College Football is officially back. I watched a ton of college football yesterday and 50 percent of the fans think their season is over, their coaches stink and everyone should be fired. Funny how that works. Now that we are a week down the road from FSU losing to Tech the loss does not look as bad. Losing sucks, I get it. That being said would you rather be Billy Napier. That seat can't get any hotter. It is one thing to lose. It is another to not look competitive at home, against an instate Rival and get humiliated. The last time Florida got beat like that they stop scheduling Miami. Napier now has to deal with a rabid fan base, a qb in concussion protocol and a schedule that looks like it got much harder. As FSU fans realized under Taggart, Samford all of sudden may not be such an easy game. Noon game against a team none of your players want to be there against. If UF is favored by over 28 - Take the points.


As for the rest of college football....The ACC did not do themselves any favorites. FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech all go down in week 0 or week 1. All three were considered not only playoff teams but contenders for the ACC title. Virginia Tech lost to the worst team in the SEC. Not a good look. Dabo and Clemson are at a crossroads. They have a coach who has won two national titles and honestly are miles away from winning another. I will make a prediction that Dabo will not win another title while HC at Clemson. He is old school. I get it and respect it. Trust me, I am no fan of the portal but to blow it off like it does not exist and then think you are not going to get involved heavily in the NIL. This is a disaster waiting to happen. It would not shock me to see Dabo decide that this version of college football is not for him and Clemson hire Garrett Riley as their new HC next year. Dabo is only 54 years old but he may as well be wearing a leather helmet and strapping it up. I don't know if he will bend and let’s be real he basically has a lifetime contract at Clemson. It is not a good situation. I don't get the love affair with Clemson. They don't have an elite QB. They have very average skill players outside their running game and the team is back to being pre-Lawrence, pre-deshuan Watson Clemson. Good enough to compete for ACC Crowns but once you give the fan base that taste of a championship (Steve Spurrier-Florida)...the fans want more. Who breaks in this situation? I could see Clemson hiring Dabo as an AD and paying him that way. I just don't know if Dabo has it in him to coach this era and it changed so quickly on him...And adjusting is obviously not his style.

Georgia....They are Julio Chavez, they are that Boxer that systematically breaks you down and beats your body up. IMPRESSIVE. Clemson looked hopeless in the second half. They wrecked Clemson and now that team lost any confidence and wants no part of playing for a playoff spot. So many keep saying how Clemson will win the ACC....and make the playoffs. Georgia just kicked them off the island and I am not sure they are coming back. This version of Georgia week 1 looks beatable....But we have heard that before. They are a tough out and will be one of the top four seeds.

Ohio State - 17-3 at halftime against Akron. I know it is only week one but this is still the same Ohio State team. Will Howard went 17-28 for 228 and 3 touchdowns. I am not a big fan. He may be good enough but I am not betting on Ohio State over Georgia...NOT GOING TO DO IT. Georgia is Michigan on steroids.

Texas A&M - Sumlin, Fisher, Elko....There is something in the water at College Station that just does not allow that program to win. That program is cursed. At home, new coach, Notre Dame, National Audience....Thank God they can keep printing money....Because they will need to it to keep paying these coaches off.

Texas- I am not a big fan of Texas...I don't think Sark is a great coach....But talent acquisition is the name of the game. He has two NFL quarterbacks. Not one but two...And those who said Arch is overrated...STOP. He will one day be the first pick in the draft. Ewers went 20-27 260 yards and 3 touchdowns. This version of Texas is going to be good enough to make the playoffs again.

Tennessee - The dark horse in the SEC this year is the Vols. They played a local high school but Nico is going to be good. QB is important and they got one of the most gifted ones in the country....That leads me to Nebraska. Matt Rhule found his guy as well. There are some very gifted, young signal callers in the country.

Oregon is in the Pac 12....They roll up 40-50-60 points a week....They join the Big 10 and they can barely beat Idaho at home. What is up with that conference and teams having a hard time scoring? Oregon put up a ton of yards....Just did not score. I still like Oregon but they are not as good as last year.

My Rankings after week 1....Last year I liked Michigan and Washington most of the year. Right now UGA looks like the top dog...
Top 25...
1-UGA -They look like the top dog...Right now. Their run game and defense will carry them. Beck is the real deal but not sure about their receivers. Losing the TE is a big loss.

