FSU Seminoles

From EJ Manuel's 400-yard passing game to Rodney Smith's career day receiving to Dustin Hopkins' record-setting kick, there were plenty of Seminoles putting up big numbers against Boston College. Here are five stats that made the difference in FSU's 51-7 victory.

9. That's the number of passing plays called by Jimbo Fisher to start the game. Fisher insists he wasn't out to send a message following a week's worth of criticism surrounding his more conservative approach against NC State, but it was certainly noteworthy given that Boston College ranks among the worst run defenses in the nation. FSU also opened its first drive pinned inside the 1-yard line, but Manuel looked deep on four of his first six throws, finally connecting on a 77-yard bomb to Kenny Shaw for a touchdown to wrap up the first drive.

1,632. That's the number of rushing yards Florida State has racked up this season after finishing Saturday's game with 201 yards on the ground. That total through seven games is a whopping 174 more rushing yards than the Seminoles mustered in all of 2011. The 233.1 yards per game FSU is averaging on the ground is more than double last year's average, and Chris Thompson's 68 yards Saturday gives him 640 for the season, 61 more than Devonta Freeman's team-leading total from last season. Thompson needs to average just 60 yards per game (51.4 if FSU plays in the ACC championship) to become the school's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1996.

2. That's the number of Florida State's plays Saturday that went for a loss -- a 6-yard sack of Manuel and a 1-yard TFL on a Freeman run. That's not necessarily proof of a big step forward for the offensive line. BC entered the game with just four sacks on the year (second worst in the ACC) and just 12 tackles for a loss (worst in the conference), but it was remarkable what the extra time in the pocket did for Manuel and the FSU offense. In the previous two games, the Seminoles allowed 19 negative plays, and not coincidentally, they turned in their two worst offensive performances of the season.

439. That's the number of passing yards for Manuel, a career high. But that's just the beginning of the huge numbers in the passing game. Manuel said he'd never thrown for 400 yards in a game -- even in high school. For Florida State, it's the first time a quarterback has topped the 400-yard mark since Chris Weinke threw for 521 against Clemson in 2000. Manuel's four touchdown passes and 27 completions also tied his career highs. He completed passes to nine different receivers -- Fisher was shocked to see that Nick O'Leary wasn't one of them -- including nine completions to Smith, also a career high. Smith and Kenny Shaw became the first pair of FSU receivers to top the 100-yard mark in the same game in a year, and Shaw's 77-yard TD catch represented a career high for both he and Manuel. And while Fisher insists airing it out had nothing to do with sending a message after last week's loss, it's also worth noting that Manuel's 439 yards more than doubled his passing yardage total against NC State.

16. That's the number of consecutive second-half kickoffs Florida State had fielded and failed to follow with a touchdown before marching down the field for an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive to open the second half against BC. FSU had come up empty on four straight opening possessions of the second half this year, but Fisher said the team worked on upping the intensity in practice with eyes on ending the streak, which finally happened on a 3-yard run by Lonnie Pryor.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The kick was perfect, straight down the middle from 51 yards out as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the first half Saturday.

Dustin Hopkins got pats on the back and a few hugs from teammates, but he had no idea he was celebrating a record.

"I had no idea where I was at [in the rankings]," Hopkins said. "I didn't know until after it was over."

A teammate broke the news that Hopkins had just set the Florida State and ACC marks for career scoring, passing Derek Schmidt for the Seminoles' record and Maryland's Nick Novack in conference play.

While the moment was hardly planned out in advance, Hopkins still had a sizable crew to help celebrate the record. His parents, sister and grandparents were in attendance, and after the record-setting kick, Hopkins found his father in the stands and shared a hug.

"They might have known [about the record] and not told me," Hopkins said. "They didn't let me know."

The record was virtually inevitable for Hopkins, who has slowly marched toward the top of the record books since taking over as FSU's kicker as a freshman. For four years, he's been as reliable as any kicker in the nation, and he's now just 31 points shy of matching Art Carmody's NCAA scoring record.

But even for Florida State's most reliable kicker, there were bumps in the road, including three straight misses earlier this season. He's tweaked his mechanics, and the anticipated results didn't materialize. Getting back to his roots the past few weeks, however, have brought familiar success.

"He's really now starting to kick the ball," Fisher said. "He changed his routine and went back to the old way he was kicking. The thud in the ball the last two weeks in practice has been totally different."

The 51-yard field goal that sealed the record was Hopkins' fifth of at least 50 yards. It came as time expired, with the pressure on. It came just three plays after a momentum-changing interception by the defense.

It was, Hopkins said, a perfect way to set the record, even if he had no idea he'd done it.

"This is a career goal marked off," Hopkins said. "I'm just humbled by the whole thing."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- According to Florida State safety Lamarcus Joyner, there is a time and a place to talk trash to an opponent. And in Boston College's case, their timing was poor.

