Colleges

'Noles DE is right at home

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published October 6, 2006

RALEIGH, N.C. - For Florida State defensive end Everette Brown, the trip here was essentially a homecoming. He grew up about a 45-minute drive away in Stantonsburg.

He was recruited by N.C. State, but said the coaching instability there, real and perceived, led him to head south. He has heard about that decision often ever since. "N.C. State alumni give me a hard time when I go home," said Brown, a redshirt freshman.

Especially after the Wolfpack won last year's meeting in Tallahassee, 20-15. Brown, of course, didn't play in that game but made his second career on Thursday night.

"This is just a great opportunity for me to go back home and represent my family and Florida State and show them (the Wolfpack fans) I made the right decision," he said in the days leading up to the game.

As part of his pregame preparation, he had to turn to his teammates to scrounge up about two dozen tickets.

"My teammates looked out for me," he said with a broad smile.

ANOTHER LB DOWN: FSU sophomore middle linebacker Derek Nicholson injured his right knee late in the opening quarter, was helped from the field and taken by cart to the locker room. Marcus Ball (left ACL) and Jae Thaxton (concussion) were already out.

BIG SCARE: Moments after Nicholson went out, starting sophomore linebacker Geno Hayes went out with a left knee injury. He returned the next series and had a tackle and a sack.

FIRST TIMERS: Sophomore Michael Ray Garvin, a member of the Seminoles' NCAA championship outdoor track and field team who sealed the opening victory over Miami with an interception, and redshirt freshman Jamie Robinson made their first career starts at cornerback.

CARTER UPDATE: Standout cornerback Tony Carter, who sprained his left knee on his lone punt return (19 yards) against Rice, said he will return for the Boston College game.

LINE DANCE: With junior right tackle Shannon Boatman slowed by a sprained right knee, junior David Overmyer moved from right guard to start in the spot he held last year. Senior Cory Niblock started at guard. Boatman played the second series.

GETTING CREATIVE: N.C. State tried trickery on successive plays on its second possession. The Wolfpack tried a pass off a double reverse (Garvin was called for holding), then ran a flea flicker (incomplete).

CUP APPEARANCE: The Carolina Hurricanes were on hand between the first and second quarter, showing off their Stanley Cup.

THE BAND PLAYED ON: The FSU Marching Chiefs didn't make the trip (the 400-plus member would miss two days of school), so FSU turned to North Carolina Central's band to fill in.

Why that school? Well, the chancellor, Dr. James Ammons, received both his master's and his doctorate degrees from FSU. And the school's band director, Jorim Reid, was graduated from Florida A&M and earned a master's from FSU. The entire 200-member North Carolina Central Marching Sound Machine was provided tickets from FSU's allotment and played throughout the game from the stands.

DR. YES: Former Seminoles standout center David Castillo learned this week that has been accepted into the FSU medical school. Castillo, a guest of FSU at the game Thursday, will begin in May.

[Last modified October 6, 2006, 01:37:18]