FSU Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No position on Florida State's roster spent so much of the 2012 season in flux, and yet as this spring draws to a close, Jimbo Fisher insists he's sufficiently comfortable with the status quo at punt returner -- at least for now.

While punt return practice amounted to only about a week of work this spring, the two primary candidates to see work were the two players who bookended last season with the job -- Rashad Greene and Kenny Shaw. Both remain in competition for the role this season.

"You've still got other guys that will be in there, too, but punts are more about catching the ball than running," Fisher said.

His caution comes with ample evidence, as FSU fumbled away a myriad of punts last season, eventually costing Greene and, later, Tyler Hunter the job. That left things up to Shaw to close out the season, and he proved to be relatively effective. His 12.4 yard average trailed both Greene and Hunter, who both averaged better than 15, but Shaw never put the ball on the ground.

"When they gave me the job, I tried to do my best, and the coaches say I did a heck of a job," Shaw said.

But whether it's a job Shaw keeps remains to be seen. He's got a leg up now, but aside from Mario Pender, he's had little competition.

That may change in the fall when a bevy of potential return men join the fray. Hunter and Ronald Darby will both return from injuries that cost them the spring and could join the mix, along with speedster Marvin Bracy and incoming freshmen Ryan Green and Jalen Ramsey.

Perhaps the most intriguing candidate, however, is Lavonte Whitfield, whose combination of game-breaking speed and soft hands make him a good fit as FSU's next great punt returner.

"He's very natural at punt returns," Fisher said. "That sucker, punts will come down and lay right as his feet, and he'll scoop them up and go. He's got some tenacity to him."

For all of FSU's miscues in the punt return game a year ago, matching the production of 2012's return men may not be easy.

Florida State's average of 14.49 yards per return ranked eighth in the nation, and the Seminoles were one of just five teams to return three punts for touchdowns for the season.

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Florida State's much-hyped quarterback competition was hardly at full speed during Thursday's drills. Jameis Winston was absent from the proceedings, part of a balancing act with his baseball career, and Jacob Coker was limited to a stationary bike due to a foot injury. But Jimbo Fisher said things are about to get much more interesting once spring practice begins, and he expects it to be a wide-open competition.

"I think I know what their abilities are, but you never know what somebody is capable of until they're put out there in a position to lead and take off," Fisher said. "You just have to let it happen and trust your eyes. Don't force it. Let them tell you. You can't tell them."

Among the three leading contenders for the job vacated by EJ Manuel, Clint Trickett was the only full participant Thursday, but both Winston and Coker should be back at work in time for spring practice, which begins March 20.

Coker has a minor foot injury and has been wearing a walking boot, but Fisher said he expects the sophomore "should be out there every day" this spring. Winston, who has been an integral part of the FSU baseball team thus far, will shift his focus back to football then, too, with Fisher assuring the freshman won't miss a single meeting or practice.

While Winston has only been a limited participant during fourth-quarter drills, his work has been impressive.

"He came over the other day and blew this thing away," Fisher said. "He flew around here like a wild man. He's in great shape, he's throwing, he's probably up there watching film by himself an hour or two hours a day. He's been right involved in the middle of everything."

While Winston has impressed, Fisher certainly isn't indicating he has a favorite in the race. In fact, he said he'll let what happens on the practice field -- both in the spring and potentially into fall camp -- decide who will win the starting job.

"It's going to be very interesting not only to see how they do their job but how they can make the other 10 guys around them do their job and make the guys on defense feel uncomfortable about them doing their job," Fisher said. "That's all important for a quarterback."

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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 2013.

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 the start of spring practice.

First up: Cornerback

2012 recap: Last season began with a seemingly huge setback when three-year starter Greg Reid was dismissed from the program just before the start of fall camp. As it turned out, however, FSU had plenty of in-house answers. Freshman Ronald Darby and sophomore Nick Waisome stepped in to more than adequately fill the void, and FSU's pass defense finished as one of the best units in the country.