Linebacker Nick Clancy told Boston.com that he didn't think the Seminoles had the persistence to set aside a heartbreaking loss at North Carolina State.

“I think their mindset is, OK, we were these big-time recruits, they’re much more talented than us, we don’t belong on the field with them,” he said. “They think that we’re much less talented. But when it comes down to it, we’re just different type of people.

"We’re blue-collar people. We have a very strong work ethic. We know when adversity’s thrown in our face what to do and how to respond. And I think that’s what separates us.”

When the clock struck zero on Saturday night and the scoreboard read 51-7 in favor of Florida State, Clancy was apparently mistaken.

Sure, the Seminoles weren't thinking about those comments when their number was called in the huddle. They probably were more concerned with what route to run, what guy to block and the snap count.

But it was some added motivation that allowed for increased focus.

"I mean, those guys got what they were asking for," said Joyner. "That's all I'm saying. I don't want to be too arrogant about it, but that is what happens when you talk trash before the game starts.

"I will say this, I think they did it at the wrong time."

Starting left tackle Cameron Erving agreed. But playing in the trenches is a physical deal, and the reality was they were concerned more with their teammates assignments than the Eagles unfortunate phrasing.

"We heard it, processed it and just used it as motivation to help us to play hard," Erving said. "We already had the edge coming in because we just had to bounce back. At the same time, we were playing for each other, not for them."

Clancy, meanwhile, finished the game with five tackles.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- For a week, Jimbo Fisher listened as fans criticized his conservative play calling following a devastating loss to NC State. On Saturday, Fisher made sure there wouldn't be a repeat performance.

The Seminoles demolished an overmatched Boston College defense, as EJ Manuel threw for a career-high 439 yards and four touchdowns in a 51-7 win.

Fisher set the tone early, calling for passes on the first nine plays of the game, and Florida State's passing game never slowed.

It was over when: Lamarcus Joyner picked off a Chase Rettig pass at the Florida State 11-yard line, returning it 33 yards and setting up a field goal. Rather than going into the half with momentum, Boston College ended the quarter down 31-7 and mustered little the rest of the way.

Turning point: Florida State dominated from the outset, but the turning point for the Seminoles probably came last Sunday, when players gathered at linebacker Nick Moody's house for a cookout where they cleared the air about last week's loss and vowed to turn the page with an impressive performance against Boston College.

Game ball goes to: Manuel. The FSU quarterback had a rough week after struggling to move his offense in the second half against NC State, but he had no problems finding big plays Saturday. Manuel completed 27-of-34 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with nine different receivers in the game.

Stat of the game: 104. That's the rushing total for BC tailback Andre Williams. It's tough to find too much for Boston College to be pleased with after this one, but Williams became the first running back to top 100 yards against the FSU defense in more than a year. Of course, even that stat isn't particularly significant for the Eagles, as 89 of Williams' 104 yards came in the first half. Florida State, meanwhile, added 153 of its 201 rushing yards in the second half.

Unsung hero: Dustin Hopkins. The Florida State kicker connected on three field goals -- including a 51-yarder to close out the first half -- and was perfect on six PATs in Florida State's win. The 15 points gives Hopkins 402 points for his career, which sets a new Florida State and ACC record. Hopkins is now 31 points shy of Art Carmody's NCAA scoring record.

Florida State added its first basketball commitment of the Class of 2013 when sixth-ranked shooting guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Scarborough, Ontario/Huntington Prep) made his decision public on a live webcast.

Rathan-Mayes, a four-star prospect and the ESPN 100's No. 24-ranked player, adds to head coach Leonard Hamilton's reputation of securing high-profile players from the prep ranks.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State's players spent the week insisting they'd turned the page on last week's shocking loss to NC State, but a dominant first-half against Boston College on Saturday was as much about exorcising some demons as it was about moving past an ugly loss.

After a week of criticism for conservative play calling, Jimbo Fisher called for one deep throw after another in the first half Saturday, and EJ Manuel racked up 295 yards and three touchdowns as the Seminoles jumped to a 31-7 halftime lead.

Stat of the half: 343. That's the total yards of offense in the first half for Florida State -- the same total the Seminoles had mustered by the end of last week's loss to NC State. Fisher called for passes on the first nine plays of the game, and 20 of Florida State's 33 passes overall have been throws by Manuel, who has four completions of at least 40 yards.

Player of the half: Manuel. He hasn't been perfect -- there were a few deep balls to open receivers he couldn't complete -- but after shouldering a big part of the criticism after last week's loss, the FSU quarterback posted big numbers in the first half against Boston College. The fact that Manuel has been such a big part of the offense against BC -- which ranks 121st nationally in run defense -- could be due in large part to Fisher and his quarterback wanting to make up for last week's struggles.

