Defense Gets Best Of Offense In Garnet And Gold Game

FSU Sports Information Excerpts:

In front of approximately 30,000 fans and under the bright lights, the Seminole defense shone brighter than the postgame fireworks that lit up the Tallahassee sky Saturday night in the 2008 Garnet & Gold scrimmage. The defense, or Gold team, defeated the Garnet/offense 22-12 in the final practice of the spring. FSU's defense recorded 11 sacks and picked off two passes.

"The defense did a tremendous job I thought," said Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden. "They did a tremendous job. I don't think the offense scored until they got in the red zone. That's happened all year; we get out in the middle of the field and we move the ball but don't score. Then we get in the red zone where it would be tougher to score and we score. Maybe we will get something out of it."

"I'm not sure how we came out as a team as a defensive unit until we look at the tape," said defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews. "You try to use the scrimmage, the spring game, as your final evaluation. It looked like we played pretty good when we defended on the field."

The Seminole defensive line stole the show versus an undermanned group on the offensive side of the ball. With Daron Rose out, some of FSU's offensive linemen were forced into double duty. Ryan McMahon started at center with the ones and played at tackles with the twos. Rodney Hudson played with both units at times as well. That allowed the Seminoles defenders to rack up 11 sacks.

"I thought the big difference is the line of scrimmage," said Bowden. "The defensive line did a good job. The quarterbacks hardly ever had time to set their feet. I wonder how many passes they threw tonight where they could plant their feet. They were harassed pretty good.

"Again, I thought the mismatch tonight was our defensive front. I thought that was a mismatch. I think he (Coach Trickett) played eight offensive linemen for 10 positions - it should be 10 at the least. So you had guards playing tackle and centers playing tackle and so you lose a lot of continuity right there. I think it shows."

Kendall Smith was one of the stars for the defense as he was tied for the team lead in tackles (4), sacks (2) and tackles for loss (2). Neefy Moffett also had two sacks while Myron Rolle, Dekoda Watson and Darius McClure each had four tackles as well.

"I thought we did real well actually," said defensive lineman Budd Thacker. "We were definitely getting heat on the quarterback which is what we've been trying to accomplish all spring, getting more pressure on the quarterback. We got better at that and our [defensive backs] played good ball. We basically went out there and played Seminole football."

"Defense came with way more blitzes then what they have been doing," said quarterback D'Vontrey Richardson. "We just got to continue to watch film over this little break and learn how to pick it up. We can't hold our heads down; we've just got to pick it up a little more."

Richardson and Christian Ponder combined to go 23 of 44 for 270 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Ponder was 12-of-19 for 140 yards and the redshirt sophomore posted a QB rating of 131.89.

"I think they (the quarterbacks) had so much pressure of them they were not able to show really what they could do," said Bowden. "I'm sure statistically and point wise it was probably the least production we had in maybe every scrimmage. We probably had another one like this but we had our good days, too. I think it give us something good to build on."

"I think I didn't do as well as I should have," said Ponder. "I never really got comfortable or into the rhythm. I missed a couple throws and a couple of reads on some things, but I didn't do that bad. I think I could have done better than I did."

Preston Parker and Taiwan Easterling led the way for the offense. Parker had six catches for 76 yards and the lone touchdown and that came in red zone when Ponder hit him on the first play for a 20-yard score. Easterling posted big numbers as well. The redshirt freshman caught five balls for 81 yards for an average of 16.7 yards per reception.

"He really was (Taiwan Easterling was in the middle of many big plays)," said Bowden. "He was kind of the offensive star tonight."

"I gained a lot of confidence by coming out here and showing I can do it a little bit," said Easterling. "It really helped me out a lot so I've got to come out and just work during the summer and just take it up another step, just keep working hard."

The next time the Seminoles will get together as an entire team for practice will be in August when two-a-days begin and the squad begins to prepare for its September 6 opener versus Western Carolina.