FSU Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A hundred yards of green spread out ahead of him, and Terrence Brooks saw himself galloping across each hash mark along the way.

Even now, more than six months after Brooks mistimed a jump that would've inevitably led to a late -- albeit unnecessary -- touchdown against Clemson, he can still see the ball hanging in the air, picture himself snagging it from the receiver and darting toward the end zone at the opposite end of the field.

"I have dreams about it," Brooks said of the Tajh Boyd pass that sailed just out of reach and into the arms of Brandon Ford for a touchdown.

For a player who started every game, finished with 52 tackles and picked off two passes in 2012, it's that play that was the most memorable.

That's OK, Brooks said.

After that game, Brooks sat on the bench with his head hung while teammates celebrated, but now he celebrates it, too. After that game, his teammates begged him to forget the performance, but now he's glad to remember. Before that game, he questioned himself, but afterward, he knew.

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From Jimbo Fisher decision to start four freshmen linemen in the bowl game a year ago to Brandon Jenkins returning and Greg Reid leaving before their senior seasons, the storylines that seemed the biggest at the time actually had relatively little impact on 2012 for FSU. As it turned out, only two of those young linemen saw significant playing time this season, Jenkins season ended in Week 1, and the secondary improved without Reid.

Sometimes, the biggest decisions float under the radar at the time, and it's only in retrospect that we figure out what really defined the season. With that in mind, here are the five decisions that probably made the biggest impact on the 2012 ACC champions.

1. West Virginia waves goodbye

The rumors started last December and by February it was official: West Virginia backed out of its scheduled non-conference trip to Tallahassee, leaving FSU scrambling for an opponent. The result was a horrific game against lowly Savannah State -- one that mercifully wasn't played to completion due to weather -- and months of bemoaning a weak schedule.

Thanks to two games against FCS foes and another down season in the ACC, the Seminoles were lambasted as untested and its conference title (and 12 wins) felt somewhat hollow, given that only Clemson and Florida provided legitimate obstacles in the minds of many fans.

2. Moving Cameron Erving, benching Bobby Hart

When the 2011 season ended, Erving was a prospect on the defensive line and Hart was ensconced as the starter at right tackle. By the end of spring practice, a lot had changed.

The young and talented Hart found himself in line coach Rick Trickett's doghouse, and by the time fall practice began, he had been moved inside to guard and was working with the second-team offense. That opened up room for Menelik Watson, a junior college transfer who blossomed into a star.

Erving was swapped from offense to defense -- with a little convincing -- and although he had his ups and downs this season, he provided a marked improvement in protecting EJ Manuel's blind side.

With Erving and Watson working the edges, FSU shaved 14 sacks off its total from 2011 and kept Manuel healthy enough to start all 14 games.

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Things to keep an eye on when Florida State takes on Duke on Saturday.

Noles to watch:
1. EJ Manuel. It's been a Jekyll-and-Hyde season for Manuel depending on the venue. He's been mediocre on the road, throwing just two TD passes in three games, completing 66 percent of his throws and averaging just 230 yards per game. Manuel has been unstoppable at home, though. In five home games, he's completing nearly 75 percent of his throws with eight TDs and averaging 332 yards per game.

2. Tyler Hunter. After his third fumble of the season on special teams last week, Rashad Greene was benched as FSU's top punt returner, and Hunter will now get his chance. But while Greene struggled to hold onto the football, he was also a big-play threat, with two touchdowns already. Hunter provides the same home-run potential, Fisher said, having played on offense through much of his high school career.

3. James Wilder Jr. and Devonta Freeman. Chris Thompson's season is over and the burden of picking up the FSU ground game now falls to a pair of sophomores. Both runners are averaging better than 6 yards per carry this season and combined for 119 yards and two touchdowns after Thompson departed last week's game, so there's ample reason for optimism.

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The ACC has done it again.

From hope to heartache in a matter of weeks, ACC fans and their teams have run the gamut of emotions in the first half of the season.

