Two- A- Days Begin

The Seminole football team continued practicing for the season opener versus Clemson on Tuesday. It was the first of five scheduled two-a-day practices. The morning session started a little earlier and lasted 24 periods once again. The evening session will get underway at 6:15 p.m. and last 18 periods. There will be a brief report following the second practice but there will be no more quotes from players or coaches today.

PRACTICE NOTES:

Antone Smith (hamstring) participated in most of practice today.

Many of the Seminoles who are returning from off-season surgery did not practice in both sessions. Players like Marcus Ball, Derek Nicholson and Anthony Houllis were held out of the first session but are expected to participate tonight.

In 11-on-11 Weatherford completed passes to Fagg and Goodman. Lee hit McDaniel twice. On the first, the receiver turned a short pass into a big gainer and on the second he hit McDaniel deep. Russell Ball had two impressive runs including one he broke for a TD with a vicious cut back move. For the defense Moffett had a big hit in the backfield when he read a reverse and stuck the ball carrier knocking the ball out. Moffett then scooped up the loose ball and scored it. Roger Williams recorded the only pick but he was the beneficiary of some great pressure applied by Toddrick Verdell.

The offense obviously was a little angry about scoring once in eight tries on Monday because it was the complete opposite Tuesday. The offense scored on all five of their first five attempts. Marcus Sims ran three in with the first team offense and Joe Surratt pounded one in as the first group went 4-for-4. After McDaniel scored on a run for the fifth straight TD, the defense shut the offense out on the final three plays and ended on a good note. On the last play Dekoda Watson got the ball carrier in the backfield, slammed him down and knocked the ball loose.

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

On the heat:

"Heat plays a role, no doubt about it. We started at 8:40 this morning instead of 9:20 you could really tell the difference. That first hour was fairly comfortable, and then it got back into the heat again."

On morning practice:

"We spent a lot of time on kicking, course we'll come out this afternoon. Mostly in the morning we'll feature our running more `cause we're in full pads. And in the afternoon we'll feature our passing more `cause we'll be in shells."

"They Need To Get Nasty... "

“We got about some of the nicest kids we ever had. We really have, and that's great. But they need to get nasty when they walk through those gates.”
Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews

Trickett Yapping

It's not often that a football coach is compared to a dog but that is what happened at FSU Fan Day on Sunday. Offensive guard Shannon Boatman drew some laughs when he compared always yapping, constantly moving offensive line coach Rick Trickett to a Chihuahua. "He's a tough little man," Boatman said of Trickett. Wonder if Boatman will hear Trickett barking out extra laps for that remark?

Noles Begin Second Week Of Practice

Monday it was back to business as the squad practiced 24 periods in pads. It was the second straight full pad practice and the last single before tomorrow's two-a-day session. Florida State will practice for 24 periods in pads at 8:40 a.m. and then come back in shells for a 6:15 p.m., 18-period practice on Tuesday.

PRACTICE NOTES:
Antone Smith (hamstring) was dressed again on Monday and was involved in limited drills.

Tight end Jonathan Hannah continued to participate in non-contact drills but he is still not in full pads.

11-on-11 featured a few highlights. Weatherford hit running backs Ball and Marcus Sims on swing passes and Ponder connected with Shaw and Josh Dobbie, who made a great catch. On the other side of the ball Brown had a tackle for loss and a sack. Justin Mincey and Alex Boston recorded QB pressures and Thacker hit Ball immediately after the back hauled in a pass behind the line of scrimmage.

Goal line got off to a good start for the offense as Sims took the first handoff in for six but that was the last time the offense would hit pay dirt. On the second play the defense stuffed a run right up the middle. On the third try Brown once again made a huge play. The sophomore defensive end blew up a play in the backfield, knocked the ball loose and Roger Williams recovered the fumble. On the fourth play Sims was gang tackled at the one yard line. Verdell and Jeremy Franklin made the next two stops and then combined to take down Ball about six inches shy of the goal line, which got the offense complaining to the refs about the spot. The drill and practice ended on another turnover as Eli Charles caused a fumble that was recovered by Michael Ray Garvin.

