Bowl Championship Series - Players to Watch - No. 4 Florida at No. 3 Florida State

Friday, December 13, 2002
Players to Watch - No. 4 Florida at No. 3 Florida State
By Will Weiss
BCSfootball.com

ALEX BROWN

School: Florida
Year: Junior
Position: DE
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 265
Hometown: White Springs, Fla.

Year	Games	TT	Solo	Sacks-Yds	FF	FR	PD	INT
2000	9	41	16	6.5-42	2	1	1	0
1999	12	45	35	13-102	5	1	8	2
1998	11	10	5	2-11.5	0	0	0	0
Career	32	96	56	21.5-155.5	7	2	9	2

This is the game that will define Alex Brown's collegiate career. Is he the player that was an All-American last year, terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, or the inconsistent defensive end that has spent as much time in Steve Spurrier's doghouse than in opposing teams' backfields?

Over his three-year career at Florida, Brown has been one of the most prolific sack men to don a Gator uniform, and usually displays his prowess in big games. Saturday night against Florida State (ABC, 8 p.m. ET), he wants to avoid the type of game he had last season against the Seminoles.

Thanks to Florida State offensive tackle Brett Williams, Brown was a non-factor -- he only registered five tackles and one sack. Florida did not amount much of a pass rush, and Chris Weinke found enough open receivers to spark an FSU victory en route to its second national championship of the '90s.

"Teams that dominate defensive end play, seems like, have been a little more successful the last five years or so," said Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

Brown was criticized at the beginning of the season for not having performed at his 1999 level, when he posted 13 sacks, 45 tackles and two interceptions. He has come on strong as of late, and last week against South Carolina made seven tackles, sacked Gamecocks QB Phil Petty once, and was consistently in Petty's face, applying pressure.

Brown seems to have peaked at the right time.

But Brown will match up against the 6-foot-6 Williams again, and will also go against 6-7, 330-pound tackle Char-ron Dorsey on the other side, as he will shift on the line. Regardless of where he lines up, FSU head coach Bobby Bowden will be aware of his location and try to double-team him and limit his effectiveness on the line of scrimmage.

Florida State's running backs got nicked up against Wake Forest with Jeff Chaney and Davy Ford going down with season-ending injuries, while Travis Minor missed practice time with a sprained ankle. The injuries will put more pressure on William McCray, who will see time at tailback, to pick up the blitz better.

Regardless, Brown knows he must beat his blocks and get shots at Weinke if the Gators want to end their winless streak in Tallahassee.

TAY CODY	CLEVAN THOMAS
Florida State	Florida State
Senior	Senior
Cornerback	Cornerback
5-11, 180	6-0, 175
Blakely, Ga.	Miami, Fla.

2000	G	Tackles	Solo	TFL-yards	PB	INT-yards
Cody	11	79	58	3-21	11	4-107
Thomas	11	35	24	0-0	9	2-13

Florida State corners Tay Cody and Clevan Thomas will be put to the test Saturday night, as Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell have turned into one of the most formidable receiving duos in college football.


Tay Cody wants to shine in his final home game as a Seminole.

Cody has enjoyed his finest season in the Garnet and Gold this fall. He leads the team in interceptions (4), is the team's fourth leading tackler (79), and has notched the most tackles by a cornerback since LeRoy Butler made 91 stops in 1991.

It was Cody's tip on the final play in the end zone last year at Florida that preserved FSU's unbeaten season.

"It just so happened I was able to take one more final step back and get my right hand up in time," Cody said.

Cody will go head-to-head with Florida's leading receiver, Gaffney, who is the type of player who can turn a five-yard pass into a big gain, as he has shown all season. It's important for Cody to play physical, especially within the first five yards of the pattern. If Gaffney slips by him, Cody will have to rely on his quickness to make up for his mistakes.

On the other side, Thomas hasn't seen as much action come his way. At 6-foot, he is the same size as Caldwell, which should present an interesting battle. At only 175 pounds, though, he can't be as physical as some other corners, but his speed makes up for his lack of punch.

Caldwell is excellent at disguising his routes, and will keep Thomas on his toes. He must be careful not to give too much of a cushion to Caldwell off the line of scrimmage, or else he could be in for a long day.

Will Weiss is the assistant editor of BCSfootball.com.

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