CU - Florida St Game Notes

by David Harry - Correspondent - Sun Nov 05 01:01:31 GMT-04:00 2000

TALLAHASSEE, FL- Regardless of the relationship between the two head coaches, Clemson and Florida State appear to have developed a healthy dislike for one another over that past few years. Before last year’s game, Seminole players taunted the Tigers at the base of The Hill in Death Valley as Clemson made its customary entrance. As a reminder, pictures of the incident were posted around the Clemson weight room this week. Despite the buildup, the pre-game warm-ups and entrances were incident-free.

-In an effort to slow down the Seminoles’ top-ranked passing offense, the Tigers opened Saturday’s game in a nickel defense, marking the first time this year that Clemson has operated with five defensive backs and three down-linemen.

- How’s this for a busy afternoon: ESPN’s College GameDay crew of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Lee Corso began their day at the Miami-Virginia Tech game at the Orange Bowl. Following the completion of that game the trio boarded a jet and hurried up to Tallahassee to provide pre-game analysis of Clemson-Florida State, marking the first time that the GameDay program has been broadcast from two different cities on the same day.

- The connections between Clemson and Florida State go beyond Tommy and Bobby Bowden. Clemson defensive coordinator Reggie Herring was a standout linebacker for Florida State from 1977-1980, playing in three bowl games and earning All-American honors during following his senior season. Tiger wider receivers coach Rick Stockstill quarterbacked the Seminoles to the 1980 Orange Bowl while assistant head coach Brad Scott served as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for Florida State from 1983-93. Finally, Seminole defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews served in the same capacity for Clemson from 1976-1980 and as assistant head coach under Danny Ford in 1980.

- Jaime Somaini’s 74-yard punt in the first quarter was the third-longest in Clemson history and the longest since Chris Gardoki’s 78-yarder in 1990. Somaini’s punt was directly followed by Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke’s 98-yard touchdown bomb to Marvis Minnis. The passing play was the longest in Seminole history.

- Clemson has 12 Florida natives on its roster, with all but one seeing playing time Saturday night against Florida State. Wide receivers Rod Gardner and Kevin Youngblood and defensive back Darrel Crutchfield all came to Clemson from Raines High School in Jacksonville. Just a stone’s throw from Tallahassee, Quincy, Florida’s Shanks High school produced the Tiger trio of Willie Simmons, Charles Harper, and Ronnie Thomas. Other Florida natives on the Clemson roster include Alex Ardley (Tallahassee), Jermyn Chester (Titusville), Ronnie Delusme (Naples), Charles Hafley (Pompano Beach), Tony Lazzara (St. Petersburg), and Theo Mougros (Tarpon Springs).

- Clemson’s last won in Tallahassee in 1989, when the Tigers held off the Seminoles 34-23 behind a Wayne Simmons 73-yard interception return for touchdown. Since that time, Florida State has stumbled only twice in Doak Campbell Stadium: a 17-16 defeat to Miami in 1991 and a 31-31 tie to Florida in 1994. Before Saturday, Clemson’s last four trips to Tallahassee had been nothing short of disastrous, with the Tigers being outscored by a 156-3 count.