FSU Seminoles

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.

Through three weeks, Tyler Hunter has largely managed to slip under the radar.

It's not that Hunter hasn't made an impact as Florida State's new nickel corner. It's just that so much of that impact has been measured by what hasn't happened.

"He hasn't had a lot of notoriety because when you cover somebody you don't make tackles because they don't throw to you," Jimbo Fisher said.

Look no further than last week's win over Wake Forest for proof of Hunter's impact.

Just one week after Wake Forest slot receiver Michael Campanaro hauled in 13 passes for 163 yards against North Carolina, he virtually disappeared as Hunter shadowed him across the middle of the field.

Campanaro ended the game with just two catches for eight yards -- numbers that do a much better job of highlighting Hunter's work than his own stat line, which includes just five tackles through three games.

"It's what he's eliminated," Fisher said. "Having him in the slot, the ability to run and he's very physical and tackles well. He's done a really nice job."

His numbers may not speak volumes, but Hunter's teammates have taken notice.

"He's taking control of that slot guy," safety Lamarcus Joyner said. "That allows a lot of free time for those safeties back there to stick their nose in other people's business."

Hunter has made an impression with his voice, too.

A high school teammate of former FSU cornerback Greg Reid, Hunter has picked up the mantle as one of the vocal leaders in the secondary after Reid was dismissed from the team last month.

"It feels like Greg Reid is out there on the field," Joyner said. "He's bringing that same energy, same passion, and he's fitting in the system really good."

Florida State didn't employ nickel coverage often against Clemson with an injury-depleted secondary a year ago, but that could change this season, Fisher said.

The heavy lifting when it comes to star wideouts Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins will still rest on the starting corners -- Xavier Rhodes and Nick Waisome -- but Hunter's prepped to do the dirty work underneath.

"I'm not nervous," Hunter said. "It's football, I just take it like it's what I love to do, it's what I'm best at. I just try to go out there and do my best and we'll see if it's good enough."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tanner Price had just completed a 41-yard pass early in the third quarter. It would end up as the longest play of the day for Wake Forest.

It was hardly a threat. The Deacons were deep in Florida State territory, but the Seminoles were already working with a five-touchdown lead in a game they'd eventually win 52-0.

But for the FSU defense, the play was significant. It was a chink in their armor, and it didn't sit well.

Three of the next five plays went for a loss, two more passes fell incomplete, and Wake Forest followed its biggest play of the game by marching eight yards in the wrong direction. The Deacons ended up punting, and Florida State's defense recorded its second straight shutout.

"It means everything," defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan said of the shutout. The Seminoles have now outscored the opposition 176-3.

Wake Forest's overmatched offensive line crumbled at the hands of Cornellius Carradine and Bjoern Werner, who combined for four sacks and five tackles-for-loss.

A week ago, Price was the ACC's top quarterback, and receiver Michael Campanaro hauled in 13 catches for 163 yards. On Saturday, Price completed just 8 of 22 passes, and Campanaro ended up with just eight yards receiving.

In the game, Florida State's defense held Wake Forest to a mere 126 yards of offense, racked up 11 tackles-for-loss, and forced punts on 13 of 15 drives.

Through three games, Florida State's defense has held the opposition to just 1.91 yards per play.

"Our defense was very dominant," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "They contested all the throws, controlled the line of scrimmage, didn't give them any free releases. We're going to have to continue that next week."

Indeed, the test gets far more difficult next week when Sammy Watkins and Clemson come to Tallahassee for what promises to be one of the biggest games of the year in the ACC.

A year ago, the Tigers tallied 443 yards, and Watkins went for 141 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-30 win, and Jernigan knows that's enough to undermine a good portion of the work the FSU defense has done in three easy wins to start this season.

"I'm not trying to get in a tongue-wrestling match with nobody," Jernigan said. "We've got a point to prove, and I feel like every week in practice we're going out and making sure we're able to prove it on Saturday."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A year ago, Florida State limped off the field against Wake Forest, having lost its third straight game. Chris Thompson was lost, as well, out for the season with a broken back.

