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FSU Players: Don't Blame Sims

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 2, 2008

ATLANTA - Marcus Sims did as FSU coaches would have wanted him to when he walked off the field at Bobby Dodd Stadium - he kept his head up.

Only moments before, the fullback was on the cusp of a possible game-winning TD when the ball was knocked from his grasp and into the hands of a Georgia Tech player with 45 seconds remaining. What could have ranked among one of the great comebacks in the Bobby Bowden era ended in heartbreak for the Seminoles. But players pointed no fingers and instead were quick to admonish anyone who put the loss on Sims, who was unavailable after the game.

"You can't get mad at somebody for giving 100 percent effort - trying to make something happen," LB Dekoda Watson said. "And that's exactly what he did.

"For anybody who says that it's Marcus Sims' fault, I personally think they should be ashamed of themselves if they call themselves a true fan."

Against Virginia Tech last week, Sims had arguably his best game of the season. But he lost the ball immediately after scoring a touchdown a week ago and that had Bowden's attention before the game.

"That's the last thing I warned him today," Bowden said. "I said, 'Now Marcus, you get on that goal line, don't you dare fumble that doggone football.' But they knock it out of there. He was fighting to get in there."

Richardson Sparks Late Surge

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher vowed to get D'Vontrey Richardson more playing time, and that opportunity was set up with three designed runs. The backup quarterback found Preston Parker with a perfectly thrown pass for a 39-yard touchdown to bring FSU within 31-28 with just more than six minutes remaining.

"That was big. That put us back in the game," Bowden said. "Jimbo Fisher had been working on that play all week. I kept asking him, 'When are you going to run that play?' He was waiting for the perfect time."

Still In It

FSU no longer controls its destiny in the Atlantic Division.

"We can't get too caught up in that stuff and I think maybe that happened a little bit this week," Ponder said. "I think we were all getting caught up in the whole ACC race."

Maryland, which had a bye, leads the Atlantic Division with a 3-1 league record. Florida State and Wake Forest each are 3-2 with Boston College and Clemson at 2-3.

Steve Ellis

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