The crew from Tallahassee only had to travel 3 hrs down the road to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for their next game. A highly anticipated matchup with new in state rivals, the USF Bulls lead by coach Shibumi.
The game started out on a not so promising note for the Noles when after a short kickoff return to the 25 yd line newly appointed quarterback Drew Weatherford made the dreaded mistake of hitting the A button too many times before hiking it. He then proceeded to throw a quick pass to the A reciever before he even got off the line resulting in interception right to the middle linebacker.
USF did not waste anytime capitalizing and took the ball down to the Noles 4 yd line where their running back punched it in for a quick score. 7-0
Shell shocked from the early interception Drew Weatherford was taken out and replaced by Xavier Lee (Nothing new for Florida State). The next FSU drive stalled out early and they had to punt. Then following a series of punts by both teams and the score still 7-0 Florida State finally answered back with a 57yd option run by Antoine Smith up the right sidelines for a score. 7-7
With the score still 7-7 and only a couple minutes left in the half, Florida State decided to give USF another opportunity courtesy of a fumbled punt return at the 50 yd line. Well the defensive stepped up with a few sacks and USF was facing a 3rd and 22. It looked like the Noles might get out unscathed, but a beautiful 37 yd throw and catch by USF (the back up quarterback no less) landed them on the Florida State's 21 yd. line with a 1:30 left.
Once again USF capitalized and on 3rd down Matt Groathe punched the ball in from the 1yd line to go up right before halftime. 14-7
Well the second half once again proved to be Florida State's defense favorite time to show up and held USF to 0 points. So now it was up to X. Lee and company to come through and put some points on the board.
Most of the 3rd quarter was riddled with 3 and outs by both teams as well as a barely missed FG of 44 yds by USF. Then after another great pass and catch, this time by the Noles for 32 yds (X. Lee to 6'7" Greg Carr), Florida State found themselves on the USF 22 yd line.
Not wasting anytime the Noles drove down to the 2 yd line were X. Lee kept it on a option and punched it in from 2 yds out to tie up the score 14-14
The fourth quarter was very similar to the 3rd with several defensive stops resulting in 3 and outs. It looked like this one might go into OT when Florida State put together a drive with 2:30 left. They proceeded to drive down to the USF 15yd line with :30 left and clearly content on settling for the FG to win, the coach called a run up the middle on 3rd down. However, as it was quoted later by the Florida State LT on ESPN, X. Lee said in the huddle " the hell with coach, lets put the women and children to bed cuz we aint kicking no FG". He then proceeded to call the now infamous "Triple Lindy Option Left". Well low and behold it worked and the Noles scored and went up by 7 (21-14) with 19 ticks left on the clock.
Well with a last ditch effort Matt Groathe and company put up a couple of Hail Mary's that almost connected and scared the living crap out of me, but in the end Roger Williams got his 4th interception in two games and ran out the clock for the win.
Florida State -21 South Florida-14
Great game Shibumi I had a blast playing you, always a hard fought battle. I hope we see each other again later in the season and oh yea sorry about the Triple Lindey Option.
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely and in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming loudly... WOW, WHAT A RIDE!!!"
BELIEVE ME!!! I've been sitting here for days now trying not to vent my frustrations so that SeaHawks could bask in the glory of the win when he posted!!
I mean - I've heard of bad karma and all - but this was just crazy... I guess that was EA paying me back for taking advantage of the "double A tap" interception I received on the first play of the game.
There is still PLENTY of controversy over the "Triple Lindy Option Left" (which btw, I thought was going to be called: "Triple Lindy Backward Wrist Flip Faceplant Twist Flick Option Left Greased-Pig Tackle Shedder").
There is still much debate about whether certain officials had blown their whistle to rule the QB "in the grasp" - or "forward progress stopped" - or just plain "down", but maybe the crowd noise drowned that out.
A frame-by-frame analysis is still being done on the play.
However - all the Bulls can (and will) do at this point is move on and prepare for their game at Louisville. Getting robbed by the officials (and EA) is nothing new to USF!
There is still much debate about whether certain officials had blown their whistle to rule the QB "in the grasp" - or "forward progress stopped" - or just plain "down", but maybe the crowd noise drowned that out.
Heck with "in the grasp" bro... he was in the friggin' clench. And you were the one getting ska-roooooooed. That's some of the most royal screwing I've ever seen in a video game. Wow.
Ranked at #14, the LSU Tigers came to the Swamp Friday Night to take on the lowly Gators. Each team had lost its season opener in an unimpressive fashion, and the game had been dubbed the early season "Toilet Bowl" by an unruly, and really just flat out hateful general public.
The first quarter lived up to expectations... Quo's 20-yard kickoff was followed by each team going 3 and out, and nothing of value happened at all until the end of the first quarter when the Gators punter pinned the Tigers on their own 3. The Gator defense held the Tigers to another 3 and out and when the Tigers were forced to punt in max protect from their own 3, the Gators ended up with the ball on the Tiger 30.
The Gators struggled initially but were able to move the ball down to about the fifteen yard line. The Tiger defenders held at last and forced the Gators to line up for a FG on the last play of the first quarter... but as the kick sailed through the uprights the game paused and a referee weakly tossed a flag in the direction of the Gator kicker... (Quo thought the game stuttered because it looked like he might have missed the FG!) the Tiger defense was called for roughing the keeker... and on the next play, from the LSU 7...
The Florida defense continued to hold strong against LSU, forcing another punt. When the Gators got the ball back on their own 25, Tim Tebow showed some of his Heisman potential...
to give the Gators a total of 21 unanswered points and a 21-0 halftime lead.
The LSU Tigers weren't going to quit, though. After BigSexy performed at halftime (a rather nauseating reenactment of the nipple-slip), the Tigers came out all charged up. They held the Gators to a 3 & out of their own, then marched down the field. Then from 16-yards out, midway through the 3rd quarter...
LSU's #5 scores on a perfectly run option... note the poor choice by Gator DE Quo, who took out the QB instead of forcing him inside as well as the great blocking near the goal line by an LSU receiver.
With the score at 21-7, the Tigers needed a stop but didn't get one, as a long fluke of a play to a Gator TE made the score 28-7 within moments of the Gators getting the ball back.
Now desparately fighting the clock, the Tigers still wouldn't quit. They marched down the field to the Gator 3 yard line and had first and goal. The Gator defense, however, proved they weren't ready to quit either... and after a near perfect series for the defense it was 4th and goal from the 3. EA reared its ugly head once again and a delay of game penalty moved the Tigers back another 5 yards, making it 4th and goal from the 8, when the LSU QB (#11) dropped back and...
misfired a bullet over the middle. Gator Safety Tony Joiner (#19) put the dagger in the heart of the Tigers with a little over 2 minutes to play.
The Gators' Tim Tebow would add a mop-up TD pass within moments, and the game's final score would end up
#14 LSU Tigers 7 #15 Florida Gators 35
Individual player stats of significance include:
Gators' QB Tim Tebow (#15):
-- 10/13 for 277 YDs passing, 3 TDs, 0 INTS
-- 7 rushes for 32 YDs, 1 TDs
-- 309 Total Yards, 4 TD's
-- fed homeless people, saved a little girl's cat from a tree after the game
Tigers' QB (#11):
-- 6/15 for 76 YDs passing, 0 TDs, 3 INTS
-- 2 rushes for 8 YDs
Tigers' RB (#5):
-- 12 rushes for 53 YDs, 1 TD
Thanks BMC! It's always fun playing with you man! And trust me, I'm sure the shoe will be on the other foot when the Gators visit the Tigers home field later in the season...
