The Mixer
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I admit two things: the first is that when Josh Donaldson signed with the Minnesota Twins last offseason for a 4-year stint for the exact same yearly salary that he had just made during his one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, I was upset.
He was a bona fide power hitter to protect Freddie Freeman and put up huge numbers in his own right. He took to the Braves clubhouse and the Braves fans like a fish to water, too.
He was enormously productive and enormously popular given the short period of time he was a Brave, Donaldson leaving was a deep cut.
Where would Alex Anthopoulos come up with a replacement for what the Bringer of Rain provided to the team in 2019?
The answer was Marcel Ozuna. Which did not really alleviate the feeling that Anthopoulos screwed up by not offering Donaldson that fourth year (or whatever it was that wasn’t offered).
Ozuna was a talented player, and one the Braves were familiar with from his years playing in Miami, but Donaldson had made such an impact that it seemed like only Donaldson would be able to provide what the Braves needed.
And of course, here’s my second admission: I was very wrong about Marcel Ozuna.
Not only did Ozuna protect Freddie in the lineup, he put up such delirious offensive numbers that pitchers had a Sophie’s choice when it came to their back-to-back spots in the lineup.
And (in part) because of Ozuna lurking in the on-deck circle, Freeman is the likely National League MVP this year. Ozuna may very well finish right behind Freeman in the vote – but he’ll doubtlessly be in the top 5, so good was his season.
And he clearly became just as popular in the clubhouse and with the fans (from afar, of course) as Donaldson had been. His energy was infectious, and without him the Braves wouldn’t have been “Mixing It Up” all season long and deep into the playoffs.
But here’s the catch: like Donaldson, Ozuna was on a one-year, prove-yourself contract.
And, like Donaldson, he’ll have plenty of suitors once the free agent marketplace goes live after the World Series.
In fact, he’ll have more suitors than Donaldson had, due to his younger age and superior (albeit smaller sample) production.
So here we are again, feeling the same way we felt last offseason. It is crucial to resign the guy hitting behind Freddie; that his presence in the lineup and in the clubhouse is irreplaceable.
But there’s an added wrinkle and that’s the designated hitter.
Apart from a few, fairly ugly, stints in left field during the early part of the season and scattered appearances after that, Ozuna was the Braves’ primary DH during 2020.
Each time he played defense; it became clearer that his best position was the batter’s box.
Unfortunately, that may not be an option for him in Atlanta going forward.
Latest reports are saying that the DH, implemented for the first time ever in the National League in 2020, will be dropped from the senior circuit next year and the notion won’t be considered again until the Players’ Union and MLB begin collectively bargaining after the 2021 season.
While I would imagine that the DH for the NL will indeed be included in that CBA, it poses a problem for Anthopoulos’ potential to sign Ozuna.
Do you sign a player to a multi-year contract knowing A) that he’ll be a hindrance to your defense for at least a whole season and B) that the DH coming to the NL is no guarantee, which means he’d be a hindrance to your defense for the entirety of his contract?
I, for one, assumed that the DH was here to stay, and thusly assumed that resigning Ozuna would be a no-brainer and a priority for the Braves Front Office.
However, if the designated hitter is indeed gone next season with no assurance of its return, then I honestly don’t know that Ozuna’s weak defense (and blocking of the other outfield prospects on the depth chart like Drew Waters) would be worth the offense he provides.
It’s hard to say that, because he was so excellent at the plate. Sure, the whole offense was good in 2020 and yes, it could be a simple as moving the lineup around so that an existing player can hit behind Freddie (Albies? A more consistent Riley?), but it was Ozuna’s presence that really made the team a force at the plate.
With this news of a DH-less NL in 2021, the Braves can add another tough decision to their plate this offseason and we’ll all just have to wait and see what they do.
SEC Hot Seat
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are almost at the halfway point in the SEC football season, and we have some head coaches who are starting to feel a little heat. Here are my top five SEC coaches are under a little heat.
