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FSU's NCAA Stats Report Card, Week 7

This week's highlights include more Honor Roll grades and a nice jump for the Noles rushing offense. Penalties? Same old story.

Honor Roll
Tackles for Loss #3 (same as last week), 8.36 per game
Sacks #5 (up from #12  last week), 3.57 per game
Rushing Defense #6  (up from #9 last week), Allowing 86.83 ypg
Net Punting #9 (up from #10 last week), 40.68 yards per
Total Defense #12 (down from #11), Allowing 291.29 ypg)
Passing Offense #14 (down from #12 last week), 311.00 ypg
Passing Efficiency #14 (up from #18)
First Down Defense #15 (down from #14)
Fumbles Lost #15 (up from #21), 3 on the season
3rd Down Conversion % Defense #15 (up from #22)

Above Average
3rd Down Conversion % Offense #17 (up from #28)
Total Offense #38 (up from #43), 431.14 ypg 
Passing Defense #39 (down from #30), Allowing 197.83 ypg
Red Zone Offense #40

Average
Time of Possession #61 (up from #76)

Underachieving
Rushing Offense #86 (up from #100) 126.86 ypg
Red Zone Defense #90 (down from #73) 
INTs #99 (down from #93), 4 on the season

Failing Grade
Sacks Allowed #104 (down from #95), Allowing 2.86 per game
Fumbles Recovered #112 (down from #108), 2 on the season
INTs Thrown #112 (down from #110), 11 on the season
Turnover margin #115 (down from #113), -1.14
Penalties #119 out of 120 (same as last week) 74.14 ypg

Obtusely Random and Obscenely Meaningless Thoughts

1. Florida State apparently really likes the numbers 41 and 16. Duke and Maryland .... not so much.

2. After last playing a game at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium (otherwise known as BBFaDSCS) on September 24th 35 days ago, there is no truth to the rumor that the team forgot where the home locker room was.

3. From Mrs. BFT, “They have thirty something combinations of uniforms and they came out with that bland ensemble?” Well, as sideline reporter Tom Block said, “Let’s hope we don’t see all 34 combinations of them today.”

4. And speaking of sideline reporter Block, who noted the weather, “I’ve turned my head 360 degrees and all I see are blue skies.” We trust that was not ala that girl in the “The Exorcist” because if it was I think we just found some pre-game and/or halftime entertainment. Or maybe even post-game.

5. And if you know Tom, FSU's sideline reporter, you know he will never be mistaken for a center of a basketball team. So the sideline pre-game interview with FSU’s 6’10” Bernard James had to be an interesting sight. Good job, Tom, getting the mic up that high.

6. From Gene Deckerhoff, commenting on Tim Jernigan’s pressure on CJ Brown resulting in .... shall we say a somewhat off target pass .... “If I see Timmy Jernigan breathing down on me I’m getting rid of the ball early too.” Being age 66 I’m sure would have nothing to do with it either.

7. Oh sure, the referees see a phantom fair catch signal by Greg Reid but a horse collar tackle of Kenny Shaw right in front of the ref they don’t see. If there was ever a clear signal for an eye checkup certainly for that crew that was it. Either that or take the popular route with many FSU fans these days and head to another conference where we all know the officiating is better, right? Just ask Michigan State fans. Well, come to think of it, they are OK with replay officials.

8. In the You Could See It Coming Department, ABC flashed a graphic that Dustin Hopkins was one field goal short of tying the school record for consecutive kicks. The predictable outcome was .....
    A. He made the kick
    B. FSU ran a fake field attempt
    C. He missed the kick
    D. He would have liked to kick whoever put up that graphic in the rear end

9. From William Floyd on Telvin Smith’s blazing fast sack of Brown, “That was like a lion closing in on a wildebeest.” Well, he is a color analyst after all and that was certainly color you don’t hear very often.

10. And as radio play by play man Tom Block said (wait ..... wasn’t he on the sideline?) “Nigel Bradham just introduced himself to CJ Brown.” CJ could have done without the introduction I’m sure.

Florida State - Maryland Game Gallery

Chris Holder shooting for ChantRant puts you in the middle of Saturday's action at Doak.

A "Good but not Great" edition of Postgame Pluses and Minuses

E.J.’s legs. A healthy Manuel is a difference-maker as he scoots through Maryland for FSU’s first TD.

Bert’s back. Bert Reed served notice he’s still a factor, catching and weaving for extra yardage.

And welcome back, Jermaine Thomas. Thought you were still in the doghouse after being tackled for a safety at Wake, but today you hit the holes for 86 yards and a TD.

