Brandon Warren Denied Appeal

It's finally over. A Florida State faculty panel convened to examine student-athlete Brandon Warren's appeal of a denial of his transfer request released its decision to the university on Monday.

The panel, made up of three members of the FSU faculty and chaired by Joe Beckham, delivered the following written decision. “It is the determination of the faculty panel that the information presented by Brandon Warren does not rise to the level of 'objective evidence that proves the student-athlete's extraordinary personal hardship' and is insufficient to support his appeal of the NCAA and FSU transfer policy. Panel members were unanimous in their conclusions that the appeal should be denied and the transfer rule should be enforced.”

I think this was the correct decision. Warren's actions in this matter were underhanded and not worthy of being granted an appeal.

Hurricanes Prevent Sweep With Win

After combining for 20 runs on 16 hits in the first two games, FSU (39-17, 17-4) managed eight hits while stranding eight runners, including two in each of the last three innings. A five-run fifth inning for Miami that was aided by a Rosen throwing error did in Rosen and the Seminoles in a 7-1 loss.

FSU still had an important series victory. “You have to be happy,” Martin said. “There’s no way you’re going to walk away from here unhappy when you’ve won two out of there. But you’re disappointed the way we played in that one inning.“Rosen did a good job. He had one mistake with a cross up in coverage (on a throw to second).”

Henderson and Davis Drafted Late

Mario Henderson-Oakland Raiders, Third Round, Selection #91

Chris Davis- Tennessee Titans,Fourth Round, Selection # 128

ACC Has Top Draft Picks In NFL Draft

Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson was selected by the Detroit Lions as the second overall pick in the 2007 National Football League draft, becoming the highest selection in Yellow Jacket history.

Johnson is the ninth first-round pick in Georgia Tech history but the first since linebacker Keith Brooking was selected with the 12th pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 1998. Before Johnson, the highest selection from Tech was running back Eddie Prokop, who was taken fourth by the Boston Patriots in 1945.
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Boston College Head Football Coach Jeff Jagodzinski has named Jack Bicknell Jr. Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach. Bicknell, a three-year letterwinner on the BC offensive line and the starting center during Doug Flutie's Heisman Trophy year in 1984, comes to BC from Texas Tech University, where he was offensive line coach.

"This is an exciting addition to our football program," Jagodzinski says. "The Bicknell family has played a major role in the history of Boston College football. Not only is Jack a BC man, he brings a wealth of experience to this position. This is a tremendous fit for our staff."
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The University of Miami had three players selected in the first round of today's NFL draft, extending the school record streak to 13 consecutive years in which a Hurricanes player has been chosen in the first round.

Safety Brandon Meriweather was the first drafted, being selected with the 24th choice by the New England Patriots. Linebacker Jon Beason was drafted one pick later by the Carolina Panthers. And tight end Greg Olsen was drafted with the 31st selection.

Noles Hammer Hurricanes

With a 13-8 win on Saturday night, #1 Florida State assured themselves of a series-win against the rival Hurricanes in Miami for the first time since 2003. Buster Posey doubled, hit a grand slam, and finished with seven RBIs to lead the Seminoles on offense while Brian Chambers (3-0) picked up the win in relief, and Matt Fairel earned the first save of his career.

Timmons, Davis, and Booker Draft Selections

Lawrence Timmons- Pittsburgh Steelers, First Round, Selection #15

Buster Davis- Arizona Cardinals, Third Round, Selection #69

Lorenzo Booker- Miami Dolphins, Third Round, Selection #71

Q&A: Antone Smith

Q: What are your plans this summer?

A: I am going to go home for three or four days. I am going to run and lift down in Pahokee. I am going to work on running routes and catching balls with some of my friends from Wake Forest who are going to be down there. Anquan (Boldin) should be down there too so we will do a little bit of working out.

Q: What was the biggest surprise for you this spring?

A: The biggest surprise has to be the speed of the linemen right now. Those guys are doing a really good job getting up field to the second level. Our receivers are also doing a great job blocking down field and catching the ball. Those have to be the two biggest areas.

Q: How was this spring been different compared to previous springs?

A: The biggest difference is the tempo. The tempo of everything right now is very high compared to the previous two springs I have been here. This spring was very tiring. The tempo has never been as high as it was this past spring. I think the coaching change has been a big improvement for us.

Q: The fans are very excited about what you did this spring but where do you feel you are going into the summer?

A: I am definitely not where I should be. For the fans, I am appreciative that the felt I had a good spring but me personally, I know I am not where I should be. There are a lot of things I have to improve on as a player and as a person. I want to improve in both of those areas. Hopefully I will be a better player when we open the season at Clemson.

Q: Was there anything that was hard for you to pick-up in the new offense?

A: Having played this game all my life, I think I have a good grasp on what is being asked of me. I did want to learn this offense from the back to the front. I did that this spring. It wasn't a big deal for me. I wanted to make sure I knew the blocking schemes and I think I did a pretty good job with that.

Q: How excited do you get when you hear coach Fisher say that you will be his featured back?

A: I am very excited. That is what I came here for - to be `that' guy and I am going to finally get a chance to do it. I am looking forward to it.

Q: What are your expectations for this offense come the fall?

A: I know we are going to be a strong unit. The tempo is different, everybody is approaching everything different and the offensive players are focused. Our linemen are leaner, stronger and have lost a lot of weight. They aren't going to get tired late in games and they are going to be more dependable for four quarters. Everybody is just excited about this coaching staff. It is a new direction. We lost some great coaches this off-season but it was time for a change and I think everyone is happy about it.

Q: Do you set personal goals?

A: I am the type of person that really doesn't set personal goals. You never know what can happen in this game. Any play can be your last. I just go out with the mindset that I am going to do my job and play hard. I want to give it everything I have on every play.

FSU Clips Hurricanes

Despite giving up three homers and falling behind 6-2, the Noles had reason to celebrate at Mark Light Field against Miami. the Noles put together a four-run, ninth-inning rally to stun the Hurricanes 7-6 on Friday night.

A hot Tony Thomas Jr. hit a two-run homer over the left-field fence with one out that tied the game before Hallberg took a 2-1 fastball out of the park for second-ranked FSU’s winning run.

“That’s probably the best moment in my baseball career,” the transfer from Illinois-Chicago said. Miami mistakes allowed FSU to set up its first run of the ninth with a fielding error and then a passed ball that allowed Mark Gildea scored to make it 6-4.

Noles Take On Canes At Miami

MIAMI SERIES
In the most played series in school history for both teams, Florida State heads south to face Miami for a three-game set beginning Friday, April 27. This weekend marks the 247th meeting between these two intra-state rivals as the Seminoles lead the all-time series 129-113-4. The two schools are deadlocked at 57-57-2 in games played at the University of Miami. The Hurricanes have won four of the last six games in the series overall and four of the last six games played in Coral Gables. Since joining the ACC, Miami is 4-2 against Florida State taking 2-of-3 in both series in 2005 and 2006.

THE HURRICANES IN 2007
Miami is coming off a sweep of Virginia Tech last weekend in Blacksburg, its first of the season. The Hurricanes have won four of seven ACC series to start 2007 and sit with a record of 11-10 in the league good for fourth overall in the Coastal Division. The Canes are 25-17 overall and 17-9 in games played inside Mark Light Field. Yonder Alonso has led the offensive charge for Miami this season as the sophomore first baseman is leading the team in hitting (.356), home runs (11) and RBI's (45). On the mound, the Hurricanes have posted a team ERA of 4.21 as eight different pitchers have started for Miami this year. Freshman southpaw Eric Erickson, who has started seven games in 2007, is the team leader in wins (5) and ERA (2.29).

