Florida State Seminoles
Overall Rank: #7
#1 Atlantic Coast Conference
Florida State Team Page
2010 Record: (10-4, 6-2)
2010 Bowl: Chick-fil-A Bowl vs. South Carolina (W 26-17)
Coach: Jimbo Fisher (10-4 at Florida State, 10-4 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: James Coley
Defensive Coordinator: Mark Stoops
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Chris Thompson, RB, 845 yards
Passing: E.J. Manuel, QB, 861 yards
Receiving: Bert Reed, WR, 614 yards
Tackles: Nigel Bradham, LB, 98
Sacks: Brandon Jenkins, DE, 13.5
Interceptions: Mike Harris, CB, and Xavier Rhodes, CB, 4
Other Key Returnees: OT Andrew Datko, DT Everett Dawkins, WR Willie Haulstead, K Dustin Hopkins, RB Ty Jones, DT Anthony McCloud, DT Jacobbi McDaniel, S Nick Moody, S Terrance Parks, P Shawn Powell, CB Greg Reid, OT Zabrie Sanders, WR Rodney Smith, G David Spurlock, RB Jermaine Thomas
Key Losses: LB Mister Alexander, G Rodney Hudson, G Ryan McMahon, QB Christian Ponder, LB Kendall Smith, DE Markus White
That was not so bad now, was it? The at-times awkward final years of Bobby Bowden’s storied regime led to concerns about the direction of the Seminoles program. But Coach Jimbo Fisher allayed those fears with a good first season that was a marked improvement over the largely disappointing close to the Bowden era. Now Coach Fisher has to deal with something that Bowden was very familiar with – sky-high expectations.
Strengths:
Normally, losing a starting quarterback who was the 12th pick in the NFL Draft is cause for concern. But not when the new starter might be even better. That is the case with E.J. Manuel, who steps in for Christian Ponder and is far from a greenhorn. He has played in 14 games and was MVP of the 2010 Gator Bowl. Manuel is already on the radar of the pro scouts with his Cam Newton-like skill set and impressive accuracy (67 percent completion rate). All he needs to do is protect the ball better (10 interceptions compared to six touchdown passes) and he can emerge as a prime Heisman Trophy candidate. Joining Manuel in the backfield is a trio of backs who all have star quality. Chris Thompson, Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas combined for 1,862 yards in 2010 and 6.2 yards per carry. On the other side of the ball, coordinator Mark Stoops made an immediate impact on the defense in his first year. End Brandon Jenkins might have benefitted the most from Stoops’s tutelage as he became a pass-rushing terror who racked up 13.5 sacks. Bjoern Werner of Germany could be this year’s breakout star from the other end. He had 3.5 sacks last year in a limited role and should enjoy a lot of freedom with Jenkins getting so much attention from blockers. The run defense rocketed up from 118th in the nation in 2009 to 29th last season and it could be even better in 2011 with both starting tackles back and middle linebacker Vince Williams healthy again. Joining Williams at linebacker are the highly productive Nigel Bradham (on the Butkus Award watch list) and the immensely talented Christian Jones. The secondary should also be a strength, provided some key players shake off injuries. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes is coming off of groin surgery while safety Nick Moody had his abdomen repaired. Even if those two are limited, the Seminoles still should be fine thanks to rising star Greg Reid at cornerback (he is also a top return man) and freshman Karlos Williams (Vince’s brother), who was the top safety in the nation coming out of high school. Rounding out Florida State’s abundance of riches are kicker Dustin Hopkins and punter Shawn Powell, both of whom are among the best in America.
Weaknesses:
It is hard to find fault with the Seminoles’ loaded roster, but there are a couple of areas of concern. First, the wide receiver corps, while talented, lacks a standout. Willie Haulstead and Bert Reed have flashed potential, but inconsistency and drops have limited their impact. Huge (6-foot-6) Rodney Smith might emerge as Manuel’s top target after finishing last season strong. The unit will miss steady Taiwan Easterling, who left the team to pursue a career in baseball. Another potential trouble spot for FSU is the offensive line. All-American guard Rodney Hudson and longtime center Ryan McMahon are both gone, while projected starting guard David Spurlock might be sidelined by recurring concussions. In addition, the two starting tackles have spent most of the summer off the practice field as they recover from surgeries. The only other real concern for Coach Fisher is his team’s depth, especially on defense. While the starters match up well with those of any team in the country, the reserves are largely young and unproven.
The Bottom Line:
Florida State took a major step back toward prominence with last year’s Atlantic Division championship and Chick-fil-A Bowl win. Now things get really interesting. Not only are the Seminoles expected to take the next step and win the ACC title, they are also in a prime position to compete for the No. 1 spot in the country, something which they have not done since the 2000 season. If the ‘Noles ultimately are to take the field at the Superdome on Jan. 9 for the BCS National Championship Game, they likely will have to survive three key games: Oklahoma on Sept. 17, at Florida on Nov. 26 and the ACC championship game on Dec. 3. With loads of talent on both sides of the ball, they have no excuse if they come up short. In other words, welcome back to the Bowden era.
Projected Bowl: Orange Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 171.43 (39th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 209.86 (68, 7)
Total Offense: 381.29 (60, 8)
Scoring Offense: 31.36 (33, 4)
Rushing Defense: 128.71 (29, 6)
Pass Defense: 225.00 (71, 7)
Total Defense: 353.71 (42, 7)
Scoring Defense: 19.64 (20, 3)
Turnover Margin: .29 (40, 5)
Sacks: 3.43 (3, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 1.93 (67, 6)
Madness 2012 NFL Draft Rankings:
#25 Nigel Bradham
#36 Brandon Jenkins
#53 Greg Reid
#67 Andrew Datko
Madness 2011 Football Recruit Rankings:
#5 Karlos Williams
#15 James Wilder Jr.
#18 Tim Jernigan
#31 Nick O'Leary
#65 Bobby Hart
#78 Nick Waisome
#79 Giorgio Newberry
#83 Kelvin Benjamin
#88 Devonta Freeman
#103 Jordan Prestwood
#137 Rashad Greene
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