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FSU Focuses On Slowing Spiller Today

By STEVE ELLIS

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: November 8, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State assistant coach Jody Allen knew the first time he saw C.J. Spiller during a Union County High practice that this was a player the Seminoles wanted. Spiller was in the 10th grade then.

"It took one practice to see the combination of speed and fluidness," Allen said.

That Spiller chose Clemson instead of FSU could come to haunt Allen today in his role as FSU's special teams coordinator. Spiller, a junior running back, is one of the nation's top returners.

"He can change direction while he's running that fast," Allen said. "And he has great vision. He's got good hands, good ball judgment."

Spiller ranks third nationally in kickoff returns with a 31.9-yard average, and he is fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in punt returns with a 9.0-yard average. But it's as a kickoff returner that he concerns FSU.

"He is something else," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "He's just got that great speed. If you misjudge him at all, he'll run right by you for a touchdown."

That's what Spiller did last week against Boston College with the Tigers trailing 21-17. He picked up the football on a bounce following an Eagles kickoff, and he returned it 64 yards to set up Clemson's winning touchdown.

Spiller also returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score in the opener against Alabama.

The best way to stop Spiller might be with the foot of Graham Gano. The senior kicker, after taking over for walk-on James Esco against Georgia Tech, put two of his four kicks into the end zone for touchbacks.

"You could sleep a lot better if you knew you could get that ball out of the end zone," Bowden said. "That's one way to stop Spiller."

Gano's deep kicks also make it easier for the coverage team to do its job.

"There's a speed zone where you can do battle," Allen said. "And the deeper you kick it, the deeper you can do battle."

Rod Owens, a member of the FSU kickoff coverage team, explains the advantage of a deep kick this way: "You have the front line that you have to pass. The farther back the ball goes the more speed we get to generate. They are running backward, so it's kind of hard to bust somebody while you're running backwards. That gives us the chance to penetrate the first line."

From there it's a numbers game, with more chances for an unblocked Seminole to reach Spiller. And that task will be as important as any in this ACC Atlantic matchup.

"It would be really nice to be able to shut him down," Allen said. "The first goal is to keep him from beating us."