Florida State Football in 2008
FSU Seminoles Outlook for Next Year Shows Bowden's Concerns
Not long ago teams trembled at the site of the garnet and gold of Florida State, an All-American laden team that often had backups more talented than the opposing team’s starters. The past seven years however have witnessed a decline in the program, and now the immortal Bobby Bowden has the ‘noles on the brink (or possibly smack dab in the middle) of mediocrity.
Most FSU fans place the blame squarely on two sets of shoulders: former quarterback Chris Rix, who around Tallahassee would probably finish 3rd in a popularity contest with Richard Nixon and Mussolini, and Jeff Bowden, Bobby’s son and former offensive coordinator, who may be the only person that could finish lower than Rix.
With the two albatrosses having flown the coop and future head coach Jimbo Fisher in place running the offense, the ‘noles still are not poised to break out despite returning a senior starting quarterback. What’s the holdup? Here’s a look at some of the obstacles in the way of a run at an ACC Title, in no particular order.
Offensive Line- Although Rix and Weatherford have drawn most of the heat among fans, the decline of the play up front offensively has potentially been the single biggest factor in the struggles of Florida State’s offense. Bowden has switched Offensive Line coaches twice recently, now using former West Virginia O-Line coach Rick Trickett. After suspending starter Daron Rose, Florida State is projected to start with all freshmen and sophomores up front in 2008.
Discipline- Florida State has been plagued with off the field issues over the last few months. First was a huge group of players from various sports caught cheating on an online exam. This led to an astounding 25 players missing the Music City Bowl last year, and the widespread suspensions will carry over into the beginning of the 2008 season. Next was starting offensive tackle Daron Rose, who left the team and would have been Florida State’s best offensive lineman. Finally last year’s MVP Preston Parker, who was the only Seminole to shine as a playmaker last year, was arrested for having a .45 caliber hand gun and marijuana in his car. Parker will be suspended for 2 games to start in 2008 however if he fails to stay totally clean and meet all of the demands of his agreement with the school, he could face further suspensions or dismissal.
Wide Receivers- After filling NFL rosters with marquee wideouts for years, Florida State has struggled to develop a strong receiver corps. Greg Carr has yet to contribute much more then catching occasional jump balls downfield. Preston Parker has potential but is more of a playmaker that lines up in the slot and backfield as much as at wide receiver (not to mention he’s suspended). Despite having a few guys with potential, Florida State has nobody returning that has demonstrated the ability to be a reliable pass catcher or possession receiver.
Quarterback- Drew Weatherford has been a starter for three years and has simply not been able to excel on the field. He typically does well at protecting the football but has not shown the ability to put points on the board. He threw for only 9 touchdowns last year and was benched for Xavier Lee halfway through the season. In Drew’s defense, problems at offensive line and wide receiver have made his development difficult. Nevertheless Lee managed to generate offense with the same supporting cast, he simply couldn’t protect the ball well enough to stay on the field. Unfortunately for Weatherford, the offensive line and receiver corps don’t appear to be any better (maybe worse) than they were last year. On a side-note backup Christian Ponder is expected to take some snaps under center next year as well.
Defensively Florida State has taken losses with Andre Fluellen , Letroy Guion and Geno Hayes all looking to play on Sundays next year. However Florida State seems to have as much trouble finding good linebackers as Matt Leinart has finding a date, and Mickey Andrews seems to be able to put together a ferocious defense every year. Special Teams may be a concern as well with Gary Cismesia finally running out of eligibility at kicker, not exactly a historically strong position for Bowden and the Seminoles.
Although Florida State continues to recruit talent and has plenty of speed, they may be yet another year or two away from returning to the glory days of blowout victories, national titles and of course, being ranked the number one party school in America.
