Have the Seminoles finally snapped out of their offensive funk? Is Florida State about to become the offensive juggernaut that it was in the 1990s?Florida State coach Bobby Bowden thinks the 'Noles are heading in that direction.
"They are doing a remarkable job," said Bowden of his offense, after the Seminoles amassed 392 yards of total offense and scored more than 25 points for a third a straight game, in their 26-17 win over N.C. State on Thursday. "Jimbo, (Christian) and the offensive staff, they're all doing a terrific job right now."
Bowden has been particularly impressed with the play of sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder, who struggled severely in Florida State's only loss of the season -- a 12-3 thumping by Wake Forest on Sept. 20 -- but has since rebounded to throw for 532 yards and rush for 212 more, in leading FSU to three straight wins.
His 254 passing yards against the Wolfpack were a career-high, and they come on the heels of his eye-opening rushing performance against Miami a week ago, in which the sophomore became the first quarterback since Charlie Ward in 1992 to hit the century mark rushing when he torched the Hurricanes for 144 yards.
"You've got to give credit to our quarterback," Bowden said. "Our offense starts with the quarterback and he's doing a great job for us right now. He doesn't get rattled back there and he's starting to play with more confidence."
Bowden is also impressed with the performance of senior tailback Antone Smith, who has rushed for 335 yards and eight touchdowns during the 'Noles three-game winning streak.
"Antone is playing good football," Bowden said. "He's running extremely hard at this point. He's got a knack for making big plays, especially on third down, and he also knows how to get the ball across that goal line."
The Seminoles (5-1) currently have the nation's 19th best offense, as they average 419 yards per game, 216 of which have come on the ground. What's impressive about that feat is that FSU is starting two true freshman, a redshirt freshman and two sophomores along its offensive line.
"We're doing it with a lot of young guys," Bowden said. "Our offensive line has three freshman and two sohomores starting, but they're getting the job done. The offense is clicking right now, and it seems to get better each week. Hopefully, that trend will continue."
