Sept. 16, 1997
FSU Football Notes Vs. Clemson
AKING THE CATCH
Biletnikoff Award candidate E.G. Green enters the Clemson game looking to extend his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 30 games and tie an FSU record. Including bowl games, Green has caught a pass in 29 consecutive games dating back to the 1994 Notre Dame game in Orlando. The Florida State record for consecutive games with a catch is 30 by Ron Sellers and Lawrence Dawsey. Green is a two-time second team All-ACC selection and has led the team in receiving for two straight seasons.
AGAINST RANKED FOES
After a 14-7 win over No. 23 Southern California, Florida State is 55-61-4 vs. AP Top 25 opponents. FSU is 21-5-1 vs. ranked teams in its last 27 such games.
AYE, AYE CAPTAIN
Coach Bowden named the game captains for USC at the Seminoles' annual kickoff luncheon. Center Kevin Long will lead the offense, LB Daryl Bush will captain the defense and CB Shevin Smith is the special teams captain. At the end of the season, the team will vote on permanent captains.
CLEMSON CONNECTIONS
Clemson assistant coaches Rick Stockstill (Wide Receivers) and Reggie Herring (Inside Linebackers) both played for Florida State. Stockstill was the starting quarterback for the Seminoles in 1980 and 1981. He led the 1980 team to a 10-1 record. Herring is third on the FSU all-time tackles list with 452 in three seasons. He recorded 170 in 1980, the third best in a single season by a Seminole.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Last time FSU gained at least 559 yards total offense against a league opponent was 1995 against Maryland, 616 yards. The 559 yards of total offense was also FSU's highest amount ACC or non-conference since that 1995 Terp game. Impressively, the 559 yards places just 14th for FSU in league play over the past six seasons.
Yards Opponent Year
858 Maryland 1992
797 Duke 1995
748 Wake Forest 1995
745 NC State 1995
731 Maryland 1994
647 Wake Forest 1993
634 Clemson 1993
628 Duke 1993
620 Duke 1994
616 Maryland 1995
582 Georgia Tech 1993
562 Wake Forest 1994
560 Virginia 1993
559 Maryland 1997
ON THE END
Tight end Melvin Pearsall's seven receptions last week against Maryland equalled his single-game all-time high of seven from 1994, also against the Terps. It also equalled his overall total of seven catches in 1995 and one shy of his overall total of eight catches from the 1996 season. His 65 yards gained receiving last week was also his second-highest single game total, after the 90 yards he gained in that 1994 Maryland game. That 90-yard performance in 1994 moved him past Lonnie Johnson as the FSU record-holder for single-game yardage by a tight end. Johnson's highest single-game total was 78 yards, twice. He needs just two touchdowns to tie Johnson's FSU all-time career record of 10 TD scores by a tight end.
TD's in a career by a tight end (top 4):
Lonnie Johnson 10
Melvin Pearsall 8
Kurt Unglaub 8
Pat Carter 7
FRESH FACES
Florida State played 33 freshmen against Maryland, including 25-year old quarterback Chris Weinke. Fifteen of them were true freshmen.
True freshmen: Warren, Reynolds, C. Thomas, Gibson, Chaney, Howard, Minor, Ford, Duhart, Weinke, Donaldson, Janikowski, McCray, Dorsey, Cottrell. Redshirt freshmen: Outzen, Jeune, Gooch, Cody, Polley, Gramatica, McCorkel, Allen, Amman, Seymour, Carmichael, Brannon, Heaven, Sprague, Crumitie, Minnis, Malone, Moon.
FRESH FACES II
The Seminoles had 10 first-time starters against Southern California: ST Ross Brannon , TG Donald Heaven, FB Lamarr Glenn, TB Dee Feaster, PK Bill Gramatica and Sebastian Janikowski, P Keith Cottrell, DE Roland Seymour, NG Larry Smith, LB Lamont Green and CB Tay Cody. Twenty-one first-time players saw action against the Trojans as well. Seven true freshmen played in the season opener: Derrick Gibson, Davy Ford, Travis Minor, William McCray, Sebatian Janikowski, Keith Cottrell, and Jeff Chaney.
COWART BACK TO OLD FORM
Linebacker Sam Cowart returned to familiar form with a team-high and career-high 18 tackles (12 solo) against USC and recorded seven against Maryland. The Butkus Award candidate also recorded three third-down stops and a half-sack in the USC win. The USC game was the ninth time in his career that he has recorded double-digit tackles. Cowart led the Seminoles with 115 tackles in 1995.