A lot has changed in a year.

Thompson racked up 220 yards of offense and broke off two long touchdown runs as Florida State crushed Wake Forest 52-0 to open the season 3-0 for the first time since 2005.

The Seminoles have won 10 of 11 games since last year's loss to Wake Forest, and they look like a much improved team from the one that coughed up five turnovers in that game.

Thompson led an offensive onslaught; Bjoern Werner and the defense held Wake Forest to just 126 yards of offense; and, for the third straight game, the starters were resting comfortably on the sideline by the fourth quarter.

Through three games, Florida State has outscored its opponents 176-3, but the task gets much tougher next week with Clemson coming to Doak Campbell Stadium.

It was over when: Thompson broke his second long touchdown run, an 80-yarder down the sideline, to give Florida State a 28-0 lead. Wake Forest's rush had stunted FSU's passing game, but the Deacons had no answer for Thompson. His first touchdown took the wind out of Wake's sails. The second one effectively ended any hopes it had of recovering.

Game ball goes to: Thompson. The senior tailback didn't need this game to prove he was fully recovered from the injury he suffered a year ago, but he needed to prove something to himself. His 220 yards of offense represented a career high, and he turned in the 10th-best rushing performance in school history despite not taking a single handoff in the second half.

Stat of the game: 197. That's Thompson's rushing total for the game, all coming in the first half. In school history, only Greg Allen's 238-yard second half against Western Carolina in 1981 was a more productive 30 minutes. Thompson's runs of 74 and 80 yards were his fourth and fifth career touchdown runs of at least 70 yards, and the game marked his first 100-yard performance since the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Unsung hero: The Florida State secondary. Xavier Rhodes and Lamarcus Joyner were exceptional against Wake Forest's passing attack. Just a week after Tanner Price won the ACC's quarterback of the week award and Michael Campanaro hauled in 13 catches for 163 yards, the Deacons were utterly helpless trying to find yardage downfield. Price finished the game with 8-of-22 passing for 82 yards, and Campanaro had just two catches for 8 yards.

What we learned: For the third straight week, we might not have learned very much about Florida State. The running game picked up big yardage and the defense was dominant, but the opponent also was completely overmatched and FSU's starters were on the bench by the start of the fourth quarter. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the performance was the offensive line's struggles in pass protection. EJ Manuel was sacked three times and was under pressure for much of the game despite Wake's best defensive lineman, Nikita Whitlock, sitting out with an injury.

TALLAHASEE, Fla. -- It's a familiar refrain when Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe talks about his offensive line. He's working around injuries, mixing and matching players at new positions, getting regular work for young linemen short on experience.

It sounds an awful lot like the problems FSU coach Jimbo Fisher has faced for much of the past year.

"Our offensive line is in flux," Grobe said, echoing a sentiment that had defined FSU's line until the start of this season.

In fact, a year ago no team in the ACC allowed more sacks than Florida State. Second on the list was Wake Forest.

Both teams have managed to turn things around a bit in 2012. The new-look Seminoles line has yet to allow a sack, while Wake has allowed just two. But plenty of questions remain.

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It's finally time for ACC games to get started, and Florida State's first conference adversary has been a thorn in its side in recent years.

To get the behind-the-scenes insight on Wake Forest and what it will take for the Demon Deacons to topple FSU for the fifth time in seven years, we caught up with Bob Sutton, who covers Wake for the Burlington Times-News. Here's what he had to say:

NoleNation: Wake Forest is a heavy underdog, and the Deacons have barely escaped in their first two games. But they've had a lot of success against FSU in recent years. What's the confidence level like for them heading into this game?

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Florida State's best cornerback sat out of Tuesday's practice, but Jimbo Fisher said he's not concerned about Xavier Rhodes' availability against Wake Forest.