Boo-ya! Second hundred yard game for Devonta Freeman.

Terrance Brooks shows ‘em how. Fighting off a blocker, Brooks makes the Nut-Up Play of the Day, stopping an option pitch that was getting seven or eight yards all game.

No injuries, no fumbles, and fewer penalty yards than the Terps (54 to their 59)

What are the odds? Ever hear of a team that loses two in a row by an identical score (30-35), then wins two by the exact same margin (41-16)?

*****

If you didn’t see the game and just heard the score, you’d probably feel pretty good. But if you’re Jimbo, and more than a few fans, you’d be grateful yet gritting your teeth. FSU can get away with a performance like today’s against Maryland, but must develop more of a killer instinct to beat Miami and that team down I-75 in Alachua County.

Getting specific:

FSU’s offense lost its spunk after the first quarter. Could’ve had much more than a 14 point half-time lead.

Maryland was playing a patchwork, kiddie korps defense, but still able to get three sacks in the first half.

Third quarter: Four Noles can’t stop a Terp WR from grinding out additional yards after a catch. What would’ve been 4th and four turns into a Maryland first down.

Fourth quarter: Terps are tired, Noles mount a long drive but fool around -- penalty in the red zone followed by getting a play in too late -- and instead of driving a stake through the heart, they settle for a field goal.

Final minute: FSU backups let Maryland drive the field for a TD. What looks meaningless to most is a final, frustrating example of a team letting its foot off the gas.

Double Dose: Q & A's with Turtle Droppings and Turtlewaxing

We're pleased to have two Maryland bloggers answering our questions, giving you double the pregame intel on a program evolving from the Ralph Friedgen era. Before we get into the Q & A's, here's some good reading from both. Check out this excellent midseason analysis from Turtledroppings.com. Then read another good take on Maryland's post-Friedgen progress written by Matt at Turtlewaxing.com.

Now our five questions for both:

How much of the upheaval in the depth chart is due to injury and how much to younger players unseating older guys?

Turtle Droppings:  The depth chart is in shambles. Most of it is injury related. Some of them are performance or effort related. Might as well start at the top. C.J. Brown is going to start after his solid game against Clemson. It was clear Danny O'Brien was struggling in Gary Crowton's offense. At wide receiver Ronnie Tyler is no longer listed in the two deep (most likely after dropping C.J. Brown's best pass). Kevin Dorsey is injured, and he was Maryland's best receiver through the first half. That leaves Marcus leak (freshman transfer from Florida) and Quintin McCree as the starters. At running back Justus Pickett has moved up to number two ahead of touchdown machine DJ Adams. That is most likely an effort or perceived effort thing. On the line, sophomore Pete White is filling in for Andrew Gonnella who suffered a broken leg at Georgia Tech. 

On the defensive side the injury bug has allowed five freshman to move into starting positions.  I find it interesting that Kenny Tate hasn't played due to injury the last two weeks, but has dressed, and this week he is listed as the backup at the star linebacker position.  Not really sure what that means going into this game, but it would be nice to see Tate on the field again.  Overall, the defense is young and it showed last week against Clemson.

Turtlewaxing: The depth chart upheaval is due to both injury and performance but most of the damage has been from injury. Eight opening day starters are out for the game against FSU due to injury and 19 starts missed among those since the start of the season. Two starters have lost their jobs due to performance, QB Danny O'Brien and WR Ronnie Tyler. With a roster that was thin coming into the season I'm surprised they have been able to keep games as competitive as they have with all these injuries.

Like I said there are a lot of injuries, and I truly believe that is the cause of most of the changes.  However, there are rumblings around that players aren't totally buying into Randy Edsall and that is part of the reason some of the freshman are working their way up the depth charts. 

How does Maryland’s offense differ in the QB switch from C.J. Brown to Danny O’Brien?

TomRob's UPDATED Maryland Preview

Maryland Terrapins
(2-4, 1-2 ACC)

OFFENSE

As expected, the offense has been very multiple thus far, with lots of spread formations, some option, and even some up-tempo, no-huddle thrown in. It has had mixed success as Maryland has done very well running the ball, averaging 186.5 yards per game, but their passing game has not been as productive as last year.

Part of the reason for the passing game being down is the fact that sophomore Danny O’Brien (930 yards, 62%, 4 TDs, 6 interceptions) has been struggling with both injuries and form. That led sophomore C.J. Brown (269 yds, 46%, 4 TDs, 2 ints., 315 yards rushing, 9.5 average, 2 TDs) to play the majority of the snaps in the Clemson game and he is expected to start against FSU. Brown, as the stats would indicate, is a great runner but is still improving as a passer.

