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TALLAHASSEE - If there were a bright spot for Florida State offensively Saturday at Clemson, junior receiver Chauncey Stovall provided it.
He had four catches for 131 yards, both career highs, and the Seminoles' lone touchdown in the loss. His previous best was two catches for 33 yards against Georgia Tech.
"We needed plays to be made and I tried to step up and make plays," he said.
The only thing that held him back were questions about his speed. A junior-college transfer who sat out last season as a redshirt, Stovall has been a bit overweight.
"He didn't get the nickname "Big Slab' for nothing," receivers coach Jeff Bowden said.
Instead of carrying 216 (or more) pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame, Stovall is down to 209.
"I am in better shape," he said.
He sure looked it, running by the Clemson defense after hauling in a strike from Fabian Walker for a 71-yard touchdown.
"He looked fast again," Bowden said. "He showed he can run, and that's what I have to have."
RUN FOR GLORY: The cross country men's and women's teams enter the biggest race of the season in prime position, ranked No.2, for Saturday's NCAA South Region meet at Auburn. Only the top two teams earn automatic berths to the NCAA championship; the rest must hope for one of 13 at-large bids.
"We're in good shape for at-large consideration (for both), but you just never know," said coach Bob Braman, the former architect of the USF program who recently was named ACC coach of the year.
He wants nothing left to chance.
The men, led by junior Joep Tigchelaar, figure to be chasing Georgia. FSU is coming off a second-place finish at the ACC meet and Braman said that should provide a boost, especially on the heels of a strong showing, ninth, at the pre-national meet.
"I like what I see out of the team right now," he said. "It's important to have momentum coming in. I think we're more excited to see how good we are than nervous that, "Oh. Are we good enough? Can we get it done?"'
The women were second in the South last year, led by Vicky Gill, the region champion. She's back and Braman's goal is to beat the South's top-ranked team, Tennessee. The Volunteers nipped FSU by two points last year.
"I think we're better than last year," he said. "I know we're better. We want to win our first region title."
The NCAA meet is Nov.24.
SETTING STAR: The volleyball team's final tuneups for next week's ACC Tournament come Friday and Sunday against visiting Maryland and Virginia, respectively, but there's an historic subplot.
Senior setter Jennifer Anderson needs 33 assists to pass Nancy Gaspadarek as the school's all-time leader. Gaspadarek had 4,804 assists from 1986-89.
"It's pretty easy when you've got players from before like Norisha Campbell and Erica Bunch and Alex Sevillano and right now I have Aisha Carr and the freshmen," Anderson said. "It really makes my job pleasurable and easy with people like that around me."
Family and friends from Illinois will be here this weekend to make the moment even more special for her.
"It's a perfect ending," she said. "Senior weekend, my last time in Tully Gym and setting the record where I spent so many hours. It's just a fitting end. I think it'll be a very good weekend, very emotional. I just look forward to it and to two big wins this weekend. That's what we want more then anything."
- Brian Landman covers Florida State athletics. He can be reached at 813 226-3347 or by e-mail at landman@sptimes.com