Thoughts From the Morning After: FSU 69 Murray State 3

It's the first Sunday of the college football season and we're rolling out what will be a regular feature here on the FSU Herald Blog, we're going to look back at the last night's game with a little more perspective (well at least 12 hours and a good night's sleep).

Last night the Seminoles absolutely destroyed the Murray State Racers 69-3. 

-Yes, it was FCS competition but given the fact Florida State hasn't always dominated these matchups in recent years, a 69-3 drumming is a nice way to get the season started for Seminoles fans. The 'Noles face two more tune-up games before Clemson comes to Tallahassee in week four of the season.

That will be the first real challenge the Seminoles face and if they can beat Clemson, they're likely to rise up in the polls and could even hit number one by the time they roll into Blacksburg for a Thursday night showdown with Virginia Tech. 

-Bjoern Werner had one of the best games any defensive player has ever had at FSU from a statistical standpoint. Four sacks, five tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass batted down at the line. Werner told us after the game he was a joking around with the linemen he was beating on the other team, learning their names, telling them it was good to play against them and he was glad they were in Tallahassee. 

I can't imagine what the conversation on the Murray State buses was on the way back home. Werner, for the impressive day he had, didn't get a whole lot of national recognition. He's not the type of guy who chases headlines though, he's surpremely confident in himself and he knows what kind of performance he puts on tape. At several points in his interview last night Werner answered a question with some variation of, "you saw what happened out there, it speaks for itself."

Tough not to be impressed with Werner, that obviously dates back to last season too. Enjoy it though, Seminoles fans, Werner is on an NFL trajectory that very likely may see him playing on Sundays next year.

-One thing to watch for with the receiving rotation this year is that, because of the depth, it almost seems like players may occasionally get lost in the shuffle. Last night was not a good sample size because the objective was to get a lot of guys through the game. But Greg Dent was targeted frequently early on before completely disappearing. Kelvin Benjamin didn't really see much action until the second half and Kenny Shaw seemed like the only player getting consistent reps.

As I said, until the Noles are in a competitive game we won't really know what the rotation looks like. But with the number of receivers in the mix, it will be interesting to see just how it plays out. 

-Shaw had a very up and down night, he really got it on the sideline after be bobbled a ball that got picked but by the end of the game he was making plays and splitting the secondary again. One thing you'll notice about Kenny Shaw the more time you spend around this program is that he's one of those guys that Jimbo doesn't mind getting on.

But the writing is also on the wall, Kenny Shaw plays as much as any receiver on the roster. It's extremely likely that part of the reason the coaches ride Shaw as hard as they do is that the expectations are so high with him. If he ever puts it together he can be an excellent receiver. We see flashes of it all the time, the FSU coaching staff is looking for that Kenny Shaw to bring it consistently though. 

-Also, while we're on the receivers, one player I highly doubt that you'll see this season is Marvin Bracy, the track-star/wide receivee will be running track for the Seminoles this year but you may have to wait until next season to see him on the football field. There's just so many guys ahead of him it doesn't make sense to burn a year of eligibility. Especially considering he also isn't likely to play on special teams given the number of returners ahead of him.

-Finally, Dustin Hopkins is libel to get someone killed this year if he keeps hanging kicks up high and landing them inside an opponents five. The Seminole coverage team is back to the level of athleticism it boasted in the Seminoles' hey-day and it's only a matter of time before someone either gets seriously hurt or you see a fair catch inside the ten. 

I'll have more for you througout the day. Keep checking back...