By Bill Kristoph

Under Coach Ralph Friedgen, the Maryland Terrapins have never lost three home games in a row. A Florida State victory on Saturday (3:30PM, ABC) will do just that. Although the Seminoles have consistently played down to their competition all season, expect a breakthrough game for the offense which is slowly maturing along with quarterback Wyatt Sexton. The ‘Noles are overdue for a good road game. Even if Florida State’s offense continues its consistently mediocre play, the Seminole defense, combined with an anemic Maryland offense is going to give FSU the win.’,'Florida State has won all fourteen previous meetings with the Terrapins. That trend will continue on Saturday. Against the lackluster Seminole defenses of the last few years, Maryland has turned the ball over 11 times. Expect this year’s dominant Seminole defense to continue that tradition. Some will point to the fact that FSU has lost 5 ACC games over the last three years, thus giving Maryland a chance this weekend. Let’s not forget that those loses were during the Chris Rix era, which, barring injury, is over.

Granted, the Seminoles have had their up and down moments on offense this season, but that is to be expected with a sophomore quarterback that is still learning his way. Two things that can’t be doubted after last Saturday’s game against Wake Forest, Wyatt Sexton has the guts and heart to lead this team and a strong running game is a huge plus for the Seminoles. This weekend FSU will be without one half of the dynamic running back duo, Leon Washington, according to Coach Bobby Bowden. #28 Lorenzo Booker will have an opportunity to showcase his skills, while freshman Lamar Lewis and Jamaal Edwards will see some action. Coach Bowden also stated that Willie Reid would have been an option if fully healthy.

Maryland has struggled for the last three games. They too, are an offense searching for an identity. Unlike the Seminoles, they don’t appear to be getting better anytime soon. Quarterback Joel Statham has lead the Terrapins to only 17 points over that span. If the Terps want any chance of winning, they had better figure out the Seminole defense quickly. Perhaps their best route is attacking the injury Seminole secondary, that so far this season has given up a couple of big plays. With Eric Moore and Broderick Bunkley healthy for the ‘Noles, the running game should be shut down.

What can the Seminoles expect from the Terrapin defense? If the Terps are smart, they are going to follow Wake Forest’s lead and blitz, blitz, blitz! Wyatt Sexton showed that if he does not have time to throw, then life for the Seminole offense can be pretty miserable. If Maryland can stop the running game, and pressure Sexton, look for this to be a low-scoring and close ballgame. However, if the Seminoles can get the running game going early, and open up the passing attack, the ‘Noles win big.

I’m banking on the latter scenario.

‘Noles 31 Terps 9

By Bill Kristoph

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons proved to be a worthy opponent for the FSU Seminoles on Saturday. The Seminoles were both harassed and outplayed by the Demon Deacon defense for the first half. Sophomore quarterback Wyatt Sexton had to overcome three turnovers (2 INT, 1 Fumble) to lead the Seminoles to a comeback 20-17 victory. The big bright spot on the day was the Seminole defense which allowed only 3 Wake Forest points (the other 14 were directly returned on the turnovers).’,'Defense wins championships, and the Seminole defense kept the 2004 edition of the Seminoles in the championship hunt. Although, they were nearly outshone by the Demon Deacon defense, which scored two touchdowns and harassed the Seminole offense by blitzing on what seemed like every play. Both teams had troubles, at times, on offense, but Wyatt Sexton lead the ‘Noles to two second half touchdowns and wonderfully engineered final drive for the 22-yard Xavier Beitia game winning field goal.

The game could have played out quite differently had Bobby Bowden had his way. At the half, Coach Bowden wanted to replace Sexton with Chris Rix, the more mobile choice of the two. Offensive Coordinator Jeff Bowden convinced him otherwise, and it was agreed that Sexton would play at least the first series of the second half. Thankfully, the junior Bowden had his way. (Granted, Sexton wasn’t perfect, but he had hardly any time and was again plagued by dropped balls.)

Overall, a win is a win, even if it’s ugly or causes your hard to flutter as a fan. The ACC appears to be improving leaps and bounds in talent, and the rest of the league should be put on notice… Wake Forest could easily be 7-0 at this point in the season. Perhaps they will be once their depth chart matches the likes of Miami and FSU. Let’s hope that the Seminoles get their road-show together this week and play better next Saturday at Maryland.

