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Noles Will Sit 3 Top Receivers Against Eagles

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By STEVE ELLIS

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: November 15, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State will enter tonight's critical Atlantic Division game against Boston College without three of its top wide receivers because of their apparent involvement in an on-campus fight on Wednesday.

In addition to Taiwan Easterling, Bert Reed and Corey Surrency, who have accounted for 51 catches for 722 yards and eight touchdowns, FSU coach Bobby Bowden announced that Cameron Wade and Richard Goodman also are suspended. Goodman is applying for a redshirt this season and Wade has played in three games.

"The police report has not been concluded but from the information that I have gathered, I am suspending five players who were apparently involved in the fray," Bowden stated in a release.

The loss of Easterling, Reed and Surrency means once again that other FSU players must take on a bigger role. That has been a common theme to this season.

Greg Carr and Preston Parker, tied for second in receptions after nine games, Rod Owens, walk-on Louis Givens and freshman Jarmon Fortson will be called upon against a Boston College defense that ranks second in the league in total defense.

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, following Thursday's practice, said his offense would be just fine. That was probably before he knew the extent of the suspensions.

This brings the total of suspended current players for FSU this season to 18. Most were suspended for their involvement in the academic-misconduct case that is now before the NCAA. Of the 18 total suspended players, one third have been receivers.

For Reed, it is the third time he has been suspended this season. The versatile athlete who has 443 all-purpose yards sat out the Virginia Tech game for violating the athletic department's unexcused absence policy. This is the first suspension for Easterling, who leads FSU with 26 receptions. Easterling has made eight third-down catches and has had 12 catches for first downs.

Bowden, in an interview with a member of the ESPN crew in town to broadcast Saturday's game, said the situation makes him mad and sad.

"We're dealing with 17-, 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds," Bowden said. "... It's a black eye. But gee whiz, you name me a school that doesn't have a black eye somewhere down the line. None of us like it but life is made of disappointments. It's how you respond to them that decides whether you are successful or not. So we'll respond to this thing in a positive way and we'll end up making it work in our favor."

AT STAKE

As the Seminoles continue to battle for the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the ACC title game in Tampa, they will do so without five suspended wide receivers. It's the seventh game this season the Seminoles will be without suspended players. Eighteen players have been suspended for at least one game for a violation of team or university policy.

KEY MATCHUP

Boston College QB Chris Crane is completing less than 55 percent of his passes as has thrown nine touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. The Eagles are ranked 95th in the nation - 10th in the conference - in total offense, so if the Seminoles can control the line of scrimmage and put pressure on the first-year starting quarterback, the defense should have an opportunity to make some big plays.

KEY STAT

Boston College has the conference's top-ranked rush defense and are second in scoring defense and total defense. Boston College is coming off a 17-0 shutout of Notre Dame in which it intercepted Fighting Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen four times - the Eagles have seven interceptions in their past two games.

KEEP AN EYE ON

BOSTON COLLEGE - LB Mark Herzlich. The Eagles have a rock-solid defensive front and Herzlich is the cleanup man in the middle. He comes into today's game with 79 tackles and three interceptions.

FLORIDA STATE - QB Christian Ponder. The Seminoles might not have much success running the ball against BC, which means they will need more production from Ponder than usual. He's thrown for more than 200 yards just once in nine starts this season.

PREDICTION

FSU 20, Boston College 13

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