Bobby Bowden Quotes:
Okay, I guess tomorrow we start two-a-days. Last week I thought it was today, but two-a-days you have to go every other day, you can't do them consecutively. Practice is very much the same program we had last week. You know they picked up a little bit. They're learning it, making enough mistakes you couldn't win if you were playing today. But if we can keep eliminating, keep eliminating, keep eliminating. Too many fumbles, too many fumbles down on the goal line, things like that. The kids still, I'm amazed the way they handled the heat. That's been a plus."

Tigers Hold Scrimmage

Clemson freshman Willy Korn threw three touchdown passes in Clemson's scrimmage on Saturday while starter Cullen Harper had two. Harper, who came into the fall as the team's No. 1, connected with Jacoby Ford for a 6-yard TD and Durrell Barry for a 3-yard TD. Harper, a junior, was 8 of 11 for 80 yards.

"The quarterbacks played well. They made some good throws and some good reads," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "They got the offense in the end zone a couple of times."

Kicker Mark Buchholz had field goals of 22 and 28 yards and put two kickoffs into the end zone. College football kicks off from the 30-yard line this year, five yards further back than before.

The Tigers will go through two more scrimmages at Memorial Stadium before they open the season Sept. 3 against the Noles.

"I Just Wish We Were A Bit More Mentally Tough"

“I just wish we were a bit more mentally tough. Physically, we've got ability, we've got enough ability to win, that's not going to be the issue. We're not anywhere close to where we need to be, mental toughness wise. I've had guys with way less ability, and won a lot of ball games.”
Offensive Line coach Rick Trickett regarding mental toughness of his players

"Shocking" News

It must be slow for the media currently. Most of the dailies have a story regarding the fact that Xavier Lee was definitely thinking about leaving FSU last year. What a "shocker"! Stop the presses.

Lee said Sunday that he was "very close" to transferring after the 2006 season.

"If coach [Jimbo] Fisher wasn't here, I wouldn't be here," said Lee, who had grown impatient under the direction of former quarterback coach Darryl Dickey and offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden.

Is The Sky Falling?

Everyone from ACC Commissioner John Swofford to Duke head coach Ted Roof believe this ACC football season will be better than the last.Some football analysts and columnists however seem to think the sky is falling.

They say that the ACC has nowhere to go but up. They point to the measure of a conference's strength in its record against the other Bowl Championship Series conferences (and Notre Dame)..In the ACC's case, that makes 2006 an unqualified disaster. The league went 4-12 against its BCS brethren during the regular season. That ranks sixth, out of six, among the BCS conferences.

The Big East on the other hand, which also went 5-0 in the bowl games, ranked first with a 11-7 mark, edging the SEC (9-6) by percentage points.The ranking doesn't get any better when you consider the ACC's record vs. the rest of I-A in 2006. The league went 17-6, which in terms of percentage points, also ranks sixth (the Big 12 went 20-6 with the benefit of playing three more I-A non-conference opponents).The only good news for the ACC was it went 3-3 in the bowls, which was a better mark than the Big 12 (3-5) and Big 10 (2-5).

These "the sky is falling" gurus seem to believe that teams such as perennial powerhouses Miami and FSU will stay down. As Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend! They seem to forget the years that FSU and Miami were in the national championship hunt. The last time I checked the SEC has its share of "frogs". Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt are not exactly teams that put fear into the hearts of opposing teams. The SEC has been down in the past but I did not hear this cry from these same so called "experts." I for one do not think the sky is falling in the ACC. As they say, we shall see.

Fisher Silences Players And Hannah Begins Practice

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher barred his players from speaking to the media because he was so upset with their effort in the fifth day of preseason camp. In an equal opportunity move,defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews was equally upset and kept his group for extra work.This despite the fact that the defense had allowed only one TD in goal line drills.

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Tight end Jonathan Hannah participated in Saturday's practice in shorts and jersey - his first day of working out with his new team. The junior college transfer who originally signed and played with South Carolina showed he can catch the football in limited work.

Hannah must comply with the NCAA acclimation guidelines that require players to gradually work toward wearing full pads on the fifth day.