2-Texas - The Horns are the real deal. Sark has recruited very well and if you have one elite or top rated quarterback the odds go up. You have two potentially great quarterbacks you are sitting in great shape.

3-Ohio State - Freshman Jeremiah Smith had 6 receptions, 92 yards and two touchdowns. You lose Marin Harrison Jr and basically replace him with his twin brother. I am interested in seeing what Ohio State does rushing the ball this year. If they commit to the run, maybe...they can convince me. I need to be sold.

4-Ole Miss- Poor Furman....They decided to take the check and 76 was rolled up on them. Jaxson Dart put himself into the Heisman race for one week (22-27 418 - 5 TD). They put up over 760 yards of total offense. GATOR FANS are praying they

5-Alabama - Bama lost a ton of players through the portal. They did not add a ton of great ones to replace those guys. We will see but I don't think this version of Bama will be as good as last year.

6-Oregon- They did not look good against Idaho. They only rushed for 107 yards on 37 carries. That is not good. Gabriel threw for 380 yards and 2 touchdowns. They need to figure it out. They have four games before Ohio State comes to town. I expect them to be much better by then.

7-Notre Dame - That was not pretty....ND did what they always make you do when you watch them play---HATE THEM. That is just not good to the eyes. They can run the ball. At the end of the game the OL is standing there and laughing...You know right then the game is over. They just wore the Aggies out. I still think Leonard will have a good season. He managed the game yesterday and made no big mistakes. He will get better. Beaux Collins is the real deal. I like their running backs. They can pound the rock and win with defense. They are not a top five team but they are top ten.

8-Penn State- The Lions took a long time to score....And a two hour delay did not help. They ended up with a nice win 34-12. It was Singleton day - 13 -114 and a touchdown. Look for Kaytron Allen to go off in the next game. Allar played well enough....They don't play Michigan this year and I honestly feel they could beat them. This looks like a 10-2 type team.

9-Missouri- Coach Drink is a good coach....Remember the name because he will be a dark horse for the UF job. He has turned Missouri into a very good team. Luther Burden is one of the top receivers in the country. His defense can run...This is a team in the SEC no one wants to face.

10 - Miami - I was reluctant to put them in the top ten but their win even over a not so great Gator team was one of the more impressive wins yesterday. Their OL is the real deal. Money well spent. Their QB Cam Ward is money well spent. The defense played great minus one run play. I still have questions about their secondary. Ward made one terrible throw...He needs to limit those in bigger games. Miami schedule till FSU does not look very strong....that being said this is a team that has found ways to lose to lesser teams....

The best of the rest....

11-OU
12-LSU (Need to see them today against USC)
13-Tennessee
14-Kansas State
15-Utah
16-Oklahoma State
17-KU
18-FSU
19-Clemson
20-Kansas State
21-Arizona
22-Iowa - WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF.
23-Louisville
24-Georgia Tech
25-Coastal Carolina - They beat Rich Rod 55-27 on the road. I was impressed with their performance against Jacksonville State.

With a Monday night game in Week 1, Florida State has had a delayed schedule of practice availability this week. Because of this FSU held its final practice availability before the Boston College home opener Friday morning.

Here are our quick observations from the practice:

It was an up and down day for the FSU passing game in Friday morning's practice. On the bright side, the wide receivers won 1-on-1s against the secondary at a higher rate perhaps than at any practice we've seen since preseason camp began. Throughout the first few reps, elite route-running and really strong playmaking in terms of finishing plays were on constant display. Jalen Brown and Kentron Poitier ran clean routes to beat some of FSU's top DBs and Brian Courtney made a great play where he tipped a pass to himself in the air for a catch. Outside of that stretch, though, drops were a problem Friday morning. FSU ran one-minute drill periods with each of its top two units early in Friday's practice and both drives were essentially totally stopped by catching issues from the wide receivers along with some solid coverage.

I didn't think the passing game struggles were reflective of the quarterback play on the day. DJ Uiagalelei had a few really nice passes to Darion Williamson and generally operated things well. Brock Glenn had maybe the most impressive throw of the day, a bolt over the middle under pressure that hit Williamson right in the cradle of his arm for an impressive throw and catch and a solid pickup.

