Better know a ’12 opponent: Florida State
We’re back to the opponent previews today with Florida State.
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Coach: Jimbo Fisher (third season at Florida State, 19-8; assistant at FSU, LSU, Cincinnati, Auburn before that)
2011 record: 9-4 (5-3 ACC, t-2nd Atlantic), beat Notre Dame 18-14 in Champs Sports Bowl
Looking back: Florida State’s season followed a familiar script. The ‘Noles started the year ranked high (No. 6), lost a game to a top-notch opponent (in this case No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 21 Clemson), got knocked off by Wake Forest (which seems like an annual tradition now), before bouncing back to have a solid finish. There were reasons for that three-game swoon in September and October. Quarterback EJ Manuel was injured against Oklahoma and missed the Clemson game. Once Manuel settled in, and the defense started to dominate, FSU hit its stride, reeling off five straight wins, although only one came against a bowl team (N.C. State). A stunning 14-13 loss to Virginia at home capped the Seminoles’ conference slate. They’d close with wins against two big-name (albeit less-than-stellar) opponents, beating Florida 21-7 to cap the regular season and rallying with 15 fourth quarter points to beat Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl.
2011 stats/rankings:
- Rushing offense: 112.15 ypg (104th nationally, 10th ACC)
- Passing offense: 257.00 ypg (33rd nationally, 3rd ACC)
- Total offense: 369.15 ypg (77th nationally, 8th ACC)
- Scoring offense: 30.62 ppg (39th nationally, 3rd ACC)
- Rushing defense: 82.69 ypg (2nd nationally, 1st ACC)
- Passing defense: 192.31 ypg (20th nationally, 1st ACC)
- Total defense: 275.00 ypg (25th nationally, 1st ACC)
- Scoring defense: 15.08 ppg (4th nationally, 1st ACC)
- Turnover margin:.31 (37th nationally, 5th ACC)
Offensive starters returning/lost: 8/3
Defensive starters returning/lost: 8/3
Losses: RB Ty Jones (71 yards, TD), RB Jermaine Thomas (279 yards, TD), WR Bert Reed 29 catches, 403 yards, 5 TD), TE Beau Reliford (7 catches, 69 yards), OT Zebrie Sanders (1st ACC), OT Andrew Datko, LB Nigel Bradham (86 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INT), CB Mike Harris (58 tackles, 6 TFL, INT), SS Terrance Parks (47 tackles, INT), P Shawn Powell (1st ACC, 47.0 avg.)
Returnees: QB EJ Manuel (2,666 passing, 18 TD, 8 INT; 151 rushing, 4 TD), QB Clint Trickett (675 passing, 7 TD, 4 INT), RB Devonte Freeman (579 yards, 8 TD), RB Chris Thompson (83 yards, TD, missed 7 games with back injury), RB James Wilder Jr. (160 yards, TD), FB Lonnie Pryor (74 yards, 2 TD), WR Rashad Greene (38 catches, 596 yards, 7 TD), WR Willie Haulstead (38 catches, 587 yards, 5 TD in 2010, missed 2011 with concussion), WR Rodney Smith (36 catches, 561 yards, 4 TD), WR Kenny Shaw (34 catches, 418 yards, 4 TD), C Bryan Stork, RG Garrett Faircloth, LG Jacob Fahrenkrug, RT Bobby Hart, OT Cameron Erving (converted DT), DE Brandon Jenkins (2nd ACC, 41 tackles, 12 TFL, 8 sacks), DE Bjoern Werner (37 tackles, 11 TFL, 7 sacks), DE Cornellius Carradine (38 tackles, 8 TFL, 5.5 sacks), NG Timmy Jernigan (30 tackles, 6 TFL, 2.5 sacks), DT Everett Dawkins (25 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks), DT Anthony McCloud (25 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks), LB Vince Williams (54 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks), LB Telvin Smith (42 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 3 sacks, INT), LB Christian Jones (56 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 sacks), CB Greg Reid (32 tackles, 2 INT, 11.2 punt return avg. 1 TD), CB Xavier Rhodes (43 tackles, INT), FS Lamarcus Joyner (2nd ACC, 54 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 INT, 30.5 kick return avg.) K Dustin Hopkins (1st ACC, 22-27 FG)
2012 schedule:
- Sept. 1: vs. Murray State
- Sept. 8: vs. Savannah State
- Sept. 15: vs. Wake Forest
- Sept. 22: vs. Clemson
- Sept. 29: at South Florida
- Oct. 6: at N.C. State
- Oct. 13: vs. Boston College
- Oct. 20: at Miami
- Oct. 27: vs. Duke
- Nov. 8: at Virginia Tech
- Nov 17: at Maryland
- Nov. 24: vs. Florida
Strengths: Manuel returns. FSU lost two of its four games last year when he was injured. He’ll have a good complement of receivers to throw to, with Haulstead returning from a concussion that sidelined him last year and his top three receivers coming back. Defensively, this team is loaded. Like Virginia Tech, the strength is on the defensive line, where the entire two-deep is back from last year. The ‘Noles were second nationally in rushing defense last season and might be just as hard to run on this year.