Noles Wrap Up Day Five Of Practice

On Saturday morning the Seminole football team really started to get down to work as they put on full pads for 24 periods and had the most physical practice to date. The return to pads also brought a return to 3-on-3 drills and goalline. There were also a ton of big hits in 11-on-11 and goalline. The team will not practice Sunday as they participate in media day and the Seminole Superstars Strength and Skills competition as a part of fan day.

PRACTICE NOTES:

Kevin McNeil (shoulder) and Antone Smith (hamstring) both dressed on Saturday but both were limited to non-contact drills as they nurse minor injuries.

Marcus Ball had some soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Preston Parker came out to practice wearing a cast on his left hand but participated in all 24 periods.

Junior tight end Jonathan Hannah caught passes for the first time today but was unable to practice in full pads yet.

After pass drills the practice moved into 11-on-11. Parker had a nice run and freshman Bert Reed showed his toughness taking three big hits on a short gainer but never going down. Williams got the defense cheering with the biggest play of the drill. He knifed into the backfield, hit the receiver just as he caught the swing pass and then picked up the ball he jarred loose for the turnover.

For the first time the team worked in goalline to close out the practice. Letroy Guion got things started on the right foot for the D. The junior got to the running back right as he was taking the handoff and broke up the play. He knocked the ball loose and recovered the fumble three yards behind the line. Roger William and Derek Nicholson combined for a tackle behind the line, Darius McClure recorded a big hit at the line and Jeremy Franklin made a last ditch tackle at the goalline to save a TD. Russell Ball was the only offensive player to get into the endzone as he went around the right end. Xavier Lee also scored over the top on a busted play but with the defense unable to touch him due to the green jersey, they lobbied for that score not to count.

Bobby Bowden Quotes:

"It was hot as fire. I thought we stood that part okay. Got a lot of work to do. We'll start two-a-days I guess Monday. Kids will be off, well they'll be in meetings this afternoon, but won't practice this afternoon."

On Letroy Guion:

"Guion, think he is probably, in my opinion, second best tackle out there, behind Fluellen, the way it looks to me. That's true, he's been handicapped with injuries of and on ever since he's been here.

On the first week of practice:
"I guess we got out of it everything we supposed to get out of it. You know you're never satisfied. Always like to see it better. But with the heat like it is, it could have been worse. And so I guess ought to be happy with that part."

It's Good To Be King

Sports columnist Stewart Mandel decided to rank the "prestige level" of all 66 BCS schools (including Notre Dame) by dividing them into four tiers. Here are his "kings":

Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and USC.

Clemson Players Hosed And BC May get Hosed

Miami defensive tackles Chris Perry, Teraz McCray and Josh Holmes, safeties Lovon Ponder and Anthony Reddick along with linebacker Romeo Davis all missed practice with injuries. Head coach Randy Shannon would not comment on the severity of any injuries. When asked whether any players would need surgery, Shannon responded, "I'm not going to talk about any of that stuff."

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The Clemson Tigers held two practices Friday to make up for canceling Thursday night’s session because of heat. That night, coach Tommy Bowden gathered the team on the field, then had a fire truck come from behind a fence and hose off players.
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Boston College committed an NCAA rules violation yesterday, allowing former NFL offensive line coach and consultant Alex Gibbs to interact with players on the field. When it was realized that a violation had occurred, Gibbs - a friend and mentor to BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinski during their time with the Atlanta Falcons -was asked to leave the field. BC then reported itself to the ACC. Temporary consultants such as Gibbs are allowed to work with coaches but not players. The secondary violation was that, with Gibbs effectively coaching the players on the field, BC exceeded the number of coaches allowed under NCAA rules - one head coach, nine assistants and four graduate assistants.

Moving Day For Boatman And Noles Land Another Commit

Senior Shannon Boatman has moved from offensive tackle to guard on Friday in what is FSU's last practice before working in full pads. Boatman also saw playing time at right tackle. “We're trying to get the best guys on the field,” Fisher said. “He's a big guy inside that has power and is flexible. He can do some things in there. We're trying to put everybody in the best position possible.”

