Most teams wouldn’t want a bye week after the first game of the season. But it came at a welcome time for Florida State.
Running back James Wilder Jr. (shoulder) and cornerback P.J. Williams (thigh bruise) returned to practice Monday, and guard Tre’ Jackson (foot) is expected to practice Tuesday. All three are expected to play when the 10th-ranked Seminoles host Nevada on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN).
FSU defeated Pittsburgh 41-13 on Labor Day and had Saturday off. It’s the earliest the Seminoles have ever had a scheduled bye week, but it certainly has helped three Seminoles heal up.
“I think it actually came at a really good time,” coach Jimbo Fisher said.
FSU also played on Labor Day in 2009, losing 38-34 at home to Miami. The Seminoles played six days later at home against Jacksonville State and looked sluggish, needing a touchdown run in the final minute to pull ahead before eventually winning 19-9.
“I think it’s extremely hard to go from a Monday right back to Saturday,” Fisher said. “Especially off a road game when you get back so late.”
FSU has the added benefit of a second bye week in 2013. The Seminoles will have Oct. 12 off before traveling to No. 3 Clemson the following Saturday.
“When you have another off week down the road, it doesn’t bother me,” Fisher said. “If you didn’t have another off week, it would because then you’d have 10 or 11 in a row.”
ACC showing strength: With Clemson's win over Georgia in Week 1 and Saturday's Miami victory over Florida on Saturday, the Atlantic Coast Conference has grabbed two early wins from the Southeastern Conference. And that should go a long way toward helping the ACC's reputation.
“You’re seeing that this league is a much, much better league than people give credit,” Fisher said. “That’s what you have to do — you want credibility in the league, you have to win those games.”
FSU-Bethune game time set: FSU will host Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. The game will be shown on ESPN3.com.
