TALLAHASSEE - If last weekend's game was any indication, Florida State senior receiver Craphonso Thorpe is all the way back from the broken right leg that ended his 2003 season early.
"I definitely feel like I'm playing like I was playing last year," he said. "Actually, I thought it started more so in the Syracuse game. I started to be able to take off; explode off the line like I used to."
He had six catches for 84 yards against the Orange, both season highs, and followed with two receptions for 39 yards against the touted Virginia defense. That's an average of 15.4 yards a catch the past two weeks. In his previous four games, he had 16 catches for 153 yards, a mere 9.6 average.
But perhaps the most telling sign of Thorpe's return was his downfield blocking, especially against Virginia.
"He actually had three or four key blocks in the game," said Jeff Bowden, the offensive coordinator and receivers coach. "I thought he really picked it up because he hadn't been his old self blocking."
Last season, Bowden considered Thorpe the top blocking receiver without whom running backs can't break the long ones. But that's how he broke his leg, blocking for tailback Leon Washington against North Carolina State and having a defender roll up on it from behind.
"I would see him block and looking behind," Bowden said. "He's just got to let that go and play ball. Physically, I think he's 100 percent. Mentally, I think he's just about there."
ALWAYS WITH HIM: During a touching 41/2-minute segment on ESPN's GameDay Saturday, coach Bobby Bowden talked about last month's death of his grandson, Bowden Madden, and former son-in-law, John Madden.
He said his daughter, Ginger Madden, rushed to his room late on that Sept. 5 evening screaming, "Daddy. Daddy. Tell me it's not true." It was his sad duty to notify the rest of the family.
When asked how often he thinks of the car accident that devastated the close-knit Bowden clan, Bowden said, "Probably every idle minute. Sometimes I'll take a walk by myself and catch myself crying."
CROSSING INTO NEW TERRITORY: Not only did the men's cross country team finish fifth at the Pre-Nationals meet last weekend, it beat ACC standard-bearer North Carolina State for the first time since joining the league in 1992.
"It's exciting for us to have those visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads," said coach Bob Braman, who has built FSU into a program that can challenge for league titles as well as strong showings nationally.
"We were close to some real earth-shattering type stuff," he said. "We were 15 points behind Michigan. That's one of the top five all-time biggest names in cross country. You say Stanford, Arkansas and Colorado and probably the fourth name out of your mouth is Michigan, and for us to have missed them by 15 points is pretty impressive."
That's without one of his top runners, sophomore Luke Beevor. An Achilles' tendon problem led him to develop a stress fracture in his shin and he is out for the season. Still, led by junior Andrew Lemoncello (sixth, 24:03.9), the ACC performer of the week for the third time, the Seminoles seem to be improving.
"I know our training is focused on the end of the year, so I think there's more to come, I really do," Braman said."I think we can be a lot better than that."
RIGHT TIME FOR A RETURN?: Women's soccer star Leah Gallegos has been hobbled by an injured right knee and hasn't played in the past six games. But the junior forward could be back Friday when Soccer Buzz's top-ranked team, North Carolina, comes to town. That's the hope, anyway.
"It's been tough," coach Patrick Baker said. "We're a different team (without her). But we've been a different team the entire year."
Injuries and some inconsistent play have forced him to use a different lineup almost every game. You don't build the cohesiveness you need to make it back to the Final Four like that, but the No. 12 Seminoles still look like a championship contender, especially if Gallegos can put off surgery and return as the ideal complement up front to sophomore Julia Schnugg.
WE'RE TALKING BASEBALL: It was only an intrasquad scrimmage, but freshman second baseman Tony Thomas Jr., a former standout at Bloomingdale, looks like an impact player. He had a double, triple, home run and two RBIs against FSU's veteran pitchers last week.
Times staff writer Brian Landman covers Florida State. Reach him at 813 226-3347 or landman@sptimes.com