AGAINST THE HURRICANES
Brian Chambers is the only Seminole on the 2007 roster that has appeared in a game against the Hurricanes over the last three seasons. Jack Rye has handled Miami pitching pretty well over the last two years as he has posted an average of .389 (7-for-18) with four runs scored and six RBI's. Tony Thomas, Jr. is a career .250 hitter.

As a team, the Seminoles have posted an ERA of 2.94 despite maintaining a 2-4 record over the last two years. Bryan Henry is 1-1 as a starter. Travis Burge and Caleb Graham did not allow a run in three combined appearances a season ago.

HENRY VS. THE CANES
On Friday night, senior Bryan Henry will be making his third career start against the Hurricanes at a place where he solidified his role in the starting rotation two years ago. In 2005, the Tallahassee, Fla., native, who had just three prior starts to his name, got his first start on the road in ACC play against Miami. He pitched eight innings and held the Hurricanes to just one run on four hits in a 13-1 FSU victory. He struck out four and walked none. The 12-run victory was the most lopsided win ever for the Seminoles at Miami tying the 1957 team, which defeated UM 15-3. Henry was the victim of an infield error in a 7-3 loss to Miami in Tallahassee last year. The right hander went six innings allowing one earned run on six hits in the loss.

Brandon Warren Appeal Set For Friday

Myron Rolle, who enrolled at FSU in January 2006, finishes the spring semester this week with 64 hours. He plans to take 18 hours this summer - half in London and the other nine in Tallahassee.

While he is still in London,FSU's volunteer offseason program will be under way. But Rolle said FSU strength coach Jon Jost has given him a workout to follow, and he has made contact with former FSU track star Garrett Johnson, now a Rhodes scholar studying in London, and with the U.K. Olympic Committee about using their facilities.
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Brandon Warren will make his appeal on Friday of a decision by FSU to deny the tight end his release. FSU athletic department policy allows an appeal process before a commitment of non-athletic department personnel headed by FSU's NCAA faculty representative, Joe Beckham. The appeal will be conducted through a teleconference

"It Was The Toughest Thing I've Ever Gone Through"

"It was the toughest thing I've ever gone through. I would get up every day, and when I was sitting in those meeting rooms, I'd always think to myself that, 'One day I'm going to be driving down the coast, with all the trees and the water, and I'm going to look back and remember this. But today is not that day, because I'm sitting in this meeting room. But that day is going to come."
Lorenzo Booker commenting on how he was misused offensively at FSU

FSU Has Fast Start To 2008 Recruiting

FSU is doing something that is totally out of character for the football program. It is getting verbal committments from high school recruits for 2008. This is the program that has been known to have last minute signings right up to signing day.

As of today, the football program has already received seven verbal commitments for 2008. Compare this to Florida with one.

Jermaine Thomas, a First Coast running back touted for his speed on Monday night became the seventh high school junior to commit to FSU for the 2008 recruiting class, and the first on offense.

The group includes three members of the Scout.com's top 100 national list, but also potentially meets future needs at positions that include safety and linebacker.

FSU's commitments, six of which came following the spring game, are: Thomas; LB Nigel Bradham, Wakulla; S C.J. Holton, Wakulla; LB Nigel Carr, Jacksonville First Coast High; S Nick Moody, Philadelphia (Pa.) Roman Catholic; LB Vincent Williams, Davenport The Ridge Community High; and DL Anthony Hill, Pensacola High.

The point should be made that verbal commitments are not binding.

Rabid Bama Fans Turn Out To See Saban Ball

Saturday was A-Day for the University of Alabama, the annual spring game and Saban's long-awaited public appearance as coach of the Crimson Tide. More than 92,138 fans showed up at Bryant-Denny Stadium to watch the White team win 20-13 over the Crimson. Wonder if those over 92,000 Bama fans would turn out to vote?

FSU plays Alabama at Jacksonville on Sept. 29.
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When Colorado spring football practices ended last week, it was clear the team had made the biggest step forward on the offensive side of the ball in the passing game with two new quarterbacks.

But what went largely unnoticed over 14 practices and the spring game was the improvement the team appears to have made in most areas in the kicking game. No player serves as a better example of that improvement than long-time return man Stephone Robinson.

FSU plays Colorado at Colorado on Sept. 15.
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Two Florida football players are recovering after shoulder surgery.Offensive lineman Eddie Haupt had surgery to repair ligament damage in his left shoulder, while defensive end Lawrence Marsh's surgery was to repair cartilage damage in his right shoulder.

Haupt is expected to take four months to rehabilitate. Marsh is expected to be fully recovered in three to four weeks, according to Dr. Pete Indelicato, who performed the surgeries.

FSU plays Florida at Florida on Nov. 24.

The Comeback "Kid"

As Bobby Bowden begins his 32nd golf tour of Seminole Clubs, many are saying that they see a rejuvenated Bobby Bowden.Bowden seems fresh and eager to mount a comeback to what many were dismal years for the past five. He has almost completely revamped his coaching staff and added some new positions to keep up with the times.
A prominent booster recently commented on Bobby Bowden by saying his energy level was high. He also heard the excitement in his voice. According to him, it was like he "was reborn."

Even Dave Hart who is slow to react to anything says about Bowden,“I see it in his body language, I see it in his eyes and conversation and actions. There’s no question he’s rejuvenated."

"Carr" Crash

Conspicious by his absence was Greg Carr from the starting lineup announced by Bobby Bowden at the start of his golf tour. The 6'6" receiver is not listed on the first team and many are voicing concerns.

It is thought by those who follow the game that Carr does not block or run routes that are needed by a receiver at FSU. Apparently he has not improved during spring practice. It is amazing that a talent such as Carr is not making the needed improvements to become a premier receiver.

Tar Heels Stick FSU With Loss

Top ranked Florida State (37-6, 15-3) dropped its first ACC home contest of the season losing to No. 2 North Carolina (33-9, 14-7) 10-6 on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels pounded out 20 hits in game three, the most given up by the Seminoles all season and the most allowed since May 8, 2004 at Virginia. Mark Gildea led the offensive charge for FSU registering his second, three-hit game of the series going 3-for-4 on Sunday with a run scored and a walk.

Brandon Reichert got the Seminoles back within two of the Tar Heels in the sixth with a two-out, two RBI double down the line in right. But it was as close as FSU would get as the Tar Heel bats were too much for Florida State on Sunday. Tim Federowicz, Josh Horton and Kyle Seager each registered three RBI's, while the Tar Heels' Seth Williams led all batters with four hits.

FSU Beats Tar Heels In Second Game Of Series

Top ranked Florida State (37-5, 15-2) held on to defeat No. 2 North Carolina (32-9, 13-7) 5-4 Saturday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium to capture its sixth conference series in as many tries in 2007. Jack Rye hit the game-winning, two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and relievers Travis Burge and Danny Rosen threw the final three innings to hand the Seminoles their 15th conference victory of the season.

The Seminoles tied a season-low for hits in a game on Saturday with six, but four went for extra bases including Rye's two-run shot in the fifth and Ohmed Danesh's first home run of the season in the fourth. The lead-off batter for FSU reached base in the first five innings of the game as four of those batters scored for the Seminoles. Rye finished the afternoon three runs batted in, his sixth three-RBI game of the season.

Noles Win Game One Against Tar Heels

Top ranked Florida State (36-5, 14-2) got eight strong innings from starter Bryan Henry and a season-high three RBI's from Mark Gildea to down second-ranked North Carolina (32-8, 13-6) 4-2 Friday night in a showdown of the ACC's top two teams. The Seminoles recorded double-digit hits for the 11th straight ball game en route to defeating the Tar Heels for the fifth consecutive time at home and for the 15th try in 16 games played on Mike Martin Field.

Henry (10-0) was masterful on the mound as he matched his season-high in innings pitched for the third time this season with eight solid innings. He allowed just one run on four hits while striking out eight. Henry threw five innings in which he faced just three batters. The Tallahassee, Fla., native has now allowed a run or less and has struck out seven or more batters in a game for the eighth time in 12 starts. He remained perfect on the year as he set a career-high for wins in a season with victory No. 10. The win was also Henry's second victory in four career starts against North Carolina.