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Sophomore tailback Russell Ball, who is trying to come back from his second reconstructive knee surgery, was the offensive star of the day. He made several great moves in the open field and broke two long runs.
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FSU received its 16th verbal commitment for the 2008 class on Friday when Gainesville (Ga.) defensive end Keith Wells committed to the Seminoles. “They showed a genuine interest,” Wells said at a press conference broadcast on warchant.com. “I have been to a lot of places, a lot of colleges, throughout the spring and the summer, and the feeling I got at Florida State I didn’t get anywhere else.” Wells is ranked the fifth-best weakside DE in the nation according to rivals.com.

Day Four Practice Report

For the second day in a row the entire FSU football team took to the practice fields for 24 periods in shells. Many of the biggest highlights came from the defensive side of the ball after the offense had a pretty successful outing the day before. The Seminoles will put on full pads for the first time when they hit the fields at 9:20 a.m. Saturday. Sunday the team will not practice as they take part in media day and fan day.

Notes:

Kevin McNeil sat out Friday's practice due to a minor shoulder injury and he will be re-evaluated Saturday. Antone Smith practiced but was held out after a minor injury to his hamstring.

In skeleton drills Drew Weatherford hit Goodman twice and also connected with Joslin Shaw and Rod Owens. Weatherford also connected with De'Cody Fagg on the biggest pass play of the drill for a long TD. Lee completed passes to Carr and Damon McDaniel. Carr made another great catch later in the period going down and digging out a ball from Richardson. For the defense Roger Williams broke up a pass and on the play the receiver was crushed by Anthony Houllis who knocked his helmet off with the hit. The biggest play was turned in by Toddrick Verdell though who batted away a pass and stayed with the ball picking it off and taking it back for a TD with his fellow defenders running all the way with him.

The practice concluded with 11-on-11, which was mainly controlled by the Seminole defense. The offense was able to put together a few nice plays. Ball had the biggest run taking a carry to the endzone. Weatherford and Fagg connected on an underneath route and then Weather ford completed a deeper ball to Owens who was promptly hit by rover Myron Rolle. Seddrick Holloway had a good gainer on the ground and Christian Ponder completed a pass to Greg Carr who had a productive day. Defensively Watson had another big hit in the backfield that had the defense celebrating. Justin Mincey also made a nice play getting into the backfield, jumping up and batting away a Lee pass.


Bobby Bowden Quotes:

"Today again, we're in shoulder pads and hats and tomorrow we'll be out full pads, practice at the same time. Tonight, the seniors will go out to my house for dinner."


On RB Antone Smith:

"I think Antone, kind of, you didn't see him work any, he had a slight, slight pull. He says he thinks he caught it before it did any damage. He missed a lot."

On the offensive line's quickness:

"I hope so. I think that's Trickett's thing. He wants them quicker, if he wants them quicker you've got to shed weight to get it. That's what he's working on."

On when he's picking a starting QB:

"What's the hurry? Twenty-five or six more days, haven't we? We're in no hurry."

Jimbo Fisher Quotes:

Starting QB:

We ain't scrimmaged yet; we've only been on four days of practice. I mean, take our time, make a right decision, make sure we do the right guy. Or right guys."

On Weatherford and Lee:

"I'm gonna tell you what, I was upset the first day. Second and third day got better. Today, made a few mistakes, but didn't let that affect them. It's like playing corner, playing quarterback sometimes you got to have a short memory in the way that, you got to remember what you did wrong and not make a mistake again, but you got to brush it off and go play the next play. Cause you got to make plays to win. And today's one of the first days that they made a couple big mistakes that I didn't like, got on'em extremely hard, and you know what they did? Instead of going in the tank, (they) came back and made some plays at the end. That's the way a football game's gonna go, you're not going to make all perfect plays. We just have to eliminate plays that beat us. Just not make it a terrible play--maybe a bad one, but not a terrible one. And stop it and then you gotta go back and keep making plays. And I was pleased in that avenue of it today. You know a football game's got ups and downs, you got to go through them."

Will It Be Thunder And Lightning At Clemson?

At Clemson, they are known by the nickname "Thunder and Lightning". This year there are big expectations from this duo.

James Davis, aka "Thunder," is a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder who broke tackles and shunt defenders for big gains a year ago. C.J. Spiller, the "Lightning" of the combo, has unbelievable speed and moves.