The conference started out strong with a nationally televised showdown between top-10 teams Florida State and Clemson. It was prime-time entertainment with ESPN’s "College GameDay" crew in Tallahassee, Fla., and both teams lived up to the billing and looked worthy of their preseason hype and rankings. The conference puffed out its chest even more with the news that Notre Dame would commit to playing five games against the ACC annually, a solid steppingstone to the Irish possibly joining the conference full-time one day.

For six weeks, the ACC had its national title contender in unbeaten and No. 3-ranked Florida State. It had its Heisman hopeful in FSU quarterback EJ Manuel. And it had enhanced its stability and reputation for the future with its partnership with Notre Dame.

And then came the crash.

What was pure bliss for NC State in Week 6 was devastating to the ACC. In stunning, dramatic fashion, NC State quarterback Mike Glennon completed three fourth-down passes in the final drive of the fourth quarter, leading the Pack to a 17-16 upset of Florida State. Instantaneously, the league faded back into irrelevance in the national picture. No longer could the ACC mask an otherwise abysmal season with its top-five team.

Suddenly, the rest of the ACC’s warts seemed uglier.

Georgia Tech fired its defensive coordinator, Al Groh. After coming up short in losses to two Big East teams, Bud Foster’s Virginia Tech defense allowed North Carolina to score more points -- 48 -- than any other ACC team has ever scored against the Hokies. Boston College lost to a previously winless Army team, further indicating this could be Frank Spaziani’s last season as head coach. Wake Forest suspended six players for its game at Maryland and two more the following week. Two of the league’s brightest stars -- NC State cornerback David Amerson and Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins -- have yet to shine like they did a year ago, but two rookies -- Maryland’s Stefon Diggs and Miami’s Duke Johnson -- emerged as household names in ACC country.

With Duke and Miami briefly leading the Coastal Division standings, and Maryland atop the Atlantic Division standings, the ACC was officially turned upside down in the first half of the season. Preseason Coastal favorite Virginia Tech was out of the Top 25 by Week 3 and Georgia Tech sank into a four-loss crater, leaving the door wide open. The Blue Devils knocked it down with a 5-1 start, and the wildly unpredictable Cardiac Canes elbowed their way to the top of the division standings. Miami overcame its youth, and Duke found a way to overcome numerous injuries -- including ones to several key starters on defense and also to starting quarterback Sean Renfree -- for its best start since 1994. Duke entered Week 7 with the best record in the state of North Carolina, but couldn't hold onto the magic and was shut out for the final three quarters of a 41-20 loss at Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, the postseason-ineligible Tar Heels looked like the most complete team in the division.

Four teams in the Coastal Division have one league loss. Maryland is the only ACC team still undefeated in conference play. About the only predictable thing in this conference is its unpredictability -- and its failure to maintain a national title contender through November.

Offensive MVP: Clemson WR DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins needed only the season opener to set the Clemson single-game record for receptions with 13 against Auburn. Hopkins has been near the ACC lead in receiving yards per game all season, and has a 129.5 average entering the game with Virginia Tech. He has 370 receiving yards on 18 catches in the past two games and was leading the nation in total receiving yards entering games of Oct. 13.

Defensive MVP: FSU DE Bjoern Werner: Werner has looked like a pro this season. Nobody had more sacks in the opening weekend of FBS college football, and he has been relentless in pursuit of opposing quarterbacks. Of Werner’s 21 tackles on the season, 10 are tackles for loss, including 6.5 sacks.

Biggest surprise: Duke. The Blue Devils’ 5-1 start was their best since 1994, also the last time the program went to a bowl game. Duke started out 2-0 in ACC play with wins against Wake Forest and Virginia. That the team was able to overcome so many injuries to key players and leap Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division standings was evidence the recruiting and depth have improved significantly.

Biggest disappointment: Virginia Tech. The Hokies were ranked No. 16 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, but fell out entirely after an embarrassing road loss to Pitt in Week 3. Instead of that being an anomaly, Virginia Tech went 0-2 against the Big East and lost back-to-back games against Cincinnati and North Carolina. With eight starters having to be replaced on offense, struggles were expected, but the defense fell far below expectations.