Weaknesses: It remains to be seen still if Manuel has it takes to put FSU over the top. And while we’re on that point, Fisher didn’t exactly ease any concerns about his coaching acumen at the end of that UVa game. The running game was a mess last year, with no player topping 600 yards (although help appears to be on the way in freshman Mario Pender, Rivals’ No. 4 RB last year). Putting together a cohesive offensive line will be a priority. The injury-ravaged group gave up 41 sacks last year. Defensively, it’s hard to find any chinks in the armor. Losing Bradham at linebacker hurts, but Florida State has more than enough depth to make up for it. Powell, a first-team All-ACC punter, is gone, something that might be overlooked.
Fun fact: (Via FSU’s athletics website) “During a very exciting game with Auburn in 1984, the Marching Chiefs began to perform the cheer. Some students behind the band joined in and continued the ‘war chant’ portion after the band had ceased. The result, which was not very melodic at the time, sounded more like chants by American Indians in Western movies. Most say it came from the fraternity section, but many spirited Seminole fans added the ‘chopping’ motion, a repetitious bend at the elbow, to symbolize a tomahawk swinging down. The chant continued largely among the student body during the 1985 season, and by the 1986 season was a stadiumwide activity. Of course, the Marching Chiefs refined the chant, plus put its own special brand of accompaniment to the ‘war chant,’ and the result exists today. By the time the Atlanta Braves started with it, the chant and the arm motion generally were associated with Florida State’s rising football program.”
Series with VT: Florida State leads 22-12-1
In the last 25 years:
- 2010: No. 12 Virginia Tech 44, No. 20 Florida State 33, in Charlotte (ACC championship)
- 2008: No. 24 Florida State 30, Virginia Tech 20, in Tallahassee
- 2007: No. 11 Virginia Tech 40, Florida State 21, in Blacksburg
- 2005: Florida State 27, No. 5 Virginia Tech 22, in Jacksonville (ACC championship)
- 2002: No. 24 Florida State 30, No. 15 Virginia Tech 17, in Jacksonville (Gator Bowl)
- 2000: No. 1 Florida State 46, No. 2 Virginia Tech 29, in New Orleans (Sugar Bowl, BCS championship)
- 1991: No. 1 Florida State 33, Virginia Tech 20, in Orlando
- 1990: No. 2 Florida State 39, Virginia Tech 28, in Tallahassee
- 1989: No. 19 Florida State 41, Virginia Tech 7, in Blacksburg
- 1988: No. 5 Florida State 41, Virginia Tech 14, in Tallahassee
Previous entries:
- Georgia Tech — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Austin Peay — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Pittsburgh — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Bowling Green — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Cincinnati — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- North Carolina — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Duke — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Clemson — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
- Miami — Team overview | Ask a beat writer
June 21, 2012 - 10:35 AM
I don’t know what the war chant is like if you are on the field. I can tell you that when you are in the stands surrounded by them it is most entertaining. And maybe somewhat uncomfortable.
I will also say that when we (my kids and I) attended the Gator Bowl and found ourselves surrounded they were most hospitable and respectful. We had a great time kibitzing back and forth and there was no unsportsmanlike conduct.
This was not my experience with fans of some other shcools who shall remain unnamed (but their initials are the “U” and “Clemson”).
Thing with FSU as a team lately is that they are so uneven. Great to awful within a week and it seems to have persisted for several seasons back into Bowden time. I don;t know if the “Wide right” pohenomenon got imbedded or what but they are more uneven thatn we are.
I still think we win this year but i’ll agree they are loaded. Remains to be seen what their coaches can do with them.
Assuming Manuel can stay healthy, the ‘noles win games like their heydays, and finally win the conference title, Manuel would be on some folks short-list for Heisman. I think he’s on some folks’ radar as a Heisman’s contender.
Ok..first of all…its embarassing to think that while I was in college, the FSU tomahawk chop was invented…lol…they weren’t doing it in the fall of 1979 when they visited Tech (although…they were definitely winning…lol).
Second…their home schedule ALMOST makes Tech’s home schedule look good.
I had a similar experience as you, Zman, when I was at the 2005 ACC championship game where FSU beat VT to win the ACC. My buddies and I tailgated right next to a bunch of the guys who played baseball for FSU at the time, and they were respectful before and after the game. We had a good time tailgating with them and their friends.
The F$U war chant is probably the most irritating fan activity in college, outside of the idiots who still do the Wave at games. It is definitely effective, though. My experience with F$U fans was confined to the ’00 Sugar Bowl. They basically showed up in New Orleans the morning of the game, though a few were spotted the night before. They tended to be somewhat rude and not at all engaging. They really seemed pretty jaded, to be honest. As for during the game, I was in the midst of Hokies and didn’t have an opportunity to engage any of them.
My experience with FSU fans at the Gator Bowl, ACC championship, & national championship was always good, which can’t be said about all schools.
I heard from a guy at work that Phil Steele’s 2012 College Football Mag has hit the newstand. Anybody seen it? I’m curious where Steele has us ranked heading into this Fall. My co-worker said Steele has Texas at No 1 and Clemson at 2. I can’t believe that.
The season’s getting close. I always look forward to the pre-season magazines.
Go Hokies!
at least its not as bad as in the past with the horse and spear holding rider. as written in the chris colston book- tales from the tech sidelines- which is funny and a great read- one former tech player was so jacked up he wanted to tackle the horse and chief before the game. even told the coaches. and the coaches took him seriously. this year though they have to come to b-burg. will not get any love from the sandman. trivia- what tech player kicked a field goal over 50 yards to beat the noles back in the day of 5000 fans or so only attending at Lane.
Dave Strock???