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Wally Woodham and whether a two-QB system can thrive at Florida State

Have you heard Garnet & Great's most recent interview yet?  No?  Well, Garnet & Great sat down with Wally Woodham.  He was one-half of the two-QB system in the 70s at a time when Florida State began making its dramatic ascent to the top echelon of college football.

Wally Woodham and Jimmy Jordan were the last two-headed quarterback monster to grace the field for Florida State.  Wally gave some insight into why it worked; mostly because, between the two of them, they made one quarterback.  It's not clear that, given that we're almost 40 years removed from Woodham's era, we're ever going to see another two-QB system at Florida State.

And for good reason.

There are too many disadvantages to a two-QB system.  A head coach's hallmark is his ability to make decisions (and, you know, good ones).  Using a two-QB system reeks of indecision, the type that can ruin a team's confidence.  Who is the team supposed to turn to in those dark moments?  A two-QB system doesn't breed the type of confidence that you need from a quarterback.  Especially when both quarterbacks are concerned only with who is breathing down their shoulder.  Especially when, after a few incompletions, you're being put on the bench.  

Could Jimbo Fisher have used both Jacob Coker and Jameis Winston together?  Possibly.  But doing so would have amounted to Fisher waving the white flag.  Fisher would have surrendered to indecision; that, somehow, he was unable to choose the quarterback to lead this team.  It's not only something that doesn't fit his system schematically, but, more importantly, it calls into question his decision-making ability.  

Why does it have to be that way?  Players are substituted all the time.  At quarterback, it's different, however.  So much of the game for the quarterback is about finding a rhythm and it seems unfair to never give a player a chance to find his rhythm.  I don't buy many of the arguments for a two-QB system (i.e., that it affords schematic advantages and can help you become more unpredictable).  Look no further than the NFL and whether two QB systems are prevalent, let alone successful.

 

Adapt or die; Jimbo's got satellites.

If you're good at anything, the competition will take notes.  If you're elite, the competition will most likely try to emulate your every move.

Would you believe, Dabo is "proud of Florida State"?

A very un-Spurrier-like comment from the other head ball coach in the Palmetto state:

"There are a lot of teams on the rise, and I'm proud of our league. We've stepped out of this league and had some huge wins, and that's what we've got to continue to do. I'm proud of Florida State, because we needed somebody to punch through and get that national championship back in this conference."

                                   —From the Chattanooga TimesFreePress

Today's Florida State Musings

Credit: Melina Vastola

We have quite a few things to cover in what will be the first "grab-bag" post in a long, long time.  

Championships sell tickets.

It's only June and FSU has now sold every 7-game package available.  This is the first time Florida State has sold out its season tickets since 2003.  96 percent of last year's season ticket holders renewed their tickets for this season.  Moreover, more than 3,000 new season ticket packages were sold.  

7 game season tickets are officially SOLD OUT. 6 game season tickets still remain #Noles http://t.co/wGm8Nu2z1i pic.twitter.com/ZvPKxQyfnl

— FSU Football (@FSU_Football) June 9, 2014

Of course, the six game package is still available (North Carolina, Clemson, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Boston College).  Just the Clemson and Notre Dame games alone should guarantee the six-game packages being sold out as well.  It's only a matter of time.  The package is $240, which, again, is reasonable for Clemson and Notre Dame alone.  If reading this makes you reach for your wallet, then click here and buy your season tickets!

So what gives?  For years, we've seen Doak at less than full capacity.  For years, we've heard the "Tallahassee is hard to get to" arguments.  For years, we heard about a poor economy.  For years, we heard arguments that our fanbase wasn't rich enough (as compared to our neighbors to the South).

The only dynamic in this static world is... a national championship.  Oh, and a returning Heisman award winner.  It's true: winning is all that matters.  Winning puts butts in the seats.  Fancy things like WiFi will do little to bring the fans to a game; it just makes for a better experience for those that make it to the game.  

It has been since 2003 that Florida State has sold out its season tickets.  2003 is also the year that discontent with the direction of the program began mounting.  While many of the fans heckled Chris Rix, a lot of the blame really needed to fall on the shoulders of Jeff Bowden (and ultimately, it did, in 2006).  Because of the discontent, fans were no longer lining up in droves to watch their beloved Seminoles.  By 2004, the wheels really began to fall off; the program was no longer anything what it once was.  It began the troubling trend of losing to vastly inferior teams like Maryland.  It culminated in an embarassing loss to a bad Florida team; Jeff Bowden's offense could only muster 1 third down conversion on 15 tries.  

Thus, it should come as no surprise that this is the first time since 2003 that Florida State has sold its season ticket allotment. Times have changed. Dare I say, the dynasty is back.

In fact, things are so good in Tallahasse, that the school is planning a considerable amount of renovations to the stadium.  It's a good investment in its future, seeing as, now that the on-field product is elite, most fans will start griping about other issues, such as the quality of our facilities. 