Best game: Florida State at NC State. This one changed the entire season, and it couldn’t have come in more thrilling fashion. On fourth down with 16 seconds left, Mike Glennon threw what would be the game-winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Underwood for the 17-16 win. It was the highest-ranked opponent NC State has defeated since beating No. 2 Florida State 24-7 in 1998, and it opened up the Atlantic Division race.

Newcomer of the year: Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs. He became the only Maryland freshman to record back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since at least 1985, and one of those performances came against West Virginia. Diggs is the only player in the ACC, and one of two nationally, with 350 receiving yards, 150 punt return yards and 150 kickoff return yards (joining Bernard Reedy of Toledo). Diggs leads the ACC and ranks third nationally with 21.5 yards per catch.

Best coach: David Cutcliffe, Duke: He kept his players believing, and the program turned the corner in his fifth season. It is only the third Duke start of 5-1 or better in the past 30 years (5-1 in 2012; 6-0 in 1994; 5-1 in 1988). With home wins against FIU, N.C. Central, Memphis and Virginia this season, the Blue Devils also have opened the year with four consecutive home wins for the first time since 1994.

Hello, Duke ...

1. Florida State (5-0, 2-0 ACC) – There wasn’t anything spectacular about the Noles’ 30-17 road win over South Florida, but it didn’t matter. FSU won its first road game, avoided a letdown and is still undefeated. FSU will have a difficult trip to NC State this weekend, but likely got a good wake-up call from the Bulls.

2. Clemson (4-1, 1-1) – One week after a disappointing loss to Florida State, the Tigers avoided an upset at Boston College despite a respectable performance from the Eagles’ offense. Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd and receiver DeAndre Hopkins stole the show again without Sammy Watkins in the lineup.

3. Miami (4-1, 3-0) – The Hurricanes are a scrappy young team that keeps finding ways to win. They’re in the midst of a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2009, and quarterback Stephen Morris seems like he can’t miss in each of the past two games.

4. Virginia Tech (3-2, 1-0) – Ugh. This game could have gone either way in the end, and just when it looked like the Hokies were going to win it, Cincinnati’s Munchie Legaux threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining. The Hokies are now 0-2 against the Big East this year.

5. Duke (4-1, 1-0) – It’s time to give the Blue Devils some credit. You could even argue they deserve to be ranked above Virginia Tech at this point, but I'm still not sold on that move. Duke has a better overall record than the Hokies, and right now, the Blue Devils have got a more potent offense. Duke is off to its best start since 1994, the last time the program went to a bowl game.

6. NC State (3-2, 0-1) – The Pack had 14 penalties for 100 yards. Six turnovers. Repeat: Six turnovers. Did Miami win, or was NC State its toughest opponent?

7. Wake Forest (3-2, 1-2) – The Deacs’ 12-game winning streak over Duke came to an end, and star receiver Michael Campanaro injured his hand in the process. It was a rough weekend for Wake Forest, which is going to need its best effort the rest of the season to get to a bowl game.

8. North Carolina (3-2, 0-1) – If the Tar Heels weren’t playing a winless Idaho team that is statistically one of the worst programs in the country, their 66-0 win might mean something. Instead, it was more of a glorified practice before the heart of their league schedule begins. We still don’t know if this team is the one we saw in the first half against Louisville (not good) or the second half (much better).

9. Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-2) – The loss to Middle Tennessee was like a black X on Paul Johnson’s résumé. For the second straight weekend, the Jackets lost at home. They looked unenthused. There was no sense of urgency. And the defense was an open door. Johnson has to make the bleeding stop quickly before this season becomes a disaster.

10. Virginia (2-3, 0-1) – The Hoos’ loss to Louisiana Tech wasn’t entirely unexpected considering La Tech had gone on the road and beaten Illinois the previous week and was scoring more than 50 points per game. It still wasn’t good, though, for UVa or for the ACC. Virginia needs to put an end to the turnovers and figure out if it’s sticking with Michael Rocco at quarterback.

11. Maryland (2-2, 0-0) – The Terps had a bye week but will host Wake Forest this weekend in their first league game of the season. The Deacs are coming off a tough, emotional home loss to Duke and now have to travel to face a team that had a week to prepare.

