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FSU extra points

By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 31, 2002

SCOUTING REPORT

Florida State used to schedule Wake Forest the week before its annual showdown with Florida. If the Seminoles happened to peek ahead, it usually didn't make a difference. Rest assured, this time around, they're focused solely on the Demon Deacons.

Losing two straight and three of their last four will do that.

So will the marked improvement of the Deacons.

Second-year coach Jim Grobe's option offense has transformed Wake Forest into a vaunted running team. It leads the league in rushing and is ninth nationally (249.3 yards) thanks to the tailback tandem of Tarence Williams (447 yards, 2 TDs) and Chris Barclay (475 yards, 7 TDs), the power of fullback Ovie Mughelli (10 TDs) and the versatility of receiver Fabian Davis (344 yards rushing).

"This is a group that's got good people for what they do and they really spread you defensively with their misdirection and their angle blocks," FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said. "They line up in a stack I, which all it is is a wishbone, but it's not a wishbone alignment. They can still run their same things they do out of their I back and yet they get an extra guy on reverses and options that you have to defend against. It's one of the tougher offenses to prepare for than anybody we've played this year."

Wake averages nearly 32 minutes of possession and has the longest drive by time in the league this season, 8:48. Quarterback James MacPherson has thrown the ball a bit, too, passing for 177 yards and two TDs in last weekend's 31-0 win over North Carolina. For the year, Wake is 99th in passing (157.8 yards).

"Wake is one of those teams nobody wants to play," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "They don't have that name, but they'll beat you. They beat Purdue, didn't they? They've got an offense that keeps the ball all day."

Although the Demon Deacon defense is far from dominating, it's coming off its first ACC shutout since 1978 and its first overall since a 35-0 win against Illinois State in 1988.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Nick Maddox's career at Florida State changed two years ago with a trip to Wake Forest.

He was a backup receiver then, but when tailbacks Travis Minor, Jeff Chaney, Davey Ford and Greg Jones sustained injuries in the game, Maddox had to move back to his old position. The former North Carolina prep sensation rushed four times for 52 yards, including one burst for 41 yards.

"At that point, it could have gone either way; I could have been a receiver or a running back," he said. "But with those injuries happening, God just put me in that position to make something happen at running back, and that's what I did. And I've been there ever since."

Although a backup, the speedy, nimble Maddox has been the perfect complement to the bruising Jones. Maddox, a 6-foot, 196-pound senior, has gained 322 yards on 50 carries, a 6.4 average, and has scored two touchdowns. He has caught 11 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.

"I think I'm getting back to what I used to do in high school and what I started out doing here at Florida State and that's being an explosive player when I touch the ball," he said.

That's come with the maturity to embrace a lesser role.

Jones has 103 more rushing attempts.

"Every back wants to be a featured back, but it doesn't always work out like that so you have to learn to accept your role and make the best out of your opportunities," Maddox said.

QUOTABLE

"I've been in it so long I know there's two ends of the spectrum. We went 14 years (with at least 10 wins and Top 5 finishes) and one of these days we're going to look back and say, 'I don't know how we did it.' I don't. It ain't happening to anybody else going 14 years so it must not be all that (easy)." -- Bobby Bowden after his team lost for a third time.

OFFBEAT

The ESPN GameDay crew was at last Saturday's FSU-Notre Dame game, but did you know that the popular sideline show made its debut at the 1993 FSU-Notre Dame game in South Bend, Ind.?

In all, it was the 17th time GameDay has focused on an FSU game. That's great, right? Not so fast, Seminole fans. FSU is 8-9 in those games, including three straight losses.

-- Compiled by Brian Landman.

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