FSU Seminoles

Stat of the half: 16. That's the number of rushing yards for Murray State in the first half, as last year's No. 2-ranked run defense for Florida State has had its way with the Racers. The Seminoles have held Murray State to 92 yards of offense in the first half, with just one run going for more than 5 yards.

Player of the half: Rashad Greene gets the narrow edge here over EJ Manuel. Greene replaced Greg Reid as FSU's primary punt returner and wasted no time showing he was up for the job, starting the scoring for Florida State by returning his first punt of the season for a 47-yard touchdown. For good measure, Greene added four receptions for 42 yards in the first half as well, including a 20-yard reception that set up FSU's third touchdown.

What's working for FSU: Virtually everything. Manuel's passing attack has been effective, racking up 149 first-half yards. The running game has moved at better than 6 yards a clip. The defense has shut down Murray State's ground game and made QB Casey Brockman work for every yard, racking up four sacks in the half.

What's not working for FSU: Jimbo Fisher lauded a healthy fall camp, but the injury bug has bitten a few times already against Murray State. Defensive end Brandon Jenkins left the game with a left leg injury midway through the second quarter, and right tackle Menelik Watson and safety Terrence Brooks also departed for the locker room. Watson returned to the sideline in full uniform but has not re-entered the game.

Join NoleNation for a live chat today as the Florida State Seminoles start their season at home against Bowling Green. Kickoff is 6 p.m. ET, but the chat is going on now:

Finally! No more waiting. The 2012 season is officially here in the ACC, as NC State will kick off against Tennessee tonight in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta. This series ends a countdown of the top 25 reasons to be excited about ACC football this year. There is no bigger reason than …

No. 1: Quarterbacks. What was once a weakness throughout the ACC should be a position of strength in 2012. There are legitimate Heisman contenders, and players who could collectively or individually raise the profile of the entire league. For the first time in conference history, the ACC had five quarterbacks top 3,000 passing yards in 2011, and all five return -- also a new high for the conference. A total of six quarterbacks return who have thrown for 3,000 or more yards in a season as Duke’s Sean Renfree threw for 3,131 yards as a sophomore in 2010.

Only Miami, which loses starter Jacory Harris, and Maryland, which lost C.J. Brown to a season-ending injury in pre-season camp, does not return its starting signal-caller. But the Hurricanes will start junior Stephen Morris (Miami) who has started five games (4 in 2010, one in 2011).

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd played his way into the Heisman conversation a year ago after the Tigers’ 8-0 start, and he could do it again, but so could Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas and Florida State’s EJ Manuel. Don’t forget about the Tobacco Road duo of UNC starter Bryn Renner and NC State’s Mike Glennon. Wake's Tanner Price, Virginia's Michael Rocco, BC's Chase Rettig and Georgia Tech's Tevin Washington also all return. There is a wealth of talent at the position and it should be one of the best seasons in recent memory for quarterback play in the ACC.

No. 2: A national title contender
No. 3 The Discover Orange Bowl
No. 4: Labor Day
No. 5: The winningest active coach in college football
No. 6: The ACC championship game
No. 7: Florida State's defensive line
No. 8: Thursday night games
No. 9: Atlanta
No. 10: NC State's secondary
No. 11: SEC rivalry games
No. 12: Virginia Tech's 10-game winning streak
No. 13: Florida State vs. Clemson
No. 14: North Carolina vs. NC State
No. 15: Unofficial state championships
No. 16: Talented true freshmen
No. 17: Unpredictability
No. 18: ACC vs. Notre Dame
No. 19: Clemson's offensive playmakers
No. 20: The ACC's record chasers
No. 21: Larry Fedora
No. 22: One of the nation's top rushing offenses
No. 23: The last season before expansion
No. 24: Brent Venables
No. 25: A fresh start at Maryland

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher didn't work to lure any of Penn State's players away in the wake of the NCAA's devastating sanctions this summer, but when Kevin Haplea said he was interested, it seemed a good fit.

Now, just a month after Haplea arrived at Florida State, Fisher and his staff are counting their blessings.

