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 Friday, October 12, 2001
Rix must grow up quickly
By Terry Bowden
Special to ABC Sports Online
Bowden's Weekly Chat Show
They say the team that runs the best in the annual matchup between Miami and Florida State usually wins -- at least that is the way it has been 10 of the last 11 years. But this year, the difference in the passers will make the biggest difference.
Ken Dorsey's experience, especially in big games, and Chris Rix's lack thereof is a big enough factor in and of itself to push this game into Miami's favor.
|  | | Jonathan Vilma and the Hurricane defense has 11 sacks and forced 14 turnovers in four games. |
The rushing statistics in this game are misleading. Over the last 11 years, neither of these teams has opened up running the football very much and only after one finally gets ahead in the second half do they turn to the running game to run out the clock. The team that is behind never has a chance to go to the running game because they are trying to catch up. When you read about this game -- and a lot of others for that matter -- and the "experts" suggest you have to be able to run the ball to win and the statistics will bear this out, just remember most of that rushing yardage is gotten after one team is in control.
Now, all that being said, for whatever part the running game must play in Saturday's contest, you would have to say that Miami has the advantage. Not only does Clinton Portis lead a stable of running backs, but the Hurricanes sit behind unquestionably the best offensive line in college football, led by tackles Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez, and guard Martin Bibla.
With Florida State's receiving corps minus Anquan Boldin and Robert Morgan, it diminishes the one area where FSU would have been stronger. Still, I would put the wide receiver position even. The bad thing about focusing on the wide receivers is that Miami's No. 1 target is tight end Jeremy Shockey, who incidentally caught the game-winning pass in this game last year.
Give Miami an edge on defense, too. The Hurricanes have NFL-caliber people at almost every position, and although Florida State does as well, theirs are mostly freshmen and sophomores.
The only thing keeping this game close -- or even in Florida State's favor -- is that it is being played at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, where Florida State has not been beaten in 54 games, dating back to 1991. It was Miami that beat the Seminoles that day 17-16 in a game that came to be known as Wide Right.
Unfortunately for the Seminoles, Miami basically has more talent, depth and experience. And the only wide Bobby Bowden needs to worry about is a wide margin of victory.
Keys to an upset
For Florida State to win this game, the Seminoles need to do three things.
1. Protect Rix
It sounds like a small thing, but Miami has already come out publicly and said they are going to put the heat on young Chris Rix. Because they have faced such inferior opponents in their first four games, the Hurricanes have not had to blitz much. They will be able to show Florida State an assortment of new blitzes that they have yet to see on video.
And Florida State -- which has a good offensive line -- must keep those pass rushers off Rix's back. If given enough time to throw, Miami will see an offense unlike any it has seen this year. It might surprise you to know that Rix is ranked seventh in the nation in pass efficiency, ahead of Dorsey.
2. Pressure Dorsey
Anyone who knows anything about the Hurricanes knows that Ken Dorsey has not been sacked this season and that Miami QBs have been sacked just once in the last 11 games. I predict this year that Florida State -- which did not get a sack against them last year -- will do very little damage this year as well.
3. Show maturity
Florida State's young but talented defense must show great strides over the off-week by putting in extra time on the Miami game plan. In the first five games, much like the offense, Florida State's defense showed its immaturity by playing reckless and out of position at times. As a result they gave up way too many big plays. It will take great discipline for this defense not to get burned by Miami's talented offense.
Terry Bowden was the head coach at Salem College, Samford University and Auburn University. He is ABC's college football studio analyst and contributes regularly for ABC Sports Online.
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