- Jimbo Fisher/Texas A&M: We are three years into the Jimbo tenure in College Station and the results have not been what is expected.
Fisher is 20-10 through two and a half seasons at College Station.
Three losses to Alabama where the Aggies have given up 45, 47, and 52 points.
The saving grace so far for Jimbo is the 41-38 win over #4 Florida earlier in the month that has cooled off his seat somewhat.
Auburn and LSU appear down this year, so wins over those two are a must at this point.
The Aggies need to win 8 or 9 games in this shortened season in a down SEC West.
The Aggies are 3-1 on the season. The win over Florida did wonders for the Aggie nation.
- Derek Mason/Vanderbilt: James Franklin seems to be the only coach in decades to be able win in Nashville.
Mason is 27-50 at Vandy with a couple of bowl appearances.
The thing is since 2018 Vandy has only won three games.
Vandy went 3-9 in 2019, and it does not look like they will win a football game in 2020 sitting at 0-3 on the season.
The best shot at a win may come at Mississippi State on November 7th. If let go Mason will catch on in the SEC as a defensive coordinator.
3.Jeremy Pruitt/Tennessee: The Vols started out at 2-0 then have had two bad losses in a row at Georgia 21-44 and a blowout loss at home to Kentucky last week 7-34.
Word has leaked out that Pruitt fired an assistant coach during the Kentucky game, which is just not a good look.
Pruitt is under pressure to make a QB change, and you have Alabama coming to Neyland Stadium this week. Tennessee has lost 13 straight to Alabama.
Alabama, Florida, Auburn, and Texas A&M are still left on the schedule.
The perception is that things are a little hot in Knoxville. Can Tennessee salvage a winning season in a ten game schedule?
The jury is out on whether Pruitt will make it in Knoxville. Would Pruitt be gone in the Vols finish 3-7 in 2020?
- Gus Malzahn/Auburn: Championships are expected to be won at Auburn.
Gus has been the head coach at Auburn since 2013. Malzahn is 64-33 during that window with one SEC Title in that span.
Auburn recruits as well as anyone in the country, but that does not seem to translate to the football field.
Malzahn signed a $49 million dollar contract extension after the 2017, and if Auburn and Malzahn part ways then Gus is owed $21 million in a buyout.
Gus can’t beat Georgia 2-7 against them currently, and just lost to South Carolina for the first time since FDR was President.
Bo Nix and Seth Williams were bickering in front of TV cameras in Columbia last week. It just feels like Auburn is in turmoil.
Malzahn is 2-7 in bowl games and has only won 10 games twice in 2013 and 2017.
Too much talent and resources at Auburn to accept the poor return on investment to date. How much more can the Auburn folks take?
1.Will Muschamp/South Carolina: Is there a coach out there with worst luck than Will Muschamp?
Muschamp was brought into Florida and told to clean it up after Urban Meyer ran Florida into the ground with off the field issues.
He was hired at South Carolina after Steve Spurrier quit on them in the middle of the 2015 season.
Muschamp got a huge win over Auburn last week at home, and a huge win over UGA in Athens last season.
He is 28-27 at South Carolina, but the losses to Clemson are mounting and the Carolina natives are restless.
I think Muschamp is a pretty good head coach that is not afraid to dig in and try and fix programs. Question is will he be allowed to do so in Columbia?
Gator Outbreak
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Florida Gators didn’t play LSU and they won’t play their scheduled game against Missouri until October 31. A COVID-19 outbreak on the team took care of that.
On Saturday, head coach Dan Mullen announced that he tested positive for COVID. Last week, athletic director Scott Stricklin met with the media and shared that 21 football players had also tested positive.
On Monday, October 19th, The University of Florida updated the results, which indicated a total of 25 positive tests since last week.
In result the Gators have paused all football activities as of October 12th. That means no practice and no in person meetings. Players are allowed to gather on their own accord and workout.
With only three games in, on a 10-game schedule consisting of all SEC teams, the Florida Gators have a lot of football to play in this crazy season!
