Is Florida State Officially Back?

With an opening win against Samford University that resulted in a virtual blowout that left the Florida State Seminoles with a 59-6 victory; is it safe to say that Florida State is finally back? Absolutely not, but it does show that Florida State is heading in the right direction.

The 'Noles played a near perfect game that showed Heisman hopeful Christian Ponder complete 14 of 16 passes for 167 yards and four touchdowns to go along with a tipped interception which was the only black mark on the day for the senior quarterback.

The running game also proved to be a success. Starting running back Jermaine Thomas had thirty one yards and a touchdown while back-up Ty Jones had eight carries for 107 yards with a touchdown. Chris Thompson chipped in a score of his own as well.

Florida State's receivers seemed to be in mid-season form. Taiwan Easterling and Bert Reed both notched touchdown receptions and fullback Lonnie Pryor snagged two touchdown receptions.

While the offense expected to put up huge numbers, it was the defense that was most impressive. New defensive coordinator Mark Stoops displayed his zone defensive scheme for the first time on Saturday and the players seemed to have caught on quick. The players were flying to the ball and controlled every aspect of the game.

Even the special teams were noticeably better. Sophomore cornerback Greg Reid returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown.

Saturday marked the beginning of the Jimbo Fisher era and what a great start it was. Next weeks opponent will be significantly better when the 'Noles travel to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Sooners.