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The votes are in, thanks to Kenny and all the Nole fans at The Territory. So here's part two of Florida State's All-Post Dynasty Team: The defensive edition.
DT: Darnell Dockett, Brodrick Bunkley
DE: Everette Brown, Kamerion Wimbley
OLB: Ernie Sims, Michael Boulware
MLB: Buster Davis
CB: Bryant McFadden, Tony Carter
S: Chris Hope, Pat Watkins
by Mobius
As long as Bobby Bowden has been the Head Coach at FSU the ‘Noles have been known to play one of the toughest schedules in the nation; but last season saw Florida State take on one of the worst group of Out-of-Conference opponents in recent memory. Fortunately that one-year blip is behind us and FSU has lined up an OOC schedule for 2009 that’s closer to our standards (in advance of the absolutely absurd OOC schedule the ‘Noles face next year). So let’s take a look ahead at the non-ACC teams FSU will play in 2009 and my take on the ‘Noles chances of coming away from each contest with a victory.
Looking over the four opponents one glaring similarity stands out – Each team returns an experienced starter at quarterback who could prove to be a pain in the ass for the ‘Noles. For a team like FSU with question-marks on the defensive line and in the secondary that could pose a bit of a problem, especially since three of the non-conference games will take place before October, when the youngsters on D are still getting their feet wet. How well FSU can deal with the four talented QBs will go a long way to determining the ‘Noles OOC record and post-season fate.
So without further ado let’s take a look at the ‘Noles non-conference slate for 2009, along with some of the opposition’s stats from the 2008 campaign…
Jacksonville State
2008 Record – 8-3 (6-2, T-2nd in Ohio Valley Conference)
’08 Total Offense – 408.1 ypg (#15 Offense in the FCS)
‘08 Rushing Offense – 182.5 ypg / 4.8 ypc (#26 in the FCS)
’08 Passing Offense – 225.6 ypg / 7.9 ypa (#41 in the FCS)
’08 Total Defense – 354.5 ypg (#66 Defense in the FCS)
’08 Rush Defense – 157.4 ypg / 4.4 ypc (#72 in the FCS)
’08 Pass Defense – 197.5 ypg / 6.2 ypa (#58 in the FCS)
Returning Starters – 17 (7 off. / 9 def. / 1 st)
The lone soft spot in the OOC schedule is the Jacksonville State Gamecocks from the second-tier FCS. You can hardly blame FSU for taking a breather here considering the rest of their schedule, but after the scare against Troy a couple years ago no FSU fan should take this game for granted. Not only will the ‘Noles be coming off of a tough game against Miami and a short week of practice, but JSU has a quarterback who’s no stranger to big-time competition – former 5-star recruit and LSU Tiger Ryan Perrilloux.
The Downside – Dual-threat QBs like Perrilloux have routinely been a problem for Mickey Andrews’ defenses recently (see: Vick, Michael or Taylor, Tyrod). Not only did Perrilloux lead the Gamecocks in passing last year, he was also their second-leading rusher, scoring seven TDs on the ground.
The Upside – FSU should enjoy a huge advantage in the trenches. Jacksonville State’s rush defense wasn’t great last year even against FCS competition, so FSU should be able to establish the running game early in this contest and wear down the Gamecocks’ defense, opening up the passing game for Christian Ponder and Co.
Pain in the Ass QB – Perrilloux (2318 passing yards / 7.8 ypa / 19-13 TD-INT / 368 rushing yards / 3.1 ypc / 7 TDs in 2008). He managed to get himself suspended for JSU’s opener against Georgia Tech, but he’ll be rested and ready for this game.
Telling Statistic – Perrilloux accounted for 60% of the Gamecocks’ offense in 2008. Stop him and the game is pretty much over.
FSU’s Chances of Victory – 98%. Really, unless the team bus careens off the Pensacola Street flyover this should be a relatively easy victory for FSU.
