It’s Not Over Until It’s Over, FAU Men’s Basketball’s Version

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

A lot of us know that New York Yankees Hall of Fame Catcher Yogi Berra coined “The title of this story” many years ago, to the point that it’s a well known cliche in sports.

On January 28, 2024, In addition to myself, a packed house at the Eleanor R Baldwin Arena, in Boca Raton, FL., got to see it first hand.

All afternoon, the No.22 FAU Owls found themselves in a dogfight with their long-time rival North Texas as the game was nationally televised on ESPN 2. 

FAU entered the contest with a 16-4 mark while the visiting Mean Green came to South Florida with a 12-6 record.

What the fans saw in the first half was a defensive struggle and North Texas took 28-26 lead into the intermission. Mean Green Guard Jason Edwards led his squad in scoring with 11 points and grabbed four rebounds

FAU Guard Johnell Davis played 16:50 of the 20 minutes and led the Owls with 11 points and three rebounds. There wasn’t much to talk about as both teams played smothering defense. 

The second half opened up a little bit and there would be seven lead changes in the contest. The biggest lead in the game was by North Texas at seven points while FAU led by three points.

The last basketball game that I’ve seen during the past six years was when the Detroit Pistons lost to the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena and this was the last time I saw Dwyane Wade play. Due to busy schedule. I just haven’t had time to see basketball games because I’ve been busy with football and baseball.

I came to see my friend former ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Dave Barnett who is the voice of the Mean Green. Prior to the game, I did an interview with his color analyst Hank Dickensen.

What all of us would see was an outright classic buzzer beater.

With 0:00.5 seconds remaining in the game, Davis nailed a three-point shot which gave FAU a 66-63 win as the crowd absolutely erupted. Davis led all scorers with 28 points and he amassed eight rebounds to go along with a pair of steals. 

FAU outscored North Texas 40-35 in the second half.

When you break down the time with the lead, North Texas led for 29:07 while FAU had it for 3:16. What a disparity and in the eyes of Yogi Berra, this is what happens between the lines.

After the contest, Davis and Coach Dusty May met with us to talk about this thrilling contest for what Dickenson would say, “they’re bunk buddies.” May elaborated on that and was proud that his team battled to a hard fought win. 

I encourage you to watch this video in the story so you can gauge everything about this game.

While both teams played at a championship levels, we’re glad that our work was done by 4 PM as it was the week of the NFC and AFC Championship Games. 

The Lions visited the San Francisco 49’ers and the Kansas City Chiefs were in Baltimore to face the Ravens.

The Owls had plenty of time to enjoy the win as they hosted Tulsa on Saturday Night and crushed the Golden Hurricane 102-70.

FAU’s record now stands at 18-4 and is first in the American Athletic Conference while Tulsa (12-9) is 10th.

FAU moved to No.20 in the polls and now they visit the UAB Blazers Thursday Night, who are 14-8 and fifth in the AAC.

When you put this game into perspective, the game was tied at 63-63 until Davis hit the shot to avoid overtime. Then again, after FAU’s Final Four run last season, the Owls are used to these close games and they know they’re going to have plenty more this season.

As for Berra, this game was over thanks to Johnell Davis.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can see his broadcasts by subscribing to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

Also, his book, “Lessons From The Microphone” can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle. He talks about  Old School Media vs New School Media. This book is good for aspiring podcasters, journalists and any other people that want to know the inner workings of the media.

NGBN-TV’s Mission To Save Lives

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I have been involved in a lot of media endeavors through the years, but this latest one intrigues me quite a bit.

My colleague JB Ellis of Sideline Sports got me involved in this one as he met Ian Hill at the National Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana a year ago.

At the age of 58, Hill is trying to beat the long odds of Father Time by attempting to make a comeback in college football despite dealing with a myriad of injuries over the years. Hill has been diligently working out to make this happen and I wish him well in pursuing this aspiration.

But there is a bigger picture here with Hill. 