It was also the second straight day where Jaylin Lucas made his presence felt in team periods. Mike Norvell seems to have challenged himself in some ways to make sure Lucas is involved vs. BC after he saw minimal usage over the final few drives of FSU's loss to GT.

On the whole, the FSU defense made things hard for the offense in team periods Friday. There was quite a bit of pressure and plays on the ball. Pat Payton flashed a few times, recording a sack in 11-on-11 work and tipping a pass at the line of scrimmage during the opening team period. Conrad Hussey also had an interception in 7-on-7 pass skelly on a tip-drill pass knocked into the air by another defensive back. Edwin Joseph also made a few plays during the one-minute drill, sticking with the receiver to prevent catches.

Walk-on freshman QB Trevor Jackson is again working with the scout team as the stand-in for FSU's opposing quarterback this week. After working as Haynes King last week, he's served as the surrogate for BC starter Thomas Castellanos this week. It's a role that fits him as Jackson is very athletic and made a few really nice throws on the run Friday, something Castellanos did last September vs. FSU. It's hard to imagine many teams have such a talented, mobile fill-in at scout team QB to replicate what the defense will see this upcoming week in the game.

Was much more enjoyable to watch. The slobberfest with Danielson and Lundquist was not missed at all on CBS. Good riddance.

In a few areas, FSU's performance in its season-opening loss last weekend left plenty to be desired. Here are four players deserving of an increased role in FSU's home opener vs. Boston College Monday night.

FSU sports information:

The No. 20 Florida State volleyball team (3-0) rose to the occasion on Sunday afternoon as they took down No. 25 Georgia (2-1) in four sets (25-17, 25-14, 17-25, 25-19) in front of a sold-out crowd at Tully Gym on Sunday afternoon. Sunday marked the Seminoles' 43rd win over a ranked opponent in school history and was the Seminoles' first non-conference ranked win since beating No. 14 Florida on Sept. 15, 2021.

The Seminoles set the tone early with Kyleene Filimaua and Khori Louis delivering powerful kills that left the Bulldogs on its heels. FSU's relentless defense, highlighted by Emery Dupes' impressive saves, forced Georgia into an early timeout with FSU leading 8-3. Despite their efforts, Georgia trailed for most of the set, struggling to close a persistent five-point deficit. A late surge from the Bulldogs fell short, and Florida State secured the first set with a commanding 25-17 victory.

Georgia claimed the first point of the second set, but the Seminoles quickly retaliated, sending the Bulldogs into yet another timeout with a solid 7-3 lead. FSU maintained a steady five-to-seven-point advantage throughout the set. Although Georgia briefly disrupted the Seminoles' momentum with a successful challenge on an attack error by Filimaua, it wasn't enough. Florida State responded with a timeout of their own at 20-13, regrouped, and rallied to close out the set 25-14.

Georgia found their rhythm in the third set, jumping to an early lead of 5-2. Despite their best efforts, FSU couldn't close the gap and trailed throughout the set. A late push saw the Seminoles reach 17 points, but Georgia's early dominance carried them to a 25-17 win to extend the match to a fourth set.

The fourth set saw a back-and-forth battle with both teams locked at six early on in the fourth set. The two teams were neck and neck at the halfway point and continued to trade points, but with FSU leading 18-17, the Seminoles score seven out of the final nine points to shut the door and seal the victory.

For the third consecutive match, FSU had a different kill leader. Audrey Koenig led the way with 15 kills on 37 attacks. Taylor Head added nine kills to go along with 15 digs. Kelsey Perry made her presence known at the net as she led the Noles with seven blocks, including four in the first set. Kenna Phelan and Loren Robertson each dished out 18 and 16 assists, respectively.

After a quick break, the Seminoles will return to action next weekend at the Auburn Invitational. FSU will take on Cal Poly on Friday at 4 p.m. before taking on Auburn at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

A look at both goals in FSU's 2-0 win:

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Who do we keep and who do we add? Who's filling the Jalen/Lalani role in the midfield. We were spoiled there. Who do we fit on defense?? Who are we recruiting??

Adam Fuller didn’t call any of Florida State’s players “soft.” But the mere mention of that word with the Seminoles’ performance and being “soft in the edges” raises eyebrows from an FSU coaching staff that is cautious with how it criticizes.