12. Boston College (1-3, 0-2) – The bend-but-don’t-break defensive strategy broke against Clemson’s uber-talented offense, and the Eagles have now lost back-to-back games. It’s not going to get any easier, as the next three games are on the road.

Tajh Boyd's third pass went for 60 yards, and with that, the shine was off Florida State's suit of armor.

After a year of hype about the Seminoles' impenetrable defense, Clemson found a work-around, racking up 37 points and 427 yards in a losing effort.

But there's a silver lining to the gaudy numbers, and Florida State's defenders have been quick to point it out.

"They were hitting a lot of big things on trick plays," Timmy Jernigan said. "We knew that was going to come. Teams aren't going to play us straight up."

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The ACC has itself a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate, folks!

1. EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State. The blog has been on EJ overload, and for good reason. He put up the best performance of his career in a comeback win over Clemson this past weekend. When you play that way in a national spotlight game, people will sit up and take notice. The 482 yards of total offense he racked up against the Tigers ranks No. 3 in the nation among all players in all games through the first four weeks. For that reason, Manuel went from no love in the ESPN.com Heisman Watch last week all the way up to No. 2 in the latest update today. Manuel is still well behind West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, but he has passed players such as Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein and Oregon all-everything back De'Anthony Thomas. If Manuel keeps playing well and Florida State continues to win, he could have a seat reserved for him in New York City.

2. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson. Boyd was on the losing end of that game in Tallahassee, but he is still a player to keep an eye on as the season progresses. For one, Clemson still is nationally ranked and a team with a tremendous amount of talent. For another, Boyd did have some really nice plays against the Seminoles and led this team to a 28-14 lead into the third quarter. He finished with 237 yards passing, three touchdowns and a very costly interception in the second half, and I wouldn't completely count him out just yet. Boyd has 984 yards passing, nine touchdowns and two interceptions on the season.

3. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson. The same goes for Watkins, who had a handful of dazzling plays against Florida State -- but not enough to make a difference in the game. Florida State did an exceptional job shutting him down in the pass game, as his six receptions went for only 24 yards. His best play was his 52-yard touchdown throw to Andre Ellington. If Watkins is to truly remain a part of the Heisman conversation, he needs bigger games from here on out.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The play was wide open for the second time.

In the first half, Sammy Watkins had overthrown the receiver. In the second half, he didn't miss. Clemson's second crack at the trick play went 52 yards for a touchdown and put the Tigers up 28-14.

Jimbo Fisher needed to stop the bleeding, and the Florida State defense was hemorrhaging yards. So he pulled them together on the sideline and offered a reminder. He told them they'd fallen short of the hype, but that was OK. It's how they responded that mattered.

"I saw the look, and you start to get a little disgust, and you feel frustrated," Fisher said. "They've been told how great they are for a year-and-a-half. Nobody can play that way all the time. I told them to forget all that. Just go back, regroup, and we'll win this."

For the first three weeks of the season, everything came easily for Florida State's top-ranked defense. On Saturday, Tajh Boyd and Clemson spent the first 35 minutes of the game shining a spotlight on every chink in the armor.

But Fisher promised redemption if the unit could find its footing in the second half, and that's exactly what happened.

Watkins' touchdown pass meant Clemson had tallied 426 yards of offense on its first 44 plays. The Tigers mustered just 106 more on their next 33 plays.

"We knew it was not going to be easy," defensive end Bjoern Werner said. "But we have a goal at the end of the season, and we know there are going to be tough games like that. But that's a game you're going to remember for a while."

The touchdown pass from Watkins was emblematic of how Clemson attacked Florida State's vaunted defense. It didn't chip away on the ground or look for yardage over the middle. The Tigers dug deep into the playbook, pulling out trick plays and long throws.

It wasn't a surprise, and yet it was utterly overwhelming.

"We knew that was going to come," tackle Timmy Jernigan said. "Teams aren't going to play us straight up."

As the game wore on, however, Clemson ran out of tricks, and the physicality of Florida State's defensive front took control.