He’s launching a network on something that’s “never been done before” that involves Men in the age range between 40’s and 60’s. 

Hill is using this platform by providing programming that gives these guys an entertainment outlet to unwind and enjoy the various shows to take their mind off of one of the most underrated diseases on the planet. 

Suicide. Yes, I said suicide. Suicide is a silent killer!

There is no doubt many of us that are having dark moments have considered or attempted this.

I have to admit that in 2000, when I had marital issues with my first wife, she drove me so far off the edge that I overdosed on sleeping pills that I nearly died in a Phoenix, Hospital. 

I’m not going to talk about the medical bills for a one night’s stay. I was 38 when I made this decision. 

There have been other times when I considered it but I looked for another outlet and that was writing as a way to dig in and just vent with my deep feelings and thoughts.

The first time I became aware of suicide was on January 29, 1977 when actor Freddie Prinze Sr., who was an American stand-up comedian and actor, and the star of the NBC-TV sitcom Chico and the Man from 1974 until his death in 1977 took his life.

Prinze suffered from depression, which deepened in the weeks after his wife filed for divorce. Prinze would put a gun to his head and shot himself. A promising career that ended tragically. 

I was 16-years old when he took his life. 

In his honor, I owned a parakeet and named him after Prinze’s character on the sitcom and called him Chico.

In 1988, the ugly “S” word reared its’ ugly head again as my step-grandfather Sidney Jacobs overdosed on sleeping pills at the age of 67. 

Jacobs was frustrated that after he retired, he wanted to travel with my grandmother, but because she didn’t like to go on trips that much, he wasn’t satisfied with working part-time in the home improvement business and being a caretaker for my great grandparents. He didn’t simply want to “exist.”

Suicide was his outlet and there was a history of it in his family.

But Jacobs fell into the age bracket that NGBN-TV is promoting and the target market as I fore mentioned 40’s and 60’s. 

In a recent interview with Hill, I told him his concept was excellent, but I reminded him that it’s important that we think about all ages and genders and he acknowledged that. 

Moreover, I told him that if there are spouses of men between his targeted audience that it’s important to recognize their emotions and what lies ahead.

In my time working with Hill, there is a tremendous connection and respect between the two of us!

He’s 58 and I’m 61. 

I’ve been in the media for 44 years and he’s told me that he’s real happy that I’m a part of this network. I’ve told him that I like what you and the company stand for.

It’s our responsibility to make sure that we provide entertainment that inspires, educates and entertains his audience. We both have a lot of common ground in that area. 

I just sent Hill My Book, “Lessons From The Microphone” because I know that guy will not only read it, he’ll use the information as knowledge to make his platform much stronger, in addition to promoting it as well. He’ll see a part of me that I can’t tell him in a typical phone conversation. 

I mentioned him that if we’re saving lives and making money together, that I’ll be here as long as he wants me. I also told him that I’m open to coaching other younger and aspiring broadcasters.

I want you to notice that I mentioned saving lives first and making money second. 

That’s what this is all about by having a Vision to make a positive impact on Everyone’s Lives!

What the South Florida Tribune is sending to the NGBN TV Network is our signature show the Sports Exchange. 

Take a look at the promo that we have created for you. 

As the Motor City Mad Mouth, I’m passionate of what I do. The primary commentators include, Myself, George Eichorn, JB Ellis and Jacob Christner.

In addition, we produce Pundits, Pundit. The commentators on this show include Myself, George Eichorn, Jacob Christner and Denzel Snipes.

Candy Ebling is behind the scenes producing these shows and everything on the South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network. She’s also built our website from scratch and self taught herself.

I always joke around with Hill, that it’s my job to make sure we have A+ Content. I’m the last person that you want doing any production technical or any other tasks where my mouth isn’t working overtime. He laughs and says, I get your point and it’s all good.

Now Candy has formed a great working relationship with Jenna Ganje and these two make a dynamite one-two punch.