It's no secret: Doak is in need of a makeover. For as beautiful as Doak is from the outside, it has deteriorated on the inside.  Massive changes are coming.  The South endzone will feature two tiers (meaning that entire side of the stadium will be demolished).  

Apparently many of these changes are being modeled after Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of the Alabama Crimson Tide.  

But the bigger question is: where is the money coming from?  Well, as we saw this year, fans and boosters alike are spending money on Florida State again.  It's a great time to be a 'Nole.

Contrast that with what's happening at Miami (and no, this is not a joke):

 

The architect of Florida State's recruiting efforts: Ronnie Cottrell

Forget the chicken and egg, which came first? FSU's winning ways that brought in blue chip recruits? Or recruiting top players that led to a dynasty? Whichever, the Noles string of Top 5 finishes was due in large part to Ronnie Cottrell's ability to land top talent. How did he do it? Ronnie reveals the secrets of his success in this Garnet & Great interview.

88 days until Seminole football... and thoughts on Randy Moss.

88 days left. 

And so now, we turn our focus to a former #88, Randy Moss.

89 days till football... 89 stinkin' days (and thoughts on Christian Green).

We're 1 day closer to Seminole football, folks.  As of today, we're 89 days away.  89 also happens to be the number of Christian Green.  

Christian Green is in his final year with Florida State and it's easily the most important year of his career.  It will also determine whether fans consider him a bust or whether he's a story of redemption, but much Jacobbi McDaniel.  Their stories aren't quite as similar (seeing as McDaniel was the victim of a near career-ending injury, but all that matters is whether Green can shine in his final year.

Looking back at his recruitment

At this time, Christian Green was a "big get" for Jimbo Fisher.  He was a four-star and seventh ranked athlete in the nation.  He had the physical tools to play right away, but take a moment to review this scouting report:

On the Hoof: Tall, lean, athletic-looking athlete similar in size to Markeith Ambles. Green has plenty of room to fill out and can add another 15-20 pounds.
Needs Improvement: Must learn the position of receiver. Needs to work on running better routes and getting off man coverage. 
Most Impressive: He is a very graceful athlete that is smooth and his body movement is effortless, which is pretty amazing for a guy his size. There is also no question that he's a big-time playmaker. His stats - 1,200 yards passing and 656 yards rushing - prove that. 
Conclusion: Most likely a red-shirt candidate as he learns the position of receiver. There is a chance he could end up on the defensive side of the ball as a free safety. 

Notice anything?  Even then, there were glaring concerns about his ability to learn the position. Make no mistake, he has, and had, the physical tools to succeed, but the risk of taking "athletes" is that there's an inherent risk as to whether they can master one position.

In the end, Jimbo took that chance. 

The first three seasons

Green's freshman season was derailed by a shoulder injury.  The downtime appeared to work to his advantage, however, as he began the 2011 season with immense promise.  In 2011, Green failed to fine the end zone but nevertheless finished with some impressive games, including a 7 catch, 77 yard game against Clemson and a 4 catch, 102 yard performance against Wake Forest.  Following those appearances, however, he began slowly disappearing.  By the end of the season, he wasn't even the 4th most trusted weapon on the team; Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw, Rodney Smith, and Bert Reed all performed better.  

In 2012, Green disappeared from the face of the earth, only catching three passes for thirty-three yards.  He saw other players like Greg Dent and Kelvin Benjamin outperform him.  He saw the field plenty, but was not targeted much.  There is no injury to blame or lack of playing time.     

In 2013, he caught 13 passes, but made tough catches when they needed to be made.  Nine of 13 receptions went for a first down.  If anything, it shows that his route-running has improved.  On third down, the quarterback will throw to the trusted target; Green showed his reliability by proving trustworthy on third downs. 

Looking Ahead

This is the make-or-break moment for the Tampa Catholic athlete.  Will he be able to crack the starting rotation with Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin off to the NFL?  We believe so.  

The good news is that, during spring practice, he shared snaps in the starting rotation with Isaah Jones.  

The bad news is that he has some serious competition.  Not only is Jarred Haggins healthy and trying to prove himself, but Levonte Whitfield and Bobo Wilson are tremendously talented.  We all know that Fisher will employ special packages for Whitfield, but we can't discount Bobo Wilson from taking starting reps.  Wilson not only had a good spring, but drew praise from Jimbo Fisher for his route-running.  

More trouble for Green is the fact that Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph have the potential to start from day 1 (granted, Rudolph moreso than Lane).  

But Green demonstrated last year that he has the propensity to make tough catches (again, 9 of his 13 catches went for first downs).  Ignore the fact that he struggled in 2012.  2013 was a year of trust-building.  2014 will be the year of the re-emergence; the year where he's finally able to align his talent with skill and become one of Jameis Winston's reliable targets in key moments (much like Kenny Shaw).