The defensive line took control of the line of scrimmage, and Boyd found less and less time to throw before he was flushed from the pocket. When under duress Saturday, Boyd completed just two of 10 passes for 55 yards and threw his lone interception.

"We just had to start getting more penetration, especially in the middle," Jernigan said. "We had to put the center and the guard in his lap and make him think fast."

The key wasn't a change in scheme, Jernigan said. It was simply a matter of outworking the Clemson offensive line for four quarters.

It was a game that could've gotten out of hand, he admits. But rather than back down as Clemson pulled ahead, the defense turned up the heat.

"I know when I'm tired, when I see the guy in front of me breathing harder, it's time to get them now," Jernigan said. "It's time to go. Once we see that, we're coming."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State's ship sat listing and taking on water with just under 12 minutes left in the third quarter.

Clemson's offense looked unstoppable. And at that point, the Tigers had proven to be such, leading 28-14.

Big play after big play from the likes of Sammy Watkins and Andre Ellington delivered one haymaker after another. Yet the Seminoles remained composed.

At the end, it was Florida State, not Clemson, that seemed unstoppable en route to 667 yards of total offense and a 49-37 win.

"And that's how I've known we've grown as a team, because we kept fighting, kept fighting, kept fighting," said sophomore defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan. "Coach [Jimbo] Fisher and Coach [Mark] Stoops, they kept repeating, 'When they score, don't flinch. Don't flinch.' "

There was no fire-and-brimstone speech from the coaches at halftime. No, it was a time for the players in the home locker room to regain their composure and organize their thoughts.

They didn't need to be yelled at. They understood what was at stake.

"We don't do a lot of pep talking, try to get the team too hyped or anything like that," wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin said. "We knew we had to come out in the second half and make plays.

"In the second half, we came out and looked at the scoreboard like it was 0-0. It was a new ball game."

If the scoreboard had been reset after the halftime break, the final score would have read 35-16.

That's not how things have gone for Florida State over the last few years. But maybe that's why Jernigan and company say this year, this team, is different.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tajh Boyd needed just five plays to solve Florida State's vaunted defense, hitting DeAndre Hopkins with a 60-yard touchdown pass on third down in what set the precedent for a high-scoring first half, with Clemson holding a 21-14 halftime lead.

The two teams combined for 564 yards of offense in the first half, with EJ Manuel carving up the Clemson defense as easily as Boyd moved the Tigers' offense, but two missed field goals and a fumbled punt doomed Florida State through the first 30 minutes.

Stat of the half: 8.1 That's Florida State's average gain per rush in the first half, and it's the Seminoles' best hope for a turnaround in the second half. Manuel and Chris Thompson have done their share of damage on the ground, and Clemson hasn't had an answer. Both of the Seminoles' touchdowns came on the ground, too -- a 13-yard run by Lonnie Pryor and a 5-yard run by James Wilder Jr.

Player of the half: Boyd. The Clemson quarterback was 12-of-17 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns, including the 60-yard bomb to Hopkins on the Tigers' opening drive that quieted a raucous crowd. Boyd has hit six different receivers in the first half. Manuel nearly matched him -- 15 of 20 for 181 yards -- but two FSU drives stalled thanks to penalties, forcing field-goal tries.

What's working for FSU: Manuel's legs. There's been plenty of room underneath for the FSU offense, and when the big plays haven't developed down field, Manuel has made his mark on the ground, picking up 53 yards on six carries.

What's not working for FSU: Clemson has done its share of damage, which was to be expected. But the self-inflicted wounds are the difference right now for FSU. Dustin Hopkins' two missed field goals, four penalties and, most importantly, Rashad Greene's fumbled punt return have squandered scoring chances and bolstered an already potent Tigers' attack.

Noteworthy: FSU defensive end Cornellius Carradine has two sacks in the first half. ... Clemson's Sammy Watkins has five touches but just 35 yards through the first half. He ha been matched against Nick Waisome and Ronald Darby throughout. ... The 21 first-half points by Clemson snaps a streak of 11 consecutive games in which the FSU defense had held opponents to 19 or fewer points.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Clemson opened 2012 away from home against Auburn, with questions swirling about how last season's high-flying offense would perform without its best acrobat, Sammy Watkins, who was suspended for two games.