Also included in this story is an interview that I did with Hill. There is no question that when we go on the air together, there is never a dull moment!

On Monday, January 29, 2024, NGBN-TV had a “Sneek Peak” where Hill, Brian Jodice Ganje interviewed the show owners so we could market our shows and give the audience a preview of what to look for. We had our promotional video during every hour and to no surprise, I was the loudest of them all. 

Who was interviewing me? You guessed it, Hill! He laughed extremely hard when I said the words, “Corn hole Baby!”  

That’s just who I am because I love what I’m doing and that’s the message I want everyone in and out of the company to know.

The Sneak Peak turned out to a successful way to not only market the network but to send a message that we care about saving lives! Also, it wet their appetite about the shows on the network.

It’s easy to back something like this based on what I’ve mentioned in this story.

But there are roads to conquer and as Hill has mentioned this has “never been done before.” 

But for me, through the years, this is familiar territory.

I like building situations from scratch or taking a bad one and turning it around.

Life is one big challenge. Now it’s a matter to take the ups and downs and learn from them to take negatives and turned them into positives.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. His broadcasts are on the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel and there is no cost to subscribe.

His book “Lessons From The Microphone” can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle.

Fire Up Florida, North Texas Hoops Color Analyst Hank Dickenson

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When the FAU Men’s Basketball schedule came out, I circled the date January 28, 2024 as I was looking forward to meeting former ESPN Broadcaster Dave Barnett, who is now the play-by-play voice for the North Texas Mean Green.

The Mean Green are Barrett’s Alma-mater and after a celebrated career in the national media, he decided to go home and do what he loves doing.

I did meet Barnett before Sunday’s game and we took a picture together. Barnett did an interview with me for the South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network and anytime that I do a show, it’s my goal to eventually meet that individual.

I was hoping to do a pre-game interview with Barnett but he was busy preparing for the game. 

But as classy as he is, Dave said my color analyst Hank Dickenson would be more than happy to talk to you. I was totally grateful for the opportunity to interview his color analyst, who has been behind the microphone broadcasting Mean Green Hoops for 28 years.

This worked out great as Dickenson and I talked about the following subjects:

*The Transfer Portal

*The two smaller schools playing in large metropolitan areas.

*The rivalry between the universities.

*Dave Barnett.

*Name, Image, Likeness (NIL)

*Big Name Coaches.

*Conference Changes.

*FAU Coach Dusty May and the Owls rise to an elite program and much more.

Enclosed in this story is the interview I did with Dickenson where we talk about the North Texas Hoops program. Dickenson had a lot of worthwhile and insightful comments.

During the course of the interview, I was totally amazed at the schools’ rivalry. He has seen a lot of change in the way the NCAA does business as evidenced in some of the things we spoke about.

I learned a lot about a program that is probably the best kept secret in Texas since there are a lot of renowned schools in the state.

Going into this game, FAU was (16-4, 6-1 in the AAC) and was ranked 22nd in the polls. The Owls were in second place.

Meanwhile, North Texas was in fourth place in the AAC with a (12-6, 5-1 mark).

The game was televised nationally on ESPN 2 and these two teams didn’t disappoint as FAU won a classic thanks to a buzzer beater by Johnell Davis with 0:00.05 left in the game enabling the Owls to come away with a 66-63 win.

After the game, I thanked Hickenson for his time and managed to speak with Barnett for about five minutes. I thanked him for his time when we did our show together. I told him that I wrote a book, “Lessons From The Microphone” and he was extremely encouraging. I also mentioned to him how much I learned from him during our interview and he was extremely pleased to hear this.

If there is a lesson to learn from this story is that even if your first plan doesn’t come to fruition, then it’s important to make sure that you go with the flow and see what falls into your lap.

It was great to interview Barnett initially and quite gratifying to do a show with his color analyst. 

These type of situations are what keeps my passion for what I enjoy in the media. The ability to meet new people, build relationships and see that all of these aspects of content hunting successfully so that it’s a win-win-situation all the way around.

