ChantRant

Seminoles lose their second of the season to an Ivy League team

by Bill from Tampa

Florida State certainly made it interesting. But after being down by as many as 19 points to the Princeton Tigers perhaps it was just delaying the inevitable.

Clawing its way back, FSU extended the game into triple overtime, had several opportunities to win the game, but could not convert them, eventually losing to the Tigers 75-73.

The first ever triple OT game in FSU history was the first home loss of the season for the Seminoles, who are now 0-3 against Princeton lifetime.

After what was a horrid first half shooting performance that has become an all to common sight to FSU fans this season, the 'Noles erased a 17 point halftime deficit. It took almost the entire second half to do it but Xavier Gibson put back a wild lay up shot by Ian Miller to tie the game at 47 with just 53 seconds left.

The first opportunity to pull out the win was the Seminole defense prevented a game winning shot by the Tigers. Gibson grabbed the rebound that would have given the Seminoles one last possession. But Gibson dribbled the ball off his leg and Princeton got another chance that also came up short.

At the end of the second overtime FSU had three point blank chances that would just not go down, another all too common sight for FSU fans. Bernard James was fouled on the play and went to the line for a one and one with 2.6 seconds left in the extra period.

That makes the all-time series 5 to 2 in FSU's favor (so much for the luck of the Irish)

The Back From The Dead Edition of Post-Game Pluses and Minuses

Like a graveyard full of zombies, the Noles rose from the dead, clawing their way out of a deep hole they'd dug for themselves, thus avoiding being the chumps of the Champs Sports Bowl. Damn right there's a lot to celebrate.

• An offense that appeared on life support for the past ten quarters (including the UVA and gator games) got a second half transfusion of mojo that should carry into next year.

• After letting Irish defenders run wild in the backfield, FSU's fresh-out-of-puberty OL came of age (please, Lord, let's hope), giving E.J. time to set up and nail receivers instead of just flinging it while being mugged by three guys.

• FSU scored on all four trips to the red zone.

• Three key INTs, four sacks and only 280 total yards by the Irish. Give Stoops another raise and the Employee of the Month prime parking space.

• Who among us didn't kiss the 2nd half momentum goodbye when both Rhodes and Reid went to the sidelines. Not to worry, sophomore Terrence Brooks played like a starter, even making the last interception.

• Let's hear it for all the freshmen: Greene, Matias, Jackson, Hart, Barron, Freeman, Timmy J. and others who earned letters for their sweaters.

• And how about the guys who'll be freshmen next season -- and how FSU's stock went up in their eyes just a month before national signing day.

• Kudos to Jimbo for pulling an extremely rare trick play at exactly the right time (when N.D. least expected it). Abram's run on the fake punt was a hair short, but Fisher deserves applause for the guts to call it.

• Anytime you can turn rabid Golden Domer Lou Holtz's halftime grin into a game-ending grimace, that's a good thing.

****            ****            ****            ****

• Anyone who takes off their Garnet & Gold glasses knows there's a boatload of questions to be addressed over the next eight months. Did the OL really turn the corner? Can the Noles ever develop some semblance of a run game? Can a few more good men emerge at LB and safety? Ah, but that's stuff to worry about later. Tonight is for celebrating. And if you're really good, you can make it last til around Monday noon.

Here's an adios toast to the 2011 season: May it end with a reason to celebrate

Is there a weak spot in N.D.'s defense?

The trainers and hot tubs will be working overtime after the Champs Sports Bowl. Two bruising defenses will put the hurt on any offensive player who touches the ball. That's right, Notre Dame has a defense that's more than respectable. We asked our N.D. correspondent Douglas Farmer, Editor and Chief of the campus newspaper, for a snapshot of the Irish D, including its strengths and any possible weakness:

"Notre Dame’s defense has been a nice surprise for Irish fans this season. Coming into the season, the offense was expected to carry the defense, but as the season has progressed, the exact opposite has been true.

Junior inside linebacker Manti Te’o anchors the defense – and will again next year, having opted to forgo the NFL Draft about two weeks ago. His leadership is most evident in the front seven. In the last decade or so, Notre Dame’s defensive line has been a significant weakness. Brian Kelly addressed the issue with his first recruiting class, bringing in freshmen defensive linemen Stephon Tuitt and Aaron Lynch, as well as lineman-turned-linebacker Ishaq Williams.

Tuitt was hamstrung by mono for the last month of the season, though Kelly has claimed this means Tuitt will have fresh legs for the bowl game, and Williams has not seen much playing time amidst a very deep linebacker corps, but Lynch has exploded onto the scene. I guarantee he gets at least one sack in the bowl game.

In a brief summary of the front seven, one more name demands mention: Louis Nix. The sophomore nose tackle is a big man, and there is no other way to say it. His passion for the game is evident on every play, and despite carrying 325 pounds or so, always finds a way to the ball. In a few years, I’d see him as a cleaner version of Ndamukong Suh.

While the front seven has played well all season (the first team defense has limited opponents to four rushing touchdowns all season), the secondary has been a sore spot. The losses at Michigan, against USC and at Stanford could have been avoided if not for complete lapses downfield.

Nonetheless, Notre Dame has an odd streak going: I think the team has gone nine games now without giving up a third quarter touchdown. For whatever reason, the Irish come out of halftime ready to roll.

Yet, the FSU defense should still take priority. With this Irish team, if it can get ahead, it rolls. It thrives on momentum. If the Seminoles can keep this a low-scoring affair, the Notre Dame defense is liable to blink first, if not often as well."