WADSWORTH FILLS IN JUST FINE
Defensive end Andre Wadsworth followed in the footsteps of first-round draft picks Reinard Wilson and Peter Boulware in the season opener. In his first game as a defensive end, he recorded two sacks against the Trojans to start the season off right, almost surpassing his season-high total of 2.5 sacks in 1994 and 1995. The senior also had eight tackles, three intimidations and a tackle for loss against USC. He also added a sack against Maryland. Wadsworth played noseguard from 1994-96, before moving to end.
ALL IS NOT LOST
Florida State lost 16 starters from its 1996 squad, but returns 10 starters, who all happen to be seniors. This is the largest number of starters lost during the dynasty years (since 1987), however the Tribe has had 14 starters leave three times during the last 10 seasons (1989, 1990, 1992).
DYNASTY
Florida State was officially named a college football dynasty by the NCAA in the organization's record book. The Seminoles are the only Division I school ever to win at least 10 games for 10 straight years. The Tribe has posted a 108-14-1 mark since 1987. Bobby Bowden has also led his teams to an NCAA record 10 straight Top Four finishes in the Associated Press poll.
WHO MIGHT GET STAGE FRIGHT
Florida State is accustomed to playing in front of the cameras of the major networks and has posted a 96-32-4 on television. The Seminoles are 40-15-2 when playing on ABC.
BOWDEN APPROACHING ANOTHER MILESTONE
With a victory at Clemson, Bowden will celebrate his 200th win as the head coach of the Seminoles. Bowden, who owns a 199-50-4 record as FSU's head coach, already ranks fifth on the All-Time Coaching Victories list with 272. He trails only Joe Paterno of Penn State (292) for Most Victories by Active Coaches.
THE GRASS IS ALWAYS "GREEN"ER
Biletnikoff Award candidate E.G. Green became the seventh player in FSU history to collect 2,000 receiving yards in his career with 118 yards on six catches in the first half of the Maryland game.
Green also tied Lawrence Dawsey for fifth with 20 career touchdowns on the FSU career TD list with his second score in the first half against the Terps.
BUZZ OFF
QB Thad Busby threw for over 200 yards in the first quarter of the Maryland game as he connected on 13 of 16 passes for 203 yards. Busby completed 10 consecutive passes in the first half after he completed a 59-yard pass to E.G. Green in the first quarter. He finished the half 26-for-34 for 308 yards. It's the most Busby has passed for in one half during his career. His previous game-high in a half was 279 yards against Clemson in the first half last year. It is Busby's fourth 300-yard passing game.
KICKING IT
Sebastian Janikowski's 49-yard field goal in the second quarter against Maryland ties former FSU kicker Scott Bentley's career-long field goal. Bentley's 49-yarder came against Maryland last season. Both are the longest since Derek Schmidt booted a 53-yarder against Florida in the 1987 season. Schmidt was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame last weekend.
Janikowski also booted nine of 10 kickoffs into the endzone against Maryland and 10 of 13 on the season.
FRESHMEN FIRSTS
Quarterback Chris Weinke threw his first TD pass in the fourth quarter against Maryland. Weinke connected with fullback William McCray who scored the first TD by a freshman.
Defensive end David Warren recorded the first sack by a true freshman this year as he took down Maryland's Brian Cummings for a loss of six yards.
FSU TOTAL OFFENSE VS. ACC OPPONENTS
UM (1) DU (3) CU (7) WFU (2) UNC (8) NCS (4) GT (6) UVA (5)
1992 858 494 263 461 359 336 378 413
1993 526 628 634 647 489 553 582 560
1994 731 620 393 562 421 424 396 513
1995 616 797 455 748 377 745 415 546
1996 496 221 453 401 213 527 443 533
1997 559
AVG 631 552 440 564 372 517 443 513
FSU SCORING VS. ACC OPPONENTS
UM (1) DU (2) CU (6) WFU (3) UNC (8) NCS (4) GT (5) UVA (7)
1992 69 48 24 35 36 34 29 13
1993 49 45 57 54 33 62 51 40
1994 52 59 17 56 31 34 41 41
1995 59 70 45 72 28 77 42 28
1996 48 44 34 44 13 51 49 31
1997 50
AVG 54.5 53.2 35.4 52.2 28.2 51.6 42.4 30.6
FSU POINTS ALLOWED VS. ACC OPPONENTS
UM (6) DU (7) CU (3) WFU (1) UNC (4) NCS (5) GT (2) UVA (8)
1992 21 21 20 7 13 13 24 3
1993 20 7 0 0 7 3 0 14
1994 20 20 0 14 18 3 10 17
1995 17 26 26 13 12 17 10 33
1996 10 7 3 7 0 17 3 24
1997 7
AVG 15.8 16.2 9.8 8.2 10 10.6 9.4 18.2
FSU has scored 1,795 points off of ACC opponents since joining in 1992. That's an average of 43.7 points per game. Since 1992, FSU's defense has given up a total of 507 points, for an average of 12.3 points per game -- a 31.4 point differential.