"We knew coming in that North Carolina is a great ball club," said Henry. "Tonight was definitely a battle. The defense did a great job behind me in making some big plays and picking me up. It was a lot of fun out there tonight with two Friday night guys going at it."

FSU Takes On Tar Heels In Tallahassee

A QUICK LOOK AT THE NORTH CAROLINA SERIES

In this the 76th meeting between Florida State and North Carolina, the Tar Heels travel to Dick Howser Stadium for a three-game set against the Seminoles beginning Friday, April 20. Florida State holds a 54-21 all-time series advantage. This is the first match-up featuring a #1 vs. #2 in series history. In 1999, top-ranked Florida State welcomed No. 3 North Carolina to Tallahassee with a three-game sweep as the Seminoles outscored the Tar Heels 26-14. FSU is 33-7 all-time against UNC on its home turf winning four straight and 14 of the last 15 games played on Mike Martin Field. The last Tar Heel victory in Tallahassee came on March 29, 2003. Both teams have faced each other 16 times over the last four years with the Seminoles owning a record of 10-6 including two straight victories and wins in seven of the last nine games. The Tar Heels won the regular season series a year ago in Chapel Hill before the Seminoles evened the series with a win in the ACC Tournament in Jacksonville. Seven of the last nine games have been decided by one-run with FSU winning six.

THE TAR HEELS IN 2007

North Carolina has won its last four ACC series and five of six to start the season. The Tar Heels enter the weekend having lost two of their last three games including a mid-week loss in extra innings to Campbell on Tuesday. UNC is led offensively by freshman first baseman Dustin Ackley who is hitting .474 on the season in 39 games. He leads the team in hits, RBI's and slugging percentage, while tied for the team lead in at-bats, doubles and stolen bases. The Tar Heels are batting .329 as a team, while posting a fielding percentage of .971. UNC's pitching staff is led by senior right hander Robert Woodard who is 7-0 on the season with an ERA of 1.98. The Tar Heels are second in the ACC with a team ERA of 2.76.

AGAINST THE TAR HEELS

Tony Thomas Jr. has had success against the Tar Heels the previous two seasons batting .333 (9-for-27) with two home runs, a triple, double, nine runs scored and five RBI's. Buster Posey collected four hits in 16 at-bats a season ago, while Jack Rye and Thomas are the only current Seminoles to play in all eight games against the Tar Heels the past two seasons.

The pitching staff has been impressive for the most part posting an ERA of 3.45 over the last two years. Luke Tucker has pitched three scoreless innings in three appearances against the Tar Heels giving up just one hit while striking out seven.

HENRY VS. WOODARD

Friday's game one match-up features a pair of unbeaten right handers in 2007 in Florida State's Bryan Henry and North Carolina's Robert Woodard. Henry is 9-0 in 11 starts for the Seminoles as he leads the team in ERA (2.37), innings pitched (68.1) and strikeouts (72). On the other side, Woodard is 7-0 in nine starts with an ERA of 1.98. He has thrown 59 innings while striking out 43.

The combined career numbers between the two are incredible as the two are 57-10 with Woodard having one more year under his belt. Together the senior right handers have thrown 594.2 innings posting 451 strikeouts and 133 walks with an ERA of 2.66.

Henry has posted a career record of 27-7 and with a win on Friday he will move into a tie with Jeff Gray for 10th place all-time for wins at Florida State.

THE PROBABLE STARTERS FOR FLORIDA STATE

FRIDAY: Senior Bryan Henry will make his 12th start of the season, all on Friday, as Florida State faces No. 2 North Carolina for its fourth home conference series of the season. Henry is 9-0 on the year with an ERA of 2.37. He earned his fourth consecutive ACC victory last weekend beating Virginia Tech 14-1 as he pitched six shutout innings scattering just two hits. He struck out nine batters and walked one as he shut out an opponent for the third time all season and for the first time in league play. The Tallahassee, Fla. native set down the last eight batters that he faced, striking out the side in the fifth against VT. He allowed just one Hokie to advance past first and never faced more than four batters in any inning. The senior right hander has now posted at least seven or more strikeouts in seven of his last 11 starts this season and in six of his last seven outings. Against Boston College, Henry pitched eight innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out 10. He has allowed a run or less in seven of his 11 starts this season. Henry has pitched a season-high eight innings twice this season keeping Indiana scoreless on six hits, while giving up one run on four hits vs. BC. He has worked three games this year where he has pitched at least six innings without issuing a free pass. Henry has made 23 career starts against league opponents posting a career record of 13-5 with an ERA of 2.72. He has registered 129 strikeouts against ACC teams and just 40 walks. In 2007, Henry is 4-0 in five ACC starts throwing 34 innings and posting an ERA of 2.65. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.8 to 1 in league play this season. Henry is 1-1 in three career starts against North Carolina. He started two games in 2005 giving up three runs, one earned, while throwing 13.1 innings. Last year, Henry suffered his first loss of the season as he gave up four runs on 10 hits in a 4-0 loss in Chapel Hill.

Q&A: Bobby Bowden On Spring Practice

Bobby Bowden spoke to the media today as a wrap up to Spring Practice:

Well we finished spring training last Saturday and had a good spring. Of course a lot of that is built around staying healthy. I think nothing hurts us worse than trying to get out there and have spring training than to lose a couple of kids for the year or they miss all of the spring training and cannot get better. So in that regards, I thought we did have a good spring training. We should be an improved football team next year. This is the first time in 31 years where I have practically replaced our staff which I hated to do but I did. We think we have a real good staff now. The kids seemed to respond to them pretty good and bought into them pretty good. We are all excited now. Now if we can just win some darn games."

Q: With all the changes that you made on the offensive side of the ball from a staffing standpoint what are the biggest changes that Jimbo Fisher and Rick Trickett have made in regards to turning that unit around?

Bobby Bowden: I think they have both come in and answered a challenge real well. Trickett gives us an offensive line coach about as good as anybody in the country. I think Jimbo gives you the same thing as a quarterbacks coach and an offensive coordinator. So now what has changed in regards to football, not much, all plays are about the same but the coaches do have a different style. I like what I saw. I let Jimbo have it all the way and I like what he did. He spread the ball all over the field instead of just maybe one area. I think we have improved our running game. It looks like it this spring. I hope we are an improved football team.

Q: Everything I have heard on Rick Trickett is that he is like a Marine drill sergeant, is that what you thought your offensive line needed in terms of toughening those guys up?

Bobby Bowden: Well I think not only that but our whole team needed it. We have seemed like we have gotten softer. We needed to get that element back and I don't know of anybody that brings it better than he does.

Q: How many text messages have you sent in your career to recruits and what you think of the NCAA's impending ban on that?

Bobby Bowden: Well, you know text messages is something out of my range - age wise -but our coaches have all been involved in it. I don't mind if they cut it out. I am surprised it has gone as far as it has. But it is like everything else, if everybody is doing it you better do it. So if they cut it out, it will be relative, we will all have the same opportunity still. I don't know if it is a good idea. We can't call them, we can't talk to them, and we can't see them but yet you can text them. That is just about the same so whatever they do there is fine with me.

Q: Do you think the NCAA does a decent job of keeping up with technology in terms of monitoring these kinds of things or is it constantly a game where this stuff will always change and there is always going to be something new?

Bobby Bowden: Well you know as old as the history of football there has always been somebody that moves a step ahead. If you cut this out, they will find another way to do it. I am sure if they cut out the text messages they will, us coaches, will come out with some other kind of messenger system. Again, if they do cut it out that is a start.