Coming into the season there were plenty of things we thought we knew about the remainder of the schedule.
I would say that Florida has a strong passing game. Kyle Trask has thrown 14 touchdowns in the first three games. The defense has not been as expected in the preseason. On the other hand, the Gators ‘defense looks confused and soft.
Here is a look at the Gators last seven games.
October 31 vs Missouri: Eliah Drinkwitz came to Missouri with an aggressive offensive coaching style. The Tigers are currently sixth in the SEC with 335 yards per game passing which is up over 100 yard per game from a year ago.
November 7 vs Georgia: The Bulldogs have the best defense in the SEC.
Georgia gives up just 65.5 yards per game on the ground.
On offense, Stetson Bennett’s numbers are not gaudy, he is currently eighth in the conference with 238 yards per game.
The Bulldogs offensive line are road graders and have been opening holes for a strong trio of backs. The question is who will be the starting quarterback in Jacksonville? I really don’t think it matters!
November 14 vs Arkansas: The Hogs passing offense and defense have been a surprise so far this season.
Feleipe Franks (Florida’s starting quarterback 2018-2019 until injury took him off the field) is 61-94 for 730 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Under first year head coach Sam Pittman, the offensive line has played extremely well compared to last season. New defensive coordinator Barry Odom has the Hogs playing well on that side of the ball.
November 21 at Vanderbilt: Derek Mason has the hardest job in the SEC.
The premiere academic school in the toughest football conference. Vandy is at or near the bottom of every category in the SEC.
November 28 vs Kentucky: The Wildcats lead the SEC after four games in rushing.
They average 206 yards per game and a solid 4.76 yard per carry.
Kentucky plays a very physical style of ball on both sides. The Wildcats allow just 106 yards per game and just four rushing touchdowns.
December 5 at Tennessee: After all the preseason hype, the Volunteers are back to the middle of the pack at 2-2.
They fired defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh. Like every year it is a hot mess in Knoxville. Tennessee being Tennessee. Nothing unusual here folks.
December 12 vs LSU: The Tigers are a mirrored team with the Gators.
Very strong passing offenses and borderline non-existent defenses. If you enjoyed the UCF vs Memphis game then you should enjoy these offensive fireworks to end the regular season.
Braves Chief Needs To Remain?
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With the sting of a devastating loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series still fresh in the minds of Atlanta Braves fans, it can be easy to get emotional.
Not only is the season now finished, but it ended – in typical Atlanta sports fashion – with seemingly unnecessary extra helpings of heartbreak dished out by the sports gods.
For the 2020 Braves, that came in the fashion of blowing a 3-1 series lead and letting two separate Game 7 leads slip away.
In the immediate aftermath of the game, social media and message boards were flooded with calls for the Braves to fire manager Brian Snitker.
Whether it was complaints about bullpen usage, lineup management or simply frustration over what could have been with just one win over those final three games, there was no shortage of people crying out for a change.
But is that really the best route for the Braves to take? Not if they know what’s good for them.
For all the disappointment of how the 2020 season ended, there wasn’t much Snitker could have done.
In the end, it was simply a matter of two very talented teams taking a series to the bitter end, with room for only one in the World Series.
To look at things from a larger perspective, it’s hard to say that Snitker has been anything but a great asset to the organization as it has undergone a huge turnaround.
Snitker took over in 2016 after a 95-loss season and a last place finish.
Since then, he’s overseen the club as it has won back-to-back-to-back National League East crowns. Aside from the glory days of the 1990s, this is the only Braves team to make the postseason in three consecutive seasons.
Of course, that success is largely due to the overwhelming success in drafting, developing talent and bringing in free agents to plug needed spots.
Those calling for Snitker’s job at the moment will say that – since he’s not in the front office – he had little to do with that progress.
But before taking the helm of the major league club, Snitker served as the Braves’ Triple-A manager.
While much of the team’s current corps of young stars were in the minor leagues, Snitker played a large role in showing them the ropes of professional baseball.
