Warchant.com - BYU, Florida State seek respect on Saturday

September 18, 2009

Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football

Otis Redding wrote about it. Aretha Franklin sang about it. Rodney Dangerfield didn't get it. BYU and Florida State want it.

Respect - it's a sometimes-elusive quality that college football players and teams covet.

BYU is seeking it from BCS voters who eventually determine teams that vie for the national championship. Florida State seemingly is seeking it for itself. Both can attain it - perhaps in large quantities - when the Cougars and Seminoles clash Saturday in Provo.

Twenty-five years have passed since BYU celebrated its national championship. Cynics would say the Cougars will have to wait at least that long to get another shot at one because the Mountain West Conference, of which BYU is a member, basically is excluded from the national championship picture by the BCS system.

No team outside the six automatic qualifying conferences - the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC - has played in any of the 11 BCS national championship games, though several finished their seasons undefeated. Some wonder if one ever will.

"Not under the current circumstances," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said this week. "We learned that last year. Utah was undefeated and wasn't even allowed to play for the national championship. The answer to that question is no."

BYU, which has some national cachet from its 1984 national title, grabbed national attention by upsetting Oklahoma 14-13 in the season opener. OU quarterback Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game. Meanwhile, BYU quarterback Max Hall completed nine passes against the Sooners' vaunted defense in a drive for a game-winning touchdown.

After following up with a 54-3 blowout of Tulane, the Cougars (2-0) have climbed to No. 7 in the national polls. A win over Florida State (1-1), an ACC team with a high national profile, could further boost the Cougars in the rankings and would enhance their chances of playing for the national championship, provided they eventually finished the season unbeaten.

A perfect record with victories over Oklahoma, Florida State and MWC powers TCU and Utah would be hard to ignore, especially if teams from automatic qualifying conferences all have a loss, as was the case last season.

"That's your ultimate goal," Mendenhall said. "If anyone says the national championship is not their goal, I would have issue with that. Anytime programs from our league can claim center stage against a quality opponent and have success, we come one step closer.

"But I won't allow us to consider or think about anything other than Florida State, and certainly not anything beyond our conference."

The Seminoles may be focusing only on their own self-confidence. Last week they scored twice in the final 35 seconds to beat FCS member Jacksonville State 19-9. Florida State managed just 78 rushing yards in that game, prompting offensive line coach Rick Trickett to issue a mandate: "Stop talking and start blocking."

"It might have been they heard all year how good they are," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said of the Seminoles' line. "We've got to step it up."

Perhaps just as alarming was Florida State allowing 386 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 38-34 season-opening loss to Miami. Hurricanes sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris is improving, but he's nowhere near as accomplished as Hall, who has passed for 8,443 yards and 65 touchdowns in his career.

"We definitely need to perform at a very high level, make a lot of plays just to let people know that we're not the defense that we've been showing against Miami and Jacksonville State," FSU senior cornerback Patrick Robinson said. "I think it's a statement game."

What a role reversal: Once a perennial power, Florida State feels it can earn redemption with a win over BYU.

Now, that's a show of respect. And not just a little bit.

Who gets the edge?

BYU run offense vs. Florida State run defense
RB Harvey Unga has been slowed by a sore hamstring; he'll play but he may not be at full speed. In his absence, the Cougars' running game has been inconsistent. They ran well against Tulane, but had little success against Oklahoma. Bryan Kariya leads with 105 rushing yards. Florida State has held both of its previous opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards, and LBs Kendall Smith and Dekoda Watson each have 15 tackles.
Edge: Florida State

BYU pass offense vs. Florida State pass defense
QB Max Hall has thrown for 300 yards in each game this season and in six of his past seven overall. He's thrown two touchdown passes in both games, but also has tossed three interceptions. Hall excels in deciphering coverages and finding open receivers. He's completed passes to 12 receivers, and All-America TE Dennis Pitta leads with 11 receptions. Two weeks ago, Florida State's pass defense was riddled for nearly 400 yards by Miami QB Jacory Harris. The Seminoles had one sack against Miami, then got seven against Jacksonville State.
Edge: BYU

Florida State run offense vs. BYU run defense
Thought to be an area of strength, Florida State's running game has been a disappointment. The line hasn't gotten a consistent push, and the Seminoles managed only 78 rushing yards against Jacksonville State. Ty Jones is the leading rusher with 99 yards. The Seminoles expect to get a boost with Jermaine Thomas returning from injury. QB Christian Ponder can scramble for big gains. BYU limited Oklahoma to 118 rushing yards and held Sooners RBs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown to fewer than 60 yards each; both exceeded 1,000 yards last season. The Cougars followed up on that effort by holding Tulane to 37 yards.
Edge: BYU

Florida State pass offense vs. BYU pass defense
Ponder is off to a fast start, with 618 passing yards and two touchdowns. WR Richard Goodman leads with 13 receptions. The Seminoles' receivers will have a speed advantage against BYU's secondary, but Florida State has allowed four sacks. BYU can put pressure on the quarterback with an array of blitzes, which is how the Cougars got to OU quarterback Sam Bradford. FS Scott Johnson, a team captain, suffered a concussion last week and might not play. If he's not available, sophomore Shiloah Te'o likely will start in his place.
Edge: Florida State

Special teams
Neither BYU nor Florida State has played well in this area. BYU K Mitch Payne is 2-for-3, but his longest this season is just 31 yards. In addition, three kickoffs have gone out of bounds and the return teams have been mediocre. Florida State's Greg Reid has shown some flash on kickoff returns; he's averaging 34.0 yards and had a 51-yard return. True freshman K Dustin Hopkins also is 2-for-3 on field goals, including one from 52 yards, but he has missed three extra-point attempts. P Shawn Powell is averaging 42.3 yards.
Edge: BYU

Coaching staffs
Among FBS coaches, only Penn State's Joe Paterno has posted more victories than Florida State's Bobby Bowden. But with the Seminoles not playing to the standards they set in the '90s, he's been under fire. Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, FSU's coach-in-waiting, is under scrutiny, too. His offense managed only two touchdowns against Jacksonville State. Bronco Mendenhall has led BYU to three 10-win seasons in the past four years. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae has guided units that have ranked among the nation's top 25 in total offense in each of the past three seasons.
Edge: BYU

X-factor
Does Florida State have a pass rush or not? The Seminoles posted seven sacks a week ago, but isn't that expected against Jacksonville State? They only managed one against Miami and the Hurricanes passed for 386 yards. If Florida State cannot get consistent pressure on Hall, they will be in trouble. BYU gave up four sacks to Oklahoma in the opener.

BYU will win if
Protecting Hall is top priority. Given adequate time, he can pick Florida State's secondary apart. Pitta will draw the Seminoles' attention, but Hall has plenty of other capable receivers, too. Preventing big plays is vital for the Cougars' defense. Florida State's receivers have an edge in speed, though it may not be overwhelming.

Florida State will win if
The Seminoles have to establish their running game. That was made clear against Jacksonville State. Avoiding obvious passing situations will help Ponder, who is playing well. Better coverage from a suspect secondary is a must, and a good pass rush will take some pressure off the DBs. But can the Seminoles get to Hall?

EXPERT PICKS
Olin Buchanan: BYU 31, Florida State 21
Tom Dienhart: BYU 33, Florida State 28
David Fox: BYU 28, Florida State 21
Mike Huguenin: BYU 27, Florida State 24
Jason King: BYU 44, Florida State 24
Steve Megargee: BYU 28, Florida State 24

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.

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