Noles embarrassed again, 24-20 @ NC ST

Well I had the score right but the teams wrong.

FSU's 24-20 loss to unranked NC St. marked the official end of the era of domination the Seminole football program had enjoyed for the entire 90's and most of this millennium.

It ended last night at approximately 11PM when the Noles walked off the field in Raleigh as losers to a team that had lost on that very field a mere 3 weeks ago to Akron. A Wolfpack team, led by embattled former Bowden assistant Chuck Amato, that had been battered & bludgeoned at Southern Miss, 37-17, 2 weeks ago. The once mighty Florida State offense scored a whopping 20 points against this offensive jugger-not, and Jeff Nepotism Bowden has rendered the offense not even a shell of its former self but a carcass of that shell.

The Noles appeared to be in control of this one, leading 20-10 late in the 3rd quarter after an 99-yard drive culminating in a TD from Drew Weatherford (16-29, 249, 2TDs, 1INT) to Brandon Warren. But then all hell broke loose and the Noles were left scratching their heads and wondering what happened-again.
Redshirt Sophomore QB Daniel Evans (13-22, 190, 3TDs) played like a senior in guiding his team on two drives that won the game. Evans either handed off to 1 of 2 capable backs, Andre Brown (18 carries, 114 yds) or Toney Baker (12 for 44, all late) or threw it up to his superior freshman receiver, 6'4" Geron James, who went up and caught balls numerous times, Randy Moss-like, including the score that made it a 3pt game to end the 3rd. A sweet 12-yd TD to from Evans to John Dunlap with 10:36 to go put the Pack ahead for good, and the pitiful Nole offense couldn't muster another point in going down for the 4th time in 7 games against their former coach.

Other horrible notes from this game include the re-disappearance (not a word) of the running game; after ripping off 287 yards on the ground vs. Rice, FSU only mustered 96 against the Pack, who themselves racked up 190 against the porous Nole D. Lo Where are you? Booker managed 58 yards, and the talented senior has only 233 yards & 1 TD in 5 games. Yikes.
And the passing game isn't faring any better: Gregg Who? Carr has only 12 catches for 168 yds, and St Pete bust Chris Invisible Man Davis has 11 for 175 & 2 TDs. Wow. Not exactly Peter Warrick and Javon Walker, now are they? Hell they're not even Kez MCCorvey & Tamarick Vanover. QB Drew Weatherford, of whom great things were expected this season, has been mediocre-to awful, amassing these less-than-stellar numbers: 81-135, 964 yds, 5TDs, 3INTs- not exactly reminiscent of Chris Weinke. Or Charlie Ward. Or even Thad Busby.
The D was also further decimated by an injury, this time to soph MLB Derek (brother of AJ) Nicholson, who appeared to suffer a season-ending tear in his knee on a play in the 1st quarter. He joins the growing walking wounded list, which this week included spectacular DB Tony Blocked Kick Carter- boy they could have used him on those jump balls against James.

They say all good things must come to an end. First it was the Noles unprecedented string of 14 consecutive seasons ranked in the top 5. Then came the graduation and/or early exits of a number of top-flight NFL-caliber (Warrick, Weinke, Walker) players year after year- tough for any team to keep reloading and recovering from that, just ask Miami; then came the 3-loss season (2004), the 5-loss season of last year, and now they've got 2 losses in 5 games with plenty of tough tests ahead. The way these guys are playing they are all tough, even against Troy and Nc. State.

Bobby has now lost to his son ands mentor in the same season-again. When will this madness end? Most likely when Jeff removes himself from duty. Or it might come to Papa Bear himself having to step away from the embarrassment this program has become.

We'll get em next time, boys