Departures: It seemed a foregone conclusion long before the season ended, and as expected, junior Xavier Rhodes opted to pass on a fifth year in Tallahassee and will head to the NFL draft. It's a big loss, as Rhodes had blossomed into one of the best cover corners in the nation, and 2012 might have been his best season as a Seminole.

Arrivals: Redshirt freshman Colin Blake will get his first taste of action. FSU has two four-star commitments at the position in Marquez White (Dothan, Ala./Northview) and Michael Johnson (Miami/Booker T. Washington). White is the 17th-ranked corner in the nation, according to ESPN.

Biggest question mark: Replacing Rhodes is obviously the top priority, but with the impressive 2012 campaigns from both Darby and Waisome, the answers appear fairly obvious. What might be a more intriguing question is who steps in as the third man in the cornerback rotation -- a list that could include more work from nickel Tyler Hunter, early playing time for the youngsters or, perhaps most likely, an expanded role for rising sophomore Keelin Smith.

Breakout star: Darby seems the logical choice. He never quite overtook Waisome for the starting job in 2012, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. Darby finished the season having appeared in all 14 games, making 22 tackles and recording eight pass breakups and one forced fumble en route to being named a freshman All-American. He's perhaps not quite as physical as Rhodes, but his speed is elite and he has the potential to quickly develop into one of the marquee defensive backs in the conference.

Projected 2013 starters: Darby and Waisome, with Hunter as the top nickel option.

With the 2012 season officially in the books, we took a look through the stats to determine some of the most significant improvements and problems Florida State endured this year with five stats that defined 2012.

The numbers don't always tell the whole story, but these numbers shed some light on some of the biggest reasons Florida State won 12 games and its first ACC title in seven years, and also why those other two games got away.

We started with a look at the ground game on Monday.

We looked at some curious playcalling by Jimbo Fisher on Tuesday.

Next up: 161.9.

That's the average number of yards Florida State's defense allowed through the air in 2012, more than 30 yards per game fewer than it allowed a year earlier.

That's something of an astonishing feat considering how many questions there were in the secondary when the season began. Xavier Rhodes was still recovering from a knee injury. Greg Reid had been dismissed from the program. Youngsters Nick Waisome and Ronald Darby were thrown into the fire. Terrence Brooks (safety) and Tyler Hunter (nickel) were in their first seasons as starters. It was a turbulent preseason.

And while there was ample reason to dismiss Florida State's schedule this season, it's not as if the ACC lacked viable passing attacks. Clemson, Virginia Tech and NC State all featured quarterbacks projected as NFL prospects. And yet, no team in the nation allowed fewer passing yards per game than Florida State.

Here's a comparison of 2011 vs. 2012 for FSU's pass defense:



It's a tribute, in part, to the work done up front, where QBs rarely had much time to throw, and to the work of former coordinator Mark Stoops. But more than anything, it's a tribute to the players in the secondary who stepped up. For the season, Florida State allowed just 41 passing plays of 15 yards or more -- tied for the fewest in the nation.

The only potential concern is that the interceptions were down a bit, but that also comes from the fact that there were so many three-and-outs. FSU allowed the fewest passing first downs per game of any team in the country.

Now with Lamarcus Joyner coming back for 2013 and Waisome, Darby and Karlos Williams playing with experience under their belts, it's possible this could be the best set of defensive backs in the nation next season.

With 2012 winding to a close, we're counting down the five biggest moments of the past season for Florida State. Today, we look at No. 3: Rashad Greene's touchdown catch to beat Virginia Tech.

When fans perused the schedule before the season began, it was the Thursday night showdown against Virginia Tech most often circled as the key to Florida State's fortunes. As the season developed, however, the Hokies slumped, and with each passing week, that road trip to Blacksburg, Va., in mid-November felt less and less significant.