The emphatic answer came in the form of Andre Ellington.

The senior tailback has largely toiled in the shadows of the Tigers' big-play passing attack, but Ellington remains the engine that drives so much of what the Tigers do offensively. Against Auburn, he ran for a whopping 228 yards to pave the way for a Clemson victory. Since the start of the 2011 season, Ellington has racked up more than 1,500 yards on the ground.

"He’s really elusive, he’s really fast," FSU linebacker Vince Williams said. "He reminds me of a slightly bigger Chris [Thompson]. He can do some things. I like him."

But in a game heralded for its strength-against-strength matchups, there may be none more intense than Ellington's elusive speed vs. Florida State's ferocious defensive front.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- In terms of development and experience, Jameis Winston is a long way from Tajh Boyd.

The skill sets for the two quarterbacks, however, aren't so different. Winston is a few inches taller, but both are thick and strong. Winston has the arm, too -- a cannon that made him the nation's top quarterback recruit a year ago. Add the mobility, the ability to get outside the pocket and run with the football, and the Florida State freshman actually plays an awful lot like Clemson's Heisman hopeful.

At least, that has been the thought for much of this week's practice as FSU gets set to host Boyd and the Tigers on Saturday. Winston -- along with third-stringer Jacob Coker -- has served as Boyd's stand-in with FSU's scout team this week, giving the Seminoles defense a close-up look at the challenge it will face when Saturday's battle of top-10 teams kicks off.

"They both provide athleticism and arm strength," Jimbo Fisher said of Winston and Coker. "They can simulate arm strength, athleticism, running and good size. The defense is getting a good look from that perspective."

Meanwhile freshman track star Marvin Bracy has played the role of Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins, testing the FSU secondary downfield, while the bulkier Kelvin Benjamin has pushed the defensive backs to play with more physicality, too.

"I get that same type of physical nature from [Benjamin]," cornerback Nick Waisome said of his preparation for Watkins this week.

Florida State's roster depth has been lauded as a major asset by Fisher all year, but trickle-down effect on the scout team provides its own rewards.

For FSU's starters, the challenge of taking on gifted freshmen and back-ups during practice provides a more realistic comparison to game day than a group of walk-ons might be able to offer.

For those freshmen and reserves, it's a valuable chance to see how they measure up against some of the best players in the country, while still making a contribution to the team.

"A post is a post, a slant is a slant, and they’re running against good people every day," Fisher said. "Suddenly they say, ‘You know something, I can play with that guy.’ ”

The extra push in practice should come in handy this week against the high-flying Clemson offense, but Fisher sees benefits down the road, too.

“Scout team people look at as a negative, but most guys it turns out to be a real positive," he said. "And it prepares your team better when you get more quality guys.”

Secure the tackle: Waisome said his goal Saturday is to hold Watkins without a catch, but even he recognizes that might be a lofty goal. The more significant issue for FSU's defensive backs might be ensure the play ends shortly after Watkins comes down with the ball.

In last year's game, 105 of Watkins' 141 receiving yards came after the catch, and nearly 63 percent of his career yardage has come after the ball is in his hands.

That's makes wrapping up on open-field tackles a top priority.

"It's going to be critical," Fisher said. "When they have great skill guys, they create those one-on-ones, and being able to get them down in space, that's big. Real big. It'll be a huge challenge."

More to come: After the first two weeks of the season, EJ Manuel estimated Florida State had used roughly three percent of its playbook. After another easy win against Wake Forest, he joked that number may have risen to 4.8.

Truth be told, it's probably a good bit more than that, but that doesn't mean Florida State is close to clicking on all cylinders offensively.

"As far as where we're trying to go, I don't think we're close," Rashad Greene said. "That's the mentality we have. We're not settling for anything. We strive to get better every day. That's the motto of the team."

Injury updates: Defensive back Justin Bright (head) and Garrett Faircloth (hip) will miss Saturday's game.