5 Good Questions: Florida State

For this week's installment I had the pleasure of exchanging questions with Jerry Scott from Nole Spear It (clever, eh?). His answers to my questions appear below, and my answers to his questions are here on Nole Spear It.

1. Florida State has put up some big numbers the last two weeks and looked good all around, but both games came against opponents who didn't have much chance to put up a fight. What can you take away from the first two games that will apply to this Saturday's game against Wake Forest?

Jerry Scott: The biggest thing Florida State can take away from those two tune-ups and apply toward the Wake Forest match-up is confidence. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the team has their ‘swagger’ back, but the offense is obviously gelling and the defense has let up 7 points in two games, I think that works wonders for a team that has lacked confidence and a true belief that they can get it done. FSU has played an enormous amount of freshman (as many as 30) the first two weeks and I think the lesser talented competition allowed FSU to really get those players acclimated and in sync with what the coaches want/expect from them out on the football field.

Of course the downside to playing lesser talents in Western Carolina and Tennessee-Chattanooga is that you truly don’t know how those performances will translate against serious competition, like your Demon Deacons.

2. Do you like the two quarterback system? What are its benefits? Are there any significant downsides?

JS: I’m really not a proponent of a two-quarterback system and I don’t know that Jimbo Fisher truly wants to go that route. When I think of great Quarterback play, it’s an individual that pops into my mind, never a QB tandem and I think there’s a reason for that. Generally if you’re using a two-quarterback system you’re admitting you don’t have one capable QB, thus you rely on two to get the job done, I don’t think history is on your side in that situation.

The benefit to having a two-quarterback situation is being able to bring in somewhat of a curveball to the game to give the opposing defense something else to prepare for. Also you’re keeping two Quarterbacks relatively focused on the task at hand, what’s that saying ‘Two heads are better than one’; I think that applies when using a two-quarterback system. One may see something the other didn’t and collectively they can exploit those weaknesses. I think the downside occurs while one of the QB’s is on the field. Is he second guessing his decisions for fear that he will be pulled for the other guy? While on the field you’ve got to trust yourself, have fun, and just play. Thinking too much puts the QB and his team in jeopardy.

3. What effect, if any, do you think the remaining suspensions will have on this weekend's game?

JS: We’re definitely going to miss several of our starters on defense; LB Dekoda Watson, DT Paul Griffin, and CB Patrick Robinson. Watson really came on last season and proved to be disruptive on defense. Derek Nicholson, Kendall Smith, and Toddrick Verdell have been fantastic early on and Freshman LB Nigel Bradham (from Wakulla County) has also impressed in the limited action he’s seen. I think we can carry the void Griffin leaves, as his fill in, DT Kendrick Stewart has been an absolute masher on the line. I never thought he would become the hard hitter that he is. The hardest hit from a suspension stand point will probably be felt in the secondary. Tony Carter and Patrick Robinson were as close to lockdown corners as you can come and with Robinson suspended, the Noles will inevitably miss his ability to shadow receivers and disrupt passes. Michael Ray Garvin, Patrick’s back-up, is a senior and he’s seen plenty of playing time in Mickey Andrews’s extensive substitution packages, so I’m confident he can stop the potential bleeding.

With that said, we are returning two ‘key’ suspended players for this weekend’s showdown; WR Preston Parker and DT Budd Thacker. WR Preston Parker has been the bread and butter of our offense. He single handedly restored the excitement into Florida State Football last year and he single handedly crushed those hopes by getting arrested for gun charges over the summer. Having talked to the players and coaches they are extremely excited to get Preston back as he provides excitement and a much needed/welcomed comic relief for his teammates on the field. Budd Thacker is one of the vocal leaders on defense and it will good to have his run stopping abilities back on the field.

4. Where do you think Florida State matches up favorably against Wake? What areas concern you?

JS: I would like to think we match-up favorably in the skill player department: WR/PR Preston Parker, WR Corey Surrency, WR Greg Carr, WR/PR Bert Reed . Our receiving unit is so deep this year. I mentioned four players and we still have others that will contribute on Saturday (WR Taiwan Easterling, WR Rod Owens) that have looked outstanding thus far in the season. Again the downside to playing Div-IAA (FCS) schools early on is; are these guys really that good or were they able to exploit the weaker competition? We will certainly find out Saturday when we play one of our toughest opponents of the season at Doak Campbell Stadium.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our Quarterback play. Drew Weatherford was a heck of a competitor and brought FSU its first outright ACC Championship in Jacksonville when they upset the Hokies, but the new guys on campus; Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson are completely different breeds. Using NFL analogies: Weatherford was like a Trent Dilfer, he could hang in the pocket and make the short throws, but if you asked him to move out of the pocket or throw the ball down field, you would receive a mixed bag. Ponder and Richardson can handle the short, intermediate, and deep throws. They can also leave the pocket at will. They don’t have 33 starts under their belts so the decision making isn’t necessarily where you want it, but it’s coming and you can see it which makes it exciting as a fan.

As far as our weaknesses go, I’m a bit concerned about our Pass Defense. The Div-IAA schools didn’t light us up, but they had marginal success, whether that’s due to a lack of focus while looking ahead to your Demon Deacons, I’m not sure, but I hope so. It’s something to definitely keep an eye on. On the flip side, our pass protection concerns me as well. It really has nothing to do with the results thus far as Ponder didn’t get sacked in Week 1 and may have once or twice in Week 2, but the line is so young that it’s hard to know whether they will hold their own against tough competition like Wake Forest.

5. It never hurts to ask....What will the final score be on Saturday? How many games will Florida State win this season?

JS: Saturday will be a true test for this football team and the fan base can’t wait for it. It may not get the National Media’s attention, but this fan base, along with its coaches/players, is dialed in. As far as a score prediction, it’s hard to discount the defenses in this match-up, but I’m going 28-24 Florida State. There’s no way Wake Forest comes to Tallahassee and takes care of business three years in a row. The madness has to stop and I think it will Saturday night.

I think the Noles can go 8-4, maybe 9-3. It’s really tough to project the season without them having played a formidable opponent. After Saturday I would have a more definitive answer for you, but at this stage in the game, this is about as deep I can get into it, as there’s still too many unknowns.

Good work as always from Jerry. Many thanks, and make sure to visit Nole Spear It.