Rhodes has "a touch of the flu," Fisher said, and while the junior corner practiced Monday, Fisher held him out of Tuesday's workouts and has kept him away from the rest of the team.

"He was throwing up a little bit, and we just want to make sure we get some fluids in him," Fisher said.

Rhodes recorded Florida State's lone interception on the season in Week 1 against Murray State, but he's set to get his biggest test of the year Saturday against Wake Forest and receiver Michael Campanaro, who leads the ACC -- and is fourth nationally -- with 260 receiving yards through two games.

Fisher said Rhodes practiced well Monday, and he doesn't expect his lone veteran corner to miss any more practice time.

"He should be ready to go (Wednesday)," Fisher said.

Jenkins checks in:
Defensive end Brandon Jenkins was on campus Tuesday, his foot wrapped and crutches under his arms.

Jenkins suffered a lisfranc fracture in his left foot against Murray State and will miss the season, but Fisher said he expects the senior to remain a fixture in the Seminoles' locker room.

"He'll come to terms with things, and I think that's what he's doing right now," Fisher said. "But he'll do well, and he'll be back around and be a great leader for us, no doubt."

Small sample size:
The film didn't take long to deconstruct, but Lamarcus Joyner was pleased with his grade from the Savannah State game nevertheless.

"I got a perfect score," Joyner said. "I never got a score like that in my life."

Of course, that perfect score came on just 12 defensive snaps for Joyner, who like the rest of Florida State's starters, was benched after the first quarter as the Seminoles built a 35-0 lead.

Still, Joyner said, he doesn't take anything for granted, and while the game didn't present much of a challenge, Louisiana Monroe's upset of Arkansas last week provided all the incentive he needed to appreciate each win.

"I expected (an easy win), but I'm pretty sure the guys from Arkansas expected the same thing," Joyner said. "It's the easiest game I think I've ever going to play in my life, but it was a good one."

Friendly reminders:
Florida State may be getting plenty of reminders of last year's loss to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., but Demon Deacons head coach Jim Grobe is happy to remind his team of an equally ugly performance the last time it played in Tallahassee.

In 2010, Wake Forest lost to the Seminoles in a 31-0 route. QB Tanner Price, then a freshman, finished just 6-of-12 passing for 35 yards and an interception.

“There’s not a tougher place that I know of to play a football game," Grobe said of Doak Campbell Stadium. "We know we’re going to have to play great.”

Once again, the middle of the pack in the ACC is clear as mud. It’s still a little bit too early to tell how this pecking order is going to shake out in November, but the top of the conference remains the same. Congrats to Maryland for getting a small promotion.

1. Florida State (2-0, 0-0; LW: No. 1): The Seminoles enter Week 3 with a firm grasp on the top spot after a 55-0 drubbing of Savannah State. That went about as expected, as the Noles outscored their FCS opponents 124-3 in the first two weeks. FSU will finally be tested this weekend against a Wake Forest team confident from its win over UNC.

2. Clemson (2-0, 0-0; LW: No. 2): The Tigers left no doubt they were the better team in a convincing win over Ball State. The offense continues to flourish, and it should get even better this weekend against Furman with the return of suspended receiver Sammy Watkins.

3. Virginia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC; LW: No. 3): The Hokies took care of business in a 42-7 win over Austin Peay, and they’ve got a small but important lead in the Coastal Division standings. Virginia Tech will travel to Pitt this weekend for a sneak peak at the ACC’s next member.

4. Wake Forest (2-0, 1-0; LW: No. 7): A conference win over a solid North Carolina team was enough for this boost. Tanner Price scored on a 1-yard sneak with 2:09 left to beat the Tar Heels 28-27, and receiver Michael Campanaro had a career-high 13 catches for 164 yards. Can they keep it up against FSU?

