Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Florida State

NC STATE (1-4, 0-2) at FLORIDA STATE (3-1, 0-1)

DATE: Saturday, October 6, 2007

TIME: Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. (EDT) at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL (82,000)

RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network: 2:30 p.m. (EDT)

TELEVISION: ABC (Regional)

OPPONENTFlorida State found a new starting quarterback in its 21-14 victory over Alabama last Saturday.

Xavier Lee replaced starter Drew Weatherford in the second quarter and finished with 283 all-purpose yards while tossing two touchdown passes. Lee engineered an impressive 67-yard drive to open the second half for the game's first scorea 7-yard pass to De’Cody Faggand made things happen on the ground with a team-leading 59 rushing yards.

The performance was so impressive that Lee was named the ACC’s Co-Offensive Back of the Week, sharing the honor with Maryland’s backup quarterback Chris Turner.

Lee brings a different look to the Seminoles offense. While Weatherford is more experienced (27 career starts), he’s a pocket passer with average mobility. Lee is more athletic and harder to blitz (he was not sacked by Alabama) because he can run and scramble. The redshirt junior can also throw the deep pass to keep opposing defenses honest. So, why hasn’t he been playing more?

Inconsistency has been his biggest problem. Lee started three straight games last season before losing the job following a sub-par performance in a home loss to Wake Forest. That leaves FSU coaches wondering which Xavier Lee will show up against NC State on Saturdaythe playmaker or the other guy.

New offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is willing to roll the dice. On Monday he named Lee as his starting quarterback. Ironically, Fisher twice had to talk Lee into not leaving Florida State. Their latest chat came in preseason camp after Weatherford was named to start the opener.

Lee wasn’t the only hero in the victory over Alabama. The defense and solid special teams play made up for a poor rushing attack (82 yards in 35 attempts) and plenty of mistakes (9 penalties).

FSU's defense overpowered the Crimson Tide, especially in the first half. Alabama did not make a first down in the first quarter and rushed for only 89 yards in the game (61 in the fourth quarter). The defense also set up the Noles second score.

Everette Brown stripped Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson of the ball and Letroy Guion recovered the fumble. On the next play, FSU ran a toss sweep and Antone Smith scored from 5-yards out to give FSU a 14-0 lead with 9:09 remaining in the game.

After Alabama cut the lead to 14-7 with 5:04 left on D.J. Hall’s leaping catch of a Wilson pass in the back of the end zone, Lee hit De’Cody Fagg with a 70-yard scoring bomb 18-seconds later to put the Seminoles up 21-7. Wilson added a 17-yard TD pass to Keith Brown with 1:06 left to round out the scoring.

Fagg finished with a career-high 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He’s one of FSU three top receivers along with Greg Carr (107 yards vs. Alabama) and sophomore Preston Parker. When he’s focused and ready to play, the 6-6 Carr can be dominating. Only a junior, he’s already 13^th in ACC history in career touchdown catches.

The quarterback position has not been the only concern. Injuries have forced FSU to mix and match on the offensive line. Right tackle David Overmyer, a third-year starter, missed most of the Alabama game with a sprained knee. Shannon Boatman, a starter in ’06, moved from guard to replace Overmyer while true freshman Rodney Hudson took Boatman’s spot. The Noles best lineman is senior guard Jacky Claude, a third-year starter and All-ACC candidate.

Overall, FSU is averaging 66 snaps, 22 points and 337 yards per game.

Florida State’s ground attack (120 ypg.), took a hit when fullback Marcus Sims fractured his ankle in the first quarter of the Alabama game. Sims rushed 11 times for 38 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 5 passes for 43 yards.

The featured back is Smith. The 188 pound junior is averaging 59 yards rushing a game and also has 11 catches. Smith has accounted for 36 percent of FSU offensive plays this year. After two years as a reserve, Smith looks poised to have a break-out season.

Despite several injuries, the Seminoles defense has shown signs of performing like some of the dominant FSU units of the 1990’s.  The Noles are holding opponents to only 17 points and 78 rushing yards a game. They’ve also forced 6 turnovers, including 2 interceptions.

Most of the injuries on defense have been up front. Nose guard, Budd Thacker, did not play against Alabama with a toe injury while tackle Andre Fluellen, an Outland Trophy candidate, was limited by an elbow injury. A hip pointer kept defensive end Neefy Moffett on the sidelines for most of the game. Whether Moffett, Thacker and Fluellen play Saturday could be game-time decisions.

A guy to watch is Brown (6-4, 255, So.). The Stantonsburg, NC native, who attended Beddingfield High School, is FSU’s best speed rushing end and is coming off a dominating performance against Alabama.

