FSU Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- It's tough to say with any level of certainty just how many sacks Florida State's defense would have recorded if Saturday's spring game was played under true game conditions, but even if the quarterbacks couldn't get hit, Jeremy Pruitt's new-look defense had a strong showing.

Overall, the two teams recorded nine sacks in Saturday's scrimmage, led by defensive tackle Nile Lawrence-Stample's 3.5, which would've been impressive under any circumstances. But as Jimbo Fisher pointed out after the game, those numbers came from a relatively vanilla scheme.

"You ain't seen blitzes yet," Fisher said with a grin.

In his first year as Florida State's defensive coordinator, Pruitt has installed an aggressive style that promises to offer a myriad of looks designed to get after the quarterback.

Saturday's spring game wasn't exactly a sneak peak, however, with a number of key defensive starters out with injuries and only a watered-down version of Pruitt's game plan implemented. But the past four weeks have been eye-opening, linebacker Christian Jones said, and there's ample reason for excitement.

"This spring, we pretty much put in the whole playbook, and we just ran a little sample of it," Jones said. "We've done a pretty good job of picking it all up, but it's a lot of stuff, a lot of checks, change the fronts, but we've done a good job of handling all that. Once we get into the fall and can game plan, I think we're going to have a real scary defense."

It wasn't all smooth sailing for the defense Saturday, as all four of Florida State's quarterbacks managed at least one touchdown pass, but there was plenty of room for optimism. Lamarcus Brutus and Karlos Williams both intercepted passes, and P.J. Williams came up with a pick of a Jacob Coker throw that he returned for a touchdown.

"I thought the defense played well," Fisher said. "I'm very pleased with the way they're playing."

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- For all the buzz about new schemes and aggressive tweaks to the defense, odds are Saturday's Garnet and Gold game will feature a relatively vanilla approach as Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt winds down the spring.

The quarterback battle has been the hottest topic in years among Florida State fans, but coach Jimbo Fisher has yet to draw any lines of demarcation on the depth chart, and he insists the four men vying for the job will again rotate reps Saturday.

And after four weeks of intensity, the battle scars are showing. As many as a dozen key members of the 2013 Seminoles team won't be available for the spring game due to injuries.

So, what's there to be excited about as Florida State's spring practice comes to a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion? Actually, there's still plenty worth watching, even if some of the biggest curiosities will remain just that until fall camp begins in August. Here's a rundown of some of the most noteworthy items of intrigue on display Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The QBs, of course

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- There was no chance Roberto Aguayo would see action. Two months earlier, he wasn't even expecting a scholarship. This was simply a dry run, a small sample of what the life of a kicker might someday be like.

And yet, when Aguayo stepped through the tunnel last September and onto the field at Doak Campbell Stadium for warm-ups before Florida State's opener, the gravity of the proceedings overwhelmed him.

"My stomach -- butterflies just hit it," Aguayo said.

Eventually the nerves subsided, and while Aguayo made it through the game -- and then the season -- without ever lining up for a kick, the experience meant something.

For a team and a fan base that enjoyed the calm consistency of college football's most prolific kicker during the past four years, Aguayo is something new -- and that can be a frightening prospect. But for him, the experience already feels routine, and routine is a kicker's best friend.

"I feel confident," said Aguayo, who was set to greyshirt in 2012 before a scholarship opened up at the last minute. "I don't like to pressure myself. Right now I'm focused on school, spring ball is going well, and I'm taking it step by step."

Kicking has always come naturally to Aguayo, who started playing soccer when he was just 2. When he was 8, his Pop Warner team needed someone to boot extra points, and Aguayo was the only logical candidate.

"I kicked the farthest," he said. "Everybody else's would go 2 yards off the ground."

The rigors of the job didn't change much through high school, where Aguayo was considered one of the top kicking prospects in the nation. But when he arrived at Florida State, it quickly became clear that there was a nuance to the preparation that made all the difference on game day. It's a methodical approach Dustin Hopkins executed with precision.

In practice, Aguayo would boom kick after kick. Hopkins preached restraint. On game day, Aguayo soaked in the energy of the big stage. Hopkins relished the minutiae. Through the season, Aguayo watched and learned, while Hopkins decimated virtually every kicking mark in the NCAA record books.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tim Brewster is excited to be at Florida State, and he's not interested in tempering his enthusiasm -- particularly on the recruiting trail.