Davin Meggett (482 yds, 4.9 avg, 3 TDs, 11 receptions, 88 yds, TD) has done well as the feature back for the first time in his career. Durable and powerful, Meggett has been solid thus far. D.J. Adams (76 yds, 4.2 avg, 3 TDs) entered the year as the top backup, but true freshman Justus Pickett (175 yds, 4.5 avg, TD, 7 recs) has taken that role away due to his superior quickness. Adams is still a good short-yardage option.

The receiving corps was a big question mark after the departure of Torrey Smith and it remains so due to injury and inconsistency. Kevin Dorsey (29 recs, 361 yds, 12.4 avg, 2 TDs) was injured against Clemson and will likely miss the FSU game while Ronnie Tyler (11 recs, 98 yds, 8.9 avg, TD) was suspended for two games and has struggled with drops. That leaves senior Quintin McCree (10 recs, 57 yds) and true freshman Marcus Leak (4 recs, 24 yds) as the starters. McCree is tall and fast, but was expected to be more of a deep threat than he has been. Leak got his first meaningful playing time against Clemson and caught two passes. Depth looks to be provided by junior Kerry Boykins (19 recs, 224 yds, 11.8 avg) and senior Tony Logan (9 recs, 68 yds, 7.6 avg). The Terps have a really good tight end in Matt Furstenberg (21 recs, 256 yds, 12.2 avg, 2 TDs), a serious receiving threat.

Is it Time to End the Committee?

Heading into the 2011 season, the big question was how was Coach Jimbo Fisher going to share the carries amongst an exemplary group of running backs? From veterans to rookies to the fullbacks too, every running back had an argument where they could be the top guy. After six games, I think it’s time to cut the carries down to one person: Devonta Freeman.

Used exclusively in the second half until the last two weeks, Freeman, an early enrollee from the 2011 class, is making a case to be the primary ball carrier. With the injury to Chris Thompson, Freeman has seen his carry load increase, leading to the first 100-yard rushing performance of the season for any FSU running back this past week against Duke.

For the season, Freeman leads FSU in yards (188), touchdowns (2), and yards per game average (37). He has twice as many rushing yards as the next leading running back. His yards per carry average is almost two full yards better than Chris Thompson, who started the season atop the depth chart until his injury. Based on these numbers, Freeman should be the lead back for the rest of the season.

Spelling a running back based on the situation is always part of the game. Bringing in someone big and powerful for short yardage, or a back with good catching hands on a third down play, will always require other running backs to get time in the game. However, keeping a rhythm is an essential part of successful drives. Give Freeman the ball, and let him develop an exclusive relationship with the O-line, and lets run the ball up and down the field for the rest of the season.

Tomahawk Stickers Go To:

RB Devonta Freeman (19 carries, 109 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 catch, 10 yards) See above.

QB EJ Manuel (9-14, 239 yards, 2 touchdowns, 11 carries, 81 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns) In his first start since the OU game, Manuel showed the proper poise and ability that makes a star quarterback.

LB Nigel Bradham (8 tackles, 1 sack) Does anybody else see that our two key leaders are in here for the first time all season? Lets hope this continues from here on out.

Jimbo says E.J. "close to 100%"

Highlights of Jimbo's comments during today's ACC media teleconference.

Q. Was the Duke game a perfect illustration of what happens when you have a healthy E.J. Manuel?

Fisher: It had a lot to do with it. I mean, you can say it all you want, but using your quarterback and a guy of his caliber really affects your team, compounded with all the other injuries and things. But he does erase a lot of mistakes with his legs and his ability to make plays with his leadership and toughness. That was one great game. Hopefully he can play at that level all year. He was playing very well when he got hurt. But he's a big cog, and he's a great addition to get back, that's for sure.

Q. Is he 100 percent, or is he still playing with some shoulder?

Fisher: He's getting pretty close. There's always a little one there, you know what I mean, but he ran the ball and did everything, and he's pretty close to 100 percent.

Q. Has it been hard for you not to wonder what could have been this season had so many guys not been hurt?

Fisher: I don't worry about that, and I say that -- I mean, in the end you may reflect back on things that could happen, but you understand as a coach that that is part of athletics. Injuries are a part of it. We have so few seniors and limited juniors that our team is mainly a lot of freshmen and sophomores... So your depth issues, and in a year or two hopefully we can overcome those issues better than we have. We weren't disastrous. We lost the games but we were still close, we just needed to eliminate some mistakes and hopefully be mature.

