May
19
2023
Mike Norvell and his coaching staff have done an exceptional job at hitting the transfer portal over the last couple of years, thus building his Seminoles into yet again the powerhouse they are meant to be. Sure, in his first two years, he wasn’t overly successful and some fans were calling for his head. But …
Aug
20
2019
Anyone following Daniel Jones wasn’t surprised he dismissed Baker Mayfield’s cheap shot with a classy response. Jones learned more than football under the tutelage of Duke coach and quarterback guru David Cutcliffe. “He’s not going to be distracted,” said Cutcliffe after a recent Duke practice about the attention focused on Jones as the sixth pick …
Aug
19
2019
They call it NAPS. The stated mission of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is to “enhance midshipman candidates’ moral, mental and physical foundations to prepare them for success at the U.S. Naval Academy” at Annapolis. The path has benefited Jackson Pittman, Navy’s 6-foot-1, 300-pound third-year starting nose guard. He followed his year at NAPS playing …
Aug
14
2019
Mo Fifita is a 6-foot-1, 320-pounder who gets down in the trenches and slugs it out, brawn on brawn. If that means tying up two 300-pound offensive linemen to free up linebackers, so be it. In other words, he was born to play nose tackle. And it doesn’t hurt he has Polynesian bloodlines. Ever since …
Aug
13
2019
DURHAM, N.C. – A dozen years ago David Cutcliffe took over a woeful Duke football program that was 2-33 the previous three seasons, including 0-12 in 2006. He needed fresh talent and he found some with three true freshmen. Jay Hollingsworth led the team in rushing, albeit with only 399 yards and one touchdown. Johnny …
Aug
12
2019
Regardless of what some in the media say, the SEC is not heads and shoulders above everyone else. The league has some great teams and some not-so-great teams. Just like everyone else. Don’t get me wrong: the SEC is a strong conference. Alabama finished the 2018 regular season as the No. 1 team in the …
Aug
11
2019
DURHAM, N.C. – Fans panic with their lungs or twitter thumbs. The media jumps to conclusions. But Duke coach David Cutcliffe learned long ago to wait for the film to evaluate a football team’s first scrimmage a mere eight days into fall camp. “I promise you nothing is as good as you think it is …
Aug
10
2019
Times don’t always change for the better. Fifty-three years ago, when Jim Crow still plagued the old South, the city of Fayetteville, N.C., demonstrated it was ahead of the times down the slow, painful march to the new South. The segregated city gave a parade and key to the city to Jimmy Raye, an African-American. …
Nov
19
2018
University of Florida The Florida State vs Boston College football game surprised, with the outcome favoring the good guys. The Seminoles were on the precipice of defeat, facing a losing season and an end to bowl eligibility for the first time in nearly four decades. While the Seminoles remain in a precarious position, they carry …
Nov
15
2018
Boston College These are becoming increasingly difficult to write. The fact of the matter is, the longest FBS bowl streak and winning season streaks are both likely to end this weekend (yes, shots fired Matt!). This Florida State team is filled with toxicity that desperately needs to be purged. Willie Taggart has some soul …
Nov
08
2018
Notre Dame While not quite the performance I would of liked, I did see changes to the game last week that I do feel re-assured in the Taggart era. This post will not be quite as spirited, despite the opponent Florida State faces. Notre Dame is an elite program in 2018, and I wouldn’t expect …
Nov
01
2018
North Carolina State Well, that was humbling. After what was the worst loss in Doak Campbell history, the Seminoles must of felt the humiliation of their predicament. Three seasons in a row, the Noles quit against a rival opponent. After what appeared to be growth since the Louisville game, Florida State seemed to be on …
Oct
25
2018
Clemson I am thrilled to say that Florida State is trending upwards under the Taggart regime. With a an Offensive Line that is, finally, finding it’s rhythm under the new offense, Francois is finding the explosive plays necessary to enable Florida State wins over their tough slate of opponents. Unfortunately for the Seminoles, they’ll now …
Oct
18
2018
Wake Forest I have to admit: I was pleasantly surprised to see the score of FSU versus Miami from my seat in Gainesville (don’t ask why I attended the LSU vs UF game). Alas, FSU could not hold-on quite as long as they needed (and had a controversial dismissed touchdown that would of sealed the …
Oct
04
2018
Miami A rivalry for the ages, Florida State versus Miami is a perennial match-up that never fails to disappoint. This season may yet serve as another classic in this storied series. Then again, maybe not. Miami, despite a loss against LSU in the season-opener, appears to be as solid a program as would be expected …
Sep
27
2018
Louisville I wasn’t wrong about the win at least! The first quarter against Northern Illinois was demonstrative, I believe, of the potential behind the Gulf Coast offense that Willie Taggart swears by. The middle half of the Florida State game, unfortunately, produced the same errors that keep teams in the mix versus the Noles, and …