By Bill Kristoph

As the visitors to ScalpEm.com know, I am always looking for offbeat story ideas. Thankfully, the game this past weekend gave birth to some fresh material. A certain group of friends have started a brand new tradition for game day and the rest of Seminole Nation needs to know about it. It turns out that the ‘Noles had a little extra mojo on their side. And here the rest of us thought that the dominating performance by FSU was sheerly talent and execution.’,'Many ‘Noles fail to remember band uniforms of the past. Long ago, in a time far, far away, FSU was not sponsored by Nike. They did not have “official Nike logos” plastered everywhere, nor did the band uniforms match the logos (not that the Nike stuff is bad, mind you). There was a sense of purity back then, when the Chiefs wore a very different kind of hat. The furry hat.

According to alumni of the Marching Chiefs, the old school hat was best used for storing necessary game day items. Back then, the uniforms were hotter, heavier, and not allowed to be taken off in favor of the t-shirts. The Chiefs simply had to suffer, unless of course there was a refreshing beverage stored in a certain hat! Perhaps those hot days and field experience put some magic into “The Hat.”

Fast forward to 2004. The ‘Noles once again having ups and downs. Enter the object simply known as “The Hat.” At first, “The Hat” was thought to be solely a tailgate prop. It was something that would be an inside joke with family and friends. But then, the owner of “The Hat” had a brilliant idea. “The Hat” must make its furry way to the game for all ‘Noles to share in.

A #6 vs. #7 game is supposed to be close, right? Wrong! “The Hat” has spoken, and simply state it said, “I don’t think so.” Fans of all ages saw “The Hat,” rubbed it for good luck, and wished the owner well. When Virginia showed signs of life in the 2nd half, “The Hat” asked to be passed around, and thus created fresh mojo, leading the ‘Noles on a stuff of UVA.

“The Hat” has plans. Big plans. Huge plans! If Gameday visits, “The Hat” will be there. Whenever the ‘Noles need that extra boost, rub “The Hat.” When things look glum, and the ‘Noles have no where to turn, pass “The Hat” around. “The Hat” unites the fans. “The Hat” will be attending all home games! I pity the visiting teams to Doak from here on out.

Put the NCAA on notice! When you visit Doak S. Campbell Stadium, on the campus of Florida State University, not only must you deal with an excited and electric home crowd, but you must also Fear The Fur!!! Look for it at the next home game!

By Bill Kristoph

It is not often that fans are treated to a performance by their favorite team that is as good as the Seminoles delivered to a packed Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday night. The ‘Noles were nearly perfect all night. Wyatt Sexton solidified his starting quarterback job (or at least Seminole Nation hopes) with a stunning and spectacular 20 of 26, 275 yard, 1TD and 0 INT performance. Add in 30+ combined rushing attempts by Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington for 192 yards and you have the formula for a dominating Seminole offense.’,'On the other side of the ball, the Seminole defense stuffed the Cavaliers’ vaunted rushing attack, allowing only 20 yards for the entire game. Five sacks pushed Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans into unfavorable situations all night. Most importantly, the Seminole defense kept the Virginia offense off of the field, which lead to the Virginia defense spending far too much time trying to slow down a potent Seminole offensive attack.

The Seminole special teams were generally fantastic. Linebacker #34 Ernie Sims made a monster block of a punt which resulted in a safety and the ‘Noles taking the lead 2-0. The special teams also avoided penalties, which have plagued the ‘Noles most of the season. The only blemish on an otherwise perfect night for the Seminoles came just before the end of the first half, when University of Virginia kicker Conner Hughes connected on his 23 yard field goal attempt. Another bright spot for the Cavaliers was the play of TE Heath Miller who caught 9 passes for 100+ total yards.

The 36-3 domination by the Seminoles was also their first victory against a Top 10 team since 2000 and their first victory against a higher ranked opponent in the Top 10 since 1998. Incidentally, that statistic is misleading since the ‘Noles were wire-to-wire #1 in the ‘99 undefeated championship season.

Oh, by the way, if I pick against the ‘Noles and they win this big, then I’m picking against them the rest of the year! Congrats Seminoles, keep your focus and continue to improve!

