FSU eager to set positive tone

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State Seminoles hope to take advantage of their surprise homefield advantage with their season opener against Boise State moved to Tallahassee.

FSU coach Willie Taggart said Thursday one of the first keys to getting on the right track this year is to not make the same mistakes as last year.

“We talked about what we want, what we’re looking for,” he said. “We want our guys to be kind of fired up but also understand we can’t leave a lot of energy out there pregame. We have to stay focused, stay locked in to the job at hand — and that’s to go out and win a football game.”

Boise State players told the Idaho Press they expect the Seminoles to come out hungry, especially after posting a disappointing 5-7 record last season. Taggart, meanwhile, said he expects the Broncos to come out aggressive and ready to spoil FSU’s debut.

“We’re expecting a really good football team to come in here and kind of do what Boise’s known for doing and that’s knocking off Power Five schools,” he said. “They’re a winning football program. They understand what it takes to win, they understand how to play the game and they’re very

well coached.

“Our players, our coaches, we all know what we’re up against. We have to go out, again, [and] play our best ballgame.”

In addition to an experienced offensive line that has years of chemistry, the Broncos boast some playmakers in defensive tackle David Moa and defensive end Curtis Weaver. Containing both of them and penetrating the offensive line to put pressure on freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier are two keys FSU has discussed throughout the week.

Both schools have adapted to the opener shifting from 7 p.m. Son aturday in Jacksonville to noon on Saturday in Tallahassee in an effort to avoid Hurricane Dorian. The game will now air on ESPNews instead of ESPN.

The Seminoles said this game will set the tone for the season and they are looking to come out sharp and aggressive.

Taggart said in preparation, FSU had one final team scrimmage this past Saturday and it helped the Seminoles develop a flow that they plan on using this weekend.

“Yeah, we try to run it as much as we could like a game,” Taggart said. “We played quarters and [had] halftime. We [came] out of halftime and pregame. We went through the whole nine.

“Hopefully we don’t have to think about a lot of things as we get out there on Saturday. We can just go out and focus on the game and our job of playing and not having to worry about anything else.”

This weekend will also test how a revamped coaching staff works together.

Taggart delegated playcalling duties late last year to then-offensive coordinator Walt Bell. This year, new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles will call plays, and while Taggart can make any changes he said it’s all about finding a rhythm and learning when to communicate with each other on the sidelines.

“I am going to talk to Kendal, Coach [Harlon] Barnett, Coach [Mark] Snyder,” Taggart said. “I am going to talk to them all throughout the game. I think as a play-caller you understand when a guy is in a rhythm, you kind of let him go.

“You tend to do a lot of talking between series about things you like, don’t like or how you want to tackle the next series. Going through a series, you see some things and you can make a suggestion here and there, but I think as a play-caller you understand when that guy has rhythm, let him go and don’t interrupt him. You make a lot of the changes and adjustments that you need to in between series.”

Entering Saturday, the Seminoles have been upbeat and confident.

Wide receiver Tamorrion Terry donned a mask earlier this week to resurrect his “Scary Terry” persona and proclaimed FSU is back. Defensive tackle Marvin Wilson said if the defensive line sticks to the game plan, it should dominate the game.

Taggart said preparation is the key to striking the right balance between confidence and arrogance.

“You get confidence from how you prepare for the game,” he said. “If you go out and you practice well, you have great meetings and things go the way you want throughout the week, you deserve the right to be confident.

“If you don’t do those things, it’s hard to be. You’re just selling yourself a dream. But I think it all comes down to preparation and knowing what you’re doing.

“When you know what you’re doing, you have all the confidence in the world to go out and compete, make sure you do your part to help the team.”

PHIL SEARS/AP Florida State coach Willie Taggart wants the Seminoles to strike the right balance between confidence and arrogance in their opener.

JOE ROBBINS/TNS Florida State fans will get to cheer on the Seminoles in Tallahassee on Saturday after their game against Boise State was moved from Jacksonville as a weather-related precaution.