Just days after taking over as FSU's new tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, Brewster took to Twitter to lay the groundwork with some top targets.

"All the ballers in Miami just know I'm coming to getcha," Brewster tweeted as part of a flurry of excitement aimed at south Florida recruits.

It might have been an ostentatious opening salvo in the recruiting battles with his in-state rivals, but Brewster is making no apologies. That's how he does business.

"I'm not bashful, and I'm extremely proud of the university I represent," Brewster said. "I just want to make sure that people understand, we're going to take an extremely aggressive approach to getting the best players in the state of Florida to come to Tallahassee. We're going to recruit relentlessly."

It's an infectious enthusiasm, and it's a big part of what caught Jimbo Fisher's attention after former FSU recruiting coordinator -- and south Florida expert -- James Coley departed to join the Miami Hurricanes.

Still, Brewster knows that all his in-person excitement doesn't always translate well to social media. It's just that when he's excited about something, he just can't help himself.

"If you're not using social media, you're missing the boat. It's a tremendous way to reach out, because young people today, that's how they communicate," Brewster said. "I try not to go overboard, but it's hard sometimes, because I enjoy it."

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Florida State lost a ton of talent off its ACC title team, including two All-Americans.

Much of the focus this offseason has been on how the Noles will replace one of them -- defensive end Bjoern Werner. Much less has focused on a replacement for the other -- kicker Dustin Hopkins.

While it is true that more people focus on the star players like Werner, you cannot overlook what Hopkins meant to the Noles program. He was as automatic as you can get at the kicker position, setting a new NCAA career scoring record for kickers (466 points), while establishling new NCAA, ACC and school records with 88 career field goals.

Simply put, kicker has been a position the Noles have not had to worry about in years.

But let's just say the cupboard isn't bare. Coach Jimbo Fisher is supremely confident in the next man up -- redshirt freshman Roberto Aguayo, who was rated the sixth-best kicking prospect in the class of 2012.

"We’ll be very pleased with him," Fisher said earlier this week. "I expect great things out of Roberto. He’s extremely talented, extremely explosive, very strong leg, very similar to the guy we just lost. He hasn’t done the things Dustin’s done in a pressure situation but from a talent standpoint, a very good guy. That’s why we signed him a year ago. I loved him in camp and I thought it very beneficial for him to follow Dustin around, learning how to prepare, and how to work and do those things."

The hope, of course, is that Aguayo can end up starting for four years the way Hopkins did, and allow Seminoles coaches and fans to breathe easy every time he steps onto the field. If all goes according to plan, his first game as a Seminole will come in an intensely pressure filled situation -- on the road in Pittsburgh in a nationally televised game, at a stadium known for being unfriendly to kickers.

From the impending quarterback competition to finding replacements for departing juniors, Jimbo Fisher will have his work cut out for him during the next few months as he lays the groundwork for the 2013 season.

With that in mind, we're going to go position by position, looking at Florida State's strengths and weaknesses as the Seminoles prepare for spring practice.

Previously: Cornerbacks, wide receivers/tight ends, defensive tackles, and running backs can be found HERE.

Next up: Special teams

2012 recap: Special teams is a pretty broad term, so it's tough to look back on last season and call it a success or a failure for Florida State when, the truth is, it was a little of both. On the plus side, kicker Dustin Hopkins turned in the best season of his remarkable career, setting the NCAA scoring mark for kickers in the process. Lamarcus Joyner and Karlos Williams both were exceptional on kick returns once again, and FSU even accounted for three punt-return touchdowns in its first season without Greg Reid. Of course, the flip side of that was the significant struggles by freshman punter Cason Beatty, including a block against NC State that likely cost FSU the game, a bevy of turnovers on punt returns that resulted in a revolving door at the position, and a truly ridiculous number of special teams penalties (with Williams responsible for a season's worth by himself).

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A year ago, there wasn't a lot of mystery looming over spring practice at Florida State. Signing day brought another crop of highly regarded talent, and spring practice storylines included more injuries than marquee position battles.

That won't be the case this year as a rash of departures from both assistant coaches and underclassmen mean the signing class is still in flux and the depth chart has plenty of spots up for grabs.

So, as the Seminoles' spring kicks into high gear, here are the five departures that have left the biggest voids that will need to be filled over the next few months.