@ BYU
2008 Record – 10-3 (6-2, 3rd in the Mountain West)
’08 Total Offense – 444.1 ypg (#16 Offense in the FBS)
‘08 Rushing Offense – 133.7 ypg / 4.1 ypc (#72 in the FBS)
’08 Passing Offense – 310.4 ypg / 8.2 ypa (#6 in the FBS)
’08 Total Defense – 355.3 ypg (#58 Defense in the FBS)
’08 Rush Defense – 139.0 ypg / 3.8 ypc (#56 in the FBS)
’08 Pass Defense – 216.3 ypg / 6.9 ypa (#75 in the FBS)
Returning Starters – 13 (4 off. / 7 def. / 2 st)
A week later FSU travels to the overly-friendly confines of LaVell Edwards Stadium to face the Stormin’ Mormons of BYU. A battle between teams with contrasting styles, this game should turn out to be a contest of which team does a better job establishing its offensive identity – can BYU throw on FSU’s young secondary, or will FSU run rough-shod over BYU’s depleted defensive line?
The Downside – I mentioned before that mobile QBs have been a match-up problem for FSU’s defenses lately. Another persistent issue has been covering talented tight ends, and BYU boasts one of the nation’s best in senior Dennis Pitta. As a guy who had Pitta on his (undefeated) CFB fantasy team last season trust me when I tell you the guy is a beast (83 receptions, 1083 yards, and 6 TDs in ’08; just in case you didn’t believe me). Dekoda Watson and the safeties need to stick to Pitta like Ralph Friedgen on a bucket of fried chicken, especially in the red zone.
The Upside – Rushing defense wasn’t exactly BYU’s strong suit last year and since then they’ve lost some of their best defensive linemen. If FSU’s offensive line is all they’re cracked up to be the ‘Noles should be able to run on the Cougars, eating up the clock and limiting chances for BYU’s dangerous offense.
Pain in the Ass QB – Max Hall (3957 passing yards / 8.3 ypa / 35-14 TD-INT / 110 rushing yards / 1.7 ypc / 4 TDs). An early-season Heisman candidate in 2008, Hall will be looking to garner more national recognition at FSU’s expense.
Telling Statistic – BYU went 0-3 vs. teams ranked in the top 25 in total defense in ’08, 10-0 vs. everyone else (FSU was ranked #15). The difference? The front sevens of the better defenses overwhelmed BYU’s offensive line and limited Hall’s effectiveness – he was under 55% completions with 0 TDs and 7 INTs in losses to TCU and Utah. In other words, FSU’s really needs a strong performance from its young D-Line in this game.
FSU’s Chances of Victory – 65%. Despite the altitude and travel I like this match-up for FSU. BYU’s weaknesses play to FSU’s strengths and we should be able to wear them down with the ground game. Putting heat on Hall will be a big key, though.
South Florida
2008 Record – 8-5 (2-5, 6th in the Big East)
’08 Total Offense – 405.0 ypg (#32 Offense in the FBS)
‘08 Rushing Offense – 165.4 ypg / 4.2 ypc (#44 in the FBS)
’08 Passing Offense – 239.6 ypg / 7.7 ypa (#41 in the FBS)
’08 Total Defense – 287.0 ypg (#10 Defense in the FBS)
’08 Rush Defense – 95.2 ypg / 2.8 ypc (#10 in the FBS)
’08 Pass Defense – 191.8 ypg / 6.6 ypc (#37 in the FBS)
Returning Starters – 13 (5 off. / 6 def. / 2 st)
They love Cameron Erving up in Moultrie. But outside of Colquitt County, Georgia, it's "Cameron who!?" That is until a few days ago when the stealth D-Tackle committed to FSU.
So to find out more about Cameron, we checked in with Wayne Grandy, Sports Editor of The Moultrie Observer. As you'd expect in South Georgia, his primary beat is Colquitt County Packer football.
Wayne, how did Cameron stay off the recruiting radar so long?
"He wasn't even a starter as a sophomore. He was a tight end and hardly played. Then he grew fast and really hit the weight room. He improved his strength and added another 30 lbs. or so. Then he was moved to tackle in his Junior year and people started to notice.
"Coach (Rush) Propst is high on him and says he has a big upside. He said Cameron was recruited by FSU as a D-lineman but wouldn't be surprised if they tried him on the offensive line."
Does he still have room to grow?
"Even though they're listing him at 285 lbs., he's tall and even looks lanky, not fat at all. So he could probably add even more weight."
What's he like off the field?
"No issues, he's no thug. Has good parents and a solid family. His dad even picks him up everyday after practice. He's a kid everybody's pulling for."
Will Cameron play offense as well as defense this year?
"No, he'll only play defense. All the Colquitt players play on just one side or the other."
