Preview: Mississippi at Florida State

[Greenbacks]

When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, September 5, 2016
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

A pair of Heisman Trophy candidates and two ranked teams will be on display when Ole Miss takes on Florida State in their season opener at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Monday. Fourth-ranked Florida State returns a talented group on both sides of the ball led by junior running back Dalvin Cook, and senior quarterback Chad Kelly is the key to unlock a successful season for No. 12 Ole Miss.
Cook rushed for a school-record 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns last year for the Seminoles, who introduce a new starting quarterback in freshman and Orlando native Deondre Francois. Both will have the support of an experienced offensive line and all-ACC tackle Roderick Johnson told the Tampa Bay Times of Cook: “His attitude’s the same as last year and that’s to be the greatest of all time.” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher calls Kelly “a competitor” and the 6-2, 224-pounder comes to Orlando after a breakout season in which he threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns while rushing for another 500 and 10 scores. Kelly has the weapons around him to match those numbers and will be tested by one of top defenses the Rebels will face all season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Florida State -6

ABOUT OLE MISS (2015: 10-3): One concern for the Rebels this season is on their offensive line, which is expected to include three sophomore starters. Senior Akeem Judd and freshman Eric Swinney lead the rushing attack with Jordan Wilkins (academics) lost for the season and Kelly has a deep receiving corps with wideouts Quincy Adeboyejo and Damore’ea Stringfellow along with tight end Evan Engram owning the most experience. Defensive end Marquis Haynes (10 sacks last year) and safety Tony Conner key the other side of the ball where Ole Miss returns five starters.

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (2015: 10-3): Francois becomes the fourth freshman to start an opener at quarterback for the Seminoles in their history, after incumbent Sean Maguire (foot) was lost for 4-to-6 weeks, and will make it in his home town. Francois has an offensive line group with a combined 66 starts, one of the nation’s top running backs and an experienced receiving corps that is led by Travis Rudolph (59 catches, 916 yards, seven touchdowns) to help. Defensive end DeMarcus Walker (10½ sacks in 2015) and safety Derwin James (91 tackles, 4½ sacks) are stalwarts for what could be one of the country’s top defenses.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Rebels, who won the only previous meeting 31-0 in 1961, have never played in Orlando while Florida State is 8-0-2 in 10 games there.

2. Ricky Aguayo is expected to replace his brother Roberto, a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the Florida State kicker.

3. Both coaches are unbeaten in season openers – Fisher (6-0) and Hugh Freeze (4-0 at Ole Miss).

 

[Bolty]

thanks for always posting this information

 

[Greenbacks]

thanks for always posting this information

Not a problem.....We try to get as much information on the boards as possible.....Anything to get an edge.

Good luck Bolty!

 

[Greenbacks]

Weather looks okay for the game......I`m seeing Partly Cloudy and 79 Degrees

 

[Daigo23]

Take Ole Miss plus the points!! I see them winning it SU as well

 

[Greenbacks]

Bump.....Good luck!

 

[Greenbacks]

FSU's QB guru has Jimbo Fisher excited to start a freshman.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is no stranger to opening the season with a redshirt freshman starter at quarterback.
It worked out pretty well for the Seminoles three years ago with a guy named Jameis Winston, who won the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt freshman and led FSU to the 2013 national championship.
Enter Deondre Francois, another redshirt freshman Fisher has been bullish about since the spring. Francois is set to make his first start Monday when No. 4 Florida State goes up against No. 11 Ole Miss (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Fisher seems more eager than antsy to see what Francois can do, even though the quarterback is a youngster on such a big stage.

Part of that is Francois can play and has proved it on the Seminoles' practice field. But another part is that the guy getting Francois ready to play has a proven track record when it comes to developing quarterbacks, and that goes for quarterbacks of all different styles and at a couple different places.
Randy Sanders is one of the most underrated quarterback coaches in the country. He might not have the same fanfare as some of the other so-called quarterback gurus around the country, but Sanders has a résumé that puts fanfare to shame.
"He's a great quarterbacks coach, the best I've been around," said former Kentucky coach Joker Phillips, who's now working as a quality control assistant on Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State. "He's honest with his players, able to coach his guys hard because of his relationship with them and has a great football mind."
Sanders, who doesn't do media interviews per Fisher's policy at FSU, has worked with everybody from Peyton Manning to Tee Martin to Randall Cobb to Winston.

The year after Manning left Tennessee, the Vols won the national championship with Martin taking over as quarterback. Sanders' first game as Tennessee's play-caller came in the 1998 national championship game after David Cutcliffe left his post as offensive coordinator to take the Ole Miss head coaching job.
"I just remember how calm he was, that nothing really rattled him," said Martin, now USC's co-offensive coordinator. "It was the biggest game of his life, and he'd just been put in that role as a young coach. His demeanor gave me confidence. There's an air about him where he's tough on you but also puts you at ease because of how prepared he always is.

