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| Thursday, October 3 Updated: October 4, 12:41 PM ET More questions than answers for 'Noles By Chris Fowler Special to ESPN.com |
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Well, the Bowden Bowls now stand at Bobby 4, Tommy 0. Tommy's team can survive the loss. Bobby's bunch badly needed the win. The 17-point margin looks comfy enough, but it's misleading. Florida State's performance Thursday night hardly inspires much confidence toward an upset bid next week in Miami.
After inexplicably tip-toeing the last two weeks, Jones returned to the muscular, smashing style that suits him best. Why was he being coached to try and dance past tacklers in the first place? The guy is 250 pounds. He's not going to dart 80 yards every carry. But he can grind out 150 a game if he pounds his big body at defenders and runs the way he did against Clemson. His huge run at the end of the half, when FSU was just trying to run out the clock with a simple off-tackle play, was the key momentum-switcher. Jones is a South Carolina native, and it was obvious from his first carry he was inspired to face Clemson. He needs the same fire next Saturday, or it's big trouble. The FSU quarterback saga confuses me. All we heard all week is that Chris Rix is "the guy." But when "the guy" got the wind knocked out of him and had to come out for a couple plays, he ended up sitting for about a quarter as "A.D." McPherson came in. In the second half, when a Rix-engineered drive regained the lead, he was pulled again the next series. It was a risky move with the game very much in doubt, but the 'Noles got away with it. If McPherson's appearance was designed to give him confidence if he's needed at Miami, the results were mixed. He did not look too comfortable and was not too productive, either. I know that a certain number of 'Noles players want McPherson to be given a chance to start, but does he really give FSU the best chance to upset No. 1? Only if you believe that merely changing to a more popular, but less polished, guy can provide a big enough spark. To me, it still smells like a desperate move, and that's not knocking McPherson's talent or potential. FSU's secondary continues to play in a fog. If the fog doesn't clear quickly, Andre Johnson and his pals will be partying in the OB end zone next Saturday. Poor Kyler Hall just looks lost at free safety. You might expect that from a sophomore rookie starter, but would this guy have gotten within a quarter mile of the starting lineup in the Seminoles' glory years? Corner Rufus Brown continues to surrender big plays, too. My God, the Noles allowed more than 260 yards passing in the first half -- and still had the lead! FSU did show flashes ... and fortitude. The 'Noles beat a talented but mistake-prone Tigers team, but they were fortunate to do so. Fans (and, yes, players) who were pushing the panic button a week ago can feel a tiny bit better, but not much. A 10-3 record seems realistic, and even that will take some doing. The 'Noles' post-game sniping last week proved they are once again a fragile bunch that could unravel if losses accumulate.
Musings as a new month begins
Using the Force The closeness and chemistry were born from a dismal year last season. Air Force went 6-6 and had to deal with the suspension of a dozen cadets. Both were out of character. Fisher DeBerry demanded that new leaders step forward, regardless of class, and for the first time the team elected its own captains. Along with three seniors, two juniors and a sophomore were chosen. Given the class hierarchy of the Academy, that's something. The sophomore is linebacker Anthony Schlegel, and he is something. He wears No. 51 (a tribute to Mr. Butkus) and has started since midway through his freshman year. Schlegel was a Butkus-like wild man against Utah, with 17 tackles (one for lost yards), a sack and a pass breakup. He is a tough guy of the Texas variety: His Academy lore includes stories of Schlegel hunting wild boar in his home state. With a knife. He plays with the same intensity as another No. 51 from the Academy, ex-Falcon linebacker Chris Gizzi, a true psycho when he put on the pads. Gizzi had a nasty gash on his chin that kept opening up during games, spewing blood all over his jersey while he just ignored it. There's also a little mystique building around quarterback Chance Harridge. He's found ways to rally the Falcons in an offense not exactly constructed for comebacks, with three second-half touchdowns at Cal and two second half TD passes at Utah. What DeBerry loves most is Harridge's leadership, the buzzword for 2002. Air Force will need leaders and a lot more this month. After opening defense of the Commander in Chief's Trophy against lowly Navy Saturday, the Falcons begin their toughest, most attractive stretch of games in a long time: BYU, Notre Dame, and rival Colorado State all visit the Academy, interrupted only by a trip to Wyoming. A slight buzz has begun about Air Force being BCS spoilers. If the Falcons get to the Notre Dame game (a prime-time showcase) at 6-0, the buzz will be a lot louder. If Air Force were to slay the Irish, it would be a roar. November's schedule is not too tough. Don't laugh. These Falcons have all the intangibles. And it doesn't hurt that this Air Force defense can run a lot better than in the past.