Davis said he has been told he and Spiller will play together this year instead of shuttling in and out as they did a year ago.

"It is exciting because it'll mess up the defense," Spiller said.

Last season, the pair combined for 1,525 yards and 23 touchdowns.

BC Takes On USC And Miami LB Out

After two months of negotiations over dates, Boston College and Southern California have agreed to a two-year series beginning in 2013 in Los Angeles and returning to Chestnut Hill in 2014. The arrangement was originally scheduled to begin in 2011, but USC couldn't clear the dates. "We went back and forth and we just couldn't get it done in 2011," BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo said yesterday. "But this will work out great."

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The University of Miami was dealt its first major injury of the season when coach Randy Shannon announced linebacker Glenn Cook will miss at least three games with an undisclosed injury. Cooker, a senior, did not participate in the scrimmage Thursday. He started 11 games last year and is among the most experienced defenders.
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Later this month, University of Miami trustees may decide if the Hurricanes should continue playing in the 70-year-old structure (Orange Bowl) that needs an estimated $206 million in repairs. The other option is moving 16 miles north to Dolphin Stadium — the home of the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins. If the Hurricanes stay, the city of Miami, which owns the Orange Bowl, has put together a plan to add suites, new restrooms and other amenities. If Miami leaves, the athletic department could gain another $2 million or more in extra revenue at Dolphin Stadium.

Players Vote

SI.com asked one starter from each of the 119 Division I-A football teams a series of questions about college football and the upcoming 2007 season. Here's some of the questions and their responses:

Which coach besides your own would you most like to play for?

Pete Carroll, USC: 28.6%
Urban Meyer, Florida: 10.9%
Joe Paterno, Penn State: 10.2%
Bobby Bowden, Florida State: 8.4%
Steve Spurrier, South Carolina: 6.7%
Jeff Tedford, Cal: 3.4%
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: 2.5%
Mack Brown, Texas: 2.5%
Nick Saban, Alabama: 2.5%

Do you agree with the NCAA's recent decision to ban text-messages in recruiting?

Yes: 53.8%
No: 41.2%

Do you read message boards or blogs where fans discuss your team?

Yes: 39.5%
No: 60.5%

Day Three Practice Report

The Seminoles were back out on the practice fields at 9:20 a.m. on Thursday. For the second day in a row the team practiced as a full squad for 24 periods. The players did have on shells for the first time so the level of hitting started to increase and that will continue up to Saturday when they don full pads for the first time. Tomorrow's practice will once again start at 9:20 and run for 24 periods.

The quarterbacks and receivers had one of their best periods so far working on timing and routes earning a lot of praise from offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. Drew Weatherford connected with Richard Goodman, Brandon Paul and De'Cody Fagg. Xavier Lee hit Shaw and Bert Reed while D'Vontrey Richardson hit Greg Carr and Rod Owens. Christian Ponder completed a nice pass to Damon McDaniel.

Bobby Bowden Quotes:
"Today was our first day in pads, not full pads, what we call shells. Helmets and shoulder pads and shorts. And that made you pick it up a degree physically. I thought the kids handled the heat pretty good again. That has impressed me so far. Coaches I've talked to around the country that are going through this heat problem--we're all facing a heat problem. But I thought our kids have stood up pretty good the first three practices. Tomorrow we'll go in shells again and the next day we'll be full pads."

On QBs:
You nearly wish the young guys [Richardson and Ponder] could get more reps, but you can't. You gotta get the first two [Lee and Weatherford] most of them, because that's who's gonna be playing in that first ball game. That's the advantage we had when we broke our squad up in half, they got all the reps, you know. But now you can't get it. But they're doing some good things, I really like these two young guys."

Norris Still A Nole And Carr Battling For Starting Position

D.J. Norris wil no longer be playing football at FSU. However, he will still be a part of the football team. Coach Bobby Bowden announced Wednesday after Florida State's second practice of the preseason that Norris, who is from Pace, will remain with the team as a student assistant.

