ChantRant

Florida State running fewer plays than other ACC teams

A revealing study on the Coaching Search.com site shows the Noles offense operates at a slower pace than the national average: 65 plays per game vs. 71. And would you believe FSU is tied with Miami for last in the ACC? No surprise that Clemson is first in snaps per game with 78, but who would've guessed that N.C. State is running ten more than the Noles? 

Of course, it's not just the number of plays a team runs but how productive it is with those plays. Alabama and LSU both average the same as FSU. And the gators get off only 62 plays per game. Which probably has a lot to do with the SEC being last among all major conferences in play calls.

The speediest conference in play calling? It's the Big 12 where teams are obviously doing very little huddling as they average 74.

EJ says FSU's offense is more complex than the Bills

EJ Manuel appears to be in strong consideration for the starting QB job at Buffalo in his rookie season. Speaking on Sirius/XM, EJ had an eye-opening perspective on Coach Fisher's playbook versus what he's studying at his new team.

"The funny thing is it's easier to learn than the offense I had at Florida State. It's a true West Coast-type progression offense. That's really what I wanted when I was coming through the pre-draft process. I wanted something that I could just go in and say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, check it down and run it. That's it, it's that simple. I love it."

"The learning curve for me is a lot shorter simply because of what I had at Florida State. [The Seminoles' offense is] more complex and a little bit harder to catch on and learn. This offense is very simple. I've done a great job with it."

Latest look at the Indoor Practice Facility shows outdoor improvements

The construction vehicles are almost all gone around FSU's new Indoor Practice Facility. And in their place, new sod that will soon be filled with cleat marks.

Seminole Soundbites: No. 11 holds court after Noles claim division title

No question, Martin is proud of this team as he talks about winning two out of three from Clemson and the challenges ahead. He even loves what they're doing off the diamond.

Rick Trickett overheard singing the old Bonnie Tyler hit, "I Need A Hero [at Right Tackle]"

Here's the final installment of the long running series answering burning questions about spring's most pressing problems.

#1 Who takes over at right tackle?
by Lilburn Nole 

It looks like what was the easiest answer coming into spring may be the right answer. Bobby Hart, who started the last 9 games in 2011 at tackle for the Noles, stepped up and took the RT position from start to finish this spring. Hart struggled in 2012 after not taking advantage of his opportunity last year and being a little lackadaisical in his preparation and in the weight room. The work this offseason showed that he had a renewed since of purpose and was busting it in the weight room to get better. It seems like this was the case as Hart made what could have been a messy situation in moving players around into a seamless one. Rick Trickett likes to crosstrain his players at different positions in case of injuries, etc., so Bryan Stork and others also saw time at right tackle, but Hart heads into the fall as the number one guy on the right side of the line.  

If Hart is able to hang on to that position for Florida State it is big news in that it solidifies the four returning starters in their familiar positions. Cameron Erving (LT), Tre Jackson (RT), and Bryan Stork (C): all were 2nd Team All-ACC last year, and Josue Matias had an excellent season as well. If Hart is able to live up to his high billing that he had out of high school in his Junior season, it could mean Florida State having one of the better offensive lines in the country.

Good news for Nole Fan Favorite, no. 24

Back away from the ledge, FSU fans: A Seminole legend suggests the program is fine without Wiggins

If you're under 40, you might be fuzzy on the name Dave Cowens. But according to this Sporting News article, he's the greatest basketball player in Florida State history. 

That's probably subject to personal opinion, but Cowens definitely put FSU on the college basketball map in the late 60s -- then went on to a thirty-two year career in the NBA, including playing and coaching. 

So it's nice to know Dave stays plugged into Seminole hoops. And he's earned the right to be heard when he talks about FSU being jilted by phenom Andrew Wiggins -- even if he editorializes about basketball being the orphan stepchild to the football program:

“Everybody keeps wanting them to get over the hump and I’m not sure that’s the right way to look at them. They’re so far behind the eight-ball when it comes to budgeting for basketball that for them to do what they do and compete like they compete just for a staff and for recruiting and all the things you can offer the players in terms of how you paint the picture of your university, compared to Duke and North Carolina and some of the others, Florida State overachieves every year. And they graduate their kids."

Cowens is also a cheerleader for the job Leonard Hamilton is doing. In fact, he seems to be sending a message here to Nole fans to be patient with Coach Ham:

Bill from Tampa reads the tea leaves on Andrews Wiggins signing

Your signing eve thoughts on Wiggins.

Yes, I hope we sign him. Will we? We have good chance that we will. A lot of experts think we will as well. That is based mostly on his parents being FSU alums and former star athletes at the university. But that aside, Leonard Hamilton is very good at developing relationships with players and their families. He also comes across  as a coach that doesn't just say what he thinks a player wants to hear. In his own way, he has that intangible quality Bobby Bowden had in dealing with recruits.

Rumors?

There are plenty. And that is all they are. But anyone that should know something, is truthful enough to say they don't know. And they don't as Wiggins has played this very close to his vest. You would think something would have slipped out by now, but it hasn't. Not even his high school coach has a clue (nor did he concern himself with Wiggins' decision). Attribute that to Andrew's father who has had everything regarding his son's recruitment go through him first. It will be Andrew's decision, but Mitchell has done an excellent job in shielding his son from the circus of this whole process.

Hunches?

Hunches very rarely come my way. The one thing I notice in all of this is how quiet Kansas has been. The Jayhawks barely get mentioned in terms of securing Wiggins' services. Does that mean they are the dark horse in this? Who knows. But I find it interesting they are very much in the background in this race for the number one recruit.

How do you feel about the idea that FSU's foreign trip could turn him off?

Hey Andrew, congrats on selecting FSU ... you get to go to Greece now. Oh no!!! Not Greece. Deal's off. 

Not buying it. And besides that, this is assuming he would get to go to Greece because you know that the NCAA is going to go over everything with a magnifying glass regarding this high profile of a recruit. That goes for Xavier Rathan-Mayes as well. The NCAA may not have cleared them in time for them to make the trip at all.

Bottom line, there will be only one reporter, a local Huntington reporter, in attendance for Andrew's announcement. I suspect there will be about a gazillion more tuned into Twitter, Facebook, the blogoshere, whatever ... around 12:15pm to find out which school won the Wiggins' sweepstakes. Oh, did I mention I will be one of them?

Three months before the season and the Indoor Practice Facility is looking good

Terry Whisnant becomes the second FSU hoops transfer this week

“I’m transferring because I feel like I need to be in a better situation as far as playing time. I want to go somewhere where I can showcase my skills in an up-tempo style of game.”

According to Bill from Tampa, it was an amicable parting, though FSU is beginning to resemble an NBA team when it comes to roster moves. Full story here from Whisnant's hometown newspaper.