Fisher begins
reign in Tallahassee as FSU
opens year against Samford
Tallahassee, FL (Sports
Network) - The Jimbo Fisher era in
Tallahassee begins this weekend, as
the 20th-ranked Florida State
Seminoles open up their 2010
football season against the Samford
Bulldogs.
Legendary coach Bobby Bowden's
reign at FSU has come to an end and
it will be up to Fisher to return
the Seminoles to college football
glory. The team did complete its
33rd straight winning season in 2009
and participated in its 28th
straight bowl game, but a change was
needed at the top to get the
Seminoles back in the national title
picture. With a solid nucleus
returning, Fisher may just have the
pieces necessary to do just that in
his first season in charge.
Samford is an FCS program
playing out of the Southern
Conference. The team struggled in
2009 to a 5-6 overall record,
including a 3-5 mark in its second
season in the SoCon. The team
returns 15 starters from last year
and the hope is that Pat Sullivan
can lead the Bulldogs to new heights
in his fourth season at the helm.
This is just the second time
that these two teams have ever meet.
The first meeting took place 60
years ago, resulting in a 20-6 FSU
win on October 14t, 1950 in
Tallahassee.
Offensive consistency was
certainly a problem for the Bulldogs
in 2009, as the team managed just
19.7 ppg on a modest 306.6 yards of
total offense. Junior QB Dustin
Taliaferro is back to run the
offense, after completing 59.2
percent of his passes, for 1,692
yards. However, his TD total (9)
matched his interception total (9)
and he will need to get better in
that area if the Bulldogs are to
make strides forward in 2010. Junior
wideout Riley Hawkins may be the top
option down the field, as the 5-10
187-pounder hauled in 34 balls last
year, leading the way in receiving
yards (638) and TD catches (four).
The top offensive performer and the
go-to-guy on this side of the
football however, is senior tailback
Chris Evans. The 6-0, 215-pounder
led the team with 1,152 yards
rushing last season, with seven TDs.
He was also a valuable asset out of
the backfield, pacing the team with
38 receptions and is an FCS
All-American candidate.
While Samford's offensive
struggled, the defense certainly
held its own, limiting foes to just
17.5 ppg. A feverish pass rush was
definitely a strength, with 28 QB
takedowns. Senior DE John Michael
Clay is the top playmaker along the
line, leading the team with six
sacks. Veteran leadership is found
in the linebacking corps as well in
senior MLB Bryce Smith (team-high
102 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, four INTs),
who is clearly the defense's top
performer and could garner
All-American honors as well in 2010.
There wasn't much wrong with
Florida State's offense in 2009, as
the team averaged just over 30
points per game and did so on a
balanced 421.4 yards of total
offense. This year the team returns
nine starters on this side of the
football, including standout QB
Christian Ponder. One of the top
signal- callers in the nation,
Ponder completed nearly 70 percent
of his passes last year, for 2,717
yards, despite missing the last four
games with a shoulder injury. Ponder
will get one more chance to return
FSU to football glory.
"I came into this program
having high expectations. I wanted
to compete at a national level and I
expected to compete at a national
level. That's something that has
driven me. I've been given a great
opportunity to try and change that.
It's my last year and I'd like to
get us back to that level."
The hope was that Ponder would
have a slew of talented playmakers
on the outside and while he still
will, junior wideout Jarmon Fortson
(45 receptions, for 650 yards, four
TDs) was released from the team in
the summer. The cupboard is far from
bare in the receiving corps however,
as juniors Bert Reed (60 receptions,
710 yards) and Taiwan Easterling (35
receptions, 442 yards, two TDs) will
try to assuage the loss of Fortson.
The ground game should see similar
success in comparison to last year
(149.5 ypg), spearheaded by the
rushing exploits of junior Jermaine
Thomas (832 yards, 5.1 ypc, nine TDs).
A real strength for FSU is along the
offensive line, where all five
starters return, including
All-American Rodney Hudson (6-2,
282) at left guard.