Backup tight end Dan Hicks is out for the season after microfracture surgery on his knee, which means Haplea has stepped into a potentially significant role on the Seminoles' offense.

"We didn't know that Dan was going to get hurt, but knowing that we have Kevin, it's going to be huge for us, somebody to fill that void," quarterback EJ Manuel said.

Haplea has looked impressive as a blocker, which should complement the skill set of starting tight end Nick O'Leary. Haplea has consistently worked with the starters in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and Manuel said he has shown no signs he's a novice to the system.

"He was able to come in and he just wanted to learn," Manuel said. "He came out one day for 7-on-7 and then went right into practice. That's hard for somebody to do. Then you're around all new guys and I'm sure we're different than Penn State, but he's blending in well, and he's doing a great job blocking, protecting me."

There also remains the chance that freshman Christo Kourtzidis could see some action Saturday, too, despite still being a bit behind the curve physically.

"He has great hands, great route running," Manuel said. "I think with Christo, once he gets older he'll get bigger and stronger."

Going against 6-foot-6 Kelvin Benjamin in practice, it helps to have a plan.

The key, Nick Waisome said, is getting inside his arms, keeping him away from the ball. The outcome -- well, that's not always perfect.

"It's a coin toss," Waisome said.

Murray State won't provide Waisome with quite as tough a matchup Saturday, but that doesn't mean Waisome won't be tested in his first career start. Then again, he's also expecting to win more than half those battles, too.

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Jimbo Fisher said the ban on Twitter remains in effect for Florida State players, but he hopes the team is ready to move on from the controversy this summer surrounding tweets from defensive back Tyler Hunter that encouraged violence against police officers.

Hunter, who has not spoken publicly since Fisher's Twitter ban went into effect last month, issued a statement through the school apologizing for his actions.

"It was a terrible mistake and something I wish I could take back," Hunter said in the statement. "I never meant to be hurtful and disrespectful to police officers and the families of fallen officers."

In July, Hunter complained on Twitter about treatment by police following a traffic stop, using lines from a rap song that included a call to "kill cops."

Hunter's tweets were not the only ones to stir controversy, though his were the most overt. Fisher shut down the use of Twitter completely among players, but Hunter received additional punishment after leaders of the Florida Fraternal Order of Police raised concerns with the university.

As part of Hunter's punishment, he performed several ride-alongs with local police.

"I've appreciated the time the Florida State police officers have spent with me educating me about their jobs and the jobs of other officers," Hunter said in the statement. "I've learned about the risks they take daily for our safety, the sacrifices they make and know it's not an easy job. Nothing should have caused me to quote or use words like that."

Fisher said he imposed strict disciplinary restrictions on Hunter since the incident, and he said he has been pleased with how the sophomore has responded.

"He's been very, very disciplined, never any issues anymore," Fisher said. "I think he realizes he made a critical mistake that's not indicative of who he is as a person. But he knows he was wrong -- and majorly wrong. He's really done a nice job of trying to change his image and what he's trying to be about."

Hunter is expected to be Florida State's nickel-defense cornerback this season, and Fisher said the sophomore will be available for Saturday's game against Murray State.

"He'll be playing, he'll be ready to roll," Fisher said. "He's gotten a greater appreciation for what those folks do and how wrong he was, and he understands that."

It's been three years since Bobby Bowden was on the sideline for the first Saturday in September, but he's no less a fixture in the college football landscape. Bowden remains a prominent figure in the sport, and football remains a prominent part of his life.

So as Florida State and the rest of the nation gets set for another season -- and on the eve of Bowden's induction into the FSU Hall of Fame -- NoleNation sat down with the legendary coach for his take on what's in store for the Seminoles, the ACC and the rest of college football in 2012.

NoleNation: I'm sure it's a lot different for you these days, but do you still get excited for the start of a new college football season?

Bobby Bowden: I really do. Now that I've retired -- when you're coaching you don't have time to watch other people, you only watch yourself. Now I'm able to watch everybody, and I really enjoy it, and I'm very excited about this football season.

NN: Now that you're not coaching, what is a typical Saturday in the fall like for you?

