FSU spring football game

By Brian Landman, Times Staff Writer
In print: Sunday, April 13, 2008

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TALLAHASSEE — FSU coach Bobby Bowden would have liked to see some fireworks from his offense in Saturday's Garnet and Gold game, and not merely as part of the postgame show.

But in the glorified scrimmage, in which the score doesn't matter (the offense gets a point for a first down, for instance) and isn't even tallied after the first half, Bowden and the estimated crowd of 30,000 did get a glimpse of a promising defense and some offensive playmakers.

"I think we're going to see improvement out of everybody," Bowden said. "We're still a team of potential."

QB BATTLE: With Drew Weatherford out injured (right knee), rising redshirt sophomore quarterbacks Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson were able to get much-needed work.

Both were harassed by an aggressive defense (a touch counted as a sack). Ponder, despite a mildly sprained right knee, was 12-for-19 for 140 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Richardson was 11-for-25 (he had several of his passes dropped) for 130 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jimbo Fisher, Saturday's showing notwithstanding, said both made "huge progress; I mean huge" and sees an intense competition for the starting job. "We keep talking about 14 (Ponder) and 11 (Weatherford), I'm going to tell you what, 16 (Richardson), you better hold off," Fisher said. "He might be coming down the stretch."

DEFENSE'S DAY: FSU had 11 sacks for a loss of 96 yards, 14 tackles for loss in all, forced a fumble and had the two interceptions. Individually, rising sophomore linebacker Kendall Smith had two sacks and four tackles. He could be counted on to start, as he did in the Music City Bowl.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME: Receiver Taiwan Easterling, who sat out as a redshirt freshman last season, reached out with his right hand to tip a ball and catch it as he fell. It would have been an 18-yard touchdown had Richardson not been sacked. "I was there running my route, and it was a scramble drill and I broke out of the route and came back (across)," said Easterling, who finished with five catches for 81 yards. "I gained a lot of confidence coming out by showing I can do a little bit. I've got to come out and work really hard over the summer and just take it up another step."

FORCED TO WATCH: Weatherford, the starter for much of the previous three seasons, has been out for the past few weeks after tearing cartilage in his right knee. He had surgery March 28. "The recovery process is going really well," said the rising fifth-year senior from Land O'Lakes High. "I'm able to run on the underwater treadmill and swim a little bit. I expect to be back in like two weeks at full speed."

AWARD WINNERS: Ponder and linebacker Dekoda Watson were the coaches' choices for the most valuable offensive and defensive players, respectively, for the spring. Offensive tackle Rodney Hudson was named the most dominant player.