For players like Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and plenty of other players who will be counted on to keep up the success for years to come, Snitker has been a major factor in their rise to prominence as MLB stars.
There are times where a managerial shakeup might be necessary in order to get a team over the hump, but this isn’t that moment for the Braves.
As much as the last three postseasons have hurt when they didn’t end in a World Series, Atlanta is still in the unique position of having a veteran team with playoff experience and a handful of key players, who are still in the beginning of their prime.
On top of that, it seems clear that those talented players give Snitker plenty of credit for what has been achieved over the last three years.
The Braves may not have reached the top of the mountain yet, but they show no signs of slowing down, so it’s only fair to keep the same man steering the ship
Lift Off
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons finally won a game.
Dan Quinn was finally put out of his misery after starting the season 0 – 5. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has taken over as interim head coach. You may remember when he was head coach for Tampa Bay from 2009 – 2011.
Julio Jones returned after missing the last game and a half with a hamstring injury. His return helped spark the offense.
Jones finished with 8 catches for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 40-yarder off a broken play that helped put the game out of reach. The Falcons won 40 – 23 on the road at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was Jones’ 57th career game with at least 100 receiving yards, which is the most among active players and the fourth-most in NFL history. Jerry Rice (76), Randy Moss (64) and Marvin Harrison (59) are the only players ahead of him. They are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so he’s in great company.
“At the end of the day, I felt great coming into this game,” Jones said. “No complaints. No hamstring injury issues. No tightness and things like that to prevent me from bring who I want to be on game day.”
The Falcons scored on 8 of 12 possessions, with one kneel down at the end of the game.
Matt Ryan completed 30 of 40 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns, with an average yards per attempt of 9.3.
“I think that’s always the mindset I’ve had, to go out there and play my best every week,” Ryan said. “We have to earn everything we get in this profession. I don’t think it really changed my approach or anything. I believe I have a really good process and a way to get ready week in and week out. I trust that process.”
Atlanta jumped on the Vikings early and went into halftime with a 20 – 0 lead. As you know they crumbled in the second half and dropped second half leads under Quinn. I thought they were doomed because the Falcons have shown us, they don’t play well with a lead. I give Morris credit because they played well in the second half.
They recovered two onside kicks. It was the opposite of the debacle in Dallas when the kickoff team sat back and waited for the ball to roll 10 yards. On both onside kicks they attacked the ball and caught it as it came to them.
The defense had 3 interceptions on the season coming into this game. They forced Kirk Cousins to throw 3 picks in this game. They did allow rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson 9 receptions, 166 yards and 2 touchdowns. I have him on my fantasy team but for some reason I had him on the bench.
The New York Giants also got their first win of the season yesterday. That leaves the Jets as the only winless team in the league. I bring that up because they have the work record and they are front runners to pick Trevor Lawrence first in the 2021 draft.
Atlanta is not a good team, but I think they are on track to get a few more meaningless wins that will make them pick lower in the draft.
The next two games are home against Detroit then at Carolina for Thursday Night Football. Those are games that are winnable.
Who knows, they might be in the playoff hunt if they can win those games then beat Denver.
The More Things Change….
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we approach the middle of the college football season and the Big 10 and PAC-12 look to start their schedules, I want to take a minute and look back at a few things that have stuck out up to this point.
To begin with, the Top 25 rankings have about as much relevancy as the Art Appreciation class you took second semester your Junior year. I get it’s only fair to rank the teams that have actually played, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a bit misleading.
Trying to do this without including teams from two of the major conferences is like listing the best Adam Sandler movies, but only including those that have gone straight to Netflix; North Carolina is a perfect example.
If this were any other year the Tarheels would be a fringe Top 20 team, but instead they were ranked 5th before losing to Florida State- they were basically Hubie Halloween.
Secondly, the SEC has dropped all pretense about trying to give off the perception they are a defense first league.
