Columns

Pretty much same ol', same ol'

By GARY SHELTON
Published September 4, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] New Seminole offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher (left) didn't have an impressive debut Monday night, with his young team being bullied around by Clemson during the entire first half and the end of the fourth quarter of FSU's 24-18 loss.

CLEMSON, S.C. - Good thing Bobby Bowden has so many great minds on his new coaching staff.

Otherwise, Monday night might have been really embarrassing.

As it was, FSU's loss to Clemson was ugly enough to cause nightmares. The Seminoles were bullied early and beaten late in their 24-18 loss, and once again, there are fresh paw prints all over the once-proud FSU program.

Say this about Bowden's spanking new assistant coaches: Pretty much, the new guys frown just like the old guys.

Say this, too: For perhaps the first time, they should be aware of how much work is in front of them.

Even a second-half surge that gave FSU a chance to win wasn't enough to erase the memory of how thoroughly Clemson dominated the Seminoles in the first half. Reducing a three-touchdown deficit to six points will quiet some of the criticism, but it is also troubling how FSU lost the key plays once it came within six points. On its last seven snaps, for instance, FSU threw five incomplete passes and lost 5 yards.

This season is supposed to be different, isn't it? This is supposed to be the season that finally stopped the downward spiral of the past few seasons for FSU. With the Justice League of Assistant Coaches, these Seminoles were supposed to be tougher, smarter, more efficient, more dangerous.

Honestly, has a group of assistant coaches ever received this level of attention? Especially one where the head coach is still in place? Over the past few months, some FSU fans have talked of Jimbo Fisher and Rick Trickett and Chuck Amato the way some fans talk of a great recruiting class. The last time there was this much talk about a staff, it belonged to Moses.

In particular, fans were excited about the debut of Fisher, who had become FSU's favorite son simply by not being Bobby's. This was the unveiling of his playbook, after all.

Imagine the disappointment, then, of seeing such a disjointed, uncoordinated effort as the first half. Even a young team with a new offense should have been better than this.

FSU couldn't run. FSU couldn't throw. FSU couldn't block. In other words, it was the triple crown of bad offense. After quarterback Drew Weatherford ran for 22 yards on the first play of the game, for instance, the Seminoles didn't make another first down the rest of the half. They ran 13 times for 12 yards. They threw 16 times for 28. On third-down conversions, they were none-for-nine.

So here's a question: When the FSU boosters delivered that hefty buyout check to Jeff Bowden, are we certain they reclaimed his headset?

And, really, as long as the boosters were paying one of Bowden's kids to stop calling plays, shouldn't it have been Tommy?

The first lesson here is that maybe, just maybe, there were more problems at FSU last year than the offensive coordinator. The second is that it takes time for a new coaching staff, even one with resumes this thick, to make an impact.

Around FSU, for instance, it has been a while since a quarterback progressed along with his career. It will take more than one game before we see if Fisher can pull that off with Weatherford. It has been some time since the offensive line was tough enough to dominate the way it once did. We'll see if Trickett can pull that off. Once, the Seminoles were loaded with big-play performances. Eventually, we'll see if this staff can find one or two.

For now, FSU doesn't look that different than FSU looked last year. Considering four of FSU's victories were Troy, Rice, Western Michigan and Duke, yes, that is a mean thing to say.

This is what happens when a team increases the stakes of its opening game by playing a real opponent in a tough place to play. It increases the disappointment of losing. Today, FSU is in odd company with Mississippi State, Wake Forest and Stanford, teams that have already lost a conference game and already seized control of the basement.

Eventually, an FSU fan has to believe this will get better. Eventually, the path to the end zone will be rediscovered. Eventually, the new staff will decide upon a proper game plan.

Here's a suggestion: Next time, they should try something besides the rope-a-dope.

Gary Shelton can be reached at (727) 893-8805.

[Last modified September 4, 2007, 01:26:08]