FSU has kept 16 ACC opponents in single-digit scoring since 1992. Not including last week's 50-7 win over Maryland, FSU averages three league opponents per season that do not reach double-digit scoring.
Last time FSU held a league opponent to at least 105 yards total offense was 1996 season opener against Duke, 91 yards.
ACC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Defensive Linemen
Andre Wadsworth
vs. Southern California
4 UT, 4 AT, 2 sacks, 1 TFL
Def. Backs &
Outside Linebackers
Sam Cowart
vs. Southern California
12 UT, 6 AT, 1/2 sack
INJURY REPORT
Game Injuries
Melvin Pearsall (great toe sprain); Lamont Green (rt. ankle sprain); Corey Simon (rt. knee hyperextension); Ross Brannon (neck); Jeremy Brett (neck); Theon Rackley (left 4th finger contusion); L. Coles (left & right 4th finger sprain); D. Gibson (rt. tibial contusion).
Did Not Play
Daryl Bush (rt. ankle)-day-to-day; Greg Spires (left fibula fracture)-x-rays on Mon. ;Demetro Stephens (rt. knee)-day-to-day; R. Wilkins (rt. ankle sprain).
FSU CAREER
TD CATCH LEADERS
1. Barry Smith (1970-72) 25
2. Andre Cooper (1993-96) 24
3. Ron Sellers (1966-68) 23
4. Jessie Hester (1981-84) 21
5. Lawrence Dawsey (1987-90) 20
6. E.G. GREEN (94- ) 20
CAREER RECEPTIONS LEADERS
1. Ron Sellers (1966-68) 212
2. Kez McCorvey (1991-94) 189
3. Mike Shumann (1973-75,77) 134
4. Andre Cooper (1993-96) 132
5. Warrick Dunn (1993-96) 131
6. Rhett Dawson (1969-71) 128
Lawrence Dawsey (1987-90) 128
8. Barry Smith (1970-72) 122
9. E.G. GREEN (94- ) 119
CAREER RECEIVING YARDAGE
1. Ron Sellers (66-68) 3598
2. Kez McCorvey (91-94) 2660
3. Barry Smith (70-72) 2392
4. Mike Shumman (73-75, 77) 2306
5. Lawrence Dawsey (87-90) 2129
6. Jessie Hester (81-84) 2100
7. E.G. GREEN (94- ) 2025
8. Rhett Dawson (69-71) 1915
100-YARD CLUB
FSU players have eclipsed the 100 yard receiving mark 42 times dating
back to Ron Schomburger in 1954 and as recent as E.G. Green last week
against Maryland. Green moved up to sixth place all-time after his
118-yard performance against the Terrapins.
1. Ron Sellers 19
2. Barry Smith 11
3. Fred Biletnikoff 8
Jesse Hester 8
Lawrence Dawsey 8
6. E.G. Green 7
Andre Cooper 7
Rhett Dawson 7
9. Jackie Flowers 6
Kez McCorvey 6
11. Hassan Jones 4
Mike Shumann 4
13. Six with three
19. Nine with two
28. 15 with one
FLORIDA STATE & BOBBY BOWDEN'S UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS
FSU is the only team in the history of college football to finish among the Associated Press Top Four for 10 consecutive seasons.
Florida State also has the NCAA record for most consecutive bowl victories as the Seminoles won 11 straight from 1986 to 1996.
The Seminoles are the only team in the history of the game to post a 14-game bowl unbeaten streak.
Florida State has won five straight ACC Championships and has lost just once in 41 games against conference teams.
FSU has been the most successful college team during the 1990s, posting a 77-10-1 record (.880) during this decade.
Florida State players have won the Heisman, Thorpe (twice), Butkus (twice), O'Brien, Maxwell and Lombardi Awards.
Bobby Bowden is the only coach in college football history to post 10 straight 10-win seasons.
Over the last 10 years alone, Florida State has won the Orange (3), Fiesta (2), Sugar (2), Blockbuster (1) and Cotton Bowls (1).
USA Today/ESPN AP
Top 25
1. Florida 3
2. Penn State 1
3. Washington 2
4. Tennessee 4
5. FLORIDA STATE 5
6. Nebraska 7
7. North Carolina 6
8. Ohio State 9
9. Michigan 8
10. LSU 10
11. Alabama 11
12. Auburn 18
13. Iowa 13
14. Virginia Tech 18
15. Clemson 16
16. Colorado 15
17. Arizona State 14
18. Michigan State 17
19. Kansas State 20
20. Washington State 19
21. Miami (FL) 22
22. Texas A&M NR
23. Stanford 21
24. Texas NR
25. Georgia 25
NR UCLA 24