Don't spoil everything Oklahoma has the bigger challenge, because it visits Missouri in a rare night game designed to create a Faurot Field ambush like the one sprung on Nebraska on Judgment Day, 1997. Mizzou is a team that needs and feeds off emotion (it was there against Illinois but sadly lacking at Bowling Green). The Tigers will be inspired and just need a break or two to hang around and make it interesting. Of course, they will also need some help from the Sooners. OU was awful in the second half against South Florida with just 47 yards of total offense. Bob Stoops is promising a "re-evaluation" of all things offensive. This Sooner offense was supposed to be more balanced, more consistent than last year's. Not so far. They rely a lot on big plays, not steady execution. They need a strong effort Saturday to tune up for Texas. The 'Horns defense boasts great stats, but it hasn't been tested much. Arkansas had great stats, too, before 'Bama came calling. I suspect Texas is no mirage, though. The preseason issue of inexperienced linebackers has gone away. Lee Jackson and Reed Boyd are playing well, and Derrick Johnson is still a special playmaker even though his productivity hasn't wowed so far. Marcus Tubbs is a stud tackle, a strong, rangy guy who played high school hoops and came to football late. He's playing great, showing true freshman tackle Rodrique Wright the ropes. Cory Redding told me this week he feels the UT defense is ready for the challenge of Oklahoma State, not looking beyond it. Texas remembers that the Cowboys spoiled OU's season last year. I hope Cory's right. Okie State can move the ball and features one of the nation's best unknown players in Rashaun Woods. He gets completely overshadowed by UT's receivers (Roy Williams will return, by the way) and is out to make a statement Saturday. Woods was so tough for Texas' eventual first-round draft pick Quentin Jammer to cover last year that Woods forced Carl Reese to switch to zone. Rod Babers will try to shadow Woods this time. OSU's chances of stopping Texas cold are not good, but I'm still waiting to see the 'Horns put together all the talented components before slamming into Oklahoma. Wideout B.J. Johnson has been bracketed often and has mostly been a non-factor. As for OU-Missouri, the Tigers have already faced two spread offenses this season. They were devastated by Bowling Green's (an ominous sign), but fared much better against Troy State, allowing only seven points. Injuries to receiver Mark Clayton and defensive back Andre Woolfolk, who both missed the USF game, are a continuing concern for the Sooners. Antonio Perkins filled in for Woolfolk, showing flashes of his awesome athletic ability (4.3 second 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical leap) and scoring on a punt return. Will Peoples is more than adequate as a fill-in for Clayton, but they need Mark to get back in there. Here's hoping the over-the-top hype can build properly, with both teams colliding at the Texas State Fair unbeaten. The season has been a little short on dramatic, defining games so far.
Freshman warriors Clarett's legend continues to grow. After the Buckeyes sleep-walked through a scare at Cincinnati, Clarett returned to the lineup 11 days after knee surgery and fought to the end zone three times in the first half. When his fresh scar ripped open, Clarett took stitches at halftime, came out and powered for 23 yards in his next carry. It's odd for a freshman to lead by example, to inspire older guys with his drive and will. That's what Clarett says he's doing. Remember, he's not reluctant to express his confidence. But it's hard to dispute him. When he was eventually pulled, Clarett stomped the sidelines a bit, aching to get back in there. He was later talked to by coach Jim Tressel. It's a long season and (hopefully) a long career, Maurice. A marathon, not a sprint. But then, that's part of being a freshman. And Clarett's contributions are what elevates Ohio State from a somewhat ordinary team to potentially special. McLendon has also powered through pain. He hasn't let sore ribs and an injured shoulder slow him and played the second half Saturday with a broken bone in his right wrist. He'll have a couple weeks to heal up before the Wolfpack resumes its quest for a perfect season at North Carolina.
Too little pub at U-Dub Sure, the competition hasn't been that strong. But Washington is probably one brain-lock (too-many-men penalty in the final moments at Michigan) away from being unbeaten and in the top six. It always amuses me how teams are viewed so differently based on one or two fluky plays. The Huskies still don't have a running game, but it's hard to quibble with their offensive numbers. Pickett's charge for more national hype will start for real Oct. 19 when he faces the fearsome front four of USC in the L.A Coliseum. If he conquers that Trojan defense, you'd have to hang on to a strong regional bias not to toss him into the Heisman race. There are few quarterbacks playing better right now.
GameDay in T-town |
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College Gameday