By the time the game was finally over, however, there was no question that Florida State's win -- and more significantly, the final, brilliant drive -- was one fans would remember for a while.

Florida State went into the game with still faint hopes of a national title and was cruising toward a conference title. Virginia Tech's season was already on life support, and pride and a bowl appearance were the last vestiges of inspiration. Still, the Hokies showed plenty of fight.

FSU battled to a narrow lead at the half then took what seemed to be a commanding 20-10 lead on a 10-yard touchdown throw from EJ Manuel to Greg Dent midway through the third quarter. Then the wheels came off.

The running game never could get going, and the Seminoles finished with a historically bad minus-15 yards on the ground. The offensive line was a mess, and Manuel was sacked five times. Dent and Rashad Greene carried the load for the receiving corps.

A Logan Thomas touchdown, a brutally ugly safety on a Devonta Freeman run and a Tech field goal quickly turned the tide, and with 2:13 left to play in the game, the Hokies clung to a two-point lead.

It was disaster for Florida State. To lose again as a heavy favorite after the offense disappeared in the second half would've been a huge blow, and for all of Manuel's accomplishments during his five years in Tallahassee, leading a game-winning drive of this magnitude wasn't on his resume.

That was about to change.

The drive started badly -- a penalty, an incompletion, and a short, 6-yard pass. Manuel's third-down pass to Kenny Shaw left FSU a yard short of a first down, and given the struggles of the running game, it might as well have been a mile.

Still, Jimbo Fisher trusted his sophomore tailback, and the bruising James Wilder Jr. plowed forward -- first held up at the line of scrimmage, then fighting through for a 7-yard gain and a first down.

"I lost yards two of the four times I ran the ball, but we got that 1 yard when we needed it," Wilder said.

A 13-yard completion to Dent moved FSU into range for a long field goal try, but Greene wasn't interested in risking a kick. With 40 seconds to play, he hauled in a short slant from Manuel, dodged defenders and raced 39 yards for the touchdown.

In a season in which he earned nearly as much criticism as acclaim, this was a highlight for Manuel, who finished the day with 326 yards and three TDs, and the final drive -- which was followed by a game-securing interception by Tyler Hunter -- kept Florida State's ACC championship dreams alive.

"I've always watched great quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning, all those guys have done it time and time again," Manuel said of the late-game drive. "When you're actually in those shoes making those plays, and you see a receiver make a catch and go down the field and score the winning touchdown, there is no more gratifying feeling as a quarterback. It was a huge, huge momentous event."

It would have been easy to dismiss Virginia Tech's chances in Thursday night's game, particularly given how badly the Hokies had played just a week earlier against Miami. And it would've been easy to assume Florida State would cruise to an easy win.

So the fact that the Seminoles needed a desperate final drive and a big interception by Tyler Hunter in the game's final seconds to secure a win was something of a surprise. The funny thing, however, is that there were plenty of numbers before the game that gave cause for concern, and most of them showed up in a big way Thursday night.

Here are five key stats that defined Florida State's dramatic 28-22 victory.

5. That's the number of times EJ Manuel was sacked by the Virginia Tech defense Thursday, a season high. Four of the Hokies' sacks came on third down, when Bud Foster's defense was exceptionally aggressive, blitzing Manuel routinely. The line had no answer in a performance eerily similar to the struggles at NC State last month. Manuel was sacked four times in that game, meaning that half of FSU's 18 sacks allowed this season came in the two games played outside the state of Florida. Overall, 13 of the 18 have come on the road.

-15. That's Florida State's rushing total for the game, the fourth-worst output on the ground in school history. To be fair, 44 yards were lost to sacks, but the Seminoles' 20 designed runs still amounted to just 29 yards total -- more than 200 yards less than what FSU had been averaging for the season. In Florida State's second game without Chris Thompson, things got extremely ugly, and the tailback tandem of James Wilder Jr. and Devonta Freeman ended up getting just two carries in the second half.

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