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Greg Carr is in a battle to be a starting receiver. Richard Goodman was impressive during spring practice and has moved ahead of Carr in the depth charts. "Do I feel pressure? Sure, there's a lot of pressure," Goodman said. "We're very competitive. "We all want the opportunity to be out there. Where we are right now (on the depth chart) doesn't mean a whole lot."
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Despite the oppressive heat and humidity, no players missed practice on Wednesday. This despite the fact that the heat index reached 107 at the end of practice. The three players who were held out of practice the day before participated in practice Wednesday.

Colorado To Attack And Heat Gets to Gators

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said Wednesday during the school's media day activities that CU will play offensively in more of an "attack" mode this season.

"I've coached a little basketball in my day, and I'm not a guru," Hawkins explained, "but if I were a basketball coach, we'd run. We'd run. We'd attack and we'd run every time. We'd push the ball."

That frenetic pace was Hawkins' trademark when he went 53-11 in five seasons at Boise State.

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The oppressive heat that has gripped Gainesville this week finally got to a few Gators during Wednesday's practice.m Junior quarterback Bryan Waggener and junior offensive lineman Jim Tartt did not finish practice Wednesday due to "heat issues," according to Meyer. Temperatures hovered near the mid-90s on Wednesday with a heat index of over 100 degrees. "Our trainers do a great job with that," Meyer said.
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He came to Alabama as a quarterback. Then he switched to tailback during fall camp of his freshman season. Now, Jimmy Johns is a fullback. Coach Nick Saban made the revelation following practice Tuesday and on Wednesday, Johns was all smiles. "We're winners," Johns said when asked about his initial reaction to the move. "I'm a winner. I know Coach Saban is the same way. I didn't have a doubt."

Heat Is On At Clemson And NC State Holds First Scrimmage

Clemson held its first practice in full pads in near 100 degree heat on Wednesday afternoon. The practice was just two hours, the shortest of the preseason, due to exams that closed the second session of summer school at Clemson.

"We were a bit discombobulated because we had a lot of players either late or not here due to exams," said Head Coach Tommy Bowden. "We stressed tempo throughout and got some things done. It was the fifth straight day of practice in 90 degree heat.

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The Duke football team took to the practice field for the third time on Wednesday morning, donning helmets and shoulder pads after two days in just helmets and jerseys. Head coach Ted Roof has been pleased with the efforts of the rookie Blue Devils.

"So far, so good," said Roof of the freshmen. "We've really gone fast as far as installation goes."
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The University of Miami football team tested out its pads Wednesday morning, as the team underwent its first practice of the preseason in full pads.

"We did a lot of good things on offense, and the defense responded later on in practice," Miami head coach Randy Shannon said. "It was an up-and-down practice on both sides of the football. We had too many penalties on both sides of the football. It was too many things that we can control. We just have to bear down and get it done. But we'll be fine."

The Hurricanes worked for nearly two hours on an overcast day at the Greentree Practice Fields. The team went through several live situations and will hold its first closed scrimmage at 7:50 a.m. Thursday at Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables
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NC State football played its first fall scrimmage of the season Wednesday night at Carter-Finley Stadium. Toney Baker scored a pair of touchdowns to lead the offense, catching a 13-yard strike from Daniel Evans and rushing for another score.

Head coach Tom O'Brien and his Wolfpack squad went through an hour and a half scrimmage with O'Brien coming out afterwards talking of improving consistency across the board.

"They competed tonight and the biggest thing we have to do is be much more consistent," O'Brien said after the scrimmage. "We aren't very consistent on either side of the football and until we get that we can't be a good football team."

Tiger Injuries

Two Clemson football players are scheduled to undergo surgeries and a third left the team due to "family issues," Coach Tommy Bowden said after Wednesday's two-hour practice in heat that exceeded 100 degrees.

Sophomore defensive end Jamie Cumbie injured a shoulder Tuesday but didn't tell coaches until afterward. Freshman offensive tackle Landon Walker injured a knee that will require arthroscopic surgery. And freshman fullback Chad Diehl of Byrnes High School left the team Tuesday and returned to his home in Lyman.

Is Ponder In The QB Race?

