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Just Like Old Times As FSU Downs Hokies

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By COREY CLARK

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: October 26, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Doak Campbell Stadium was full. And quite loud. The offense hit two big bombs to set up touchdowns and the defense knocked out two opposing quarterbacks.

It was like an old-time Florida State victory.

The No. 24 Seminoles came back from a first-half deficit to defeat visiting Virginia Tech 30-20 on Saturday and claim a first-place tie with Maryland for the lead in the ACC Atlantic Division.

"To be successful you have to win the close games," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "We haven't the last two or three years ... this year we've won the close games. Now, can we keep it up? I don't know, but that's your key. We're just good enough to get ahead of you, it looks like."

Which has been good enough for the Seminoles, who are now 6-1 overall, 3-1 in the ACC.

FSU found itself trailing 10-0 at the end of the first quarter despite knocking out starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor on the very first play of the game.

Senior linebacker Toddrick Verdell ran down the speedy Virginia Tech sophomore for a 6-yard sack. Taylor injured his left ankle on the play and didn't return.

"He's a very elusive guy," said Verdell, who had a team-high seven tackles. "I used to play safety. It was just a foot race and I just went out and got him."

Said defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews: "We had some things planned for them that we were going to try to do to take him away. One of them wasn't to get him hurt."

Senior quarterback Sean Glennon, who was benched after the Hokies' second game, came on and led two scoring drives in the first quarter.

It didn't help the Seminoles' defense that FSU was experiencing maybe the worst offensive quarter in the history of Bowden's tenure in Tallahassee. The Florida State offense ran nine plays from scrimmage in the first 15 minutes, for a mind-boggling minus-18 yards.

"We came out a little timid," FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher said. "We weren't as aggressive coming out of the gates and maybe that's my fault."

The second quarter was a bit better for the Seminoles. Antone Smith, who was knocked out of the game later with an injured elbow, ripped off his 12th touchdown of the season on a 39-yard run down the left sideline to make the score 10-7.

FSU's Mr. Clutch, Graham Gano, then booted a 50-yard field goal three minutes later to tie the game at 10.

Glennon, who was sharp when he wasn't being sacked, led a last-minute scoring drive that ended in a Dustin Keys' 20-yard field goal as the Hokies took a 13-10 lead into the locker room.

The Hokies had 205 yards of total offense in the first half.

They finished with 243.

"We're real proud of our kids for the way they responded in the second half," said Andrews, whose unit had a season-high six sacks and forced two fumbles.

Meanwhile, the FSU offense - with the help of two big grabs from senior Greg Carr and an amazing 4-yard touchdown catch from freshman Taiwan Easterling - slowly took control of the game.

Quarterback Christian Ponder, who was 3-for-7 in the first half for 15 yards, hit the 6-foot-6 Carr on a 48-yard pass down the left sideline to set up the Seminoles at the Virginia Tech 6-yard line midway through the third quarter.

Two plays later, Easterling made a sensational, back-of-the-end-zone catch in which he somehow managed to touch a toe in bounds while being tackled by three Hokies.

"I felt like I got my foot down, but I didn't know for sure," Easterling said. "That's why I didn't get too excited after I caught it because I didn't know if I had gotten my foot in or not."

He had.

"It was a heck of a catch," Ponder said, "and it put points on the board."

Five minutes later it was junior Marcus Sims putting more points on the board, scoring from 1 yard out to cap a 45-yard drive that was highlighted by a leaping 39-yard catch by Carr over All-ACC cornerback Victor Harris.

The lead was extended to 27-13 early in the fourth when Gano hit his 12th straight field goal. With Glennon getting knocked out of the game himself in the third quarter, on a hit by linebacker Derek Nicholson, Virginia Tech found itself down two TDs. With 13 minutes left. With a third-string QB, senior Cory Holt, who had thrown 19 career passes coming into the game.

Amazingly, Holt led a touchdown drive - aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty - to bring the Hokies back to within seven on a 4-yard TD pass with 8:26 remaining.

But for the fourth game in a row, when the game was on the line and the outcome was in doubt, the FSU offense went out and cemented a victory.

Ponder hit both Easterling and Sims for critical first downs on third-down completions and Gano iced the Seminoles' fourth straight win with a 46-yard field goal.

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