Has he had any injuries so far?
"No, he's been injury free. He hasn't missed a game, and he was on the field a lot last year."
Word is that Cameron is serious about school and football.
"He's bright and should handle college work. And he's a quiet kid, the kind that says Yes Sir, and No Sir. He's working hard to do his best and says he knows he's gotta go out and play well this year."
Sounds like the kind of player FSU fans will also grow to love.
Lots of speculation lately about why FSU hasn't sold out this year's UM game. Andrew Carter and Scalp 'Em both have their list of reasons why empty seats may mar the night.
Playing on a Monday shouldn't be one of them. Not if Doak Campbell's only other Labor Day game is any indicator.
There were zero empty seats on Monday night September 5, 2005. In fact, fans set a new attendance record. A fired-up 84,347 -- more than 2,000 over capacity -- just might've been the difference in the Noles 10 - 7 upset.
And did we mention it was an FSU team with lesser expectations than the 2009 Noles? Not the least of which was the great unknown: breaking in a new QB (redshirt freshman Drew Weatherford)?
Here's a reasonable number to shoot for this year. Besides winning numbers on the scoreboard, a crowd of 80,000 would be a successful night. Not record breaking, but proof that Nole fans -- like their counterparts in Gainesville -- will find a way to cheer on their team, even in a lousy economy.
Besides, it's been 16 years since FSU drew less than 80k for a Miami game at Doak (77,813 in 1993). Anything less would appear to be a step backwards.
Anybody who saw video of Willie Downs in the Army All-Star Game knows he had a real chance of making an impact this fall for the Noles. Too bad his he didn't perform in the class room the way he did on the field.
Downs' road back to Tallahassee starts at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi. And PRCC is looking forward to big things from the Godby High grad.
"High school All-American wide receiver Willie Downs of Tallahassee, Fla., is likely the brightest spot among newcomers and will definitely see starting duty..." reads the school's pre-season press release.
Mitch Deaver, PRCC athletics spokesman, told us Downs is making quite an impression at WR but will also see action in the secondary.
Deaver added that everybody who's watched Downs in practice sees something special. "Our play-by-play man has been here nine years and seen a lot of great players come through. But he said Downs just might be the best of them all."
Asked how Downs is fitting into college life, Deaver said, "Well, he's a real personable kid, I know that."
We'll have more on Downs' progress at PRCC as the season unfolds.
Looks like there was something to those rumors about Jacksonville State QB Ryan Perrilloux. JSU Coach Jack Crowe announced late Friday that the former LSU signal caller is suspended for the team's first game against Georgia Tech due to a violation of team rules. But Crowe made it clear that it's only a one game suspension.
He will return for Florida State, said Crowe in a statement from the school. So the good news is that Nole fans will see an exciting QB challenge FSU's defense (thanks to Perrilloux, Jax State will be no cupcake).
The bad news: he'll be fresh and eager to impress NFL scouts, who -- despite Ryan's off-the-field problems -- see him being drafted in 2010. Perrilloux transferred to Jax State in 2008 after being booted from the LSU program.
A major FSU fan we know -- he hasn't missed a home game in we can't remember when -- told us about a friend who calls himself a long-time Nole fanatic. Except this guy will be more fanatical about golf than football come Labor Day. He'll be playing in a tournament that day and isn't sure if he can make it to the game that night. The FSU - Miami game. About a three hour drive from the site of the tournament.
Priorities, priorities.
Wonder which of the following categories of FSU Fan he falls into?
The Spoiled Fan - Probably a student or recent grad during the Dynasty Days. He or she grew up on legends like Ward, Dunn, Deion and Brooks. They had it so good for so long, they couldn't comprehend the slide that began in 2001. Their expectations are stuck on the high bar set by the Dynasty Teams: 10 wins at a minimum or it just doesn't count. For them, this decade of FSU Football has been like having an ugly wound sutured up: they just couldn't watch.
The Casual Fan - In fairness, many casual fans are victims of FSU's Achilles Heel: lousy geography. Tallahassee is a four (or more) hour drive. That's a big bite out of the weekend, not to mention gas, food and probably a motel somewhere along the way. Hey, why make the effort when most FSU games are as close as their flat screen with 5.1 surround sound? "Dude, it's just too much of hassle to actually make it to Doak." So without the shared communal experience of chopping with 80-thousand like-minded Noles, their connection grows a little more distant every year.