So all along, FSU coaches were looking ahead to next season

Tom Lunginbill of ESPN, a former ACC QB at Georgia Tech, revealed Monday that Florida State fans aren't the only ones expecting big things in 2012.

“I went to Florida State in the spring to visit their staff. And even the coaches behind closed doors were saying, ‘We’re getting a lot of hype right now, but 2012 is the year we think we’re going to be pretty good.’ Take a look at the roster. E.J. Manuel was banged up and didn’t play the entire season. The starting tailback is a true freshman. The starting tight end is a true freshman. Their most significant player on offense is Rashad Greene, he’s a true freshman. This is not an experienced ball club with a lot of leadership. And when you play a lot of youth at once, you struggle to find leadership through difficult times...And I think when you’re supposed to be a championship quality team, you’ve gotta beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. That means you have to beat Wake Forest, and you have to beat Virginia. I felt they were a year away going into this season. But next year there’ll be no excuses.”

Rees? Hendrix? Two-headed QB? Who'll be under center for the Irish on Thursday?

Continuing our series with Douglas Farmer, Editor in Chief of Notre Dame's campus newspaper, we ask who'll start for the Irish and if both QBs will play against the Noles.

"Kelly has said sophomore Tommy Rees will start at quarterback, so there is no wondering there. But what percentage of the snaps will he get? Obviously, that depends on what success he has. So then the questions are: what are Kelly’s initial plans and what will it take for him to abandon those?

I would expect his initial plans to be as they were for most of the season. While Andrew Hendrix did have some success against Stanford, Kelly is very invested in Rees, and thus won’t change his season-long plan after one half of football. Oh, wait, he did that in the season-opener!!

But really, I expect Rees to take the majority of the snaps with Hendrix popping in for 2-4 plays at a time, perhaps every other drive, maybe as often as every drive. Hendrix serves as a change-of-pace to keep the opponent honest. Could he be more? Yes, but I doubt Kelly plans on revealing that against the Seminoles.

What will it take for Kelly to flip Hendrix’s and Rees’s roles? Ironically, a lot of that will depend on the Notre Dame defense. If the game goes into halftime 0-0, with Rees 3-for-12 for 48 yards and one interception, there won’t be a change. If the game goes into halftime 14-0 Florida State, with Rees 3-for-12 for 48 yards and one interception, Hendrix will take over.

It’s all about the win with Kelly. He won’t cave to public pressure to showcase Hendrix. He won’t cave to an ugly game from Rees. He’ll only cave to what gives him the best chance to win."

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to Seminoles everywhere

Is Notre Dame fired up for the Champs Bowl? The answer from on-campus Irish writer

Less than a week to go before FSU's season-ender with Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl. You've seen articles on what the game means to the Noles (here's one). But what about the Irish? Are they anywhere close to being as fired up as their feisty little leprechaun? We wondered when we read this by the Editor in Chief of ND's campus newspaper:

"The bowl game will accomplish little for the Irish in any sense aside from possibly adding another win to the season's tally...The Champs Sports Bowl exists solely to provide an enjoyable nightcap to this up-and-down season."

So we invited the writer, Douglas Farmer, who covers the team for The Observer, if the game is really just a nice trip to DisneyWorld for Golden Dome players and fans. Douglas was nice enough to clarify:

"My main point was the bowl game should not be used as the thermometer for the impending spring practice position battle. But, toward the end of the column, I did write:

In the long run, I do not see the bowl game – or any bowl game to be honest with you – as an accurate clue to the next season’s success. It is one game, played with a month of preparation, by a team which usually looks nothing like it will nine months later. Anything can happen in that situation.

That being said, I do not think Brian Kelly and the Irish see this as a chance to prepare for next season. Rather, Kelly sees it as a chance to get a ninth win, and to end the season on a positive note. Last year, the positive note was his mantra heading into the Sun Bowl against Miami. This year, it has been the ninth win – one more than last year’s final tally.

" 'We want nine wins,” Kelly said after Notre Dame’s season-ending loss to Stanford. “I think that’s an important mark for us. We want to get that ninth win.' "

So, while I may not think much of the bowl game, do not mistake that for Kelly’s opinion. He wants a win, and he wants a win now, not just next year."

Seminoles hogtied in Hogtown

by Bill from Tampa

The game between rivals Florida State and Florida was billed as a potent offense against a stellar defense.

Chalk one up for the potent offense. In part anyway.

The Gators had one of the best shooting games any team has had against the Seminoles all season in connecting on 48% of their shots including 10 three pointers.

But it was the 19 FSU turnovers that led to 25 UF points that was the back breaker, culminating in a 82-64 loss by the Seminoles.

The 'Noles led just once in the game, 2-0, on a hook shot by Xavier Gibson to start the game. It would be nearly eight minutes before FSU scored another point. By that time UF had built a 14-2  lead.

FSU was poised to take the lead trailing 14-13 after Terry Whisnant connected on a catch and shoot from the left wing. Three straight turnovers by the Seminoles however allowed the Gators to stretch the lead back to 25-16 with 4:02 left in the half.

The Seminoles did manage to work their way back into the game, 25-23, primarily because the Gators missed six free throws.

Erving Walker however closed out the half with 5 of 6 from the stripe.The last two came with 5.3 seconds left after Ian Miller, seeing his first action of the season, committed a foul 30 feet from the basket.

That put UF up 32-24 at the break.