College football

Hot topic dropped at awkward time

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 6, 2005

Let's see if we have this straight:

At halftime of a 10-7 game, the big question was: should Florida State replace the ineffective Drew Weatherford at quarterback?

Studio analyst Craig James said the Seminoles should stick with him. Game analyst Gary Danielson said FSU should yank him.

Sideline reporter Jack Arute discussed the subject with Bobby Bowden at halftime, with the FSU coach saying, "I might have to" make a change.

Well, can't wait for that second half to start, especially since FSU gets the ball first.

So FSU gets the ball to start the second half and viewers fail to get any insight or analysis of Weatherford's first two horribly thrown passes because play-by-play man Brent Musburger is interviewing Gov. Jeb Bush.

Beautiful timing.

Note to ABC: that's what halftime is for, not the first series of the second half.

Other observations from the broadcast:

After ABC really pumped up special teams as a key, with the horribly named Out of Whack Stat (because FSU was benefitting from special teams errors instead of committing them ... get it?), didn't you just feel like Musburger was dying for a Miami missed field goal with two minutes left, so he could whip out some cheesy line?

Instead, he got a botched snap.

"It's wide ... it's low center! Low center!"

The ABC crew did eventually get around to Weatherford, with Musburger and Danielson practically screaming that serious thought be given to removing him from the game near the end of the third quarter.

That prompted Bowden to switch to Xaiver Lee.

Well, either that or the thousands of booing fans at Doak Campbell.

Musburger and Danielson fell all over themselves praising Lee when he came in, and after his first play. They quickly backpedaled after his first pass and after he let a snap go through his hands.

Danielson flops when he tries to be cute, like when he said the red zone, "would be an embarrassing zone for FSU" if the didn't score.

Embarrassing zone? Ick.

Otherwise, he was effectively pointed in his commentary. He called for Weatherford's removal at halftime, and called FSU's failure to score after recovering a blocked punt at the Miami 2 "a big embarrassment for the FSU offense, no doubt about that."

The Miami offensive line was horrible, but got a free ride from the ABC crew, which mentioned all the sacks (nine) but none of the players letting them happen.

After FSU failed to get a touchdown in three plays from inside the 5, Danielson said the "the only thing that could top that off would be a missed field goal."

Next play, Gary Cismesia misfires wide left from 26 yards.

Ouch.

Danielson was a bit strong in claiming the first-quarter fumble by UM's Devin Hester had been recovered by FSU. ABC's replays were pretty average and inconclusive.

Arute is a very good sideline reporter. He rarely bored us with silly details. ("Joe Blow's mom is in the stands watching him play for the first time!")

He was able to get Bowden to admit he was thinking about pulling Weatherford, and was strong in voicing his feelings about the FSU and Miami sidelines midway through the third quarter.

On FSU: "I get the sense it's almost like it was in Miami a year ago (when the Hurricanes rallied to win)."

On UM: "Miami's really got some bounce in their step. Watch out!"

ABC showed a clip from FSU practice in which Weatherford was miked. It was inaudible, but presumably proved to FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden that his quarterbacks were ready. The 181/2 minute gap on the Nixon tapes had better quality. A waste of the viewers' time.

[Last modified September 6, 2005, 07:53:02]