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By Compiled by BRIAN LANDMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 2000
Player spotlight, Jarad Moon
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State center Jarad Moon isn't worried that Chuck Amato, the former longtime Seminole assistant in his first year as North Carolina State's head coach, will share any embarrassing anecdotes about him with the Wolfpack defensive linemen.
"Hopefully, he'll say, "Look out for him,' " Moon deadpanned. "Hopefully."
Not that Amato doesn't have a story or two he could tell his players as they prepare for Saturday's game against the Seminoles. You see, Moon, a senior, and Amato's daughter, Selena, have been dating for three years.
"Jarad is an outstanding person with good morals," Amato said. "Who knows what's going to come out of this, but I had no reservations about what was going on."
Amato's intensity and passion are legendary. But Moon takes his football seriously, too.
Sometimes too much so.
The lofty expectations -- the former Panama City Bay High star entered FSU in 1996 as one of the nation's most highly touted prospects -- and subsequent struggles weighed heavily on his mind and body. He developed stomach problems and bounced in and out of the starting lineup the past few years. Moon, 22, a communications major and an accomplished artist, contemplated quitting football.
"There were times when I considered my options," he admitted. "I figured, I'm ahead of schedule, should I graduate and just walk away and do I get my life started? But I thought, I put in too much work; you made a commitment when you signed with the school that you're going to be there. I really wanted to finish this out no matter what happened."
Moon blossomed this season, starting every game. He calls out the blocking assignments, has snapped the ball in the shotgun better than ever and has helped groom his heir, junior Antoine Mirambeau. He was just named the Atlantic Coast Conference's offensive lineman of the week for the second time.
"The biggest thing he lacked was consistency," offensive line coach Jimmy Heggins said. "One week, he'd be in the battle and the next week he wouldn't. He's always been in a position to take the job, and he never took it. But he took it on himself to get better . . . I'm pleased with him. He's doing a good job. He's been a leader for us. I'm certainly glad he's come back."
Moon likens his reversal of fortunes to those of Amato's team. The underdog Wolfpack has won two games in overtime and a third in the waning moments to reach No. 21 in the AP poll.
"It's been a great year personally," he said. "It's been a long time coming for me . . . The hard work you put in allows you to enjoy it more. It's like some of their overtime wins. This might be an overtime in my career."
That's a tale he wouldn't mind Amato sharing.
WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Saturday; Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, N.C.
TV: ESPN.
1 -- North Carolina State's wins against FSU since 1992 (24-7 in 1998 in Raleigh, which is only one of two losses in 69 ACC games for the Seminoles.
32 -- FSU's margin of victory, 46-14, the last time Bobby Bowden faced one of his former assistants (Central Florida's Gene McDowell in 1995).
101.0 -- Average receiving yards per game by FSU senior Marvin "Snoop" Minnis, second in the ACC and 10th in the nation.
107.0 -- Average receiving yards by N.C. State sophomore Koren Robinson, first in the ACC and third in the nation.
337.8 -- Average total offense by FSU senior Chris Weinke, first in the ACC and third in the nation.
304.0 -- Average total offense by N.C. State freshman Philip Rivers, second in the ACC and fifth in the nation.
Upon his arrival at his Sunday morning press conference at the Holiday Inn Select in Tallahassee, Bobby Bowden was amused by a note scrawled on a piece of cardboard from an anonymous hotel employee:
Please schedule the Univ. of Michigan, if you think your boys are ready :)
Good luck with the rest of the season !!!
Thank you
In 1988, FSU receivers Terry Anthony, Ronald Lewis, Bruce LaSane and Lawrence Dawsey earned the moniker, The Fab Four. That quartet combined for 1,805 yards. But there's a new Fab Four in town: Marvin "Snoop" Minnis, Atrews Bell, Anquan Boldin and Robert Morgan, who have 2,111 yards with four games left to play.
1988 FAB FOUR 2000 FAB FOUR
Player Rec Yds TDs Player Rec Yds TDs
Terry Anthony 32 550 8 Marvin Minnis 42 808 5
Ronald Lewis 27 484 2 Anquan Boldin 26 477 3
Bruce LaSane 22 406 3 Atrews Bell 25 460 9
Lawrence Dawsey 18 365 9 Robert Morgan 19 366 3
Totals 99 1805 22 112 2111 20
"He used to come in and sit in on our offensive meetings. Now I wish he hadn't."
-- BOBBY BOWDEN, on his former defensive assistant Chuck Amato, now in his first year as head coach at North Carolina State.
Q: Does Chuck Amato have an advantage in that he knows you and the players so well?
BOWDEN: Let's just say that they know a whole lot more about us than we know about them. He's been around us. He knows everything we're thinking. He knows what (defensive coordinator) Mickey (Andrews) is thinking. Now, we know him, but we don't know what his coaches think. They've got an offensive coordinator. We don't know much about him. They've got a defensive coordinator. We don't know much about him. But I imagine we know more about the defense because Chuck was a defensive coach, and he'll demand they put his style in.
Q: You haven't had much turnover on your staff. What's the secret?
BOWDEN: One of the things that kept them is success . . . I also let them coach. When I was an assistant, that meant a lot to me. And it's a good place to live. But there's no place good if you lose.
Q: Will you mention the loss in your last game at N.C. State?
BOWDEN: I'll remind them of everything I can think of, I sure will. It's a different situation now, but this team has similarities. They had Torry Holt; this year they've got Koren Robinson. They had a good tailback (Rahshon Spikes); this year they've got another good tailback, (Ray) Robinson. And they've got a good quarterback (Phillip Rivers), who throws the ball good.
Q: Do you have to say anything to Chris Weinke about his six-interception performance in that 1998 loss in Raleigh?
BOWDEN: No. You can't forget that one.
Q: Does it help that the Wolfpack is surprisingly 5-1 and ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll?
BOWDEN: They've helped us by having the record they've got. At least now we're alert; we'll go up there with our eyes open.