“Sometimes you want guys to go do your job and then what happens is some guys worry about, ‘Well what if this happens? I gotta make sure I can do this and then come back and make a play.’ And that creates soft edges,” Fuller said. “They (GT) did a good job, they've got good ball carriers, especially with the quarterback, he's got legitimate speed, he ran around the edge two or three times on us. Some was for lack of edge, some obviously we didn't either anticipate the speed that he had or he was able to get the corner.

“You want to eliminate space and the quickest way to eliminate space is to draw a hard edge so there's lack of space.”

Defensive ends coach John Papuchis later added that he thought the Seminoles were “tentative” in the run game and wants to see them play faster and with more aggression against Boston College on Monday (7:30 p.m. on ESPN).

Leave your construction boots at home. There will be no gravel or dirt walkways through the construction site.
The east side of Doak Campbell Stadium is complete and while the west side of the stadium will remain under construction during the 2024 season, ticket holders can expect concrete walkways to the temporary seating as well as to portable restrooms and concessions. Here's an update on the project with tips on what to expect.

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After last Saturday's appetizer, college football is back in full force this weekend.

Today marks the first full college football Saturday of the 2024 season. With FSU not playing until Monday, I know I'm gonna be glued to my couch soaking it all in. If you have made sure to keep your Saturday wide open to make the most of college football's glorious return, the Osceola staff will be in this thread throughout Saturday, basking in a wonderful full slate of games.

Obviously, I'm excited for Clemson-UGA at noon, Florida-Miami at 3:30 and Notre Dame-Texas A&M at 7:30 (all on ABC) but there are plenty of great lower-key games I'm looking forward to as well. What under-the-radar games are you looking forward to today?

FSU sports information:

The No. 20 Florida State Seminoles (2-0) continued its dominance of the Seminole Invitational as they defeated the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (0-2) after a sweep (25-17, 31-29, 25-22) on Saturday afternoon in the teams' first meeting since 2017.

The Noles fought well in the first set of the day against the Gauchos. The offensive power was showing its true strength through the first 15 points, creating a scoring gap between the two teams before the Gauchos minimized their errors, drawing closer to the Seminoles. The Seminoles closed off this set with an 8-1 scoring run thanks to some timely serving to win the first set 25-17. FSU outhit the Gauchos .318 to .091 in the first set with Kyleene Filimaua leading the way with three kills

The second set was back-and-forth throughout the entire set, but the Gauchos found a little separation taking a 21-19 lead. The Seminoles fought off six set points and finally prevailed as back-to-back kills by Filimaua gave the Noles its first set point of the set and Khori Louis smashed a perfect set to send Tully Gym into a frenzy to give the Noles a 31-29 win to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

It was another close set in set three with the Gauchos once again taking a 21-19 lead, but FSU dominated late scoring six out of the final seven points capped off by a kill from Maddie Snider to end the match.

The offensive attacks were led by Taylor Head with an impressive 15 kills, with Khori Louis following close behind with 13 kills. The Seminoles destroyed the serving game, having a total of 10 serving aces between the three sets. The Noles finished with a .324 hitting percentage, while holding the Gauchos to a .237 percentage.

The Seminoles will conclude the Seminole Invitational tomorrow against the No. 25 Georgia Bulldogs at 3 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Both Georgia and Clemson look like they are in better shape than us . Antler spray I guess

He was touted as an offensive line guru but has he lived up to the hype? We’re better than the Taggart days but we are not close to being an elite line. Seems we have a bunch of big(fat) guys that are very slow and not particularly strong. This year was supposed to be our best line yet but we got manhandled by Tech. Imo we can/must do better.

Seeing Treshaun Ward without a spear! I know he has been gone, but this the first time he has played against us i believe. I hated seeing him leave. A walk on who earned a starting pos at FSU then leaves and continues to play. Not only is he a player he is a PLAYmaker and he is what we need. I’m high on Lucus and I’ve always like Toa, but it sure would be nice to have his ability!

