Notes From The Margin – Champs Sports Bowl Edition
December 27th, 2008 by Jason Roberts
The city of Orlando hosts the Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers and the ACC’s Florida State Seminoles in one of the better early bowl season matchups for 2008. Wisconsin will as usual look to rely on a heavy dose of a physical rushing attack (212 yards per game), headed up by junior P.J. Hill and blossoming freshman John Clay, while mixing in a minimal, but effective, passing game managed by junior Dustin Scherer. The Seminoles, on the other hand, rely on a multi-faceted spread offense led by sophomore under center, Chistian Ponder, and their own version of a highly-productive rushing attack, featuring senior Antone Smith and newcomer Jermaine Thomas. Florida State also hosts one of the best defensive units in the country and should prove a prominent factor in trying to slow down the Badgers’ run game.
NFTM scoured the base camps for both teams this weeks and presents to our readers the issues that matter heading into Saturday afternoon’s showdown. In doing so, we discover the importance of a big game for Ponder heading into the post-season and quarterback competition next spring and fall, find a dejected Preston Parker deciding he will likely return for a senior season in 2009, try to determine whether D’Vontrey Richardson will be playing on the Seminoles’ defense come next year, break down the weight advantage Wisconsin brings along it’s offensive front, contemplate the reason for Garrett Graham‘s love of warm weather, and ponder the effects of the absence of Badgers’ linebacker, Anthony Casillas.
Injury signals Parker’s return next season . . .
The Orlando Sentinel reveals that wide receiver for the Florida State Seminoles, Preston Parker, is questionable for the Champs Sports Bowl, and indicated late last week that he would likely be returning for his senior season in 2009. Parker hints to reporters that much of his decision to return next year stems from an ankle injury sustained in the season-ending loss for the Seminoles to the University of Florida Gators, an injury which has kept him from practicing with the team in preparation for Saturday’s showdown with the Wisconsin Badgers. Regardless, the junior wide receiver plans to file paperwork to be evaluated by the NFL draft advisory committee once the bowl game has been played, and if not projected as a first- or second round pick in the 2009 draft, will be back next season to try to improve upon this year’s mediocre numbers (40 catches for 372 yards and two touchdowns).
Already looking at next year . . .
Steve Ellis of The News Press notes that with little to play for this Saturday minus a nine-win season, many players on the Florida State Seminoles are already pondering what the team might look like heading into next season. Amongst the speculation floating around the FSU pre-Champs Sports Bowl practices this week is the growing interest of current backup quarterback D’Vontrey Richardson, a redshirt sophomore, to switch over to the defensive side of the ball in 2009 in order to play safety, as well as his consideration of whether or not to return to the baseball diamond in the upcoming spring. Notes offensive coordinator Jimbo Fischer, “I have no problem with [either possibility]. He’s a very talented guy.” Fischer continued on, commenting, “I know he’s now talking about playing safety. I understand [and] respect that. He’s such a good athlete, he can help us. But he also stays on your team that if disaster strikes or you need something, there’s still a way to play guys on both sides of the ball.”
Left to Ponder – A quarterback’s incentive heading into 2009 . . .
Some like Ellis might suggest that Florida State has very little to play this weekend in facing off against the Wisconsin Badgers, but according to the website TCPalm.com, sophomore quarterback for the Seminoles, Christian Ponder, believes a strong showing against UW could be the key to a major campaign under center in 2009 and beyond. “I need to bounce back after the Florida game,” he tells Andrew Carter of the Orlando Sentinel. “That was a tough game for me and it’ll be a good springboard to go into the off-season and go into spring ball and to have a successful game, [it would] give me some confidence going into the off-season.” Overall this season, Ponder explains, “I think I progressed pretty well.” Yet, as he continues, “There’s a lot of room for improvement.” And improve he’ll need to, particularly given that the current starter at quarterback for FSU is likely going to be in for quite a bit of competition heading into spring and fall camps. Both D’Vontrey Richardson and E.J. Manuel will be vying for the lead role under center in 2009, with Manuel especially determined to move up from his assigned role as leader of the scout team over this past season. “You can tell he wants this job,” Ponder tells Carter. “He’s hungry for this job and it’ll be a healthy competition, I think. He wants it, so he’s going to do everything he can to earn it, and I’m going to everything I can to keep it.”
Reminiscent of Boston College . . .
