a lot of yards against a terrible defense and yet still managed to score only twenty-five points. Weatherford played ok but one has to ask how would Lee have played against this Duke defense?

If you watched Sun Sports and the interview with Bobby Bowden immediately after the game you saw in my opinion a lack of class in his statements. He sang the praises of Weatherford and managed to take a swipe at Lee. The swipe was when he made a comment about Drew as a QB not losing the game. Wonder if Bobby remembers all the games that Drew has lost as a starting QB? This in my opinion is bush league behavior by a coach.

GameDay Facts: FSU-Duke

Kickoff: 8:05 p.m. EST

Television: ESPNU

ESPNU Announcers: Dave Armstrong (play-by-play), Larry Coker (analyst) and Mike Gottfried (analyst)

Site: Doak Campbell Stadium at Bobby Bowden Field, Tallahassee,Fl.

Stadium Capacity: 82,300

Surface: Natural grass

Coaches: Bobby Bowden (297-84-4 in 32nd year at FSU) and Ted Roof (6-40 in fourth year as head coach at Duke).

Line: FSU by 17

All-Time Series: FSU is 15-0 in series with Duke.

Stat that matters: FSU has never lost a game to the Duke Blue Devils.

Key Stat: FSU is averaging over 500 yards of total offense in its last three games versus Duke.

Last game against Duke: Florida State won 51-24 at Duke.

Game Day Weather: Partly cloudy. Lows 52 to 55 inland. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Noles Looking To Move Game...Thacker Back...Bowden One Behind Joe Pa

The Tampa Tribune reports that T.K. Wetherell has indicated that FSU is looking at moving the Colorado game to either Tampa or Jacksonville next year. FSU hasn't played a game in Tampa since defeating Arizona State 31-3 on Sept. 15, 1979. The school has been in talks with Colorado and both Jacksonville and Tampa officials about moving next year's game from Tallahassee. FSU is looking to play a game at a neutral site rather than have eight games at home next season.

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Sophomore defensive tackle Budd Thacker returns to the Seminoles' lineup after missing the last four games because of injury.
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My guess is that most Nole fans are not thinking about Bobby Bowden's NCAA won-loss record. However, it seems to be a major issue with Bobby Bowden. Bowden currently has a one-game lead over Penn State's Joe Paterno in their contest to be major college coaching's biggest winner