The Disgruntled Fan - Unlike the Casual Fan, these guys actually have strong feelings about the team. Only problem is they're mostly wrapped in negativity, ranging from "That damn Jeff," to "the players are a bunch of thugs" to "blankety-blank Booster contributions," etc., ad infinitum. A subset of the Disgruntled Fan blames Bobby for sabotaging the program. They're like expatriates who flee their country, vowing to stay away until the mean old dictator is displaced.
With fans like these, is it any wonder there'll be empty seats for the Labor Day showdown?
Meanwhile, the reptile faithful will be filling every seat of an even bigger stadium. While many of their fans live within two or three hours of that stadium, there are thousands who'll drive even further to get to games. And pay big booster contributions. And be there even for the three cupcakes UF will play this year.
It pains us to say this, but it's probably safe to say that Tebow worshippers would show up if their team played the Folsom Prison flag football team at 1am on a rainy Tuesday in March.
From Coral Gables to Provo, FSU's opponents are having their share of Meniscus tears, bum ankles and other forms of attrition. Coaches are trying to balance getting their guys in football shape with having enough able bodies left when the score really counts.
Here's a rundown of who's hurting or MIA, starting with a media-fueled mystery at Da U.
The Canes leading rusher from the past two years, Graig Cooper, missed practice Tuesday and is wearing a protective boot. No word on the extent of his injury.
But the bigger news out of Cane country is what the (bleep) happened to DE Adewale Ojomo. The big sophomore has a broken jaw and, according to Coach Randy Shannon, is doubtful for the FSU game. The party line from UM is the injury was the result of horsing around in the locker room. Other sources told The Herald there's more to it than towel-snapping and flicking jabs.
Starting OL Jason Speredon's rotator cuff tear will cause him to miss the '09 season. Speredon played in 21 games over the past two seasons and has worked with the first-unit left since spring practice. Another OL, tackle Matt Reynolds, has a broken hand but may be ready for the season-opener against Oklahoma.
Promising newcomer RB Manase Tonga hasn't practiced yet, apparently because he's waiting for grades from summer courses he took at another school.
Bulls RB Jamar Taylor won't play against FSU. In fact, his knee injury should keep him out of action for eight to 10 weeks. The Bulls are still deep at the position with senior starter Mo Plancher and backups Aston Samuels, Lindsey Lamar and Richard Kelly.
Top WR Jessie Hester is limited by a foot/ankle injury he suffered during spring practice. Jim Leavitt says he's "still optimistic about Hester playing in the opener."
Also, OL Jake Sims continues to be limited by a muscle strain in his neck, and walk-on LB Lucas Darr, a special-teams standout, left the team because of a lingering injury.
Every college football fan knows that Mark Herzlich will be battling cancer instead of opponents this season. But the Eagles got more bad news when the team's other star linebacker, Mike McLaughlin, was lost for much of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the spring.
Gotta love the NCAA. In their fevered obsession to bring absolute parity to college football, piling puzzling rules on top of nutty regulations, they provide unlimited amusement. Hey, it's either that or pull out your remaining hair.
Their latest act taking the college football world by storm: Secondary Violations.
Think of them as the misdemeanors of college football. The good news is, they won't result in a program getting the death penalty. The bad news: college coaches can rack up new violations every day and not even realize it.
Some of the latest absurd, bizarre and pointless indiscretions include:
- The cookies Clemson offered to prospective recruits and their parents during a banquet. The cookies came after cake had already been served. Violation? A second dessert is an extra benefit, according to the creative regulation wranglers at the NCAA. And, no, we're no making that up.
- Auburn may be flagged for staging an off-season "victory" celebration at Toomers Corner to show recruits a famous War Eagle tradition.
- Washington was ticketed for using a fog machine and a siren to simulate running through the tunnel on game day.
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported many of these in a weekend story that may leave you more PO'd than those red-faced folks at town hall health care meetings.
Want a job in college football? As the story reports, D-1 schools everywhere are staffing up their compliance departments just to try and keep up with the kudzu-like growth of secondary violations.
And the hits just keep on coming. What's next? Don't be surprised if FSU's latest recruiting tool, Seminole Showtime, is blown dead by the NCAA-holes.
Comments? Questions? Kudos?