Archive for January 2005
By Jon Mickler (doakisrockin’ / Pick ‘Em Champ)OK, so after watching the total dismantling of Oklahoma’s ‘D’ by the Norm Chow directed USC offense, and realizing that Uncle Bob passed on him to name precious little Jeffy the OC of what WAS one of the nations most feared offenses in the nation:..the most ignorant, insane act since trying to put a glove on OJ in a nationally televised courtroom:.here is my Top Ten list (forgive me Mr. Letterman) of how to put the Fear back in the Spear:.’,'1. Special Teams - attention gentlemen, this is the front of a player, and this is the BACK of a player: don’t, I repeat don’t, I repeat don’t confuse the two.
2. Mr. Booker - lose the waltz, gain the tango: for someone with more moves than ex-lax, his avg yards per game would double at the least if he could be taught to dance north and south, not east and west.
3. Talk it up: not since William Floyd has there been a true dominating leader on the field, and in the lockerroom… visions of William going after the defender, albeit the wrong one, after their late hit to Charlie is still ingrained in memory.
4. WR’s - here’s hoping we get Dawsey as WR coach, and here’s hoping his first rule implemented is same one Dr. John Eason used on him and his fellow WR’s - take off the friggin gloves. Yes, they’re pretty, but this is Florida, don’t need hand warmers.
5. JB - does this really need to be addressed? Keep JB as far away from the offensive gameplan as possible:buy him a set of fake headphones and tune it in to the replay of the Lincoln-Leon game. He’ll never know the difference.
6. Sorry ladies, but have to throw this one in here. Adorn our cheerleaders in the USC-style sweaters. Still the best Uni’s out there, and the testosterone induced by them could do wonders for our players.
7. Doak Campbell? No offense, and big contributor I’m sure, but paltry compared to Uncle Bob: And sure, the pigeon perch statue is nice, the stained glass is, well, different. But change it to Doak Campbell Field @ Bobby Bowden Stadium.
8. Show your ass? C’mon Piquion, Nicholson, et al:act like you’ve been there before. There is a reason why so many people hate T Owens:future penalty-induced acts should warrant running stadium steps to the halftime beat of the Marching Chiefs.
9. Rebuild the fan base (see #5). Time for Bob to quit building Jeffy’s resume at our expense, and blaming everyone from playstation to Anheuser-Busch. 5 fans? Sure, ignore. 90,000 fans? Well then maybe they have a point:.concede, even if just a little, and make it right.
10. Simple:.3 words:.TURN IT LOOSE! We are bringing in the most talented football players from all over the country. Let them do what they do best, and see what it brings. No more playing ‘NOT TO LOSE’:
So, with that said, look forward to seeing you all in the 2006 NC game::
By NOLEMAN13
The normal tradition for the New Year is to throw out the old and bring in the new. Florida State fans hoped to see this happen, on and off the field, against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. In true FSU style, the fans will still have to wait.’,'After setting the tone with a 69-yard TD from Leon Washington and forcing a fumble on the following kickoff, the Noles punctuated the season by settling for 32-yard field goal. Missed opportunities have become a Seminole signature and the Noles squandered two first-and-goal chances (second and third quarters), settling again for field goals instead of touchdowns. Late in the fourth quarter, the Noles blew another chance to use the old momentum when Chris Rix threw an interception in the WVU endzone, after FSU had marched down the field with the legs of Washington and Booker. Aaaaah, the old Noles.
Oh, but the new Noles showed some promise in the second half. With the glaring exception of the third quarter first-and-goal mishap and a few other untimely play calls, JB and staff called a game that moved the O up and down the field with relative ease. The passing game stayed, for the most part, underneath the safeties and the oft-abused O-line opened holes in the WVU front that would have made Swiss cheese jealous (FSU rushed for 301 yards on the day). The O-line, which was without two starters, even gave Rix a little more time than usual, allowing him to have a much better second half.
The defense was what it was…and is. They were chasing shadows and misdirection in the first quarter, allowing two touchdowns on long plays. After that, they limited mistakes and big plays and assumed the old “bend but don’t break” Nole strategy. Ernie Sims and crew slowed the WVU running game in the second half and limited the Mounties to two field goals.
So, what will the new year hold for the Seminoles, based on the Gator Bowl victory? The running game will be solid, barring injury or early defection for the draft, and the defense will be just as talented. The three most glaring issues now come to attention…quarterback, staff changes and play-calling. Sorry, Nole fans, I do not even think The Shadow knows what will happen there.