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FSU extra points

By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 27, 2002

OFFBEAT

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden had two law enforcement officers tugging him this way and that, trying to safely maneuver him through the mass of North Carolina State fans celebrating on the field Saturday.

"I didn't get run into, but there were quite a few that crossed my face," he said. "If I would have said the wrong thing or looked at them the wrong way, they could have easily confronted (me). They just smother you. That's getting dangerous. It's a mob; it's turning into a mob."

Similar scenes played out at Ohio State following the Michigan game and at Clemson after the South Carolina game. Tearing down the goal posts and security officers using pepper spray have become as ubiquitous as ESPN's College GameDay.

It has gotten FSU's attention as it prepares for Saturday's game against Florida.

"We think we have more security on the field than anybody, quite frankly," said Andy Urbanic, FSU's associate athletic director for football operations. "With four minutes to go, we have law enforcement ringing the field to discourage that."

QUOTABLE

"We've been dealing with adversity for a long time. If we haven't become professionals at anything around here, we've definitely become professionals at dealing with adversity. It all started with the tragedy with Devaughn ( Darling) and it's just built up. ... We're going to be very supportive of AD and use this time as a character builder for everybody on this team because it's definitely going to be a trying time for us."

-- Senior tailback Nick Maddox on adjusting to the dismissal of Adrian McPherson.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Florida State sophomore safety Jerome Carter doesn't believe in making boasts or predictions to draw attention to himself. He's a quiet, serious fellow who makes an impression the old-fashioned way.

He comes up and hits receivers and running backs with all the might he can summon from his powerful 6-foot, 216-pound frame.

"I play physical; that's how I've always been," he said. "My mom and other family members are always asking me why I hit so hard, but that's just the way I've been brought up, to go out there and play my best, go hard, and be physical. I've got to get them before they get me."

He usually does. Carter, a former standout at Lake City Columbia who chose FSU over Florida, is third on the team in tackles with 88. His teammates liken him to another no-frills, but fierce hitting safety, Derrick Gibson, who was drafted in the first round by Oakland in 2001.

"My mom and dad (Gloria and Jerome, Sr.), they're my big inspiration, they've always told me to work hard and all the talking about what you're going to do, don't do that; that ain't called for. Just go out there and play and as you play, people are going to recognize that," Carter said.

What others don't see is his determination. Despite sustaining a pinched nerve in early August, he has continued to practice and play through the pain. He doesn't even wear a blue jersey in practice, which would signify he is to avoid contact drills.

"I want to practice hard every day," he said, "and earn everything I get."

That's the old-fashioned way.

STAT ATTACK

FSU's pass defense is allowing an average of nearly 239 yards, 90th in Division I-A. Florida's Rex Grossman is on-deck.

SCOUTING REPORT

Bobby Bowden doesn't seem to notice -- at least when he's watching film and not reading the newspapers -- that Steve Spurrier is no longer the head ball coach at Florida.

The Gators are still the Gators, and to Bowden that means they're talented and well coached.

"( Rex) Grossman is one of the supreme quarterbacks in the country," he said. "They have dangerous receivers, excellent runners and an offensive line that keeps getting better. They started out shaky, but they're beginning to put it together."

The No. 15-ranked Gators have won four straight, albeit not as easily under coach Ron Zook as they did for a decade under Spurrier. The Gators are only 24th nationally in passing (263 yards) and 32nd in total offense (399.8).

They're 66th in scoring (26.5 points).

"Defensively," Bowden said, "I can't tell much difference now to the ones I've seen the last four, five six years."

In fact, UF is third in pass defense (145.3 yards) and 17th in total defense (308.2 yards).

-- Compiled by Brian Landman

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