Bowden: During football season, No. 1, if I have an early golf game, I'm not going to miss it. I get done around 12. But a Saturday for me, I get up early, we have a standard tee-off time on Saturday morning, so you're going to play golf. Then I come home and I sit down and start watching football games. I watch all day, probably up until 12 at night. I have to vote. I vote for the Legends Poll, a bunch of head coaches that don't coach anymore -- probably 20 of us. So I try to watch everybody I can so I can vote in that poll.

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With all 12 teams playing in Week 1, including two conference games, there will be plenty to watch in the ACC, from Friday through Labor Day. Here are 10 things to keep an eye on, in no particular order:

1. NC State’s secondary vs. Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray. The Pack will be without starting cornerback C.J. Wilson, who has an “eligibility issue,” according to coach Tom O’Brien, but All-American David Amerson returns to help the Pack against Bray. Despite missing five games last season with a fractured thumb, Bray threw for 1,983 yards and 17 touchdowns.

2. Clemson in the trenches. Much of the focus leading up to the Auburn game has been on how Clemson will survive without suspended leading receiver Sammy Watkins, but more important is how Clemson will fare up front, on both the offensive and defensive lines. Depth on the offensive line remains a concern, and overall, Clemson had to replace six starters up front from last season.

3. True freshmen in College Park and Chestnut Hill. Maryland and Miami both will be depending heavily on true freshmen in their season openers. The Terps will have true freshman Perry Hills starting at quarterback, are likely to use two freshman running backs and will use receiver Stefon Diggs in several roles. Miami has more than a dozen freshmen in its two-deep.

4. Special teams in Blacksburg. Georgia Tech’s group was abysmal last season, but the Jackets hired special-teams coach Dave Walkosky, the first special-teams coach Paul Johnson has hired during his tenure in Atlanta. The Hokies are trying to get Beamerball back, but questions in the kicking game persisted through summer camp.

5. Jeremiah Attaochu vs. Logan Thomas, Part 2. In this game last season, Attaochu was about to complete a third-down sack of Thomas but couldn’t bring the lumberjack down. Attaochu let his frustration and adrenaline get the better of him, and took a swing at Thomas, drawing a personal foul. The two have been friendly since, but getting pressure on Thomas will be key in this game.

6. Florida State’s offensive line. If there is one reason not to snooze on the Murray State game, this is it. The Seminoles showed a lot of progress up front this offseason, but they must continue it if FSU is going to live up to the expectations this season.

7. ACC vs. SEC. The ACC hasn't had a winning record against the SEC since it went 5-4 in 2003. The ACC could help itself change that this weekend with a 2-0 start against the SEC with victories by NC State and Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff.

8. North Carolina’s tempo. We finally get to see the “Fed Spread” in Chapel Hill, as UNC will unveil its new up-tempo spread offense under first-year coach Larry Fedora. How many more plays will the Tar Heels be able to run, and how well will they execute them? Bottom line: How fast can this team score? Time of possession could be deceiving.

9. Duke’s backups. The Blue Devils will be missing about a dozen injured scholarship players against Florida International, including receiver Blair Holliday, tight end Braxton Deaver, defensive tackle Jamal Bruce, safety Jordon Byas and linebacker Kelby Brown.

10. Virginia’s revamped secondary. UVa has no seniors in its secondary after having three senior starters last season. Only three other schools (Florida State, LSU and North Texas) have a senior-less secondary. More specifically, there are no upper-classmen at the cornerback position. Sophomore Demetrious Nicholson is now the elder statesman of the group.

For all the buzz surrounding Ronald Darby or the expectations for five-star recruits Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Goldman, the only freshman guaranteed a starting job for Florida State this year is punter Cason Beatty.

And while Beatty has largely been secluded with the other specialists throughout the bulk of fall camp, his role this season could be significant.

Beatty replaces All-American punter Shawn Powell, and he'll have his work cut out for him to live up to that lofty precedent.

Powell led the nation with a 47-yard average a year ago -- nearly five yards per punt better than the next closest competitor in the ACC.

Jimbo Fisher isn't exactly expecting those results in Year 1 for Beatty, but thus far he's been impressed with what he's seen.

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