Ellis provides an additional piece this week, published on the website TBO.com, which explains that Florida State defensive players and coaching staff alike this week are drawing comparisons between their opponent in this weekend’s Champs Sports Bowl, the Wisconsin Badgers, and a team the Seminoles faced earlier on in their regular season with less than favorable results – the Boston College Eagles. In its November 15th matchup with the Eagles – a game which ended in an embarrassing 27-17 homecoming defeat for the Seminoles – Florida State’s defense allowed Boston College to rack up 176 yards rushing, with three players gaining 80 yards or better on the night. Such a poor performance hardly sat well with defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews, and goes a long way in suggesting big problems once again for his defensive unit Saturday versus the Badgers – a team that behind P.J. Hill, Zach Brown, and John Clay averaged a Big Ten-leading 212 yards per contest on the ground. Head coach Bobby Bowden echoes that concern, telling Ellis, “They’re one of those teams you’re always concerned about – can you get the ball back?” “They are a big, strong, north-south running football team,” Bowden continues. “And they are kind of like Boston College. I think the big concern is can you get the ball away from them. They’ll take the stinking ball and eat up the clock.”
Pushing one’s weight around . . .
One of the biggest challenges that Florida State will face in trying to stop the run comes in matching up against the physical size of the Wisconsin offensive line and its tailbacks; for, as the Palm Beach Post points out, not one player along the Badgers’ offensive front comes in at under 300 pounds, while two of its starting rushers – P.J. Hill and John Clay – come in at over 240 pounds. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, the Seminoles don’t find a lineman weighing in at more than 284-pound nose tackle Justin Mincey. “It’s going to be a challenge,” notes defensive tackle Brad Thacker. “But I’m looking forward to it. It’s not like it’s not something we’ve seen before,” adds the senior, referring to Boston College, who’s average offensive line starter weighs in at 307 pounds.
Graham golden in post-season . . .
The Big Ten Network explains that post-season bowl appearances somehow seem to bring out the best in Wisconsin tight end Garret Graham. Such a conclusion comes not only as a result of the seven passes for 75 yards he produced in last year’s Outback Bowl loss to Tennessee this past January – a total he has surpassed only once since then with 79 yards in this year’s matchup with Illinois – but also because of his affliction for tropical climates. “I love playing in warm weather,” Graham declared in a post-practice press conference Tuesday. “If anything, [the nice weather] is going to help us out.” Readers may question the legitimacy of such a claim, but that Graham should be a major part of Saturday’s matchup against Florida State is made only more certain given that the Badgers will be without the assistance of Travis Beckum, out with a broken leg suffered October 25th versus the Illini.
The return of Lance Kendricks . . .
Beckum may be absent from the Wisconsin sidelines come Saturday, but Wisconsin received positive news earlier this week when it learned that sophomore tight end Lance Kendricks was cleared to practice with the team for the first time since breaking his leg in an early November matchup with the Michigan State Spartans, this according to the Big Ten Network.
Gain one, lose three . . .
The Badgers may be thrilled they’re getting additional depth at tight end heading into Saturday’s showdown with Florida State, but Wisconsin too will have to deal with loss, this as head Bret Bielema announced last Saturday that senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas, sophomore wideout Maurice Moore, and redshirt freshman quarterback James Stallons would not travel with the team to Orlando. Casillas and Moore both underwent surgeries recently, but sources close to the university are suggesting that the former will be prevented from partaking in the post-season due to academic ineligibility. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com notes that because of privacy issues, Wisconsin cannot name those listed as academically ineligible until the day after the Champs Sports Bowl is played (December 28th is the day which grades at the university are due). Casillas’ absence will definitely be felt, as the three-year starter has twice earned All-Big Ten honors and ranks third on the team this season with 62 tackles (six for loss) and an interception. The Badgers slide over junior Jaevery McFadden from the middle linebacker position to replace Casillas, while Culmer St. Jean will play in McFadden’s usual spot.
An additional focus on special teams for the Badgers . . .
The Hudson Star-Observer reports that head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers, Bret Bielema, is planning on utilizing additional starters and reserve players Saturday as part of a plan to try to counter the effect of the nation’s leading return man, Michael Ray Garvin. Garvin currently averages almost 33 yards per kickoff return, well enough for the junior to have set a school record for FSU by the end of the regular season. He will face off against a Wisconsin special teams unit that surrendered 21 yards per kickoff this year and 10 yards per punt fielded by opposing returners.
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