"You know you can trust him because of the way he sees the game. He makes you understand why he's calling what he's calling, and not a lot of coaches can do that."
Sanders, 50, is entering his fourth season at FSU and his third as co-offensive coordinator. Fisher noted last season that he had given Sanders more of a role in calling the Seminoles' plays, so it's obvious Fisher has supreme confidence Sanders, who played quarterback at Tennessee and understands as well as anybody the pitfalls of playing and coaching the most important position on the field, especially when that guy is also the play-caller.
Sanders was the scapegoat at Tennessee in 2005 when a quarterback controversy rocked the team, sending the Vols spiraling to the first losing season of longtime coach Phillip Fulmer's career. The offense never got on track that season, and Sanders stepped down as offensive coordinator in the middle of the year. He remained on staff but was no longer the primary play-caller.

When Cutcliffe returned to Tennessee's staff the next season as offensive coordinator, Sanders went his own way and landed at Kentucky. It was a bitter pill for him to swallow, leaving his alma mater in those circumstances, but he gained a ton of support in the coaching profession by the way he handled his exit.
He didn't point fingers and never spoke publicly about being unfairly blamed for the Vols' problems. Instead, he kept his head down and found a new coaching home.
"That's Randy and why guys love playing for him," Martin said. "It's never about him. It's always about the team and his players, doing what he can to make them better. He'll take the heat, but he lets everybody else take the credit."
At Kentucky, Sanders helped turn Andre Woodson into an SEC record-holder, the same Woodson who was battling with Curtis Pulley just to win the starting quarterback job the previous spring. Woodson responded by throwing 71 touchdowns over the next two seasons, including an SEC-record 40 touchdowns as a senior in 2007.

In 2009, Mike Hartline was the Wildcats' starter until he injured his knee in the fifth game. Sanders was forced the juggle Cobb, Will Fidler and true freshman Morgan Newton at the quarterback position, and Kentucky was still able to make a bowl game.
In 2010, Hartline bounced back from his knee injury to pass for 3,178 yards, 23 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. And in 2011, Sanders got receiver Matt Roark ready to play quarterback in the season finale after injuries sidelined Maxwell Smith and Newton, and Kentucky ended a 26-year losing streak against Tennessee with a 10-7 win over Sanders' alma mater.

Hartline, who's now a quarterback intern on Ohio State's staff, said it's no coincidence that Sanders has been around so many productive quarterbacks.
"He does an incredible job of knowing who he has at quarterback and understanding what that person can and can't do and then communicating to the head coach the best positions to put that guy in in order to be able to win games," Hartline said. "He's a very strict guy and cuts through all the B.S. really quickly and makes you understand what he expects out of you.
"I trusted him so much in the game plan that if I came out and had one of the best games of my career, and he came in the film room the next day and said that I played like crap, then I was convinced that I played like crap. He instilled confidence in guys, and that's what separates him from most coaches."

Winston was 26-1 as a starter under Sanders' tutelage at FSU in 2013 and 2014. And even last season, despite losing Winston, four offensive linemen, one of the nation's top tight ends and the school's career leader in receptions, the Seminoles still averaged 31.7 points per game while playing two quarterbacks, Everett Golson and Sean Maguire.
Maguire, who injured his foot in preseason camp, may be back sooner than expected, but it's Francois' show for now.
There's no doubting Francois' skill set. He can throw it and also has the ability to extend the play and make things happen with his legs. The only thing working against him is his lack of experience.

But that's where Sanders comes in.
"You judge a guy based on what he can bring out of his players," Martin said. "With Randy, you're going to see the true identity of his quarterbacks, and that's whoever he coaches, whether it's a pocket passer, dual-threat guy, a guy who's very talented or a guy with limited talent. "Whoever it is, he's going to bring out the best in that quarterback, and he'll do it again this year just like he always does."

 

[Greenbacks]

Chad Kelly, Dalvin Cook highlight Ole Miss-Florida State matchup.

While they will never be on the field together, Chad Kelly vs. Dalvin Cook is the matchup to watch.
Ole Miss takes on Florida State in Orlando tonight, wrapping up a memorable Week 1 of the college football season. Technically a neutral-site contest, expect plenty of garnet and gold in the crowd.
Considering how much trouble the SEC has had the past few days, a Rebels victory would help salvage a disappointing opening weekend. Aside from Alabama, which steamrolled USC in Arlington, the rest of the league looked wobbly at best. Upsetting the Seminoles — ranked No. 4 — will be no easy task.
FSU features a loaded roster, but Cook is a terrifying tailback and legit Heisman Trophy candidate.
Despite missing one game and all but a few snaps in another due to different nagging injuries, Cook ran for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. He’s a unique combination of power and speed.

