FSU Seminoles

Florida State opened its season with a 69-3 win over Murray State in which the running game led a huge offensive performance, the defense looked as dominant as ever and the special teams provided the first touchdown of the game for the Seminoles.

But that doesn't mean it was a flawless performance for FSU all the way around, so we dug into the Week 1 numbers and handed out our position-by-position grades.

QUARTERBACKS

The most noteworthy moment of Saturday's game for EJ Manuel was probably his first-quarter interception, which snapped a streak of 128 straight throws without a pick. Of course, the INT was hardly Manuel's fault. The pass was delivered with precision, but Kenny Shaw bobbled it into a Murray State defender's hands. Shaw's blunder certainly kept Manuel's nuambers more pedestrian -- 16-of-22 for 188 yards -- but he also hauled in Manuel's lone touchdown throw of the game.

Given the questions surrounding the offensive line and the running game, it's not surprising that Manuel wasn't asked to do a lot as Jimbo Fisher tested his ground game often. But it's also worth noting that eight of the first nine offensive plays of the game for FSU were passing plays -- the sum total of which garnered the Seminoles 47 yards (5.9 yards per play, compared to FSU's game average of 7.9 yards per play). Manuel was also just 1-of-4 for 2 yards on third-down passes, and he converted just one of five third downs he faced in the game -- the lone conversion coming on a QB run.

With FSU rolling in the second half, Manuel didn't stick around too long. Clint Trickett entered in the third quarter and looked sharp, completing 8-of-11 passes for 117 yards, including a beautiful pitch-and-catch with Shaw for 40 yards. Trickett's highlight though? That would probably be his shoving match with a Murray State defender after Debrale Smiley's touchdown in the fourth quarter. Trickett boasted about bulking up in the offseason, noting that he was lifting weights with the linebackers these days, so he must have been eager to show off his new found moxie.

Jacob Coker also got in his first career game, too, completing 1-of-2 passes for 16 yards.

Overall, the FSU QBs were 25-of-35 for 321 yards in the game.

GRADE: B

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Florida State added a sixth member to its 2014 recruiting class late Saturday night with the commitment of Denzel Ware (Crestview, Fla./Crestview).

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound defensive end, who was in attendance for the Seminoles' rout of Murray State, got the feeling that Tallahassee was the place for him.

"It feels great," Ware said of making his decision. "Watching the game, I watched Brandon Jenkins and sat in the recruiting section and got a tour of the school, I just felt like the time was right."

Florida State's defensive ends combined for four sacks in the first half alone, showing Ware it is a scheme in which he could thrive. That, along with the relationships he has with the coaches, made the biggest difference.

"I have a great bond with the coaches," he said. "I like the tradition. I just really love it.

"[Defensive ends] coach [D.J.] Eliot was like, 'Are you for real?' I told him I was for real and he nearly jumped out of his shoes. He introduced me to the whole coaching staff and everyone was proud."

Ware said he plans on taking other visits, but considers himself firm to the Seminoles. The junior defensive end said FSU won out for his commitment over Alabama and USC.

Florida State began the 2012 season Saturday with a monster 69-3 win over Murray State, with Lonnie Pryor racking up three touchdowns, Rashad Greene returning the first post-Greg Reid punt for a score, and Bjoern Werner and the defense absolutely dominating the overmatched Racers.

But whenever 69 points is scored, there are bound to be a few storylines that get overlooked. So with that in mind, here are five newsworthy items and behind-the-scenes tidbits from Saturday that you might have missed.

1. Wilder's big night

After the game, James Wilder Jr. was still carrying around the game ball, promising he'd sleep with it Saturday night.

"I'm not letting it go tonight," Wilder said after the game. "This is going to be my girlfriend tonight."

Wilder said he already had purchased a glass trophy case before the season, waiting to get his first 100-yard game so he'd have a ball to put in it.

Turns out, it didn't take long.

Wilder racked up 106 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries -- and six more on one catch -- to pace the Seminoles' running game.

What's more, Wilder did it while checking in at a hefty 231 pounds.

Wilder said he usually weighs in at 225 before a game, and his goal had been 222. But Wilder had trouble shedding pounds in recent weeks because he was held out of a number of workouts during practice.

Jimbo Fisher had said they were being cautious with Wilder because of some shoulder soreness suffered during FSU's first full scrimmage. Turns out, Wilder said, it was actually a hip injury that had slowed him down.

Of course, he didn't look too slow Saturday.

But while Wilder's performance certainly was a good one, it's also worth noting he didn't get his first carry until the third quarter, when Murray State's defense was already gasping for breath. In fact, 182 of Wilder's 266 career rushing yards have come in the second half of games against FCS teams.

That certainly doesn't mean Wilder won't be impressive this year. After all, he said, he's molded his game after some great runners -- who just so happen to have been hefty for running backs, too.

"You don't see a lot of backs that big anymore," Wilder said. "But I always watched backs that big -- (Walter) Payton, my father, Earl Campbell. I just feel like, size doesn't really matter. I have the drive to get to the end zone, and that's what's going to get it done."

Granted, all three of those runners had retired before Wilder was born, but after averaging nearly 9 yards a carry, who's going to argue?

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No. 7 Florida State opened the season with a 69-3 victory over Murray State on Saturday behind three touchdowns from fullback Lonnie Pryor and a standout defensive performance by defensive end Bjoern Werner.

It was over when: James Wilder Jr. wrapped up Florida State's first drive of the second half with a 9-yard touchdown, putting the Seminoles up 35-3. The Racers managed to hold their own in the first half despite the score, but Wilder's run capped a dominant five-play, 72-yard drive in which FSU fully exerted itself.

Game ball goes to: Werner. With fellow defensive end Brandon Jenkins out with a foot injury for the majority of the game, Werner had a field day against the overmatched Murray State offensive line. The junior defensive end racked up four sacks, five tackles for loss and forced a fumble on the Murray State 2-yard line that set up a touchdown.

Stat of the game: 7. That's the number of rushing touchdowns for Florida State's offense Saturday, the most in any game for the Seminoles since 1992. Pryor scored three times and Wilder and Debrale Smiley each chipped in with two. Florida State averaged nearly 7 yards per carry, with a total of 285 rushing yards.

Turning point: EJ Manuel hit Kenny Shaw for a 6-yard touchdown just before the end of the first half. Murray State had hung tough early, and Shaw's bobble of what appeared to be an easy catch earlier in the half that turned into an interception was the most glaring of several FSU mental gaffes. But that last drive of the half, a five-play, 58-yard march, ended with Shaw gaining some retribution and the Seminoles reasserting themselves against an inferior opponent.

Unsung hero: Pryor. Well, it's not that Pryor flew under the radar Saturday. He scored three touchdowns, topping his total for the 2011 season. But Pryor, a senior, has spent his career blocking out of the backfield and doing FSU's dirty work on offense, so the moment in the sun -- all three of them -- was a nice way to start his final season with the Seminoles.

What it means: Odds are the thumping of an FCS opponent won't tell us much about Florida State's ability to meet the immense preseason expectations, but Jimbo Fisher should be pleased that his offensive line delivered an impressive push, the running game was able to move the ball well and the defense looked every bit as stout as the preseason hype touted. Things won't get much tougher next week against Savannah State, but thus far FSU looks the part of a contender, even if the test wasn't overly tough.

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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