Seminoles.com
Seminoles.com
TALLAHASSEE —
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Jimbo Fisher era at Florida State began with a win.
Following an offseason of hype, renewed expectations and a plethora of changes throughout the program, Florida State officially unveiled its first new head football coach in over 30 years on Saturday against Samford at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida State dominated Samford in Fisher’s debut as a head coach, winning 59-6.
“Any time you make plays, it means something,” Fisher said in his first postgame news conference as the Seminoles’ head coach. “We are going to play one way only, and that’s with effort and passion.”
In his first game back after a shoulder injury sidelined him for the final four contests of the 2009 season, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder only had to play two quarters in the win. In the first half, Ponder tossed four touchdown passes and completed 12-of-14 passes for 167 yards.
When the second half started, Ponder gave way to backup E.J. Manuel, who went 10-of-13 for 129 yards.
Ty Jones ran for a game- and career-high 107 yards on eight carries, and scored a touchdown. Jermaine Thomas and Chris Thompson also ran for touchdowns.
Taiwan Easterling hauled in four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Bert Reed also caught a touchdown pass, and had 50 yards on five catches. Thompson added 54 yards receiving on four catches.
Defensively, Nigel Bradham and Anthony McCloud had a team-high six tackles apiece.
Florida State got on the board when Ponder rolled out and hit fullback Lonnie Pryor for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Ponder’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Reed made it 14-0. It was Reed’s first touchdown reception since 2008.
A blocked punt by Thompson led to a four-yard touchdown run by Jermaine Thomas, extending the Seminoles’ lead to 21-0.
Early in the game, Samford had avoided punting the ball to All-American punt returner Greg Reid.
But finally, they elected to test the former Lowndes High star, who led the nation in punt return yardage last year.
Reid caught a punt, juked past a defender, squirted through two more and then raced across the goal line for a 74-yard score, giving the Seminoles a 28-0 lead.
“The guy is amazing,” Fisher said. “He really is amazing.”
An interception by Mike Harris gave the Seminoles the ball in the red zone, and they capitalized again. Ponder hooked up with Pryor on an 8-yard touchdown pass to push the FSU lead to 35-0.
Just over four minutes later, another Florida State drive culminated with an 11-yard strike from Ponder to Easterling.
Samford kicked a field goal at the end of the half, which made the score 42-3.
The 42 points was the most Florida State has registered in an opening half in a game since 2000 against Duke.
In the second half, Jones had a career-long 57-yard run for a touchdown. Thompson later added a nine-yard scoring run. Both touchdown runs occurred in the third quarter, and put the ’Noles up 56-6.
Next Saturday, Florida State travels to Oklahoma.