Q: Tommy Bowden has always said that he hasn't appointed a special teams coach largely because you never had but now you have gone ahead and done it. Why the change in that regards and what is the advantage for a staff to have a special teams coordinator?

Bobby Bowden: Well that is a good question. I will honest with you there is not much difference in it. You cannot have one guy coaching everything. You can have one guy in charge of everything but you still have to use all of your coaches to coach it. I have always and I guess Tommy does the same thing, I assign this coach the job of handling punts, this coach you handle kick-offs, this coach you handle extra points, and we have done it that way. Now why did I change? Because one of my coaches asked if he could take on that responsibility, Jody Allen said he would like to be special teams coach and so that is good so we put him in charge of it but still he has to use Mickey for punt block, Chuck for kick-offs, so-and-so for punts, but at least he will oversee it and probably do more breaking down of film of what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. It really isn't a whole lot of difference.

Q: Do you think you will see an improvement on special teams though over time due to the move?

Bobby Bowden: It looked about the same. We went through it this spring for the first time and it looked about the same – we kept missing field goals and stuff like that. I do like it under one guy because you can talk to him about any deficiencies that you have and you can expect him to get with the coaches and make those corrections.

Q: What has it been like to have Chuck Amato back this spring after he had beaten you a few times?

Bobby Bowden: He beat us four dangum times. If you can't beat him, hire him. I just feel lucky to get him but kind of unlucky for him because he lost his job at North Carolina State. After working with us for 18 years, working with Mickey Andrews for 18 years, he knows what to expect. You know he is one of the sharpest coaches I have ever been around and so I am glad to get him back on our team.

Q: In mentioning Trickett and Fisher, what is it about guys with ties to West Virginia being as it seems that state has been a real cradle for coaches?

Bobby Bowden: Isn't that amazing. John Lilly, our tight ends coach and head recruiter is also from Beckley, West Virginia. I have seen Jimbo ever since he was a player. He played for my son Terry and I used to watch film on him. He then started coaching for Terry and went to Auburn coaching with Terry and he kept up with us a lot. He patterned a lot of stuff after what we were doing and so I have been able to watch his progress. Then he goes to LSU and is very successful there. I felt like that when we made our changes this year that this is my last shot. I am 77 and I doubt I can go past 87 so I had to hire people who could get the job done. That doesn't mean we are just going to walk in and start winning games but I know this, we will be heading in the right direction. Having Jimbo and Trickett, and Trickett used to coach for Terry too at Auburn so I have kept up with him through the years. In fact, this was the third time where I had an opening where he and I have talked about him coming to Florida State but it has always been where I couldn't afford him. This year thanks to our administration I was able to pay whatever it took to get the best and that is what we think we have done.

Q: Just wondering how much the landscape of college football in the state of Florida has changed with UCF and USF moving into the D-I level and if there is still enough talent in the state for all of the big three to compete for a BCS bid and a National Championship in the same year or does one have to go down for another one to go up?

Bobby Bowden: Well I think there is still enough material to go around. Maybe when it was the big three, Miami, Florida State, and Florida, you would be more fortunate but I think we are probably still able to get the top kid more because if you come to Florida State, Florida, or Miami you have got a chance to play for a National Championship and things like that. So now is there enough kids to go around, well yeah because the state just keeps growing. They figure that the population of the state will double in another 10 or 15 years so there will always be people coming in here and helping us to furnish these athletes for these programs. I am glad to see the University of South Florida and Central Florida and our FAMU's, Bethune's come up in football as well as those schools down in Miami but if you can dominate the state of Florida you are going to win. If anybody would be lucky enough to get the top 15 out of the state they are going to win. That is kind of hard to do but that is still the key to it. There are still a lot of kids.

Noles Get First Loss At Home

Florida (21-19) handed top ranked Florida State (35-5) its first loss at home this season as the Gators won the season series from the Seminoles with a 5-4 victory Wednesday night at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles left 13 runners on base as they couldn't comeback after spotting the Gators five runs through the first three innings. Buster Posey led Florida State with a three hit effort on the night, while the Seminole bullpen shut out the Gators for 6.1 innings allowing just five hits and striking out eight.

The Seminoles had no problems getting runners on, they just couldn't get them across the plate as they left the bases loaded in the third and had four innings where they had at least two runners stranded on base. Florida center fielder Matt den Dekker played a major role in that spot as he made a tremendous catch on the run in the bottom of the fourth on a ball hit by Jack Rye. den Dekker leaped into the air and hung on to the ball as he crashed into the wall in right center.

FSU Takes On Gators At Home Tonight

In this the 205th meeting between these intra-state rivals, Florida State and Florida square-off for the 104th time time in Tallahassee at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 112-91-1, with FSU holding the advantage at home with a record of 67-35-1. Florida won the only meeting in Tallahassee a year ago defeating the Seminoles 8-3. FSU is 7-3 in the last 10 games played on its home turf. This is the third and final regular season meeting between the two teams in 2007 as the series is tied at one game a piece. Florida State defeated Florida 14-6 down in Gainesville back on February 20. The Gators evened the series with a 16-7 victory at the Baseball Grounds in Jacksonville on April 3. That game set the state of Florida attendance record as 12,280 fans were on hand that evening to watch the game. Last year, the two schools exchanged wins on the opposing team's home field with Florida State winning in Gainesville 6-4 and Florida winning in Tallahassee 8-3. Five of the last seven games in the series have been played at Alfred McKethan Stadium including the 2005 NCAA Super Regional won by the Gators, two games to none.

AGAINST THE GATORS

In game one against these intra-state rivals, Florida State pounded out 20 hits as seven Seminole batters in the starting line-up registered at least two hits or more. Freshmen Jason Stidham and D'Vontrey Richardson hit their first collegiate home run, while Tony Thomas, Jr., Jack Rye and Richardson each posted three hits in FSU's 14-6 victory in Gainesville. The win also gave head coach Mike Martin his 1,445th victory as he moved ahead of former High Point and Virginia Tech head coach Chuck Hartman for sole possession of fifth place on the NCAA all-time career wins list.
In game two, a record crowd of 12,280 fans were on hand at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville to witness a 16-7 Florida victory. The Gators ran out to an early 12-5 lead thanks to a pair of three-run home runs by Matt LaPorta and a grand slam by Austin Pride. Buster Posey connected for his first home run of the season in the top of the first and finished the game with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI's.

Of the Seminoles on the 2007 roster, Jack Rye and Tony Thomas, Jr., have seen the most playing time against Florida as the two have played in all nine games the past three seasons. Thomas has garnered a .333 (11-for-33) batting average with two home runs, two triples, 10 runs and six RBI's. This year, Thomas is hitting .500 (5-for-10) with three runs and two RBI's. Rye has hit .323 (10-for-31) in nine games against the Gators posting a pair of doubles and four RBI's. This year, Rye has collected five hits in nine at-bats, has scored three times and driven in two runs.

THE PROBABLE STARTER

Bo O'Dell will make his fifth start of the season on Wednesday evening against Florida. It will be O'Dell's second consecutive mid-week start and second start against the Gators in 2007. Last week against Jacksonville, the sophomore right hander pitched a career-high six innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out three in FSU's 7-2 victory. The win kept O'Dell unbeaten on the season at 3-0. O'Dell started the first game of the season against Florida in Gainesville and earned a no decision as he gave up four runs on four hits in lasting just 1.1 innings. O'Dell has posted victories over Jacksonville, North Florida and UNC Asheville. The Kissimmee, Fla., native has made eight appearances in 2007 posting an ERA of 3.28. He has worked 24.2 innings including three appearances where he has worked five or more innings. O'Dell has allowed nine runs on 21 hits with 23 strike outs, while issuing just six walks on the season. He has registered at least two or more strike outs in all but one outing, including a career-high four strike outs twice against UNC Asheville and North Florida. O'Dell has not given more than one walk in all eight appearances this season. He earned his first win as a Seminole working four scoreless innings in a controlled start victory against UNC Asheville. After not pitching for almost a month, O'Dell as been very effective since his return posting an ERA of 1.46. He has thrown 12.1 innings giving up two runs on seven hits. O'Dell has struck out nine and walked just two

Posey ACC Player Of The Week

For the fifth time this year and for the third week in a row, a Seminole student-athlete was selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week. This week the conference recognized Buster Posey for his efforts in leading Florida State to a perfect 4-0 record as the Seminoles defeated Jacksonville and Virginia Tech.