Our offense lacks Game Changer/s, impact players, aka PLAYmakers. We have Players who can be good players. You have to have at least a playMAKER in at 2 of 3 skilled pos on offense. RB and WR can take over a game. It’s never if they will it’s when they will. Outside of Lucus I’m not sure who the guy is. Now I’M big on Hykeem. From what I saw in HS and the limited amount of PT he has gotten since being here. I feel pretty confident his will be that guy! I This is the #1 5* rated wr and he has basically been asked to block and he does it like it’s important because it is. I’ve got that feeling.

I know one thing is glaringly evident and that is we severely need a playmaker at TE. Morlock is a liability in blocking and isn’t enough of factor in the passing game. Bell covered him up which allowed him to make a few plays. Norvell’s offense is at its best with a playMAKER at TE.

I can almost guarantee you if we had one true playmaker they allows are good for 7-14 pts. But 2 game changers it’s an auto 14 - 17 pts they will account for. These PLAYmakers would have broke the GT game open. 95% of the time when there is an upset or hell any win there are 2 areas everyone goes to first Penalties and Turnovers. When those two areas show the results any coach would want but still lose it’s almost always one thing NO playMAKERS.

Would be nice to have him as an option this year.
But, he is getting away with some blatant push offs offense.

Ruffin is starting to pick up some really nice offers. Georgia, Florida, and USC in the last week. But he'll be back at FSU this weekend. Spoke to him about why FSU was a school he wanted to return to as soon as possible.
https://floridastate.rivals.com/new...d-to-return-visit-for-2026-dt-trashawn-ruffin

2026 DE Jarius Rodgers has been on Florida State's campus twice in the last two months and is about to make it a third as he is expected to attend the Boston College game on Monday. Here's why it was important for Rodgers to get back to Florida State soon.

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FSU sports information:

The Florida State cross country teams collected their first team wins of the season Friday evening at the UCF Invite in Orlando. The women’s team scored 18 points in the 5K, while the men won with 15 points in the 5K.

Freshman Lily Quinn stole the show, crossing the finish line with a time of 17:16.4 in first place. Bieke Schipperen was the second Seminole across the line with a time of 17:30.6. Addison Boyer placed fifth in her first collegiate race with a time of 18:22.2. Anna Senter followed in sixth at 18:30.4.

Brooke Hooper made her Seminole debut, placing seventh with a time of 18:32.9. Dani Thompson finished behind Hooper in 10th with a time of 18:38.0.

Jane Eiselstein crossed the line in 11th at 18:41.4. Olivia Niewald finished in 12th at 18:45.4, followed by Avery Cahoon in 13th (18:51.0), Ansley Kelly in 14th (18:54.8).

Evie McIver took the final top 20 spot in 18th at 19:00.1. Lindy White opened her season placing 25th at 19:11.3, followed by Elle Menke h in 26th at 19:13.5. Ava povich took the 26th with a time of 19:13.5. illy Moore rounded out the evening for the Noles in 29th with a time of 19:22.8.

The men took the top three spots, with Kidus Misgina leading the pack with a winning time of 14:32.4. Ahmed Ibrahim was the runner-up at 14.33.3. Zach Leachman was the third Nole to score, crossing the line at 14:51.1.

Matthew Neill crossed the finish line in the fifth spot at 15:01.3. Joe Farley finished in sixth at 15:08.5 and Zach Cloud in seventh (15:11.6). Coleman Cronk opened his junior season placing 10th at 15:27.3. Michael Toppi finished in the top 20, placing 13th with a time of 15:35.0. Patrick Donnelly followed in 14th at 15:37.2. Lucas Bouquot finished in 15th posting a time of 15:38.5.

Wynne Thomas took 24th at 15:51.7, while Tanner Simonds followed in 36th (16:31.4.) to conclude the meet.

"The men executed a great team performance tonight and showed a glimpse of the fitness they’ve accrued over our last training block,” said assistant coach Ian Frazier. “I’m impressed with how they controlled the race from start to finish and did so side by side with their teammates. This effort should give us the confidence heading into the weeks to come.”

The teams will split on Sept. 27 as the Noles will host the FSU XC Invitational at the Apalachee Regional Park. A group will also head north to Madison, Wisconsin to compete at the NuttyCombe Invite.

FSU sports information:

Florida State senior outfielder Jahni Kerr will get her first-ever international experience this weekend as she was named to the Great Britain National Team for the Women's Softball European Championship from Sept. 1-7 in Ultrecht, Netherlands. Great Britain is in Pool Y with Greece, Israel and Italy and will open up on Sunday against Italy.

