Kelvin Benjamin already has surpassed his touchdown total from 2012 and he’s closing in on his personal highs for receptions and yards.
The sophomore receiver from Belle Glade entered Florida State’s game with Miami with 23 catches for 430 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 Benjamin finished his freshman year with 30 receptions for 495 yards and four scores.
“He’s learning to be consistent, learning to push himself, and he still has a ways to go,” coach Jimbo Fisher said. “That’s still a challenge for him every day, and we talk about it every day. It’s never good enough, and you have to keep pushing yourself.”
Fisher is pleased with Benjamin’s play but said there is “another level he can really go to and take off.”
Benjamin had two catches for 46 yards in the first half Saturday, both coming on FSU’s touchdown scoring drives. Benjamin made an acrobatic 35-yard catch over Hurricanes safety A.J. Highsmith near UM’s 10-yard line but couldn’t keep his feet, stumbling at the 9. FSU scored three plays later to take a 14-7 lead.
FSU pulled away for a 41-14 victory; Benjamin didn’t record a catch in the second half.
Recruits watching? Fisher isn't sure if winning an important game against your rival has as much meaning as in the past.
His theory is supported by last year’s result. The Seminoles spotted Miami an early lead before scoring 17 fourth-quarter points in a 33-20 victory. Yet the teams split the top two recruits they went head-to-head on with Miami-Booker T. Washington linebacker Matthew Thomas picking FSU and Oakland Park-Northeast receiver Stacy Coley signing with the Hurricanes.
“I don’t know if it matters as much as it used to because I think recruiting has changed so much,” Fisher said. “At the same time, it doesn’t hurts you to win that game. There’s a lot of other reasons besides recruiting to win it.”
Fisher moving on up: Fisher moved past former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen to become the winningest coach in ACC history through his first four years.
Fisher entered Saturday 38-10. He passed Friedgen, 36-14 after his first four years, with the Seminoles’ victory over N.C. State.
Spotlight on Seminoles: Florida State had to deal with the spotlight for the second time in three games, with national reporters descending upon Tallahassee and ESPN's cameras a presence at practice, in meetings and in the weight room.
The Seminoles hope it’s not the last time.
“It’s kind of been good because they are getting used to this … it’s kind of normal,” Fisher said. “They are prioritizing. They deal with it, then they move on. It’s not something that’s new to them, and it’s in their everyday routine. Hopefully we can continue to play big games and it will be like that.”
Freshman receiver out: True freshman wide receiver Isaiah Jones underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot and could miss the rest of the season.
Jones had played in five games and had two catches for 31 yards as a second-team receiver. The Seminoles have relied primarily on four receivers — Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw, Benjamin, Nick O’Leary — who have 110 of their 142 receptions.
Fisher said he hopes to have Jones back in time for FSU’s Bowl game.
Media darlings: Florida State issued 646 media credentials for Saturday's game, the most ever for a game at Doak Campbell Stadium. The previous high was when No. 1 Oklahoma came to Tallahassee in 2011 to face No. 5 FSU. The Sooners defeated Florida State 23-13.
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