January 28, 2024 was another productive day at the office.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can see his broadcasts by subscribing to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

His book, “Lessons From The Microphone” is available on Amazon and Kindle.

Dallas Drama

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

On last night’s edition of Pundits, Pundit, we had a topic that talked about whether Cowboys QB Dak Prescott deserved a new contract and whether Coach Mike McCarthy should have his extended.

There were mixed feelings from all the crew members that consisted of Myself, Candy Ebling, Denzel Snipes and Jacob Christner. I have to give Christner a lot of credit because during every episode I usually find one topic where I echo the famous words from Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) of Sanford and Son, are you crazy?

The crew has a lot of fun when I do this and to Christner’s credit, he takes everything in stride.

On last night’s episode we addressed the Cowboys QB situation and I said that Prescott didn’t deserve to get extended. The guy is 2-3 in the playoffs and in 2022, I saw him make some key mistakes in a Cowboys loss late in the season to the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Stadium.

Earlier this season, Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones made a trade with the San Francisco 49’ers to acquire Trey Lance, who was drafted in the first round, third overall in the 2021 Draft out of North Dakota State.

Injuries plagued him during his tenure with the 49’ers.

Ahead of the 2023 Season, Lance was named the third-string backup behind Brock Purdy and free agent acquisition Sam Darnold.

Shortly after adding Darnold, the 49’ers traded Lance to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick and he was named third-string quarterback. Jones was very transparent that Lance would just hold a clipboard, which I think all young signal callers should do and just learn.

That’s exactly what Lance did and as I pointed out to my crew, how do you pay a starting QB $60 Million for two playoff wins. Jones didn’t become a billionaire by being stupid.

His only real gaffe during his Cowboys Ownership was letting Hall of Fame Coach Jimmy Johnson go after he guided them to a pair of Super Bowl wins and he should have had a third. That Super Bowl was gift wrapped to Barry Switzer.

In a day and age where teams are overpaying QB’s, these signal callers will find it tough to earn this money unless they produce in the post-season. You can’t be in a bad situation with the salary cap and not be able to fill out the rest of your roster.

But I’ll say this, Pundits, Pundit is one our best shows on The South Florida Tribune Broadcasting Network because we tackle a lot of tough topics in and out of the sports world.

It just so happens this Prescott topic will be talked about a lot in the off-season and you never know when Trey Lance will eventually become the starting QB and all the Cowboys had to give up was a fourth round pick for a guy that can be their signal caller of the future.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

To see his broadcasts, just subscribe to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

Finally, Scott’s new book, “Lessons From The Microphone” can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle.

Proud To Be A USF Bull

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I’ll say one thing about the Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium.

Every time I cover this game, it’s always an adventure.

Part of the adventure is seating or lack there of in the FAU Press Box since it’s too small to accommodate the overflow media.

During the 2020 game where BYU, led by New York Jets QB Zach Wilson, demolished the University of Central Florida 49-23 in front of 6,000 fans, myself and other local media had to sit outside in one end zone. Many of us were tired of that after the first half so we went back to the Press Box and watched the game from the media dining area.

Once again, this event turned out to be a challenge.

My alma-mater, the University of South Florida Bulls (6-6 overall, 4-4 AAC) faced the Syracuse Orange (6-6 overall, 2-6 ACC) on December 21, 2023. 

I was approved for my credentials quite quickly, but couldn’t pick them up until the day before the game, thus I wasn’t able to attend some of the pre-game press conferences.

When I went to the game, once again there was no seat in the Press Box and had to sit in the auxiliary section instead. This wasn’t as bad since it was below the Press Box. It was neat sitting amongst the fans and during halftime, I went to the media lounge on the first floor and left my bag there.

While I didn’t have the luxury of stats to work with because there was no table in the auxiliary section, I didn’t need one as USF blew out Syracuse 45-0.

USF out gained Syracuse in total offense 407-159.

