Colleges

FSU has to pay up

Xavier Lee is among the Seminoles making costly mistakes in loss.

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published October 12, 2007

Florida State's Antone Smith goes down as he runs into Alphonso Smith during the first half.
	[AP photo]

ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] FSU's Bobby Bowden argues with an official during the first half, when confusion reigned early. [AP photo] Florida State's Preston Parker is tackled by John Russell. Jacky Claude tries to provide a block. The Seminoles replaced Xavier Lee with Drew Weatherford in the second half, but only briefly.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Florida State Seminoles were looking for some payback Thursday night at defending ACC champion Wake Forest, a team that embarrassed them a year ago.

Well, they're still looking for it.

The Demon Deacons, buoyed by the clutch play of quarterback Riley Skinner, as well as some mistakes by FSU quarterback Xavier Lee, overcame a seven-point deficit late in the third quarter to beat the Seminoles again, this time 24-21, on an unseasonably cold evening at BB&T Field.

"They out-executed us in the second half," FSU coach Bobby Bowden lamented.

The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the No. 21-ranked Seminoles (4-2, 1-2) and, while not as humbling as last year's 30-0 home loss to the Demon Deacons, this one might leave them just as red-faced.

Lee, who played well against Alabama and again in his first start of the season - and first since his dismal showing against Wake Forest last season - against N. C. State on Saturday, struggled when it mattered most.

He finished 24 of 45 for 283 yards with touchdowns to Preston Parker and Greg Carr and ran for a touchdown, but he lost a fumble and threw two interceptions, one when FSU had first down at the Wake 25 and was up 14-7 and one when FSU needed to answer Wake's go-ahead score.

"I thought I made some good plays, but I made some bad ones, too," said Lee, who was limited to one full day of practice when he had to meet with a professor on Tuesday. "A couple of times I got overly aggressive and made mistakes, and they made us pay."

His two interceptions led to the tying touchdown late in the third quarter and to what proved to be the winning field goal, a 48-yarder by Sam Swank with 1:40 left. But then the Deacons (4-2, 3-1) had been opportunistic all season, scoring 44 points off 14 turnovers entering the game.

Coaches grew so incensed with Lee that, for one series early in the fourth, they pulled him and went to former Land O'Lakes star Drew Weatherford.

"He was not executing what was called," Bowden said. "We'd call a play and he'd run it wrong. We knew that at least the other guy would run the right play."

"He looked a little shook up," added offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. "I figured I'd take him out three or four plays to get his poise back. He started the game, now he has to learn how to finish."

With their running game again ineffective, the Seminoles put the game in the quarterback's hands and Bowden said that in the "battle of quarterbacks, their quarterback made the play down there that won the game."

Make that plays, plural.

After Lee's first interception, a poorly thrown fade to Carr in the right corner of the end zone, Skinner showed why he was the ACC rookie of the year in 2006.

He methodically marched his team downfield and capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown to tailback Josh Adams to tie it at 14, with 2:32 left in the third quarter.

Skinner then directed a nine-play, 82-yard scoring drive that ended when he stepped away from pressure and hit senior receiver Kenny Moore, who had gotten behind cornerback Jamie Robinson, for a 35-yard touchdown with 6:41 left.

"I just thought he played good the whole game," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said.

Skinner was 19 of 27 for 215 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

"We knew it would be a game of big plays and in the second half, we were able to make some things happen," Skinner said.

Lee, back in and now behind, went deep for Carr but the ball went off Carr's hands into the hands of safety of Chip Vaughn. Skinner then drove his team into range for the field goal.

The Seminoles' defense entered 11th nationally against the run, allowing 81.8 yards. But it allowed a season-high 180 - 140 to Adams, which included an 83 yard touchdown run - and a season-high 395 total yards.

Said Bowden: "They chewed us up pretty good."

Wake 24

No.21 FSU 21

[Last modified October 12, 2007, 01:40:39]