Sunday, January 03, 1999
Rooster's story typical 'Noles tale
BY PAUL DAUGHERTY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
TEMPE, Ariz. — Only Florida State makes it to the national title game starting a red-haired, third-string quarterback nicknamed Rooster. From its bottomless bag of adolescent All-Americans, FSU pulls a kid it recruited as a safety and says, confidently, “Win the biggest game of the year.”
Marcus Outzen replaced Chris Weinke, who replaced Dan Kendra. Kendra blew a knee last spring. Weinke injured his neck a month ago. Actually, Weinke's hurts were somewhat more serious than that.
“I'm still getting headaches from the spinal fluid leaks,” he confided yesterday. “When the bone chipped off my vertebra, it punctured a hole in the fluid sack, so my brain was actually sitting on my skull.”
I hate it when that happens.
(Weinke is a 26-year-old sophomore. What does he say to his mates on Saturday night? “Sorry, dudes, can't make it to the frat blowout. Gotta watch the kids.” Where does FSU get these guys?)
Outzen came on after that and, naturally, led the Seminoles past Florida. Now Outzen says, “Nothing against Tennessee. But playing the Gators is a championship in itself.”
The football stud farm
Nope. Nothing against Tennessee, FSU's Fiesta Bowl opponent. The Volunteers are a nice, little story. Vols win it all without Peyton! Peyton Manning's replacement, Tee Martin, is such a compelling, dirt-to-glory story, he could be a movie of the week.
He would be, too, if the opponent were any team other than the Seminoles. Florida State churns out football players the way Harvard produces MBAs. It's the stud farm for Pigskin Nation. In last year's Sugar Bowl, the 'Noles whomped Ohio State with a quick, swarming defense that made the Buckeyes look like little boys. The NFL took seven starters from that defense.
This year, FSU has the top-ranked defense in the country. “I think we're a little quicker than we were last year,” coach Bobby Bowden decided. Uh-huh.
The Seminoles have finished in the top four in the country every year since 1986. They've won more games than any team in the '90s. They are the Ming Dynasty of quasi-amateur football.
That's why Outzen can say with a straight face, “My backup now is a great one.” Whoever that is.
I repeat Outzen's claim to FSU offensive lineman Ross Brannon.
“Jared Jones? Jared Jones has one heck of an arm,” Brannon says.
No doubt. On page 101 of the FSU media guide, in the small print reserved for modesty and freshmen, Jones is described as “the third Parade all-American QB on the Seminole roster.”
See where we're going with this?
Outzen came for defense
Marcus Outzen has a flat top of gelled red hair. He's a little bit lean and he barely shaves. He could be Eddie Haskell. He says FSU recruited him “as an athlete,” but you knew the Seminoles weren't really interested in him as a QB when they sent their defensive coordinator to look at him. As a high school senior, he ran the option and threw 114 passes.
He played safety when the opponent faced third and long. “I run a four-four 40,” Outzen explains. “Everyone knew I was the prototype size of a safety.”
Only now, he's starting the national title game at quarterback. His team is favored to win. Haskell leads Seminoles! It's not only plausible, it's likely.
Anywhere else, this doesn't work. Anywhere else, they lose a Tim, a Cade or a Donovan and the season is grumpy alumni and the Holiday Bowl.
Not at Florida State, where the hitters just keep on coming. “We come here because we want to win championships,” Brannon says.
Whatever you think this Fiesta Bowl is — a title game, a reason for Ohio State to lobby for a playoff, a three-hour tribute to corn chips — it is right and good that Florida State is playing in it. AT&T doesn't dial long distance with string and a tin can. Royalty has its privileges.
Paul Daugherty is an Enquirer columnist.
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