The Bulls led in first downs 21-9.

The rushing advantage by USF was staggering 161-20.

USF’s passing game advantage was 246-139.

What did this add up to for Syracuse? A long night at the office.

On this night since I had no photographer, I enjoyed writing, being the photographer and shooting the video at the post-game press conference, and once again, it was great to see my former editor Joey Johnston, who is the radio play-by-play announcer for USF. Joey is also a USF alumnus.

It was neat taking some photos with some USF Bulls fans and alumni since I’m one of them. 

A crowd of 20,711 had an opportunity to see this domination.

In this game, the Bulls defense rose to the occasion, swarming Syracuse from the outset forcing four punts (including three, three-and-outs) and three turnovers including a pair of scoop and score touchdowns. USF limited the Orange to 91 first half yards (including -15 rushing) in pinching USF’s first, first half shutout 21-0, since 2019.

Syracuse finished with 159 yards, 10 punts and just nine first downs (going 1-of-17 on third down) as the Bulls posted their first complete game shutout since 2009 and didn’t allow the Orange to reach the redzone in a complete domination.

Daauan  Evans was named Defensive MVP after posting five tackles, two for a loss, a sack, and forcing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Aamaris Brown-Bunkley was named Special Teams MVP after returning a botched field goal attempt for a touchdown and added three tackles.

Redshirt freshman QB Byrum Brown was named Offensive MVP , started the game 10-of-11 before finishing 19-of 26 for 214 yards and three touchdowns, posted a team-best 64 yards rushing on 14 carries, and caught a 21-yard pass from Sean Atkins. 

He became just the second Bull to surpass 4,000 total yards in a season, finishing with 4,101, and second only to Quinton Flowers’ 4,342 yards posted in 2016.

Sean Atkins became the Bulls first 1,000 yard receiver, as he grabbed six passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

The 45-0 victory marked USF’s largest margin of victory ever in a bowl game and its fourth win over a “Power” Conference Program.

USF improved its bowl record to 7-4.

After the game, it was neat to finally meet and talk to Head Coach Alex Golesh as he talked about this game, and the future of his program that includes an on campus stadium that will open in the next few years along with playing in South Florida.

In this video, you’re going to hear Golesh and the key players of the game.

I was totally impressed with Golesh’ candor and the energy he brings to the program, something that USF has lacked the last several years. You’re going to see it in this video.

It was also nice to be able to proudly wear My USF Shirt and seeing the game just 15 minutes from my front door in Deerfield Beach.

After going to this contest, my plan is to cover more USF Games in 2024.

On this day, I was “Proud To Be A USF Bull” as it was a moment that I didn’t mind being in the Press Box and instead being where I could hang out with individuals that wear the green and gold proudly.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can see his broadcasts by subscribing to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

Scott’s book, “Lessons From The Microphone” can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle.

Miami Hurricanes Wrap-up

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

The road back to respectability for the Miami Hurricanes has taken its share of twists and turns under Coach Mario Cristobal.

Going into their home game vs the Louisville Cardinals on November 18, the Hurricanes entered the contest at 6-4 and qualified for a bowl game. 

The Hurricanes were 6-0-1 all-time vs the Cardinals at home. A win for Louisville would give the Cardinals a spot in the ACC Championship Game. Moreover, this was a game where there would be a piece of hardware that would be given to the winner.

That piece of hardware was the Howard Schnellenberger Trophy as the legendary coach masterminded turnarounds for both programs. 

The game was played with a temperature of 70 degrees under cloudy skies with winds at 10 MPH and the relative humidity at 79%.

The Cardinals entered the game as the No. 10 team in the country while Miami was unranked and ninth in the ACC.

During the first half, the Hurricanes didn’t look like an unranked opponent as they took a 21-20 lead at half at halftime. They also outscored Louisville 7-3 in the third quarter to take a 28-23 at the end of the stanza.