But as a coach you can’t dwell on that, you have to dwell on the future. Hopefully what we need to do is focus on finishing out this year and getting better every week, and we could still have a successful season and a very good season.

Q. Talk about the excitement of your coming home. It's been about a month since you've played a home game.

Fisher: Yeah, we had to walk out on the field just to see what it looked like again. I made them walk out there and see it, we haven't been here in so long, just to recognize the stadium. It'll be hopefully good to get back to the home confines. I hope we understand just because we come home doesn't mean everything is right okay. We still have to prepare and play and do the things we've got to do. But it is good to get back to the friendly confines of Doak Campbell.

Wondering what happened to FSU's depth at OL? Look no further than North Alabama

Every team has attrition. The Noles are no exception -- especially at offensive line. Below we update four big uglies who could've provided quality depth this year and/or last, now playing on a different school's OL. And there are others. Maybe they didn't make the grade in the Trickett School of Hard Knocks, or flunked out or left on their own accord. Maybe it was due to poor evaluation of talent and character. But one thing is clear. Their loss left big holes in FSU's depth chart. Is it any wonder a 17-year old freshman is starting at left tackle?

Antwane Greenlee

A Rivals 4-Star OL in 2007, Greenlee was bitten by the injury bug. In August of 2009 his right knee was scoped and two bone chips removed. Reports early this year were that the 6’6” linemen with so much promise had never fully recovered from the knee mess. Jimbo told the press that if Greenlee’s knee allows him to play, that he would transfer. Huh? If the knee was okay, why transfer, unless he was deemed too damaged or didn’t measure up to Trickett standards? FSU's loss is North Alabama's gain.

Brandon Davis

Davis goes all the way back to the Noles 2006 class. A 3-Star from Miami, he took a redshirt his freshman year. As a junior in 2009 he found himself in Trickett’s doghouse. This newspaper account sounds like Trickett was either trying to run Davis off or challenge him in a tough love kind of way. By 2010, in what would have been his senior year, Davis was just another college student. Graduating with a degree in Sports Rec he headed to UNA for his final season of eligibility. Davis told the local paper in Florence that "UNA has fewer distractions, whereas in FSU, there were lots of parties.”

Will Furlong

Another member of the ill-fated 2007 class, Furlong was rated one of the top 50 players in Florida. In 2008 he’d become “one of Florida State’s most valuable offensive lineman during the first half of the…season,” according to this 2009 story, which gets into his lingering foot injury and possibility that his “playing days at FSU could be over.” They were. With a redshirt year, Furlong might have added depth this year on the Noles’ OL. Instead he’s at UNA, injuries and all. The Lions offensive coordinator calls Furlong “one of the top tackles in our conference.”

Daron Rose

This one’s all on Daron. The big guy was a recruiting coup for the Noles in 2006, a 4-Star that Rivals tabbed the nations’s second best OL. He was a handful for defensive linemen, but one thing he didn’t hit so well was the books. By May of 2008 he left to improve his grades at a JC. Rose later committed to USF but never played. After attending a junior college in Brooklyn, he finally got his act together at North Alabama.

FSU Statistical Report Card: All over the map

The good news is, FSU is no longer the most penalized team in the nation. The bad news is, there's only one team worse. That, and the fact the Noles took a bit of a jump in running yardage, are just two things that stand out in this week's report card of FSU's rankings in the national stats.

Honor Roll
Tackles for Loss #3  (8.58 per game)
Run Defense #9  (Allowing 86.83 ypg)
Total Defense #11   (Allowing 284.67 ypg)
Net Punting #10  (40.68 yards per)
Passing Offense #12  (311.00 ypg)
Sacks #12  (3.17 per game)
First Down Defense #14
Passing Efficieny #18

Better Than Average
Fumbles Lost #21  (3 on the season)
3rd Down Conversion % Defense #22
3rd Down Conversion % Offense #28  
Passing Defense #30 (Allowing 197.83 ypg)

Average
Total Offense #43  (422.67 ypg)
Red Zone Defense #73  
Time of Possession #76

Underachieving
Sacks Allowed #95  (2.67 per game)
INTs #93  (4 on the season)

Failing Grade
Rushing Offense #100  (111.67 ypg)
Fumbles Recovered #108  (2)
INTs Thrown #110  (10 on the season)
Turnover margin #113  (-1.17)
Penalties #119 out of 120  (77.50 ypg)