The conference has been trending this way for a few years now, but even those stalwarts who hung their arguments about the defense on the lone 12-9 game every year can’t really argue at this point.
That’s not to say the SEC is the Big 12 where recruiting a defensive player is akin to begrudgingly drafting a player in the youth league because their dad volunteered to coach.
The SEC still has a plethora of talent on that side of the ball, it’s just the level of talent they’re seeing on the offensive side of the ball has grown exponentially.
It’s no surprise though, when you look at some of the coaches the conference has brought in recently; many of whom are offensive-minded.
I give the coaches and athletic directors a lot of credit for changing with the times; it’s one of the reasons the conference has been as dominant as it has been recently.
And finally, Alabama and Clemson are The Andy Griffith Show. When I was 8 years old, I woke up Christmas morning to find a color tv in our living room.
The first show that was on when I turned the power on was Andy Griffith. Being eight and not realizing that the show was filmed in black and white, I thought the tv was broken and automatically became upset until my parents changed the channel.
Point being, we all came into this season expecting to see something different, but Clemson continues to dominate a less than impressive ACC, and the one team I thought might be able to defeat Alabama, Georgia, could only hang for a half. (For what it’s worth, I think Georgia is closer to Alabama than the final score showed, but they’re not there, yet,)
We’re basically in the middle of a five-year tv marathon starring Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney, and we’re not in a position to just be able to change the channel.
It’s easy to look at these things I’ve mentioned and think they’ll change once everyone starts playing, but I don’t believe they will.
The Top 25 will still be difficult to rank based on the disparity of games played, you’ll continue to see high scoring games in the SEC, and in the end it will all come down to Alabama and Clemson. Even Barney Fife knows that.
Georgia Tech Wrecked
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The number 2 and number 3 college football teams played each other on Saturday, a showcase game for the SEC and a contest with huge implications for the National Championship scene coming up in just a couple of months.
But there was another kind of showcase for the number 1 college football team in the nation.
The Clemson Tigers hung 73 points on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday, and while Tech was never going to be able to put up much of a fight, they managed a meager 7 points, losing by 66 to the number 1 ranked team in the country.
That score might give you pause and reasonably so: you aren’t the only person wondering if Clemson ran up the score on a lesser team just to show off and build up stats; but the things that they pretty clearly weren’t.
It wasn’t as though the Tigers left their first-string players in the game while the scored touchdown after touchdown after touchdown after touchdown after touchdown after touchdown after…well, you get the point.
No, it was Clemson’s second-string scoring on Tech’s first-string; the Tigers were showcasing nearly their entire team as the game progressed – getting experience to the inexperienced.
In fact, primary backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei didn’t even see any snaps after Trevor Lawrence was subbed out of the game. Coach Dabo Sweeney went with their third-string QB instead (Uiagalelei had some shoulder soreness, but still).
So, while the cries of running up the score are understandable given the 66-point score differential, the truth of the matter is that Clemson – the whole squad – was just that much better than the Yellow Jackets – they were on the same field by they were barely playing the same game.
The offensive, the defense, the special teams; the Tigers’ depth chart was in play and dominating. Third stringers were thriving up and down the gridiron. Tech simply wasn’t on Clemson’s level.
Circling back to Lawrence; the young QB obviously had an incredible game. His 404 yards and 5 first-half touchdown passes were career bests, the 52 points he led the Tigers to in the first two quarters was a new school record.
Irrelevant footnote: Lawrence’s first-quarter interception was his first since last October, breaking a streak of 366 completed passes without one.
That’s a fun fact in and of itself, but it’s representative of the level of excellence at which Lawrence has been playing football in 2020.
During the first five games of the season (in which the Tigers have unsurprisingly gone 5-0), Lawrence has completed over 70% of his passes along with 1,544 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 4 rushing touchdowns and remember that he just threw his first interception of the season in a 73-7 victory against a fellow ACC team.
For a young man who has already announced that he’ll be entering the draft after this season, he is rising the hell out of his own stock and it’s always been pretty high (Clemson is 30-1 in games that Lawrence starts).
