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FSU: Extra points

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 19, 2001

SCOUTING REPORT: It might be easy for the Seminoles to overlook North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 0-3. But FSU coach Bobby Bowden wants to make sure his players see beyond the numbers.

UNC committed five first-half turnovers that staked defending national champion and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma to a 31-0 lead. UNC lost 41-27.

Against Maryland, the Heels scored first but then sputtered and lost 23-7.

After staying close to No. 4 Texas, 20-14 at the half, they fell apart and lost 44-14.

All three were away from home.

"You're just afraid they're going to jump out," Bowden said. "They look like a team that has the capability of putting it together and you hope they don't put it together against you. They've got a new coaching staff with some new ideas and new things and they're getting it. They're a team that should get better every week. They have athletes. (Defensive end) Julius Peppers is going to be a first-rounder."

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: A year ago, senior punter Keith Cottrell routinely sang the praise of his likely heir, Chance Gwaltney. What once was a solo voice is now a chorus.

Gwaltney, a junior, is averaging 43.2 yards, second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 25th nationally. He has deftly pooched four of his 12 punts inside the 20-yard line. Bowden has been so pleased he rewarded the former walk-on from Cairo (Ga.) High with a scholarship last month.

"I just try to go out there and do what I do in practice every day," Gwaltney said. "It's a lot of fun."

Especially compared with last season when he took a turn on the team's placekicker carousel. He hit 18 of 20 extra points and 5 of 7 field goals before losing the job. Yet he said the troubles and frustrations have paid dividends now.

"I think it helped me as far as being out there in front of that many people," he said. "I think it also helped in trying to block out what people think and going out there and do what I came here to do."

QUOTABLE: "As long as we make sure we know who's with us. As long as they've got Florida State shirts and I've seen them around here, they can ride." -- FSU defensive end Alonzo Jackson on whether he might be nervous getting on an airplane for the first time since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

OFFBEAT: Sometimes, size matters. Especially if you're trying to outfit some of the Seminoles.

Consider: Sophomore defensive end Kevin Emanuel takes a size 19 shoe, sophomore defensive tackle Travis Johnson needs an 81/4 helmet and junior offensive guard Montrae Holland wears pants with a 46-inch waist, a size 56 jersey and triple X gloves. All are the largest on the team.

STAT ATTACK: At times against FSU, North Carolina senior quarterback Ronald Curry has shown the brilliance Bowden predicted when he called him the best prospect he had ever seen. The powerful arm. The speed. The elusiveness. But at other times, well, ... here's how he has fared in his previous three appearances against the Seminoles:

(Season, Com, Att, Yds, TDs, Ints, Runs, Yds,TDs)

1998,5, 13,49, 1,0,3,17,0

1999,11,26,119,0,3,14,26,0

2000,15,31,235,1,1,11,-24,0

Total,31,70,403,2,4,28,19,0

-- Compiled by Brian Landman

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