Posey led the team in runs scored (6), doubles (4) and total bases (11) last week en route to hitting .412 (7-for-17) collecting multiple hits in three of those four games. The sophomore catcher began the week with a two hit performance against Jacksonville. He doubled, singled, stole a base and scored twice as the Seminoles redeemed an earlier loss to the Dolphins with a 7-2 victory.

In game one against Virginia Tech, Posey got the Seminoles on the board in the first with an RBI double off the fence in right. He followed that with another RBI double in the third; he scored on each of those hits. Posey again singled in the bottom of the first in game two and drew a walk. In game three, he collected his fourth double of the week in his first at-bat in the first. He registered a bunt single in the third and came around to score to give FSU a two-run lead at the time.

Posey was also solid from behind the plate all week as he converted on all 29 fielding attempts. He had only two stolen bases attempted all week as opponents were 1-for-2. Posey gunned down ACC stolen base leader Nate Parks of Virginia Tech trying to steal second base in the top of the seventh in game two.

The Leesburg, Ga., native is hitting .397 on the year and leads the team in RBI's with 43. Posey, who moved from shortstop to catcher during the off season, has kept runners at bay on the base paths as opponents have attempted a league low 21 stolen bases all season including just five in 15 ACC games. Named to the mid-season Johnny Bench Award Watch List, Posey is throwing out 38.1 percent of base stealers on the season.

FSU Gets Good News Regarding Guinn

instead of a season-ending ACL injury to his right knee, an MRI on Monday revealed that Guinn tore his posterior cruciate ligament. Martin said that means Guinn could be back for the Clemson series that begins on May 11.

“We're looking at possibly four weeks,” Martin said of Guinn's return. “He's one of those aggressive guys in whatever he does. This is such good news that it wasn't the ACL.

Spring Practice Around The ACC

The casualness with which Wake Forest approaches spring football is striking. Practices start at varying times, if at all. For the second straight season the Deacons didn't use all their 15 days allotted by the NCAA.

Some players are overweight. The coaches say they won't worry about the extra baggage until preseason practices begin in August.

Coach Jim Grobe is rarely on hand when practices do begin. He'll emerge from his office at some point, shake hands and exchange pleasantries with those fans who have dropped by and entertain any questions the media might have.(Thanks to Dan Collins, Winston-Salem Journal for info.)
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Judging by Saturday's spring game at Kenan Stadium, the Tar Heels have solidified at least one thing over the past month of workouts: trust.

"I think they've started to see that if they do what we ask them to do, they can win," said UNC coach Butch Davis, who was hired in November to resurrect a program that hasn't posted a winning season since 2001. "... Their enthusiasm and their passion and their willingness to work has been a godsend. They have been as eager as any football team as I have been around to change what's happened in the past."(Thanks to Robbi Pickeral, News & Observer for info.)
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It’s hard to judge a book by its cover, and by looking at what took place in Saturday’s Annual Spring Game in Death Valley, the cover on Clemson’s linebacking corps doesn’t look bad, but it isn’t all that good.

Just like the Tigers’ two previous stadium scrimmages, no linebacker seemed to standout. There doesn’t seem to be that Jeff Davis, Anthony Simmons, Keith Adams or Leroy Hill type middle linebacker that has ball hawked across the surface of Memorial Stadium, seeking out and destroying anyone or anything in his way.(Thanks to Will Vandervort, Columbia State for info.)
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It was a neat ending to N.C. State's spring game, the way quarterback Daniel Evans marshalled the Red team downfield and to a 35-31 comeback win over the White on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The clincher came when he hit receiver Darrell Blackman on an 8-yard touchdown pass, culminating a clock-managed 65-yard drive. Moments earlier, that duo had combined for a 50-yard touchdown

"It was a good ending,'' said first-year Pack head coach Tom O'Brien, who observed from both sidelines. "If we compete the way we competed at the end, we're going to win some football games." (Thanks to A.J. Carr, News & Observer for info.)

FSU Baseball Suffers Key Injury

FSU will begin its stretch of tough opponents starting with Florida on Wednesday without left fielder Dennis Guinn. Guinn in his past five games had accounted for seven RBIs. He injured his right knee in the eighth inning.

“We're very concerned with that,” Martin said. “Dennis is going to miss some time. We're just praying that it's not the worst.”

Guinn, who landed on the warning track, will be out at least a week. He will undergo an MRI this week to determine the extent of the injury.

Several Injuries In Spring Game As Dunn Looks On

Former players including Ernie Sims, Bryant McFadden, Warrick Dunn, Marcello Church, Mario Henderson and William Floyd were at the Garnet and Gold game.
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Players from the 2007 class watched the spring game including A.J. Ganguzza, Rodney Hudson, Brandon Paul, Brian Coulter, Bert Reed, Jonathan Hannah and Cameron Wade.
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John Frady sprained his left knee and Dumaka Atkins sprained his left ankle in the game.
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The FSU Sports Information office estimated the crowd for the Garnet and Gold game at 25,000.

Another Sweep For FSU Baseball

Junior Ryan Strauss fired seven strong innings to lead top ranked Florida State (35-4, 13-2) to an 8-5 victory over Virginia Tech (17-20, 4-14) Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles pounded out 16 hits including 10 from the bottom four of the order to complete the three-game sweep of the Hokies. The win kept FSU perfect at home with a 30-0 mark in 2007, the fourth longest home winning streak in school history.

Mark Gildea and Brandon Reichert each registered three hits a piece as the two combined for three RBI's on Sunday afternoon. Gildea gave the Seminoles some breathing room in the eighth with an RBI bases loaded single to third, while Reichert capped off the inning with an RBI groundout to short.

Noles Baseball Keeps On Winning

Top ranked Florida State (34-4, 12-2) got a sacrifice fly RBI by Brandon Reichert in the bottom of the eighth to break a 3-3 tie and give the Seminoles a 4-3 victory over Virginia Tech (17-19, 4-13) Saturday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. Michael Hyde bounced back after two straight rough outings and gave the Seminoles six solid innings in earning a no decision. Brian Chambers pitched two innings in relief to earn his second victory of the season.

"Michael had a good outing," explained head coach Mike Martin. "He threw the ball fine. He wasn't as sharp as he can be, but I was very pleased with the way he pitched. I though he kept us in the ball game. I mean they scored two runs in six innings. He did a very good job."

Garnet and Gold Game Highlights- Part 4

Sacks: Everette Brown 2 sacks for 10 yards, Neefy Moffett 1 sack for 8 yards, Dekoda Watson 1 sack for 6 yards

TFLs: Everette Brown 3; Neefy Moffett 1.5; Toddrick Verdell 1.5; Alex Boston, Dekoda Watson, & Jeremy Franklin 1 each; Budd Thacker & Eli Charles .5 each

PBUs: Roosevelt Lawson 2; Roger Williams, Everette Brown, Patrick Robinson, Ochuko Jenije, Jamie Robinson, & Darius McClure 1 each

Forced Fumble: J.R. Bryant

Interceptions: Michael Ray Garvin, Patrick Robinson, Dekoda Watson, Myron Rolle
Fumble Recovery: Alex Boston

Field Goals
Graham Gano 0-2
Gary Cismesia 1-2
(All FGs were from 46 yards)

Extra Points
Graham Gano 2-2
Gary Cismesia 1-2

Andre Fluellen was named the Most Valuable Player on Defense for spring practice.

