Written by Susan Erdelyi
Atlanta, GA - The 2015 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta kicks off at high noon today featuring the 9th ranked FSU Seminoles vs. the 18th ranked University of Houston Cougars. Although Houston and FSU have played 16 times with the Cougars winning 12 of those matches, the two teams have been strangers lately.
The last time FSU and Houston faced off was in 1978 when FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher was 13 and Cougars Coach Tom Herman was a 3-year old toddler. Herman, in his first season at Houston has emerged as a disciplinarian and a team builder leading the Cougars to a 12-1 season as the American Athletic Conference (AAC) champs.
Yep. This is a new day, in a new era. The Peach Bowl, as one of the two forums for next year’s college playoff semi-final game, will no doubt remind the Noles (10-2) of what could happen next year if they win today. On the other hand, a Cougar victory could give Houston a chance to re-enter the national spotlight it once enjoyed on the wings of its explosive offense led by Quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. (5’11, 185 Jr.) and Herman’s new leadership.
Ward, a potential Heisman contender who almost made it to the finalists list, is expected to redeem himself on the national spotlight in Atlanta. A double threat on the ground and in the air, Ward will have the stage today with everybody, including the Noles and Coach Fisher watching.
Herman and the Cougars will have their hands full as well with Sean McGuire (6’3, 221) a redshirt junior at the starting quarterback role for the Noles and the ever-powerful Dalvin Cook looking to force his way past the Cougar defense.
Coach Fisher commented on McGuire’s maturity at yesterday’s press conference. “What Sean has shown is a great deal of maturity and how he handles each situation. I think it shows his inner confidence in himself. I think for a guy, because in our world today with instant gratification for kids as soon as they fail the first thing they want to do they want to transfer, they want to go here. They want to go there. They want to blame somebody else. Sean said, all right, Coach, what do I need to do better?” McGuire, who in the early season lost a 3-way race for the starting spot, improved according to Fisher, ultimately becoming the starter and gaining the respect of his teammates.
FSU running back Dalvin Cook (5’11, 202, So) has certainly made McGuire and his team look good all season. Coach Herman acknowledged that the Cougars are the underdog: “The last time I checked, we don’t have Jalen Ramsey (6’1, 202, DB) on our team, and we don’t have Dalvin Cook on our team, and we don’t have four and five-star recruits on our team. We don’t have first round NFL draft picks on our team.” What the Cougars do have – a spot at the Peach Bowl today.
The pre-game festivities are over and it’s Peach Bowl time. What happens remains to be seen, but one should expect an explosive offense from the Cougars led by quarterback Greg Ward, Jr., and an equally explosive Dalvin Cook on the other side.
Whichever team wins, look for these two teams to return in the national spotlight in 2016.
The last time FSU and Houston faced off was in 1978 when FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher was 13 and Cougars Coach Tom Herman was a 3-year old toddler. Herman, in his first season at Houston has emerged as a disciplinarian and a team builder leading the Cougars to a 12-1 season as the American Athletic Conference (AAC) champs.
Yep. This is a new day, in a new era. The Peach Bowl, as one of the two forums for next year’s college playoff semi-final game, will no doubt remind the Noles (10-2) of what could happen next year if they win today. On the other hand, a Cougar victory could give Houston a chance to re-enter the national spotlight it once enjoyed on the wings of its explosive offense led by Quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. (5’11, 185 Jr.) and Herman’s new leadership.
Ward, a potential Heisman contender who almost made it to the finalists list, is expected to redeem himself on the national spotlight in Atlanta. A double threat on the ground and in the air, Ward will have the stage today with everybody, including the Noles and Coach Fisher watching.
Herman and the Cougars will have their hands full as well with Sean McGuire (6’3, 221) a redshirt junior at the starting quarterback role for the Noles and the ever-powerful Dalvin Cook looking to force his way past the Cougar defense.
Coach Fisher commented on McGuire’s maturity at yesterday’s press conference. “What Sean has shown is a great deal of maturity and how he handles each situation. I think it shows his inner confidence in himself. I think for a guy, because in our world today with instant gratification for kids as soon as they fail the first thing they want to do they want to transfer, they want to go here. They want to go there. They want to blame somebody else. Sean said, all right, Coach, what do I need to do better?” McGuire, who in the early season lost a 3-way race for the starting spot, improved according to Fisher, ultimately becoming the starter and gaining the respect of his teammates.
FSU running back Dalvin Cook (5’11, 202, So) has certainly made McGuire and his team look good all season. Coach Herman acknowledged that the Cougars are the underdog: “The last time I checked, we don’t have Jalen Ramsey (6’1, 202, DB) on our team, and we don’t have Dalvin Cook on our team, and we don’t have four and five-star recruits on our team. We don’t have first round NFL draft picks on our team.” What the Cougars do have – a spot at the Peach Bowl today.
The pre-game festivities are over and it’s Peach Bowl time. What happens remains to be seen, but one should expect an explosive offense from the Cougars led by quarterback Greg Ward, Jr., and an equally explosive Dalvin Cook on the other side.
Whichever team wins, look for these two teams to return in the national spotlight in 2016.