Perhaps the craziest part of this drumming of Georgia Tech is the fact that half of this article has been devoted to the massive accomplishments of a quarterback who left the game after the first drive of the second half. That’s how impressive he and the rest of the team were on Saturday.
So, while Alabama and Georgia can battle it out until the cows come home Clemson made a statement to them – you’re only playing for second best.
Pirates Ship
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After a huge win in the region opener against Glynn Academy the Brunswick High Pirates have an inside track to win the region. Here are my mid-season grades for Brunswick.
Special Teams: B+: Anthony Elvine has become a weapon punting the football.
He is close to setting a school record for punts downed inside the 15-yard line. He is a weapon he creates a long field for Pirate opponents.
Elvine is having an all-region season at punter.
Kyle Rehberg is putting many of his kickoffs in the end zone in 2020, and the big third quarter FG that gave BHS a 17-7 lead in the City Championship game ended up being the difference in a wild 24-21 win.
The Pirates are still waiting on the big kick return for BHS in 2020, but the special teams area, which has long been a weakness for BHS has become a team strength in 2020.
Defense: B+: The defense is giving up under 20 points per game this season.
Kashawn Thomas is starting to make a name for himself on the defensive line and has become that force in the middle of the defense for BHS.
We know what Cameron Crump and AJ Wilson can do at linebacker. Zane Rosenbaum was the defensive player of the game in the City Championship.
In the secondary Devontae Gadson is having a solid season. This unit, led by DC Thomas Tedder, is much improved in 2020.
The unit gave up two long TD drives in the 4th quarter against Glynn so there is room for improvement.
Offense: B: The offensive line coached up by OC Garrett Grady has become one of the best in South Georgia.
Caleb Cook and Kanaya Charlton are major college prospects at tackle.
Keegan Carroll, Jaquan Gibson, and David Newbauer round out a starting unit that can execute the power run game and protect the passer.
The Wolfpack or the running back group Ree Simmons and Chuckobe Hill are the best tandem in the region.
Simmons is having a great season, and Hill is back from an injury suffered in season opener.
The emergence of Leon Charlton has given BHS three great options at running back.
Tyrease Jones just made the greatest play in BHS history to win the City Championship game from that will forever be known as “The Miracle Between the Bricks” a 75-yard TD pass caught off of a deflection plus all-out sprint to the end zone that broke a losing streak in the series.
KJ Lee is having the season we all expected of him. Great arm talent.
Coaching: B+: Sean Pender has done a fantastic job with this team. The players love their coaches and there is a sense of unity on this team that stands out.
This team is still improving weekly. Pender has put his stamp on the program with the win over the Terrors.
There is still a lot of work to do with this team in 2020, but they are definitely heading in the right direction.
The goals for BHS every season are:
City Championship
Region Championship
State Championship
Goal #1 is complete now it is on to Goal #2, which will be decided over the next few weeks.
Stay tuned the 2020 football story is still being written at BHS because” It’s All About the Family” for the City Champions.
Tar Heels To Step On Seminoles?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida State hosts number 5)North Carolina on Saturday evening at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles enter the game with a 1-3 record, including an ugly 0-3 record against their Atlantic Coast Conference foes.
The Tar Heels are at an undefeated, 3-0, with all three victories coming in conference play. North Carolina enters the game on a six-game winning streak.
The Tar Heels’ offense is led by sophomore quarterback Sam Howell (fun fact: He was at one time an FSU commit).
Howell leads the ACC with passes over 10 yards and greater (154), 30 yards and greater (30) and 40 yards and greater (17). After three games, Howell is 57 of 83 for 777 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Howell isn’t the only weapon on offense, Michael Carter and Javonte Williams have created arguably the best running back tandem in today’s college football.
The duo has a combined average of 232 rushing yards per game.
Carter is averaging 10.3 yards per carry and has two rushing touchdowns so far.