Garnet and Gold Game Highlights- Part 3

Garnet and Gold Offensive Leaders:

A crowd estimated at 15,000 watched the game as the following players led the offensive stats:

Receiving

Richard Goodman 2-88 yards TD
De'Cody Fagg 5-48 yards TD
Damon McDaniel 4-46 yards TD
Rod Owens 4-44 yards
Antone Smith 3-46 yards
Todd St. Louis 2-47 yards

Rushing

Marcus Sims 11-45 yards, 1 TD
Antone Smith 11-42 yards

Antone Smith was named the Most Valuable On Offense for spring practice.

Garnet and Gold Game Highlights- Part 2

Garnet and Gold Offensive Leaders:

A crowd estimated at 15,000 watched the game as the following players led the offensive stats:

Receiving

Richard Goodman 2-88 yards TD
De'Cody Fagg 5-48 yards TD
Damon McDaniel 4-46 yards TD
Rod Owens 4-44 yards
Antone Smith 3-46 yards
Todd St. Louis 2-47 yards

Rushing

Marcus Sims 11-45 yards, 1 TD
Antone Smith 11-42 yards

Antone Smith was named the Most Valuable On Offense for spring practice.

Garnet and Gold Game Highlights- Part 1

On a hot but windy day, FSU fans gathered outside the stadium tailgating, chatting, and talking about the upcoming season. As I walked through the parking lot, I was met with the FSU fight song, Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". and Credence.

Inside the stadium, the pregame saw a very animated Rick Trickett very involved with his offensive line and making points with slaps of his cap.

Once the Garnet and Gold game began, the offense slightly edged the defense 20-25.Lee,Weatherford and Christian Ponder, combined to go 27 of 51 for 386 yards with four TD's and four interceptions. Weatherford was 13-23 for 219 yards with a TD and two picks, Lee went 13-26 for 163 yards with two TD's and two interceptions and Ponder was 1-2 for four yards and a TD.

"I thought they did okay," said Bowden of his quarterbacks. "They made some mistakes but I thought they did some good things."

Noles Hammer Virginia Tech

Top ranked Florida State (33-4, 11-2) raced out to an early lead and pounded out 16 hits Friday evening to post a 14-1 victory over Virginia Tech (17-18, 4-12) on Mike Martin Field. Bryan Henry recorded his ninth win in 11 starts as he collected his fourth consecutive win in ACC play shutting out the Hokies on six innings of two hit baseball. Freshman Jason Stidham led all players with three hits in game one as he connected on his third home run of the season in the win. Senior Luke Tucker made his first appearance of the season and pitched a scoreless seventh.

"A solid game tonight," said head coach Mike Martin. "We had outstanding pitching, good defense, we ran the bases well, we bunted well, it was a game in which everything went our way. But at the same time I was very pleased with the way we took the game to the other team."

I'm Drinking Water

FSU Takes On Virginia Tech This Weeekend

A QUICK LOOK AT THE VIRGINIA TECH SERIES

Virginia Tech travels to Tallahassee for a three-game series for the second time in three years. Florida State leads the all-time series 25-5, including a record of 20-4 in games played inside Dick Howser Stadium. The overall winning percentage of .883 is third among ACC opponents (Boston College 1.000, Maryland .941, Virginia Tech .833, Wake Forest .790 and Virginia .784). The Seminoles had a streak of 15 consecutive victories over the Hokies before Virginia Tech downed FSU 9-7 last year in Blacksburg. Florida State has won 11 straight games at home over the Hokies with the last Virginia Tech win in Tallahassee coming on April 21, 1989, a 7-5 VT victory. FSU has been victorious in 16 of the last 17 meetings overall. The Seminoles have held the Hokie offense in check over the last eight games played in Tallahassee as the Garnet and Gold have yielded just two runs per game.

THE HOKIES IN 2007
Virginia Tech enters the weekend with an overall record of 17-17, 6-7 on the road and 4-11 in the ACC. The Hokies defeated Richmond at home in their lone mid-week game as their contest against Radford on Wednesday was postponed due to weather. Virginia Tech has gone 3-3 on the road in the ACC as the Hokies opened league play in 2007 taking two of three from Georgia Tech in Atlanta. VT has dropped four straight league series including back-to-back sweeps at the hands of Virginia and Clemson. Through 34 games, Virginia Tech is batting .291, while posting a team ERA of 5.87. Sean O'Brien, Nate Parks and Warren Schaeffer have started all 34 games for the Hokies this season, while O'Brien leads the team with a .349 average. Parks is the team leader in runs scored (32), while he sits a top the ACC in stolen bases with 29 in 33 attempts.

FRIDAY: Senior Bryan Henry will make his 11th start of the season, all on Friday, as Florida State returns home to face Virginia Tech for its third home conference series of the season. Henry is 8-0 on the year with an ERA of 2.60. He earned his third consecutive ACC victory last weekend beating NC State 10-4 as he pitched seven solid innings on a season-high 124 pitches. He struck out seven batters, while allowing three runs on six hits. Henry set down 11 of the last 13 batters that he faced registering five of his seven strikeouts over the last three innings. The senior right hander has now posted at least seven or more strikeouts in six of his last 10 starts this season and in five of his last six outings. Against Boston College, Henry pitched eight innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out 10. Henry is 1-0 lifetime against the Hokies in two appearances including one start. He has yet to yield a run to Virginia Tech in seven innings of work. The Tallahassee, Fla. native has allowed a run or less in six of his 10 starts this season. Henry has pitched a season-high eight innings twice this season keeping Indiana scoreless on six hits, while giving up one run on four hits vs. BC. He has worked three games this year where he has pitched at least six innings without issuing a free pass. Henry has made 22 career starts against league opponents posting a career record of 12-5 with an ERA of 2.87. He has registered 120 strike outs against ACC teams and just 39 walks

Everything You Need To Know About The Garnet and Gold Game

* Parking will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

* Gates will open at 1:00 p.m. and fans can enter the stadium through gates B, C, D, F and X (Seminole Sportshop).

* The Great Hall in University Center D will be open to fans from 8:00 – 12:30 p.m.

* Fans are encouraged to sit on the west side of the stadium.

* Concession stands will only be open on the west side of the stadium. Most of the concession stands on the lower level will be open and one concession stand on the second level will be open.

* Handicap seating will be available in the south endzone and on the west side in section 39.

* Coolers and umbrellas will not be allowed in the stadium.

* Spring game rosters and schedule magnets can be picked up at the Warchant.com Tailgate Party.

* Seminole Village on Langford Green will be open at 12:00 p.m. There will be inflatable games set up for kids and adults along with FSU football posters and giveaways.

* Following the game, fans will be able to walk over to Dick Howser Stadium and watch the nationally ranked FSU baseball team take on Virginia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

QB Race Dead Even

It seems that the QB race is dead even. Jimbo Fisher said after practice on Wednesday that Weatherford and Lee remained neck-and-neck for the No. 1 quarterback job.
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Receiver Rod Owens is showing a lot of promise in spring practice. The sophomore from Jacksonville sat out all of last season recovering from a knee injury but is now showing signs this spring that he is fully healthy.
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Gary Cismesia continues to have good days and bad. On Wednesday, he had a good day. He made 2 of 3 field-goal attempts with his longest being 27 yards. But Graham Gano, 2 of 4, made one of 42 yards despite a low snap.
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The spring game begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The format will pit the defense versus the offense with a point system that awards the defense for turnovers,etc .

Spring Game Festivities

For those of you that will be attending the Spring Game on Saturday, a local Seminole club will be serving food before the game. After the spring game, the FSU baseball team will be hosting Virginia Tech in a weekend series.

