FSU's offense: Jugger-not?

Jimbo Fisher has done a nice job of breathing life into an offense that was flat-lining under Jeff Bowden.

In 2006, Bowden's final year as Florida State's offensive coordinator, the Seminoles averaged 330 total yards a game and 96.5 rushing yards a game.

Last season, they averaged 421 yards a game. In three years under Fisher, they have averaged 150 rushing yards a game (including 179 in 2008).

Florida State's offense has made major progress under Fisher. And given that the Seminoles return a bunch of starters on offense in 2010, you can see why folks think Fisher's group can be really good this year.

But there's reason to show some restraint, and that was underscored with Friday's awful scrimmage showing.

Fisher was not happy afterward.

"Offense was very erratic," he said. "Very sloppy."

And:

"About like they played last year, wasn't it? You guys got us anointed as a great offense. Not me. We don't play great every game."

Now I know one bad scrimmage in August isn't cause for lasting judgments of this offense. But Fisher hit on something that gets overshadowed in all this preseason love thrown the Seminoles' way:

Last year's offense wasn't exactly the 1989 49ers.

The first four games perfectly encapsulate the erratic nature Fisher was referring to.

In the opener, the Noles score 34 points and put up 404 yards in a close loss to Miami.

In the next game, FSU's offense scores two touchdowns and rushes for 78 yards in a 19-9 win over Jacksonville State. It should be noted that the Seminoles had just five days between the crushing loss to Miami and this game, but still ...

In Week 3, FSU goes on the road and torches BYU 54-28, rolling up 512 yards of offense (including 313 on the ground).

Seven days later, the Seminoles return home and get smacked by South Florida. They commit four turnovers in the 17-7 defeat and rush for 19 yards. They are shut out over the first three quarters and produce one drive of more than 50 yards.

Fisher's offense picked things up over the second half of the season, averaging 32 points over the final eight games. But a lot of it was facilitated by bad defenses (45 vs. N.C. State, 44 vs. Georgia Tech, 41 vs. Wake Forest, 33 vs. West Virginia, 29 vs. Maryland).

The Seminoles moved the ball up and down the field for three quarters in a 40-24 loss at Clemson, but they also committed five turnovers.

The highlight of FSU's season came in a huge comeback victory at North Carolina, a triumph that was fueled by a second-half explosion on offense. It's easy to forget how awful the Seminoles' offense looked in the first half of that game, though.

Fisher's offense still has some issues to resolve. Not saying the Noles can't be great on offense this year. But they weren't great on offense last year, and that fact sometimes gets forgotten as people build them up to juggernaut status for 2010.

Some Monday links before I head out to watch some stretching...

Gotta feel sorry for Willy Korn, whose quarterback days are apparently over with his abrupt switch to defensive back at Marshall.

Herd coach Doc Holliday:

"Willy Korn, what a special guy. He's been a quarterback his whole life. He's a great kid. I told him today the situation. He said 'Coach, I want to move to defense and help this football team win some games.' That tells you what kind of kid he is. He's a special kid. I'm just glad he's here."

"Sure he is disappointed. His dream was to be a quarterback. We all have dreams. Unfortunately his dream didn't come true. But you know it's going to come true. He's going to be a great player for us somewhere else and help this team win."

We'll never know if Korn a) was never the same after injuring his throwing shoulder, or b) simply wasn't a college quarterback to begin with.

Anyone who saw Korn flailing away during warmups at Boston College and Virginia in 2008, struggling to throw simple swing passes, knows that the shoulder ailments reduced him to a shell of what he once was.

But no one can say for sure that he'd have been a star had he gone injury-free.

In Boston, a look at the QB battle between Dave Shinskie and Mike Marscovetra.

Also, looks like the Eagles have a candidate to back up TB Montel Harris.

In the competition to be Montel Harris’ backup at running back, true freshman Andre Williams put the best foot forward, as he led all rushers with a 59 yards on seven carries, including a 29-yard touchdown run.

He showed both toughness and speed.

In Raleigh, an update on N.C. State's secondary. Some reason for optimism, but also some reason for pessimism.

N.C. State has suffered significant personnel losses from last season. Safety Clem Johnson was a senior. Promising sophomore cornerbacks Rashard Smith and Jarvis Byrd both have knee injuries. Smith is out for the season, and coach Tom O'Brien would prefer to redshirt Byrd because he isn't expected back until November.

In Atlanta, an update on Joshua Nesbitt.

No player will be more central to the Yellow Jackets’ fortunes, so it was a good sign when Nesbitt completed half his six passes, including a 6-yard touchdown to Stephen Hill with cornerback Mario Butler in tight coverage, in Bobby Dodd Stadium.

More important, in limited action Nesbitt scored a touchdown and ran with great purpose and zip. If he runs as he did on his first carry -- a 24-yard burst to the left when he turned the corner and took off as if he had a turbo on his back -- there will be more applause than what rose from the crowd of 2,000 on that play.

“I’m getting downhill quicker,” Nesbitt said in explaining that he can accelerate faster. “[I’m] better overall, quicker and faster. It’s like now I don’t have to worry about anything. I can just play. I used to have to worry about my ankles, or making certain cuts.”

At Auburn, the Tigers are running some Wildcat with freshman receiver Trovon Reed.

In this Auburn blog, defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker gives his take on Reed:

“I guess it’s something in the water down there in Louisiana. I don’t know, man. He’s fast. He’s fast.”

Pre-Snap Read has a preview of No. 20 North Carolina.

If you love college football, you'll love Austin Murphy's ode to the sport.

Whether the SEC is made up of 12 teams (as currently constituted) or four four-team divisions, undergrads at Ole Miss will continue to dress up for tailgates in the Grove, those stately oaks casting blessed shade outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. However supersized the Pac-10 becomes, the USC Trojans won't stop "tapping in" at Goux's Gate before every practice. The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band, which once commemorated the flight of O.J. Simpson by driving a white Bronco around the Stanford Stadium track, will continue to amuse, entertain and offend. Regardless of the state of the ACC, the Clemson Tigers will refuse to descend into Death Valley until they've rubbed Howard's Rock. Even if (or when) the Big 12 truly implodes, forcing Missouri into the arms of, say, the Mountain West, Mizzou students will still celebrate huge wins by lugging the goal posts the 17 blocks from Faurot Field to Harpo's, the renowned public house whose bartenders will then dispense small hacksaws to patrons so everyone can go out and get a piece. And isn't that what college is all about?

Preach on, brother.


LW