Scouting Report – Florida State vs Oklahoma State
Jameis Winston hurdles his way into the end zone as the Florida State Seminoles beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
By Dwayne Wilton
The Florida State Seminoles and Oklahoma State Cowboys converged at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas to kick off their respective seasons. For the Seminoles, they hope to start and end the season in the same stadium because the National Championship Game will also be played in Arlington. They are the defending National Champions and for the first time they came into a game as the hunted rather than the hunter. The Cowboys came into the game as one of the youngest teams in the Power Five conferences, but they played with a ton of heart and grit.
The Seminoles jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but the Cowboys came back to cut the lead to 17-10 just before the half. Florida State led the entire game, but they could never quite put away the pesky Cowboys. Every time it looked like the Seminoles had the game in hand, Oklahoma State would answer with a score again. The final score of Florida State 37 – Oklahoma State 31 was much closer than most people thought it would be and the Cowboys have nothing to hang their head about. They played extremely well, especially on defense. This game will either be a wake-up call for Florida State or an indication that there are some chinks in their armor.
Here are my notes on the draft eligible players that played in the game. I will start with the winning team.
Florida State:
Jameis Winston, QB, RS Soph: First freshman QB to throw for over 4,000 yards and 40 TD. Very competitive. Confident. Poised. Big arm. Good zip on the ball. Athletic. Never really looked comfortable. Although he made some plays, he also forced the ball into places that he shouldn’t have. Sometimes trusts his arm too much. Completed 25/40 for 370 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Rushed for a 28 yard TD. Did just enough to win, but will need to improve his numbers if he is to repeat as the Heisman winner.
Karlos Williams, RB, Sr: Former safety. Big and physical. Runs hard and takes on tacklers. Soft hands and contributes in the passing game. Able to bounce it outside. Carried 23 times for 66 yards and had 5 receptions for 36 yards, including a 21 yard catch.
Mario Pender, RB, RS Soph: Great acceleration. Very good footwork in the hole. Nice spin move. Carried 3 times for 31 yards and 1 TD.
Rashad Greene, WR, Sr: Could have turned pro last year, but returned for his senior season. Has a chance to become the go to receiver this year. Looks to be the deep threat for the Noles this year. Breaks tackles. Elusive after the catch. Returns punts. Had 11 catches for 203 yards and a 51 yard TD.
Christian Green, WR, Sr: Good speed. Able to run right by defenders. Had 2 catches for 73 yards, including a 62 yarder.
Jared Haggins, WR, Sr: Plays special teams. Had two block in the back penalties on the same play.
Nick O’Leary, TE, Sr: Complete tight end that is very good blocking and catching. Old school throwback. Reliable receiver with soft hands. Had 3 catches for 28 yards.
Cameron Erving, LT, Sr: Struggled against quicker speed rushers.
Josue Matias, G, Sr: Good movement skills. Able to get downfield to help in the run game. Threw a key block on the Winston 28 yard touchdown run.
Bobby Hart, RT, Sr: Beaten repeatedly by quicker pass rushers.
Mario Edwards Jr, CB, Jr: Son of former Cowboys CB Mario Edwards. Amped up to play in Cowboys Stadium. Active pass rusher that gets his hands up. Had 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack and 1 batted pass.
Eddie Goldman, DT, Jr: Mental error on unsportsmanlike penalty that gave the Cowboys new life and a field goal before the half. Had 3 tackles.
Nile Lawrence-Stample, NT, Jr: Massive. Ties up the middle. Had 4 tackles.
Reggie Northrup, MLB, Jr: Active middle linebacker that fills holes quickly. Had 7 tackles.
Terrance Smith, OLB, Jr: Three-down player. Puts good pressure on the quarterback. Can cover running backs downfield. Great special teams player. Made nice tackle on kickoff to pin the Cowboys inside the 5 yard line. Had 12 tackles (led the team), 1 tackle for loss and 1 QB hurry.
P.J. Williams, CB, Jr: Good makeup speed. Tackles well. Had a holding penalty. Made a great play late in the 4th quarter, forcing a fumble and recovering the ball. Had 2 tackles, 2 passes defensed (1 in the end zone), 1 QB hurry.
Ronald Darby, CB, Jr: Comes up quickly in run support. Had 3 tackles, ½ tackle for loss and 1 pass break up.
Tyler Hunter, S, Jr: Good range. Had 6 tackles and 1 pass break up. Dropped a pick that was right in his hands.
Oklahoma State:
J.W. Walsh, QB, Jr: Very good speed and acceleration. Is able to move the sticks with his legs. Lacks great size and can give up tipped balls. Son of football coach with very good football IQ. Gritty. Great work ethic. Average arm strength. Tends to put too much air under his deep balls. Escapes the rush well. Effective on play action passes. Had a fumble late in the 4th quarter that led to a Seminoles TD. Completed 15/27 for 203 yards with 1 TD. 1 INT. Led the team with 51 yards rushing on 11 carries and had a 24 yard TD run.
Tyreek Hill, RB, Jr: JC transfer. Great speed. 200 meter champion with the speed to qualify for the Olympics. Low center of gravity. Slippery. Great acceleration. Electric with the ball in space. Good receiver. Returns kicks. Surprising toughness when running between the tackles. Had 8 carries for 44 yards, 6 catches for 62 yards, 140 yards in kickoff returns (including a 46 yarder) and 32 yards in punt returns (including a 28 yarder).
Desmond Roland, RB, Sr: Physical runner between the tackles. Keeps feet moving after contact. Nose for the end zone. Had 12 carries for 28 yards and 1 TD.
Brandon Sheperd, WR, Jr: Good speed. Dangerous after the catch. Able to help out in the run game. Had 2 catches for 29 yards.
David Glidden, WR, Jr: Willing to go over the middle. Smart and crafty. Good double moves. Had 2 catches for 74 yards and a 55 yard TD.
Daniel Koenig, LT, Sr: Has played on the left and the right side. Can be beaten by speed rush.
Jimmy Bean, DE, Jr: Very quick first step. Closes quickly on the ball. Had 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack.
Ofa Hautau, DT, Sr: Pushes the pocket on passing plays. Gets hands up. Had 2 tackles, 1 QB hurry and 1 tipped ball.
Ryan Simmons, MLB, Jr: All over the field. Former outside linebacker that moved inside. Leader of the defense. Had 7 tackles and ½ tackle for loss.
Kevin Peterson, CB, Jr: Aggressive. Wraps up well. Made a nice tackle on 3rd down to force a punt. Was beaten on 51 yard catch. Had 5 tackles and 1 pass break up.
Ashton Lampkin, CB, Jr: Great physical skills, but needs to work on his technique. Plays nice tight coverage. At times he uses good technique to knock the ball away, but he also had 3 holding calls. One of the holding calls was on 3rd down, which gave the Noles a 1st down and eventually led to a touchdown. Jumps routes. Great ball skills. Made a diving interception. Right now it’s feast or famine with him, but he has the skills to be great. Had 2 tackles and 1 pass break up.
Larry Stephens, S, Sr: Very active in run defense. Tackles well in space. Had 3 tackles.
Come back next Wednesday as I discuss another of the big games from this weekend. If you like what you read, like us on Facebook and tell your friends. See you next Wednesday!
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