When: April 14th (before the spring game)
Time: 11 AM until kickoff
Location: Corner of Pensacola and Stadium Drive - see above map
Who's invited: All Seminole fans are welcome.
Food: Hamburgers, hot dogs & free bottled water.
Special Guest: Jenn and the Cowgirls.
More: Spring game rosters and schedule magnets!

Spring Practice: Day Fourteen

The Florida State football team took to the practice fields for the final time this spring on Wednesday. The team practiced 26 periods of which 13 were spent in Doak Campbell Stadium in the final half scrimmage of the season. The offense had one of its best scrimmages as Xavier Lee, Christian Ponder and Drew Weatherford combined to throw five TD passes. Rod Owens hauled in two of those strikes and Greg Carr had the longest reception of the day on a 51-yard TD pass.

PRACTICE & SCRIMMAGE HIGHLIGHTS:
• The practice began with the team working in position groups. The linebackers then worked versus the running backs on pass protection, before splitting up into run drills and 1-v-1.
• In 1-v-1 Ponder connected deep with Carr, Weatherford threw a nice out pass to Jordan Dobbie and Patrick Robinson picked off a pass.
• In pass skel Weatherford hooked up on a deep passes with Joslin Shaw and Richard Goodman. Lee hit Antone Smith on a deep pass after Smith ran a pattern out of the backfield and also hooked up on nice passes with Carr and Damon McDaniel. Ponder went long and hooked up with Dobbie while D'Vontrey Richardson also hit Dobbie deep. Defensively Michael Ray Garvin had a pass break-up and Darius McClure knocked De'Cody Fagg's helmet off on a big hit but he could not knock the ball free.
• While the receivers and DB's were working versus one another the offensive and defensive lines squared off on the far practice field.
• The final period on the practice field ended with 3-on-3 drills.
• In the scrimmage the offense had a good day led by the quarterbacks. Xavier Lee went 7-11 for 68 yards and a TD, Christian Ponder was 4-5 for 48 yards and a TD and Drew Weatherford was 7-11 for 167 yards and three TD's. None of the quarterbacks threw an interception.
• Antone Smith ran seven times for 44 yards to lead the backs. • Rod Owens led the receivers with two TD's while Carr, Shaw and Antwaun Green each caught a TD pass as well.
• Weatherford threw back-to-back TD passes of 50 and 51 yards to Owens and Carr respectively. He also hit Shaw on a 10-yard TD pass. Lee's TD pass went to Owens and covered eight yards while Ponder hooked up with Green on a 30-yard score.
• Smith turned in the two longest rushes of the day and both went for 16 yards.
• Defensively Everette Brown, Eli Charles and Recardo Wright all recorded sacks. Geno Hayes dumped Smith for a five-yard loss on the first play of the scrimmage and Andre Fluellen recorded a tackle right at the line on a 3rd and five play. Both Patrick and Jamie Robinson broke up passes.
• In the kicking game Gary Cismesia hit 2-of-3 attempts with the longest coming from 27 yards. Graham Gano went 2-of-4 but hit one from 42 yards on a low snap. His other make came from 35 yards.
• In goal line, Wright recorded a tackle for loss and the defense held the running game to no gain on three plays. Marcus Sims scored twice from in close, Lee ran one in and Weatherford hit Jonathon Person on a TD pass in the back of the end zone.

QUOTES

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

"They (the offense) had the better day today. Offensively we just executed better; didn't make as many mistakes as they had in the past. The biggest thing that I think our offense has got to work on is our third and one. I think the defense is stopping us too many times on third down and one. They had a touchdown on third and one today - fourth and one I think - but they had to throw a pass to do it. That's the only part where it looked like we need some work there. We have to get that next fall I guess because all your spring training is over except for the spring game."

(on Antone Smith's progress in the spring)
"Anton has done well. He's not a surprise - he is doing what we expect him to do. The bigger surprises are the guys behind him because Antone, you expect it of him. He has run well. We have blocked better for him and he has done good on getting some extra yards. The other backs are running good, too. That's good news, too."

(on Drew Weatherford connecting on deep passes)
"You like to see that. You need that. I think a couple of them were busted coverages where they just left somebody wide open down there. But, still you have to protect your quarterback and still, your quarterback has to hit them. We had some nice long throws for those touchdowns."

(how much has Drew Weatherford improved in the new system?)
"I'm sure they have gained. I'm sure they have gained on it. But No. 9 (Xavier Lee) has really come along. He had more room for improvement and he's probably made more improvement. I think light's are coming on for both of then (Weatherford and Lee) - (Christian) Ponder even did some good things."

(on the receivers catching passes)
"They caught much better today then they did the other day. Very few drops out there today."

(on Coach Rick Trickett's intensity)
"Usually it catches over to your players. They see that enthusiasm and they see that intensity and they know they're going to have to do it. It has a good effect. I think they've responded the best they could. Some have responded better than others. But they are trying to respond. It's probably harder on the older guys because you are having to change the things they were doing and do this whereas the younger guys, they don't have to change, because they never did it any other way.

Quarterback Drew Weatherford
"I feel really good; I feel really confident in the system obviously and in the guys we have around each other. We all have confidence in one another and we know that we have been working hard. We fell really excited about the spring game and we think we are going to have a lot of success. It was probably easier than I thought it was going be to pick up the offense because coach Fisher and his GA's do a great job - the GA's spend countless hours with us without coach Fisher to learn the actual offense. Adapting to the new coaching style, the tempo that they set and the intensity that they brought is definitely the biggest change - that was the hardest thing to adapt to. I think we have finally got it."

(on the competition for a starting job)
"They (the coaches) really haven't mentioned it very much at all (the quarterback competition). We just come out every day and try to compete. There is a long way before our first game and we are going to have probably wait until summer and somewhere in two-a-days before they make a decision. There's a lot of work to be done and there's a lot of improvement for our team to make before they even make that decision. I wouldn't be half the quarterback that I am if I didn't have it (the competition)."

Rover Myron Rolle
"The defense - we are going to be prepared to play (on Saturday). The offense is a very tricky offense - they play very hard, very aggressive and they play very tough. We have to match that intensity or even better it and just come out here and everybody do their assignments and I think we'll do okay. We have everybody coming back and I think we have done a pretty good job of trying to get our hands on more passes this year and be a little more physical. It's something we have improved upon but Tony Carter went down with an injury and that set us back a little bit. For the most part I think our unit has improved since the first day of spring. It's very important (to make big plays) because I think we can be tone setters and let the receivers know they can't run across the middle and catch the ball or just create turnovers and make the quarterbacks a little weary of throwing the ball deep. That's what I'm looking forward to doing on Saturday and I know the other DB's are as well. It's very important to make a statement out there in the secondary because we have a lot or opportunities to day that."

FSU Beats JU 7-2

Behind a solid outing by Bo O'Dell and home runs by Mark Hallberg and Dennis Guinn, the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles (32-4) avenged an early season loss to Jacksonville (21-18) defeating the Dolphins 7-2 Tuesday evening at Dick Howser Stadium. The first four batters in the Seminole line-up combined for nine hits and six runs as FSU extended its home winning streak to 27 games.

"It was a good win for us," said head coach Mike Martin. "I thought Bo O'Dell pitched very well. We were able to get three other guys some work tonight and I thought all of them threw well too. It was a game that we really needed to win. We played well last weekend at NC State. We knew we had a conference series coming up this weekend, so we certainly wanted to keep everything going. We played solid baseball and got the job done tonight."

Guinn and Hallberg each recorded two-run home runs in the bottom of the third to push the Seminoles' win streak to 25 straight games over the Dolphins on Mike Martin Field.