"I'm going to tell you what,he's (Ponder) pushing.And I've been pleased with D'Vontrey. With the limited reps, the results are good. Sometimes he doesn't understand totally everything ... just because of reps. Ponder is really getting an understanding and has pushed himself into this race.”
Jimbo Fisher regarding QB Christian Ponder and redshirt freshmen QB D'Vontrey Richardson

Rules And Technology Helping To Beat Heat

In football, heat exhaustion is a dangerous reality. As we have seen in the last few days, FSU football players are dealing with a heat index well over 100 degrees. On top of all the pads and the sweltering heat—or underneath, to be more precise—are players who weigh over 300 pounds. Due to their body mass, these players, who generally serve as offensive and defensive linemen, face a high risk of suffering from heatstroke. Even players in top shape can be at high risk for a variety of reasons including if they reach critical dehydration because they sweat out fluids without properly replenishing. That is why a good strength and conditioning coach who monitors the players closely is vital.

Due to the concerns regarding heat,the NCAA has rules regarding preseason practice. The first three days are to be a conditioning period and the players are only allowed to wear T-shirts/jersey, shorts, shoes, helmets, and shoulder pads. On days that have multiple practice sessions, players must be provided with at least three continuous hours of recovery time between the end of the first and the start of the last practice that day.

And in yet another development, there is technology to assist with the problem of heat. University Applied Physics Laboratory worked closely with Goddard Space Flight Center(NASA) to develop the Ingestible Thermal Monitoring System. The resulting ¾-inch capsule consisted of a silicone coating on the exterior and a telemetry system, a microbattery, and a quartz crystal temperature sensor on the interior.

Once ingested and inside the gastrointestinal tract, the quartz crystal sensor vibrates at a frequency relative to the body’s temperature, producing magnetic flux and transmitting a harmless, low-frequency signal through the body. This signal can then be retrieved by a recorder, outside of the body, that displays the core body temperature reading with an accuracy to within one-tenth of a degree, Celsius.

Within 1 to 2 hours of ingesting, the CorTemp thermometer pill will reveal vital information necessary for the prevention and treatment of heat-related illnesses. (It will remain in an individual’s system for 18 to 30 hours, before passing safely.) The absence of catheters, probes, and wire connections allow team physicians and certified athletic trainers (ATCs) to noninvasively and wirelessly monitor the core body temperature of multiple athletes in real time during field play or practice. These medical professionals have several options and configurations for tracking athletes. The simplest is direct manual monitoring, whereby they hold the CorTemp Data Recorder (a physiological monitoring system) near the small of an athlete’s back.

The University of Florida has tried out the technology, as has the University of Connecticut, the University of Oklahoma, and West Chester University (Pennsylvania), all under a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sponsored study that has led to the development of new guidelines regarding the amount of time players can practice and the amount of padding they can wear during hot summer days.

In the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings are using the technology to monitor their players. According to published reports, all three teams are pleased with how the sensor pill is keeping their players safe from the heat. HQ, Inc., is currently talking with several other professional football teams about investing in its products.

Noles Conclude Second Day Of Practice

For the first time the entire Florida State football team took to the practice field as one unit. The Seminoles practiced for 24 periods this morning in helmets and shorts. The schedule will remain the same on Thursday but the team will put on shoulder pads for the first time.

The team once again opened the day working on special teams. With the full squad together for the first time the group of candidates to return kicks and punts started to emerge. Tony Carter, Damon McDaniel, Brandon Paul, Bernard Brinson and Russell Ball all worked as returners. The team then broke up into position groups.

Wide receivers and QB's worked together and then the offense worked some against the scout team before moving to inside drills.

Practice wrapped up with 11-on-11. Weatherford and Fagg combined for a couple hook-ups. On the second Fagg busted loose with a couple nice moves after the reception. Smith had another nice run as well. Defensively Guion recorded a sack as did Rodney Gallon. Gallon's sack was aided by heavy pressure from Kendrick Stewart and Justin Mincey.

In team announcements,Bobby Bowden announced that redshirt-junior tight end D.J. Norris will have a sixth shoulder surgery and will receive a medical disqualification. Linebacker Jae Thaxton has also been medically disqualified due to concussions.

