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09/01/2010 -
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -Jimbo Fisher's last play on a football field was for Samford. His first play as a college coach will be against the same small Alabama school.
After more than two decades as an assistant coach at a handful of southeastern schools, Fisher debuts as Florida State's head coach Saturday when the 20th-ranked Seminoles open their season against the small Baptist-affiliated school in Birmingham where he claims to have enjoyed some of his happiest years.
``That was a great time in my life,'' said Fisher, who played one season for the Bulldogs before joining Terry Bowden's Samford coaching staff. ``Maybe one of the most fun times I've ever had, developing as a person, developing as a coach, building a program. A lot of my roots are there.''
Fisher was the Division III Player of the Year at Samford in 1987 when he threw 34 touchdown passes. He spent the next 11 years on Bowden's staffs at Samford and Auburn, establishing a connection with the coaching family that resulted two decades later in Fisher being the choice to replace Bobby Bowden at Florida State.
Fisher, 44, is not only stepping in behind one of the most successful and revered college coaches of all time, but Saturday marks the first time he'll be in charge of a game as the head coach.
``It's really starting to dawn on me right now,'' Fisher said during Wednesday's Atlantic Coast Conference coaches teleconference, acknowledging he was getting jittery as Saturday's noon kickoff draws nearer. ``Anxious butterflies.''
Fisher, however, can achieve something Bowden failed to do - win his first game at Florida State. Memphis State defeated the Seminoles 21-12 in Bowden's Florida State debut in 1976.
After a 5-6 start in his initial season at Florida State, Bowden finished with a pair of national titles during 33 straight winning seasons.
Samford, which is also Bobby Bowden's alma mater, was known as Howard on its last trip to Tallahassee - 60 years ago with the elder Bowden starting at quarterback.
``It's a banner day for Samford in that it starts off with coach Bowden, playing on a field that's named after a Samford graduate ... a legend,'' Samford coach Pat Sullivan said. ``Then he's been replaced by another Samford graduate. For us to be able to be there, I think it's tremendous for us.''
Fisher knows his Seminoles are a prohibitive favorite against the Football Championship Subdivision school, but he invokes the long-standing coaching standard of saying only nice things about an outgunned opponent.
``You've got to expect a great game,'' he said. ``We've got to stay aggressive.''
After two years as coach in waiting to the iconic Bowden, Fisher was named head coach less than 72 hours after archrival Florida throttled the Seminoles for the sixth straight time, leaving Florida State with a 6-6 regular season record for the second time in four years. A win over West Virginia in the Gator Bowl in Bowden's coaching finale left the Seminoles with a 7-6 record for the third time in the last four years.
Bowden will not attend Fisher's debut Saturday. He has said for years that he wanted to give his successor plenty of space and avoid any second-guessing. Bowden will, however, be in town the previous day for a book signing.
Samford, which is in the Southern Conference, finished 5-6 last year under Sullivan, the former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Auburn.
Fisher, a West Virginia native, said earlier this week that he'd prayed for years that one day he'd get an opportunity to coach at a major university. Now that day is here.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Big Ten announces realignment
Park Ridge, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Big Ten unveiled its plan for divisional
realignment Wednesday and the controversial split of longtime rivals Michigan
and Ohio State is in place.
There will be two divisions of six teams each startin
<< Penn State names true freshman Bolden starting quarterback
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Penn State head coach Joe Paterno named
true freshman Robert Bolden the starting quarterback for Saturday's season
opener versus Youngstown State.
The news came as a surprise considering Paterno
<< End in sight for Kovalchuk saga...maybe
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's shocking that Ilya Kovalchuk has not
yet found a home for the 2010-11 season, and now it appears the biggest hockey
story of the summer will linger on until at least the end of the week.
The hockey wo
<< Rangers' Lee has treatment for sore back
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers starter Cliff Lee underwent
treatment for a sore back on Wednesday.
Lee had complained of lower back soreness after Tuesday's 10-9 loss to the
Royals, and was sent back to Arlington
Royals activate Meche, Fields from 60-day DL >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals have activated
pitcher Gil Meche and infielder Josh Fields from the 60-day disabled list.
The Royals also recalled catcher Lucas May from Triple-A Omaha.
To make room on th
Allen has smashing 2010 debut as D'Backs top free-falling Padres >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Allen belted his first career grand
slam in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat
San Diego, 5-2, to complete a three-game sweep at Chase Field.
It was quite a 20
Big Ten gives Nebraska no breaks in 2011 schedule >>
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -The Big Ten's welcome gift to Nebraska looks more like a booby prize.The football schedule for 2011-12, the Cornhuskers' first two seasons in the Big Ten, pits Nebraska against a lineup no sane coach would envy.The Cornhuskers open
Venus, Clijsters reach third round at U.S. Open >>
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time champion Venus Williams and
second-seeded Kim Clijsters were among Wednesday's second-round winners at the
U.S. Open.
The third-seeded former world No. 1 Williams got past Rebecca Marin
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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