Kerr has emerged as one of FSU's top hitters the last two seasons. After her breakout season in 2023 which saw her lead the team in hitting as well as earning First Team All-ACC honors, Kerr kept the momentum going in 2024 as she drove in 39 home runs to go with nine home runs. Kerr earned Third Team All-ACC honors as she made 52 starts. Kerr made just one error in 56 attempts as she was a staple in the Noles' outfield.

Fans can find the full schedule at WBSC.org. Fans can also watch every game at basebaleurope.tv.

FSU sports information:

The No. 20 Florida State Seminoles (1-0) used a balanced offensive attack to take down the South Florida Bulls (0-1) after a three-set sweep (25-22, 25-14,25-15) on opening night in front of 866 fans in Tully Gym. The Seminoles have now won four consecutive season openers dating back to 2021 and have now won five straight against the Bulls to improve its all-time record to 42-6 against USF.

The Noles had a hard-fought battle to kick off their first set against the Bulls, the lead of the match falling into the hands of both teams throughout the set, but the Seminoles used a 7-2 run to jump out to a 16-12 lead. USF climbed back to tie the set at 21, but the Seminoles scored four out of the final five points to take set one.

The Seminoles showed off their offensive power in the second set as they would take an early lead and never look back in an impressive 25-14 win in the second set. The Noles hit over .500 with Taylor Head and Kyleene Filimaua leading the way with five kills each in the set.

USF jumped out to a 7-3 lead in set three, but the Noles did not stay down for long as they used an 8-1 run in the middle of the set to cruise to a 25-15 win which was sealed with a beautiful block from freshman Johanna Sova.

Kyleene Filimaua led the offensive attack with an impressive 10 kills while Taylor Head and Khori Louis each added nine kills. The Seminole block was in full force with 10 total blocks led by Kelsey Perry with four and Maddie Snider with three. The Seminoles finished with a .367 hitting percentage while keeping the Bulls at a .138 percentage.

The Seminoles will continue the Seminole Invitational against UC Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. Saturday on ACCNX. The Noles will then have a date with No. 25 Georgia on Sunday at 3 p.m. on the ACC Network.

FSU plays host to Florida, travels to LSU and continues the tradition of playing in the Orange Bowl Classic:

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 2024 schedule for the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes. Warrick Dunn will return to Doak on Oct. 5 when FSU hosts Clemson

Aug. 29: Alex Smith, Utah (vs. Southern Utah)

Aug. 30: Dewey Selmon, Oklahoma (vs. Temple)

Sept. 7: Coach Frank Solich, Nebraska (vs. Colorado)

Sept. 7: Steve Hutchinson, Michigan (vs. Texas)

Sept. 14: Tim Couch, Kentucky (vs. Georgia)

Sept. 28: Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State (vs. Liberty)

Sept. 28: Coach Danny Hale, Bloomsburg (PA) (vs. West Chester [PA])

Sept. 28: Coach Mark Dantonio, Michigan State (vs. Ohio State)

Sept. 28: Paul Cameron†, UCLA (vs. Oregon)

Oct. 5: Dan Hampton, Arkansas (vs. Tennessee)

Oct. 5: Warrick Dunn, Florida State (vs. Clemson)

Oct. 5: Julius Peppers, North Carolina (vs. Pitt)

Oct. 5: Chris Ward, Ohio State (vs. Iowa)

Oct. 5: Paul Posluszny, Penn State (vs. UCLA)

Oct. 5: Toby Gerhart, Stanford (vs. Virginia Tech)

Oct. 5: Kevin Smith, Texas A&M (vs. Missouri)

Oct. 12: Deon Figures, Colorado (vs. Kansas State)

Oct. 24: Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt (vs. Syracuse)

Oct. 26: Coach Frank Solich, Ohio (vs. Buffalo)

Nov. 2: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State (vs. Arizona State)

Nov. 30: Antonio Langham, Alabama (vs. Auburn)

TBD: Randy Moss, Marshall

TBD: Danny Woodhead, Chadron State (NE)

TBD: Coach Mark Dantonio, Cincinnati

TBD: Coach Danny Hale, West Chester (PA)

† Deceased

FSU sports information:

MacKenzie Plaskey, a proven winner with program-building experience, has been hired as Florida State lacrosse’s associate head coach, FSU head coach Sara Tisdale announced Friday.