1. Quarterback

Going: EJ Manuel ended a five-year tenure in Tallahassee with a mixed reputation among the fans. Among NFL scouts, however, things seem a bit more uniform. Manuel starred at last week's Senior Bowl, and with NFL teams increasingly interested in versatile quarterbacks capable of running the read option, Manuel's pro prospects look brighter.

Coming: FSU has a deep reserve of QB talent in Clint Trickett, Jacob Coker and Jameis Winston. The question is which one of them can take over the job on a full-time basis. Trickett enters spring practice atop the depth chart, but Coker and Winston have too much talent to cede the job without a fight.

2. Right tackle

Going: Menelik Watson's time at Florida State amounted to only about eight months, but he made his presence felt. The junior college transfer anchored FSU's offensive line in 2012, and since announcing his intentions to enter the NFL draft -- something of a surprise to FSU coaches -- his profile has steadily increased. Several recent mock drafts have Watson as a first-round selection.

Coming: The obvious answer at right tackle would be Bobby Hart, who started eight games there as a freshman before being relegated to a reserve role last season. Hart's maturity, attitude and relationship with line coach Rick Trickett have all been called into question at times, however, making him anything but a safe bet to win the job. Further complicating matters, FSU lost one of its top recruits in Austin Golson, leaving just two commitments in what was supposed to be a big offensive line class.

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Mario Edwards Jr. might have been the No. 1 recruit in the nation a year ago, but Jimbo Fisher said the freshman is No. 5 on Florida State's defensive end depth chart, which means he won't get any playing time in 2012.

Fisher said the lack of available reps behind incumbents Bjoern Werner, Brandon Jenkins and Cornellius Carradine led the coaching staff to decide to redshirt Edwards despite a strong performance during fall camp.

"You've got three guys that are possible first- or second-round draft pick guys," Fisher said of his depth chart at the position. "To waste a year on a guy for five, six, seven plays a game makes no sense. We can play him five, six or seven plays, but how much do you gain? There's a lot more to lose in our opinion."

Edwards is one of 10 FSU freshmen expected to redshirt this season, but he was the only one not dressed for Florida State's opener against Murray State on Saturday.

Fisher said it was Edwards' decision not to dress, and that each redshirt player is given the choice before each game. Fisher said players might opt not to dress based on family members attending the game or other issues, but he did not offer any indication as to why Edwards, who along with all FSU freshmen is not made available to the media, chose against dressing for the first game of his college career.

"You don't have to dress. We'll have guys that will and guys that won't," Fisher said. "There was a situation last week, and [Edwards] will probably dress this week. But I give every guy their choice on that."

Edwards is the son of former FSU cornerback Mario Edwards Sr., who currently works for the university as a player development coordinator -- an administrative position that works closely with the coaching staff.

While the redshirt for Edwards comes as somewhat of a surprise given the defensive end's hype on the recruiting circuit, Fisher said the decision isn't indicative of any shortcomings Edwards displayed on the field.

"I'm not one bit disappointed," Fisher said. "What we saw on film and what we thought he was, we think he's exactly that right now. He could be even more. He's actually stronger and more powerful than I even realized."

Still, Edwards checked in at nearly 300 pounds upon arrival this summer, and Fisher said he hopes the redshirt season will provide the freshman with an opportunity to shed a few pounds while getting a better grasp on the playbook.

Fisher said Edwards was not upset by the decision, saying the two "had a good conversation" about the redshirt.

In addition to Edwards, Fisher said fellow defensive end Chris Casher, defensive tackle Justin Shanks, defensive back Colin Blake, linebacker Markuss Eligwe and receiver Marvin Bracy are all expected to redshirt as well.

Bracy has been limited since the spring with a nagging hamstring injury, and Fisher said there's still a chance he could work his way into a smaller role on offense this year, assuming the injury is fully healed now.

"If his hamstring will hold up, we may try to give him four or five things -- the return game and teach him four or five things on offense to get real good at and judge that as we go," Fisher said. "But we've got to do that hopefully this week. I'm anxious to see where he's at -- full, full speed."

Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Sean Maguire and kicker Roberto Aguayo will also redshirt, along with freshman running back Mario Pender, who will miss the season with a groin injury, and senior defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, who is still recovering from an ankle injury suffered last season.

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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