Linebacker coach Chuck Amato has had to replace two starters from ’06. Sophomore Dekoda Watson has taken over for Pitsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick Lawrence Timmons.  Second-year starter, Geno Hayes, is the other outside linebacker. He leads FSU with 5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Middle linebacker, Derek Nicholson (6-2, 226, Jr.) has replaced Arizona Cardinals draft pick, Buster Davis. Nicholson suffered a season-ending knee injury against NC State in ’06, but has returned this year to lead the Noles in tackles (35).

The Seminoles secondary is also solid.  All four starters return and there is plenty of depth.

Cornerback Tony Carter (5-9, 175, Jr.) is FSU’s best coverman. The second-year starter is a candidate for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards and has already matched his interception total from ’06 (2). The other corner is junior Michael Ray Garvin (5-8, 180) who doubles as a sprinter for the FSU track team.

The safeties, Roger Williams (6-0, 200, Sr.) and Myron Rolle (6-2, 215, So.) are both second-year starters. Williams led the Seminoles in interceptions in ’06 and is the team’s No.2 tackler this year (26). Rolle is an outstanding talent who earned first-team, freshman All-America honors in ’06.

FSU’s kicking game is much improved from a year ago. Graham Gano, who punts and kicks off, is counted on heavily and he’s produced. The junior is averaging 41 yards a punt and has placed six inside the 20-yard line. He’s also recorded seven touchbacks in 20 kickoffs.

Kicker Gary Cismesia (5-11, 210, Sr.) has made 73 percent of his career field goal attempts, including 6-of-7 this year. His longest made field goal of ’07 is a 40-yarder.

Parker ranks among the nation’s leaders in punt returns (32^nd), averaging almost 13 yards per attempt while Garvin has used his sprinters speed to average 22 yards per kickoff return.

NOTES:  FSU wide receiver Joslin Shaw has been cleared to play Saturday. Shaw and defensive end Kevin McNeil were held out of the first four games for violating team rules....FSU averages only 27 percent success on third-down...The Noles are 12-of-15 in the Red Zone with 7 touchdowns...A Wolfpack win would give NC State its fifth victory over the Seminoles in the last seven meetings...FSU has a +1 turnover margin. The Wolfpack turnover margin is -13last in the ACC...Opponents have scored 65 points off 18 Wolfpack turnovers, accounting for 43 percent of the total points allowed by NC State this season... Darrell Blackman leads the ACC in all-purpose yards, averaging 175 a gamethat ranks 17^th nationally... State has thrown an interception on its opening drive in 3 of its 5 games this season...The Pack is averaging only 99.6 rushing yards a game, but is allowing opponents 247 yards on the groundlast in the ACC...State’s last two opponents have averaged 294 rushing yards...The Wolfpack is 3^rd in the ACC in pass defense (179 ypg.) and has surrendered 6 touchdowns through the air...NC State has scored in 144 consecutive games, the fourth-longest streak in ACC history...The Wolfpack’s last overtime game was a 27-21 win at home over Wake Forest in 2004...State is 6-4 in overtime games... Senior linebacker Ernest Jones leads the Pack in tackles, averaging nearly 12 stops a game...Wolfpack defensive linemen Willie Young and Ted Larsen each have 4 quarterback pressures in 5 gamesa team best...The Pack has broken up 32 passes this season, but has only two interceptions...FSU is averaging nearly 10 penalties and 79 yards a game compared to the Wolfpack’s 6 penalties for an average of 53 yards...FSU will go for its fourth straight win Saturday. The last FSU four-game winning streak occurred in 2005...State has lost 8 straight ACC games. The Pack’s last ACC win was October 5, 2006 over Florida State...Since joining the ACC in 1992, FSU has never been 0-2 in conference play.  

INJURIES--NC State: QB Harrison Beck (AC separation)-out; OT Jeraill McCuller (knee)-out; FB Pat Bedics (knee)-doubtful; DT Jamaine Clemmons (ankle)-questionable; TE Marcus Stone (ankle)-questionable; DT John Bedics (ankle)-probable; LS Corey Tedder (broken hand) out for season; RB Toney Baker (knee)--out for season; TE Anthony Hill (knee)-out for season; FB John Kane (concussion)-out for season; TE Rashad Phillips (rehab from auto accident)-out for season. Florida State: OT Antwane Greenlee (neck)-out indefinitely; OT David Overmyer (knee)-out; DE Neefy Moffett (hip)-questionable; DT Budd Thacker (toe)-questionable; FB Marcus Sims (broken ankle)-out; DT Andre Fluellen (elbow)-questionable.

 

North Carolina State University Athletics

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