FSU Takes On JU Tonight

QUICK LOOK AT THE JACKSONVILLE GAME
Jacksonville makes its first trip of the season to Tallahassee and Dick Howser Stadium to face top-ranked Florida State. This is the second of three scheduled meetings in 2007 between both teams as the Dolphins won game one in Jacksonville 5-3, handing FSU its first loss of the season. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 110-34, while maintaining a mark of 72-10 in games played in Tallahassee. Florida State has not lost to Jacksonville at home since May 1, 1991, a span of 24-straight victories. The Seminoles' average scoring margin during the recent streak stands at +5.5. JU's win back on March 21 of this year snapped the Seminoles' 18-game winning streak over the Dolphins in the overall series. The two teams met five times last season including a match-up in the opening round of the NCAA Regional in Athens, Ga., a game in which Florida State won 18-0.

THE DOLPHINS IN 2007
Jacksonville enters the week with an overall record of 21-17, 6-7 on the road and 6-6 in the Atlantic Sun. The Dolphins are coming off their first three-game series sweep of the season downing Campbell last weekend, outscoring the Camels 29-7 in those three games. The last road game for JU came two weeks ago as the Dolphins dropped two of three to A-Sun foe Mercer in Macon, Ga. Both losses to the Bears were one-run, extra inning affairs. Through 38 games, Jacksonville is batting .286, while posting a team ERA of 4.46. Five everyday starters are hitting over .300 for the Dolphins including FSU transfer Ryan McArdle who is batting .331 with five home runs and 37 RBI's. Pete Clifford has played in all 38 games for JU this season and leads the team in batting average (.353), runs (36), doubles (11), home runs (7) and RBI's (41).

FSU Player ACC Player Of The week

For the second week in a row, a Seminole student-athlete was selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week as Brandon Reichert was recognized for his efforts in leading Florida State to a series victory at NC State over the weekend.

Reichert registered multiple hits in all three games against the Wolfpack, while posting multiple RBI's in games one and three. The senior first baseman posted a career-high four RBI's in game one on Friday night to go along with his first home run of the season. He registered a sacrifice fly RBI in the second, a two-out, two RBI double in the seventh and solidified the Seminole victory on Friday night with a solo shot to left for his first round tripper of the season. Three of Reichert's four RBI's in game one came on two outs.

Spring Practice: Day Thirteen

With just one week remaining in spring practice, the FSU football team returned to the field and practiced for 22 periods Monday afternoon. One of the highlights of the day was a visit from Florida Governor Charlie Crist who went up to talk with head coach Bobby Bowden in his tower and then threw the ball around with wide receiver De'Cody Fagg before meeting new offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. On the field the team worked on punt block and protection, in position groups, 3-on-3 and in skel. The practice finished with 11-on-11 and 1:00 offense.

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS:
• In running drills the play of the period was turned in by Marcus Sims who may not have gained a lot of yards but was impressive with his solid run between the tackles.
• In Skeleton Drew Weatherford completed passes to Richard Goodman over the middle, to Rod Owens who made a great grab for a big gain and to Antone Smith on a deep ball after the tailback flared out of the backfield. Xavier Lee connected with Greg Carr on an out and Jamaal Edwards on a swing pass that went for a long gain. D'Vontrey Richardson recorded a TD pass when he hit Goodman in the endzone.
• Pass break-ups were recorded by Korey Mangum, Michael Ray Garvin, Patrick Robinson, Myron Rolle and Ochucko Jenije.
• In 11-on-11 Smith broke off a nice run and later bounced off a tackler for another good gainer. Sims had a big run as well but the rush came to an end on a big hit by Mister Alexander along the sideline. Weatherford hit Owens twice on TD passes and also connected with Fagg. Weatherford hit Fagg again later on but Jamie Robinson punched the ball out. Lee hit Damon McDaniel underneath. In red zone Sims had a nice 8-yard run from the 10.
• Neefy Moffett recorded a sack, Mangum broke up another pass and Justin Mincey forced an errant pass pressuring Weatherford. Alex Boston got the defense fired up picking off a pass on 3rd and 10 to end the first team's drive in 1:00 offense.
• Lee had success in the 1:00 offense as he connected with McDaniel and Carr. He then dropped jaws when he scrambled out of the pocket and found Chase Walker in the back of the endzone as the wide receiver made a spectacular TD grab.

QUOTES

Florida Governor Charlie Crist
"I'm a Nole. I love Florida State University and I love coach Bowden, I really do and I love what he has done for my university."

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

"We came out in shells today and I thought we had a pretty good practice. We worked on different situations - things like that. We're not catching the ball as good; we need to catch the ball better. I believe the defensive secondary is playing better. I think I can tell a difference in a year on our corners and safeties - I think I can tell the difference. I feel like their coverage is a little tighter than it was at this time a year ago. They are making some progress."

(on Governor Charlie Crist visiting practice)
"It was good to see him. We are both Pike's (Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity members). It was good to see him. He throws the ball pretty good doesn't he? I thought he threw it pretty dog-gone good. It surprised me. He throws it better than any governor I have seen. It's the first time I have [seen] him since he has become governor. He was maybe a sophomore or a junior when I first came here. I think he went to Wake Forest then he transferred here. Then he went to - he got his law degree where I got my degree - which is Samford University. I think he was on their (Wake Forest) team. He's from St. Petersburg. He's born in Pennsylvania and moved to St. Pete when he was three."

(on his spring game philosophy)
"I'll leave that up to the coaches. They might want to just play it plain or they might just want to throw the whole thing at them. I'll leave it up to them. It won't be like we'll be trying to shield a whole lotta stuff. We really aren't doing that much. It will be like it was last year - points - offense vs. defense. We will probably go 10 or 12 plays and out rather then try to go ones vs. twos. A lot of times when you try to go ones vs. twos and the end of the scrimmage you find out that ones got 45 plays and the twos got 80. We will let them go so many plays and them put the other group in there. We will go ones vs. ones and two vs. twos. That's what we talked about today."

(on keeping the players attention through spring practice)
"There are so many battles going on that are equal. Nearly at every position there is a battle going on. I think that helps keep their attention. It seems like it has been pretty good."

(will performances in the spring game help determine the starting quarterback?)
"It could if somebody has a great game and the other guy didn't. That definitely could happen. They look kind of even to me - pretty dang close - I don't see a big separation. Jimbo will play a big role in that. I have really tried to stay out of that so we wouldn't get old opinions - so we just get a fresh opinion of this thing. I really don't know how he'll do that. Very easily, very easily (on the race going into two-a-days)."

(on jobs being more defined at this point)
"There are two ways to look at that. No. One -- you would like to know who the guy is at all positions but the other thing is you maybe have a little better depth and making a fight out of. Nothing makes them practice harder or performer harder than having competition. Every time you walk out here and have competition - it helps.

(is competition a pleasant surprise?)
"It keeps them on their toes knowing somebody might get your job - or somebody's about to take your job."

Defensive Lineman Andre Fluellen
"This is basically my fifth year - it's the last year and I have to leave something around for the younger guys. It's not all about going to the next level; it's not all about making millions of dollars; it's trying to set a legacy here and trying to set Florida State's standards for the younger guys. Everybody is coming along. I think Budd (Thacker) is probably coming along more than anybody just leading the techniques and everything. But everybody is coming along - once we have everybody healthy for the fall - we can be unstoppable, I think. I want to keep the track record going. We have had some elite defensive tackles come out in the last three, four or five years so I just want to keep the legacy going - I don't want to look back and say I was the guy that broke the links. I'm doing whatever I have to do this summer to work my hardest and be my best."

Wide Receiver Rod Owens
"I just had two big plays but I did have a mistake. The coaches are making us realize that we have to be close to perfect. I'm not too pleased with my blocking. I feel like I have to be more aggressive and really focus - just concentrate a little more. I feel like I haven't been concentrating as much. To be honest with you, I think I am still shaking the rust off. I feel like I still want to get stronger and I still want to get faster so I feel like I am still in that process right now. I'm still working on it."