“Mac is a proven leader, coach, mentor and recruiter,” Tisdale said. “Mac’s ability to identify student-athletes that fit our athletic and academic standards will have an immediate impact on our program. As a head coach, Mac has won numerous conference titles and led her team to the NCAA Final Four. I know those experiences will help us put Florida State lacrosse on the biggest and brightest stages. Mac and I are driven by the same goals and values, and I am very excited to welcome her to Tallahassee.”

Plaskey spent the last six seasons as the head coach at Grand Valley State, compiling an overall record of 81-16 with a 38-1 mark in conference play and sweeping four consecutive GLIAC regular season and tournament championships from 2021-24. Prior to her time at GVSU, she was the first assistant hired by Tisdale at Central Michigan. In their final season together, the Chippewas won the program’s first conference championship.

Plaskey coached 10 All-Americans, 31 all-region players and 55 all-conference selections during her time at the helm of Grand Valley State. She guided GVSU to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Midwest Regional title and run to the national semifinal in 2023. The Lakers were in all 68 national top-25 rankings during her six years, with 32 top-10 rankings, and finished the season in the top 10 four times.

“I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to help build women’s lacrosse at Florida State University,” Plaskey said. “It is an honor to work under the leadership of (Vice President and Director of Athletics) Michael Alford, (Deputy Athletics Director/SWA) Cindy Hartmann and Sara Tisdale. I loved my four years working alongside Sara at Central Michigan University and cherish the memories of accomplishing many of the program’s first milestone goals. Building a program from the ground up is a unique challenge, but I’m excited to be part of that process at Florida State and I look forward to getting started. FSU is a special place with its competitive excellence in athletics, top academics on campus, and rich traditions. I am thrilled to have the privilege to coach and develop some of the finest student-athletes in the country in such a welcoming and supportive community.”

Her 2024 team posted a 17-2 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play, to once again sweep the regular season and tournament conference titles. The Lakers led the country in scoring defense, allowing only 4.94 goals per game, and ranked 10th in the final national rankings after climbing as high as No. 5 during the season.

In 2023, Plaskey authored the deepest NCAA Tournament run in Grand Valley State history after another undefeated conference regular season and run through the conference tournament. The Lakers knocked off the region’s No. 1 seed in the first round before taking down the No. 2 seed to reach the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament. They were No. 5 in the final rankings, setting a new program standard.

The 2022 season featured a program-record 19 wins, another perfect conference mark, and a then-program-best No. 8 final ranking. Plaskey led GVSU to 17 consecutive wins before falling to the region’s No. 1 seed in the regional final round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, the Lakers posted a perfect 8-0 GLIAC record to start their streak of four consecutive regular-season and conference tournament sweeps.

The 2020 season started with a 3-1 mark, including a win over No. 3-ranked Lindenwood, before the season was shut down due to the global pandemic. In her first season at the helm, Plaskey led Grand Valley State to a 14-4 mark and 10-1 record in conference play. The Lakers advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament and led the GLIAC with an average of 16.83 goals per game and 7.14 goals allowed per game.

Before being hired as the head coach at Grand Valley State, Plaskey was Tisdale’s first assistant coach hired to help start the program at Central Michigan. Plaskey was the program’s offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator while also overseeing camps and film. In 2018, only the program’s third season of NCAA competition, the Chippewas won the SoCon championship and posted the nation’s 10th-highest shooting percentage.

Plaskey also built one of the premier youth lacrosse programs in Michigan, founding Michigan Elite in 2011 and operating as its director for more than 10 years. The program grew to include 10 coaches and more than 150 athletes across seven competitive teams.

The former MacKenzie Lawler was a three-year starter at Robert Morris, where she recorded 35 goals, 21 assists, 38 ground balls, 27 draw controls and 21 turnovers caused. She earned her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Robert Morris in 2014 and completed her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Central Michigan in 2018. Plaskey and her husband, Peter, married in 2024.

MacKenzie Plaskey Coaching History
August 2024- Florida State Associate Head Coach
2019-24 Grand Valley State Head Coach
2015-18 Central Michigan Assistant Coach