If one of the goals Florida State head coach Willie Taggart had this offseason was restoring confidence to a football team that went 5-7 one year ago and struggled in nearly every area, he can place a bright red check mark next to that box.
Mission accomplished.
As FSU's players continued preparations this week for Saturday's season opener against Boise State, one fact has become abundantly clear: The Seminoles are bullish on the Seminoles.
"We're ready to go out there and just shock the world with the game," junior defensive lineman Marvin Wilson said before Wednesday's practice. "Ready to do great things."
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When a reporter asked Wilson if he though Florida State was being looked at as the underdog in this matchup -- even though the 'Noles are actually favored by 4 1/2 points -- the defensive captain said it definitely feels that way.
"A lot of people got us downplayed this year," Wilson said. "Don't have us doing a lot of great things. But we know what we've got in this group. We know what we can do this year. We know the goals we have set, so we're gonna go and reach them."
The message was similar from sophomore outside linebacker Jaiden Lars-Woodbey and several others.
"Dominate," Lars-Woodbey said, when asked what the defense's goals are for this Saturday. "That's what we're gonna do. That's what we preach every day. You practice it so much, we've just got to go out there and perform. And dominating is what Florida State defense is about. We've just got to bring that back, and we've got the right dudes to do it this year."
And it's not just the Seminoles' defense that is brimming with confidence after one month of preseason practice.
Sophomore wide receiver Tamorrion Terry, who was one of the few bright spots for FSU's offense in 2018, said he can't wait to get back into action with his teammates at Jacksonville's TIAA Bank Field.
"We've got a lot of stuff to prove," said Terry, who wore one of his "Scary Terry" masks to the interview. "Like I said before, we're here. We back. Florida State is back. And we're gonna show that Saturday."