Bobby Bowden on Practice:
"Practice wasn't bad today, I thought we moved around a little better, of course you had them all out here, which means they had more chance to rest while somebody else was running. The heat's very difficult again, gave'em a lot of breaks so they can get water, rest. They handled it pretty darn good, I was pleased with that. Now tomorrow we'll come out with shoulder pad and hats, in the morning, everybody."

Hall Impressed With Bama Offense And Hawkins Pleased

Everyone seems to be talking about wide receiver DJ Hall and the opportunity to write his name atop a couple of all-time lists in the Alabama football record book. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is on the verge of becoming the school's all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions. "With this offense," Hall said before Sunday's Fan Day practice at Bryant-Denny Stadium, "we'll put up a whole lot better numbers than we did (last season). It's a great offense. I can't wait for people to see it."

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Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins called Tuesday's afternoon session "one of the best practices we've had since I've been here in so many ways." ... As had been expected, defensive end Drew Hudgins has been ruled out for the season. Hudgins, who had 19 sacks last season at Highland Community College in Kansas, tore an Achilles tendon this summer.
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The Gators seem to have found some help for All-Southeastern Conference defensive end Derrick Harvey. Freshman Justin Trattou has impressed the coaches so much that they're already making plans for him to play a lot this season. "He's playing. You can write that down," Meyer said after Tuesday night's practice. "He's earned that right."

Extreme Heat And The Buck Is Back

If you want to know how conditioned players are, have them practice in conditions that included a heat index reading of 117 degrees and 96-percent humidity.That is what FSU's first- and second-teamers endured for more than 2 1/2 hours Tuesday morning.

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Former Nole and Packer great Terrell Buckley will offer his services as a student-assistant coach this fall. The former cornerback and Jim Thorpe award winner is at FSU completing his undergraduate degree this fall.
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Senior John Frady, who was the Seminoles' starting center last season, expects to be out of practice all month while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. He had been passed on the depth chart by redshirt freshman Ryan McMahon before the injury.

Toal Redshirts and Beamer Goes James Bond On Us

Boston College linebacker Brian Toal said he will be forced to sit out this season because of his injured right shoulder. Toal said,"I met with coach Jeff Jagodzinski] last week and we both agreed it would be best for everyone if I were to redshirt this upcoming season."

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Eight months later, Frank Beamer has offered an excuse for Virginia Tech's 31-24 loss to Georgia in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. The coach believes that spies may have been watching the Hokies' practices leading up to the game.

"We practiced out at Georgia Tech and we let all kinds of people through there ... people we didn't really know," Beamer told The Roanoke Times. "And I thought it hurt us in the bowl game. I'm not blaming anybody ... but I thought Georgia knew exactly what we were doing in several situations."
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Southern Pigskin has named its all ACC team of the decade (1997-2006) and of the twenty-seven players chosen, ten are Seminoles. They include Chris Weinke, Peter Warrick, and Sam Cowart among others.

"Fullbacks - We Don't Have Any Fullbacks"

"I think tight end and fullback are kind of thin. We only had two (tight ends) out there today and the heat got both of them. All of a sudden you don't have any tight ends. Fullbacks - we don't have any fullbacks - that's the way football is now-a-days anyway. You start playing three wide outs and the tight end comes out of the game - or the fullback comes out of the game. I guess it's kind of normal."
Bobby Bowden comments regarding the most pressing positions still to be decided

When Is A Gator A Rat?

Following up on our post yesterday regarding Jason Paul Rojas who was involved in hiding the FSU national championship Waterford crystal trophy, it turns out that this "upstanding" barrister was not truthful with his current employer.

Seems that Mr. Rojas is executive director of the legislative Hispanic caucus. Now the founder of the 15-member caucus, Miami Republican Rep. Juan Zapata, wants Rojas to lose his $55,000 a year job. Kudos to Mr. Zapata.

According to Zapata, Rojas failed to disolose his looming suspension. “It was a pretty lawyerly response: I'll show you I'm in good standing, but I won't show you that I'm facing a bar complaint,'' Zapata said. “This makes us all look bad at the caucus. We're doing criminal background checks on whomever we hire next."

I have a suggestion for Mr. Rojas. Let FSU hire him to polish the national championship trophy cases among his other janitor duties. Of course someone would have to keep a close watch on him. Once a rat always a rat.