What's working for Florida State: The passing game -- and, in particular, the deep ball. Manuel connected with Kenny Shaw on two long passes, including a 77-yard touchdown throw that marks a career long for both players. Shaw is the first FSU receiver this year to top 100 yards.

What's not working for Florida State: The run defense. FSU's defensive line has struggled with gap integrity, and as a result, BC running back Andre Williams has 89 yards rushing on 14 carries. The Seminoles hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 14 games.

Noteworthy: With his 51-yard field goal to end the first half, FSU kicker Dustin Hopkins became both the school's and the ACC's all-time leading scorer. … Safety Lamarcus Joyner recorded his first interception of the season in the second quarter. … Lonnie Pryor's first-half rushing touchdown was his fifth of the season, a career high.

With several of the nation's top football recruits taking both official and unofficial visits last week, our experts at RecruitingNation made some major tweaks to our top 10 recruiting battles with five new entrants in the fold. The top two remain the same, however, as Robert Nkemdiche and Laremy Tunsil maintain their spots as the two most impactful players on the recruiting scene.

For the latest edition of #BlueChipBattles, click here.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Devonta Freeman knew what he was getting into before fall camp began.

A year ago, he was at the head of the pack by default, the last man standing amid the wreckage of injuries and poor performance in Florida State's backfield. This year was going to be different. His role would be smaller, his carries fewer and, in some games, he might not see any action at all.

As it turned out, the latter has become commonplace. In Florida State's last three games, Freeman has played sparingly. He hasn't had a carry since Week 3.

"It's tough because of the playing time I had last year, but it's a long season," Freeman said. "We've got a long time to go. I'm just being patient, staying humble and waiting on my opportunity."

For a while, Freeman had been elbowed out of the picture by sophomore James Wilder Jr., whose role had blossomed during the first few weeks of the season, culminating with a punishing second-half run to help ice a win over Clemson.

But like Freeman, Wilder has quietly faded from the offense the past two weeks, too. After struggling with goal-line carries against USF two weeks ago, Wilder got just one touch against NC State, while senior Chris Thompson carried the load, racking up a career high 25 carries.

"Thompson is hot and averaging 7 yards a carry," Jimbo Fisher said. "Chris is just playing so doggone well."

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- There were days this summer when Leonard Hamilton would shuffle into his office not long after the sun came up, and he'd hear the familiar sounds of sneakers squeaking and balls clanging off a rim.

On the court, he'd find a slew of veterans and rookies, elder statesmen instructing the kids on how things are done and what's going to be expected of them this season.

It was music to Hamilton's ears.

"That speaks volumes," Hamilton said. "Whenever we have a workout, you look in the gym, and you have six freshmen out there with six different goals, working on their game. That gives you a feeling that attitudes are right and they understand the work ethic. Now what we have to do is make sure we're patient with them."

There is still a long road to travel before Florida State's reshuffled roster is clicking on all cylinders, Hamilton said, but as his team kicks off the 2012-13 season at 7 p.m. ET with Seminole Madness, some solace can be taken in knowing a sizable portion of the groundwork has been laid.

The defending ACC tournament champions lost a healthy dose of veteran talent from last season, but Hamilton thinks the influx of five freshmen and three transfers have infused plenty of talent onto the roster.

The group is led by big men Kiel Turpin, a 7-foot center who transferred from junior college last year before redshirting, and 7-1 forward Michael Ojo, who is raw but immensely talented.

The question now is, how quickly can Florida State turn all that potential into production?

"The thing we have to do as a staff is maintain a certain level of patience," Hamilton said. "You look and see the potential of how this team can develop, but when you put five on five, you realize that we still have a ways to go."

The development started early, however, and All-American Michael Snaer raves about the drive and determination of his new teammates. Hamilton said he has been impressed with how developed many already are, while junior Terrance Shannon called the newcomers a group of gym rats.

"They're like sponges," Shannon said. "They're always looking to learn."

When the members of last year's ACC title team got their championship rings during the FSU-Clemson football game last week, it marked something of a turning point in the program's history. It was, of course, a memento of the team's first conference championship, but more importantly, it served notice for what the expectations would be moving forward.

In the days that followed, the freshmen talked about little else. They got a chance to see the rings handed out, and now they wanted rings for themselves.

"That's the best thing about creating a culture, creating a tradition," Snaer said. "The next generation expects to do that and more. Hopefully that's where our program is going. I'm seeing great signs of that from our young guys."

The journey begins in earnest tonight, but Hamilton understands these first few weeks will simply be building blocks.

The goal of repeating as ACC champions won't be easy to achieve, and Hamilton has his sights set even higher. But the beauty of this season's team, he said, is that the work it will take to get there should be a pleasant chore.

"This is the type of challenge that as coaches, you look forward to," Hamilton said. "You have a group of returning players that are fairly mature and focused and hungry. They've passed that wisdom they've learned along to the new players."