Florida State tight end Nick O’Leary was vocal about his desire to become more involved in the passing game this season.
O’Leary’s wish was granted early in the Seminoles’ season-opening 41-13 win Monday night at Pittsburgh as the former Dwyer High standout scored FSU’s first two touchdowns. He finished with three TD catches overall Monday.
O’Leary’s first score came on a 24-yard reception of a pass from freshman quarterback Jameis Winston. O’Leary was open down the middle and ran the final few yards untouched into the end zone with 4:11 left in the first quarter.
About 5 1/2 minutes later, the Seminoles lined up in the jumbo package from the Panthers’ 2 with defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel in the backfield and O’Leary was wide open in the back of the end zone.
O’Leary added a third TD on a 10-yard catch in the fourth quarter to put FSU ahead 41-13. He ended the game with four catches for 47 yards.
O’Leary, a junior, entered the game with 33 career receptions for 416 yards and four TDs. He had 21 catches, three for touchdowns, last year.
Before the start of training camp, O’Leary said he wanted to “get a lot more balls this year and be a part of the passing game.”
Homecoming for Sunseri: FSU defensive ends coach Sal Sunseri is a legend in Pittsburgh.
Sunseri played linebacker at Pitt from 1978-81 and was a three-year starter, anchoring the No. 1 defense in the nation in 1980 and ’81. He was named a consensus All-American his senior season and chosen the defensive MVP of the 1982 Senior Bowl.
“He was a great player,” said FSU coach Jimbo Fisher, who grew up in West Virginia and remembers the West Virginia-Pitt rivalry. “He was physical, tough, hard-nosed. He made all the tackles.”
Fisher then took a jab at his first-year coach.
“They had Rickey Jackson one side and Hugh Green on the other. They had to run at him.”
Sunseri was taken in the 10th round by his hometown team, the Steelers, in the 1982 NFL draft but suffered a career-ending knee injury in training camp. His family owns a pizza parlor and produce store in downtown Pittsburgh.
Sunseri’s son Tino was Pitt’s starting quarterback from 2010-12. He now plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. His son Vinnie is a safety at Alabama.
Fisher hired Sunseri in December after he spent a year as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee. Sunseri coached the outside linebackers at Alabama the previous three seasons.
Running back depth chart: The loss of redshirt freshman Mario Pender shouldn't hurt FSU, unless one of the team's top two backs goes down.
Pender, who is academically ineligible, was in a battle for the No. 3 spot with true freshman Ryan Green. Green now is on the third team behind James Wilder and Devonta Freeman.
Wilder and Freeman will see most of the playing time. FSU, though, is likely to start developing another running back.
“Pender had a great camp,” Fisher said. “That last scrimmage, he ran 140 (to) 150 yards. Unfortunately, that’s something we have to deal with.”
Shaw handling punts: Fisher was pleased with the Seminoles' special teams play last season with the exception of the punt return game.
Although the Seminoles ranked seventh nationally with a 14.49 yards-per-return average, Fisher focused on the four turnovers while returning punts.
“We didn’t catch punts,” he said before stressing field position. “Field position is critical. We spent a lot of time on our coverage teams and our return teams making sure we are penalty free.”
Receiver Kenny Shaw will be the primary punt returner. Rashad Greene led the team last year with 20 returns for 307 yards, and Shaw and Tyler Hunter each had eight returns.
“Kenny is very dynamic,” Fisher said. “He sees it off the foot very well. I want all punts caught. You can’t let a punt hit the ground. Nothing good comes from a punt hitting the ground very often.”
Players support the Fishers' fund: FSU and Pittsburgh wore a special 'I Fight Fanconi' Kidz1stFund decal on the back of their helmets Monday night.
The gesture was in support of the son of Jimbo and Candi Fisher, Ethan Fisher, who is suffering from Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disease. The Fishers began the Kidz1stFund to raise awareness and help Fanconi anemia research.
Noles in the pros: All 11 Seminoles who were drafted in April along with one undrafted free agent made a 53-man roster in the NFL.
Three FSU players were taken in the first round — QB EJ Manuel (Bills), DE Bjoern Werner (Colts) and CB Xavier Rhodes (Vikings) — and two were chosen in the second round, two in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Lonnie Pryor, a fullback from Okeechobee, made the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