Williams is averaging 6.3 yard per rush and has seven total touchdowns.
Both are very capable receivers as well; Carter has 8 receptions for 81 yards and Williams has 6 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Watch out for junior receiver Dyami Brown, he leads the Tar Heels with 13 receptions for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball the Tar Heels are led by sophomore defensive end Tomari Fox. Fox leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. North Carolina has 20 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hurries.
Florida State enters this game with one certainty, Jordan Travis will be the starting quarterback.
Travis was one of few bright spots in the 16 point beat down last week by Notre Dame. He showcased some play making abilities that were really impressive.
Jordan Travis, a transfer from Louisville, was 13- 24 for 204 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
He also rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown. Travis’s 48-yard bomb to Tamorrion Terry late in the first quarter showed his play making potential.
The Seminoles still have a problem protecting the quarterback and opening lanes for the running backs.
All the sacks and pressures from the first three games can be placed into one of three categories: missed assignments, linemen getting beat, and poor quarterback play.
After last Saturday night, those categories have shrunk to two. But without a supporting cast on the front line, will it make a difference?
Freshman Robert Scott, getting his second career start at right tackle, showed some flashes and impressed me. The other four starters on the line couldn’t bust a grape!
Here’s a stat: No defense in the country allows more first downs than Florida State. The Seminole’s defense has been pounded on the ground and through the air. Playing defense has become a trending problem for every team in the entire state of Florida.
North Carolina opens as an eight-point favorite. This one will be close for the first half, then I see the Tar Heels wearing down the Noles. Final score: UNC 48 FSU 27.
FSU took another loss on Tuesday when their top linebacker recruit Branden Jenning decommitted. FSU currently has 16 commits and ranks 25 overall.
Out Of The Nest
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
“And like that…he is gone.”
It’s been 25 years since Kevin Spacey uttered that line at the end of “The Usual Suspects”, unveiling one of the biggest plot twists in cinematic history.
Yet, I can’t help but think how those six simple words may apply to the Atlanta Falcons personnel at the end of the season.
It was a foregone conclusion Dan Quinn would be dismissed at the end of the season. He did not make it that far.
The decision the Falcons front office, specifically Arthur Blank, will now have to make on the direction of the franchise- do they continue and try to make it with the roster they currently have constructed, or take a step back and begin to build for the future?
Atlanta has some big-name talent at some of the more prestigious positions, but they are more than a new coach away from being a playoff team.
That’s not to say the organization needs to dismantle everything from the ground up, but their focus needs to shift from trying to make one last run to making decisions based on what’s best for the team in the long term.
How that translation will look could go a few different ways. Does Atlanta take the Bill Belichick approach and start getting rid of productive players a year early as opposed to a year too late?
This way of making decisions certainly has proven to work in New England, but can prove to be a difficult sell to fan bases that haven’t experienced that type of success.
Do they bring in young, future starters through the draft and free agency, allowing them to learn from the veterans?
It’s an ideal way to go about things since it keeps fans happy and allows the younger players to grow.
The downside, of course, being most top tier players don’t want to spend their remaining years grooming their replacement; in most cases they’d rather be traded or released.
And let’s be honest, when I’m talking about the positions those choices will revolve around, I’m talking about Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.
Both of those guys have one, maybe two years left, before we start to see a precipitous drop in their level of play.
I completely understand if Atlanta chooses to go with whatever option suits Ryan and Jones best, they just need to make sure it’s not to the detriment of the franchise, moving forward.
Look, Atlanta’s in that unfortunate situation where they’re going to have to sacrifice the end of the careers for some of their most important players for the good of the franchise.
Again, that doesn’t mean they can’t be competitive, but it’s not easy to admit making the Super Bowl isn’t the main focus.
The NFL is full of teams that have made surprise runs to the playoffs and exceeded expectations. And I realize it’s a bit premature to start talking about next year when we’re not even halfway through this season.
It’s almost a guarantee things will look very different in Atlanta, beginning with a new coach.