By Bill Kristoph

The Florida State Seminoles and University of Virginia Cavaliers kickoff at Doak S. Campbell Stadium Saturday night at 7:45PM. Although College Gameday will not be visiting Tallahassee this weekend, ESPN is providing the coverage of what is obviously the game of the week. It is going to be a big night for both teams with ACC Title and possibly National Title implications. Many Seminole fans are quick to dismiss the undefeated Cavaliers as overrated. ‘Nole fans claim that the Cavs have not yet been tested. Remember two things; A. Either they have not been tested, but that doesn’t mean they won’t pass this one, or B. The Cavaliers are really a dominant team this year. The #6 ranking for the Cavaliers is well-deserved at this point of the season, and is the teams’ highest ranking since 1990 when they were ranked #1. However, you won’t find Coach Al Groh fessing up to the fact that the Cavaliers are deserving of the rank.

Are the Cavaliers like the rest of the ACC (aside from Miami) in fearing the vaunted Seminoles? No. Perhaps this fact can be traced back to 1995 when the Cavaliers upset Florida State, but whatever the case, this team should not have bug eyes and butterflies on Saturday night. Have the Seminoles regained that oh-so-important FSU swagger? Signs are pointing to yes, but there are many moves that could make it disappear. While many people will look at the 17-13 win over Syracuse as a negative, I think it showed the guts of the Seminole teams of old, where the ‘Noles won close games in the 4th quarter due to superior talent and preparation.

A simplistic breakdown of the game:
The ‘Noles have a quarterback controversy, no matter what anyone tells you. Chris Rix is healing, and Coach Bobby Bowden appears, at times, to want to have a short leash on Wyatt Sexton. If the controversy boils over Saturday night, it will have the dual effect of splitting the team and the stadium. Let’s hope the only way FSU backups enter the game is in a blowout.

Close games have not been the ‘Noles strong suit for the past couple of years (N.C. State in O.T. and last week @ Syracuse being exceptions). Kicker Xavier Beitia is not a big game kicker. If this one goes down to the wire, Seminole fans had better be ready to hold their collective breath. Cavaliers have the luxury of kicker Conner Hughes, who makes kicks like clockwork, and a tremendous quarterback in Marques Hagans who boasts a 171.2 passer rating.

Both teams boast fierce defenses that swarm to the ball. The speed edge goes to the Seminoles and the size edge to the Cavaliers. Whoever can stuff the running game of the other team, wins this ballgame. Look for linebackers Ernie Sims and A.J. Nicholson to have a huge impact for the Seminoles, who will work hard along with the defensive line to slow down the speedy UVA rushing attack. The entire UVA defense will have to come up big against the Leon Washington / Lorenzo Booker combo. Look for FSU to “go over the top” with some play-action passes later in the game, while UVA moves Hagans around to stifle the Seminole defensive rush.

This one is truly a “pick ‘em.” When a game is going to be this close, you take the home team. You take the fans, the evening, the national exposure and the experience of the big games. This all points to a Seminole victory, but as famous Seminole alum Lee Corso would say, “No so fast my friends!” The Cavaliers are better coached (yes, I said it), have better special teams and have the confidence to go far this season.

It’s gut check time for both teams.

As I said in my season predictions…
Cavaliers over the ‘Noles, 19-17 on a late touchdown.

Let’s start rooting that I’m wrong!!!

By Bill Kristoph

One word. Wow. Not wow in the good sense either. Just plain wow. How did the Seminoles squeeze a 17-13 win out of the Syracuse Orange? On a night where Mr. Murphy was firmly planted on the ‘Noles sideline, everything that could go wrong did go wrong for FSU. Dropped passes, muffed punts, fumbles, missed kicks and bonehead plays plagued the ‘Noles all night, but the Orange, thankfully, could not capitalize.’,'Wyatt Sexton looked jumpy and uncomfortable in the first half of the game, but it certainly was not from lack of protection. Many times Wyatt had all day to throw the ball, but simply could not find an open receiver. The bigger question this morning; Were there receivers open that he just missed? Sadly, ScalpEm.com was not represented at the Carrier Dome, so ESPN2’s AWFUL coverage had to be relied upon. Considering that most field goals and wide receivers were off-camera all night, there is no way to tell (Granted, ESPN may not have had a choice in where to put the cameras in the under-sized Carrier Dome). In all fairness to Wyatt, the FSU running game was not hot in the first half. The second half of the game proved different and it appeared that having a running game helped Wyatt settle down, and made Syracuse respect the play-action pass.