5. Virginia (2-0, 0-0; LW: No. 8): It wasn’t a pretty 17-16 win over Penn State, as four turnovers and 10 penalties were costly, but it’s another 2-0 start for Mike London, and they’ll need all the momentum they can get heading into a tough three-week stretch.

6. North Carolina (1-1, 0-1; LW: No. 4): The Tar Heels are clearly less effective when running back Giovani Bernard is on the sideline with an undisclosed injury. Coach Larry Fedora told reporters this week that he’s not concerned about Bernard’s availability for Saturday’s game at Louisville.

7. Georgia Tech (1-1, 0-1); LW: No. 5): The Jackets’ conference loss is what’s hurting them the most right now on this list, plus they need to show more offensively against somebody other than Presbyterian. They’re good enough to do that, and Saturday’s game against Virginia will determine who takes the lead in next week’s power rankings.

8. NC State (1-1, 0-0; LW: No. 6): Anyone else not convinced in this team despite Saturday’s 10-7 win over UConn? Mike Glennon was sacked six times and the Pack were held to 54 rushing yards. Expectations were higher for this veteran offensive line.

9. Miami (1-1, 1-0; LW: No. 9): Both Duke and Miami lost to ranked opponents this past weekend, and could very well be tied for this spot with the way their defenses played Saturday. The Canes at least have an ACC win on the road, though. They should have a chance to correct some mistakes against Bethune-Cookman this weekend, and it’s the only breather they have.

10. Duke (1-1, 0-0; LW: No. 10): Last year’s home game against Stanford was a better performance for the Blue Devils. Duke was held to 27 rushing yards and had three turnovers in a 50-13 loss. The Blue Devils should rebound this week against NC Central.

11. Maryland (2-0, 0-0; LW: No. 12): That’s right, Maryland is undefeated. Never saw that coming after quarterback C.J. Brown suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Terps surprised Temple on the road, and have a chance to start 3-0 with a win this weekend over Randy Edsall’s former team, Connecticut.

12. Boston College (1-1, 0-0; LW: No. 11): The Eagles bounced back from their loss to Miami with a 34-3 drubbing of Maine, but that’s what they were supposed to do. We’ll find out how much progress they’ve really made when they travel to Northwestern -- a team they lost at home to a year ago.

No. 12. Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

2011 stats: As part of a three-man starting rotation last season with Mike Harris and former Nole Greg Reid, Rhodes had 43 tackles (36 solo), with 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups.

Previous ranking: Not ranked.

Making the case for Rhodes: At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, Rhodes is a big, physical cover corner who should flourish in his fourth season in the program. Rhodes is the best corner on the Noles’ roster, and he has the speed and ability to change direction on a dime. He’s also got good hands and ball skills.

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No. 19. Lamarcus Joyner, S, Florida State

2011 stats: He started all 13 games and was fourth on the team with 54 tackles. He finished with two tackles for loss, one sack and three pass breakups. He tied for fourth in the ACC with four interceptions and led the team in kickoff returns (13) and kickoff return yards (397). His 30.5 yards per return would have led the ACC if Joyner would have averaged 1.2 returns a game. He had six returns of 30 yards or more.

Previous ranking: Not ranked.

Making the case for Joyner: His speed allows him to cover a lot of ground in the secondary, and he has an instinct for the ball. He’s an explosive athlete who is also one of the team’s top kick returners. He flourished last season after he moved back to his natural position of safety. As a true freshman in 2010, Joyner played in all 14 games as a cornerback. We saw what Joyner is capable of in the Champs Sports Bowl against Notre Dame, when he had seven tackles, an interception, and a career-long 77-yard kickoff return. He was named the Noles’ most improved player on defense last year.

No. 20 Michael Campanaro, WR, Wake Forest

No. 21 Jeremiah Attaochu, LB, Georgia Tech

No. 22 Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech

No. 23 Bruce Taylor, LB, Virginia Tech

No. 24 Bud Noel, DB, Wake Forest

No. 25 Nikita Whitlock, NG, Wake Forest