Rix, offense back on somewhat even keel

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© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 30, 2001

TALLAHASSEE -- They handed Chris Rix a notebook filled with diagrams. In return, he handed them a night filled with hope.

If the season is to turn for Florida State, this is where the curve begins. On a bus headed toward Thomasville, Ga., after Friday's team meetings.

A week of practices had ended and players were on the road to an out-of-the-way hotel. It was there they got the first long look at their game plans and were given tests to review their assignments.

It was there Rix finally arrived as an FSU quarterback.

After three weeks of cautious approaches and tentative game plans, FSU coaches decided it was time for Rix to come of age. Either that, or the season was going to end prematurely.

"We decided not to protect our quarterback and just call the plays," coach Bobby Bowden said. "I think we did the right thing in trying to protect our quarterback in the first three games, but we just can't do that now.

"It makes you say, "Was he ready to do this last week?' "

We will never know if it would have made a difference against North Carolina. Whether the result was caused by the plan.

But after Saturday night, we do know this:

It is time to throw caution, and passes, to the wind.

Against Wake Forest Saturday night, there was no pretense about being a running team. No hesitation in using the shotgun.

Rix came out throwing and Wake Forest ended up ducking. He hit third-down passes and he hit deep passes. He hit them out of the I-formation and out of the shotgun. When it was over, he appeared to hit his stride.

After throwing an interception in the first 34 seconds, Rix directed six touchdown drives in a row. He threw 262 yards in the first two quarters, better than he had done in four quarters of any other game.

"I was comfortable with them putting more on me this week and knowing we were going to open it up," Rix said. "Being a quarterback at Florida State, I don't think you can be babied or taken along slowly. I had a redshirt year last year and, yeah I'm a freshman, but there are no excuses now.

"Whatever they put on me, I feel like I can handle it."

Bowden and his staff had the right intentions when they decided to proceed cautiously. They had their youngest team in years and their most inexperienced quarterback in decades.

They wanted to tone it down. To strut less and plod more. But, somewhere in the process, the Seminoles lost their way.

The Seminoles opened against North Carolina with eight consecutive running plays. They avoided the shotgun. They used more tight ends, and less receivers. In short, FSU played like a team looking over its shoulder instead of looking downfield.

Bowden said he believed establishing a running game would make life easier for Rix.

"I guess that's the old-fashioned way," Bowden said. "If I live through another (quarterback change), I won't do that again."

The Seminoles are not as wide-open as the past. They called the spread formation for 10 of their 42 plays in the first half. They did not use the hurry-up offense and often had two receivers on the field.

What FSU did was mix the offense up to keep Wake Forest off-balance. The Seminoles had a seven-play drive in the second quarter that used the I-formation exclusively. It ended in a 52-yard touchdown pass. On the next possession, FSU opened in a shotgun and Rix threw a 31-yard touchdown pass on the first play.

"I'm more comfortable when we throw the ball earlier," Rix said. "It gets me motivated and helps establish a tempo."

Of course, it is easier to establish a tempo against Wake Forest than Miami. Rix rarely was troubled by a pass rush Saturday night and his receivers had little problem finding open spots in the secondary.

The problem with a quarterback as young as Rix is the truth comes and goes. At times, you know with certainty he is a star about to rise. And then there are moments when he makes you wonder.

Rix is impressive as a runner, but impatient as a passer. Instead of looking for secondary receivers in the pocket, he tends to tuck and run.

That does not mean he will not grow as a quarterback, but it suggests there will be bumps along the way. What Saturday night proved is Rix is worth the effort to find out.

"He's a cool guy. He doesn't get alarmed," Bowden said. "He's got the ability. He has got a lot of ability."

It may be premature to say with certainty that Florida State's offense is in good hands. But at least it is back in the quarterback's hands.

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