Give the Syracuse Orange some credit though, they came out ready for the Seminoles and looked like a team with nothing to lose. Evidently, playing three top 10 teams in the first few weeks of the season can give you that attitude. One has to wonder if the Orange had realized earlier that their first holder was not turning the laces away from the kicker on the first two field goal attempts, if they would not have won the game. Of course fumbling inside the five yard line and the end of the first half did not help the Orange cause either. The Orange should be able to take a few positives from this game and apply them to a strong second part of the season.

Coach Bobby Bowden gave a disturbing comment last night. Bobby stated that if Chris Rix was not injured, that Sexton would have been pulled because he was “struggling, and that’s what you do when they struggle.” 15 of 26 is not THAT bad folks, in fact it’s pretty good. Where was this attitude when Chris Rix was starting? I wish that everyone was judged on the same set of rules, but obviously (as in life) that is just not true. Charlie Ward did not have a great first 6 games of his carrier. Chris Weinke threw a bunch of interceptions against an inferior N.C. State team his sophomore year in his second start. Let’s not be so quick to judge Sexton, who certainly did not lose the game last night. Does anyone really think that a healthy Chris Rix would have done any better last night?

Short comments:
Leon Washington continued to tear up the field, and once Jeff Bowden found a way to get him free in the second half, the ‘Noles had at least one positive to look at last night. Washington rushed for a career-high 164 yards. Xavier Beitia continued to struggled in big games. Let’s hope that next week’s game vs. Virginia does not hang on a game winning kick. Offensive Coordinator Jeff Bowden gave some scowls on television that rivaled President Bush at the first debate.

By “The Brad” Richardson

Ahhhh, the refreshing smell of freshly cut grass. The sound of pads pounding. The occasional coaches actually coaching, but mostly just screaming. Children chasing each other in the parking lot. Drum lines beating in harmony in the distance. The voices of cheerleaders yelling in unison. Buses, charters, carpools, vans, cars, trucks, and mopeds fill the lots. Banners are hung with the utmost precision, siting the visiting teams future demise. Half price hot dogs and hamburgers for only a $1.12. This is high school football, and three friends and I were lucky enough to experience it all again last night.’,'The Class 3A Amos P. Godby Cougars played host to the visiting 5A A. C. Mosley Dolphins from Panama City at Gene Cox field last night. I being a ‘96 graduate from Mosley, and because one of my friends is an alumnus from Godby, we gathered up to witness the glory in High School Football. The trash talk began early this week as instant messages crossed over the internet, with the only cheers we could muster up to remember. A friendly bet was made and in giving away who won last night, I owe my friend a Milky Way Special Dark. Anyway, we all gathered at our special meeting place to carpool the stadium. We arrived at the stadium before anyone else because we all had a flashback moment in thinking we were going to tailgate before the game. Needless to say, we had our choice of parking. We grabbed a bite to eat and something to drink and headed to the stands. Once again, our tailgaiting and FSU game attendance got the best of us, as we broke open a couple of miniatures to spice things up a little bit. Yes, I know, we are pathetic. But it made for some good laughs.

Pre-game warmups began and we all reminised about our days of glory on the gridiron. I myself being the brunt of the jokes because some people don’t appreciate a punter who can actually kick to the coffin corner. The fans started rolling in with teachers, parents, and students alike, all wearing their teams colors with pride. The coin toss over, one team deferred the other chose to receive. (Sorry I don’t remember much about the coin toss. One of our guys in our group, not naming names, Dave, was pointing me out to the cheerleading pyramid. Specifically, the one on top standing on one leg and holding her other. Sick you are Dave, sick you are.) Anywho, the game began and the competition was off.