He highlights a ‘Noles offense that returns every single starter from 2015, including an offensive line led by Roderick Johnson at left tackle — he’s a contender for All-America. Coach Jimbo Fisher will be breaking in a new quarterback in Deondre Francois, but Cook is the team’s main attraction.
Mississippi isn’t as balanced on both sides of the ball, but Kelly makes sure the scales don’t tip.
The well-traveled Kelly, who started out at Clemson before a detour to East Mississippi Community College, took to coach Hugh Freeze’s pass-happy scheme like a fish to water after coming to Oxford.
He was one of only 12 QBs nationally to throw for more than 4,000 yards in 2015, and his completion percentage (65.1) was 19th best in the country. Should he cross the 4,000-yard threshold again this season, Kelly (below) will become the first signal caller in SEC annals to do so on more than one occasion.

Nevertheless, unlike Cook, he goes into the 2016 campaign surrounded by an altered supporting cast.
Both of his offensive tackles from a year ago, Laremy Tunsil — an uncommon talent and first-round pick — and Fahn Cooper, are now in the NFL. New left tackle Rod Taylor previously played at guard.
At the skill positions, the Rebs no longer have top rusher Jaylen Walton, who’s out of eligibility. An even bigger loss is Laquon Treadwell, who, like Tunsil, had special gifts and, like Tunsil, was a first-rounder. He reeled in more than twice as many passes as any Ole Miss receiver last season.
Even though there is strength in numbers, Kelly doesn’t appear to have a definitive primary target.
Quincy Adebojeyo and Damore’ea Stringfellow are currently atop the depth chart. They caught 38 and 36 passes last year, respectively. Neither is Treadwell, but both of them possess explosive traits.

Markell Pack, DeMarkus Lodge, DeKaylin Metcalf and Van Jefferson make up the rest of the two-deep, although Pack is the only one from that quartet to record more than a single reception last season. Another name to remember is A.J. Brown, a true freshman with enough ability to contribute quickly.
Tight end Evan Engram is also an experienced pass catcher on the preseason Mackey Award watch list.
There is reason to believe that Kelly will have zero trouble making the necessary adjustments. As a JUCO transfer a season ago, it’s not like he had a two- or three-year relationship with Treadwell.
Facing then-No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa this past September, his first career start facing a ranked opponent, Kelly connected on 18-of-31 passes for 341 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in a 43-37 upset — the Crimson Tide wouldn’t lose again on the way to another national championship.
With ‘Bama looming in Week 3, FSU fields a defense with just as many four- and five-star recruits.

The pass rushers of note are DeMarcus Walker (above) and Josh Sweat. Walker, who turned down a chance to go to the NFL early, registered 10.5 sacks in 2015. Sweat, just a sophomore, is a star in the making.
The ‘Noles also have plenty of playmakers in the secondary. Despite the departure of Jalen Ramsey, one of the best cover guys in school history, the next do-everything defensive back in Tallahassee is Derwin James. Play the run, defend the pass, blitz off the edge — there’s nothing he can’t do.
As a true freshman last year, he was one of the top defenders in the entire nation by season’s end.
Because Kelly has already carved up a Tide defense that was loaded with future pros, he can surely do the same thing to Florida State. Even Fisher knows he’ll have to score plenty of points to win.

The outcome could be determined by how well the Rebs contain Cook. In nine of 12 games a year ago, the 5-foot-11, 213-pounder averaged at least 6.3 yards per carry — even with an assortment of leg ailments. He had eight 100-yard ground games, twice topped 200 and seven times scored multiple TDs.
He also steamrolled some Top 25 rushing defenses, getting 194 yards at Clemson and 183 at Florida.
Ole Miss faced two running backs on Cook’s level last season. Alabama’s Derrick Henry had 23 totes for 127 yards and a touchdown. LSU’s Leonard Fournette got 108 yards on 25 carries without a score.
The Rebels do return linebacker DeMarquis Gates, their top tackler in 2015, but their second, third and fourth leading stoppers — Mike Hilton, Trae Elson and Denzel Nkemdiche, respectively — are no more. Like the receiving corps, there are bodies waiting to blossom. But some of them are unproven.
Kelly and Cook will get theirs. They’re both terrific. If one of them goes wild, there’s your likely winner.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

I`ll bump this 1 more time for anyone that hasn`t made up there mind yet.

Maybe some info in this thread can sway you 1 way or another.

Good luck!