It was an OK game with both teams making mistakes and both teams making some big plays. But here are a few that stick out in my mind. This is the epitomy of high school ball. Mosley struck first with a field goal, and Godby answered with a TD of their own. Now on the ensuing kickoff Godby does a high pooch kick to one side of the field. Mosley’s upback immediately runs to the middle of the field to set up his wall, vacating the exact spot where the ball was going to land. Mosley recovers the “pseudo” onside kick. Godby ends up getting the ball back and scores again. So here we go again. With two minutes left in the half, here comes the same high pooch kick. This time the same upback stays where he is, however, he lets the ball go, it lands 10 inches behind him, bounces through his legs, and Godby recovers. WOW. Now that’s comedy. The next two minutes lasted around 38 minutes, because a holding call was followed by a block in the back, then offsides, twice, a false start, pass interference, and personal fouls on both teams occurred. After all that Godby had gained a net of 2 positive yards and there was still 1:05 left on the clock. 3rd down and Mosley drops back into Prevent to prevent them from stopping Godby at all. Godby runs a tight end down the middle of the field. He stops turns around and catches the ball. Now, because Mosley had 8 defensive back on the field they all converge on him like wild animals. They just forgot what they were hunting because the tight end scored. yay. Wonderful prevent.

On a side note, I did notice something peculiar about Mosley’s QB. Every single play no matter if it was a pass or run, he would bootleg toward Mosley’s sideline. I thought to myself that’s weird. Then I realized he did that so he could run to the sideline, get the next play while the current play was going on, and run back to where the huddle would be to bark out the next play. Evidently the art of signals is dead and gone.

On another side note, don’t eat anything at these games until 10:16 is left in the 4th quarter. Why you ask? Because all of the food get marked down in price like a Dollar General liquidation sale. They had 50 cent hot dogs and hamburgers for $1.12!!!! How great is that??? We all got a kick out of that when the announcer announced this great price reduction.

Godby went on to win the game and proceeded back home. The ride home was filled with laughter at how this great game is played on such a smaller scale. On the opening night of the movie that is supposed to represent high school football in all aspects, I can’t help but think of the joy and laughter we all experienced last night. All in all, it was good to be with friends. It was good to see old teachers, and friends of the family. It was good to see coaches. It was good to see my team play. It was all good, under the thursday night lights.

By Bill Kristoph

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, I wore SPF Sweatshirt and still got a tan. It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, I swear I heard footballs on the field sizzling like bacon.

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, I couldn’t even hear the “PUNT IT TO THE CORNER” from across the field.

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, the tailgate peanut butter was liquefied by the end of the day.

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, the new Bobby Bowden statue lost ten pounds.

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, you could keep your hot dogs warm by setting them on the bench next to you.

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, the Seminole Defense evidently decided to stay in the locker room and send out impostors.

It Was So Hot at Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend, post-gate only lasted a couple of hours. Now that folks, is a shame! A shame I tell you!

I think you get the picture.

By Bill Kristoph

Noon kickoffs in Tallahassee are probably the worst idea ever created on this planet. I had SPF 48 on, and I have a tan this morning! Are you kidding me? That stuff is like wearing a sweatshirt. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for the players in full gear.’,'A poor defensive performance for the ‘Noles was overshadowed by a 3 touchdown day by Wyatt Sexton and the Seminoles. Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington both added rushing touchdowns in an offensive performance that looked and felt like the Seminole offenses of old. 4-wide formations and swing passes for 5-7 yard gains, set up a few over-the-top deep balls for Wyatt and the ‘Noles. The running game averaged 6.7 yards per carry! The only blemish on an otherwise great day was an under-thrown interception by #19. Those things happen, and I’ll take a 3TD / 1INT ratio any day of the week.

On the bright side for the defense, they only gave up 16 points. On the downside they gave up 263 yards in the air, and 363 overall. There were a lot of arm tackles and a lot of complete misses. I’m sure it is going to be a rough week of practice for some of the team. If the North Carolina offense could have produced more in the red zone, there would have been a tight ballgame, and Carolina might have had a shot to win in Doak.

The special teams looked improved, but after last week’s debacle against Clemson, there was no where to go but up.

Congrats to the ‘Noles on their victory. They play The Orange at the Carrierdome in Syracuse, N.Y. next week. I can only hope that C.C. Davis makes a stunning punt return as a nice Terrell Buckley’s back in 1989. As always, Go ‘Noles and Scalp ‘Em!