But the biggest Achilles heel for Miami all-season is not playing well for an entire 60 minutes which resulted in the Cardinals outscoring the Hurricanes 15-3 in the fourth quarter.

In what would turnout to be his last home game, QB Tyler Van Dyke had a strong outing with a 24-39, 327 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. Van Dyke entered the transfer portal and will be the signal caller in 2024 for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Running back Mark Fletcher made his presence felt by with 17 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught one pass for 25 yards.

As he’s been all-season, Xavier Restrepo had a monster contest with eight receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown.

Finally, kicker Andres Borregales proved why he’s one of the best kickers in by kicking one field goal for 51-yards and converted all four of his extra point opportunities. Expect to see him in the NFL in the future.

The Hurricanes amassed 486 yards in total offense, but penalties plagued the team as Miami had five for 50-yards.

The end result was a 38-31 Cardinals triumph the loss law Miami drop to 6-5 heading into its final game on the road against Boston College. The Cardinals would face Florida State in the ACC Title Game.

Check out the videos inside to see what Coach Cristobal, Van Dyke along with other players had to say. 

How would the Hurricanes fare in New England on Friday, November 24?

Much better.

Miami rolled to a 45-20 win and led 28-7 at halftime.

In what would turn out to be his final game, Van Dyke was 23-36 for 290 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 149.9.

The touchdowns came all over the place.

Running back Henry Parrish had 11 carries for 111 yards and two scores. Ajax Allen gained 68 yards and had a touchdown. Mark Fletcher’s number included 12 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown, Donald Chaney had three carries for 11 yards also added a touchdown. 

After this game, Chaney entered the transfer portal and like Van Dyke wouldn’t play in the Hurricanes Bowl Game.

On this day, Xavier Restrepo had six receptions for 117 yards, Jacolby George had six receptions for 89 yards along with a touchdown. Finally, Colbie Young amassed three carries for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Once again, the Hurricanes rolled to an easy win and outscored Boston College 10-6 in the final quarter.

Miami was invited to the Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium) and took its 7-5 record to face the 6-6 Rutgers Scarlet Knights of the Big Ten. This would be essentially a home game in New York City for Rutgers on December 28, 2023.

As I mentioned earlier, the break between the Boston College game and the Pinstripe Bowl saw Van Dyke and Chaney depart via the transfer portal. There were other injuries to Miami as well.

This left Miami with Jacurri Brown as the starting quarterback and he was playing his first contest of the year. 

He didn’t look bad as he was 20-31 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also factored into the ground game by rushing for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

There was talk all-game by the ESPN announcers that Brown is contemplating the transfer portal to find a team that will give him more playing time. We’ll see how this plays out in the coming weeks.

Prior to the game, Rutgers had never defeated Miami.

Despite Restrepo’s 11 receptions for 99-yards and a touchdown, this would be the extent of Miami’s offense. Fletcher left the game in the first quarter due to an injury and you could see the frustration in the Canes face.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai led the ground attack and impressed the scouts with 25 carries for 163 yards and a touchdown.

QB Gavin Wimsatt proved to be the ultimate game manager as he was 7-15 for 84 yards but also had nine carries for nine yards with two touchdowns on the ground.

The result turned out to be a 31-24 win and Rutgers earned its first win over Miami in the series. The Hurricanes final points occurred with under a minute to go in the fourth quarter.

Miami has only won one bowl game in the past 12 seasons and you can rest assure it’s going to be an arduous off-season in Cristobal’s third year with the program. 

One positive development in what would turnout to be a 7-6 season was the decision for Restrepo to return for the 2024 season. He was eligible for the 2024 draft.

The redshirt junior recorded 85 catches for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns. You can rest assure that he will return to the Hurricanes as the team’s top target. It remains to be seen as to see who Restrepo will be catching passes from.

To say that the 2023 season was a roller coaster ride is understating the obvious. 

There is no doubt that Miami had two quality wins versus Miami (Ohio) and Texas A&M had the season going in the right direction in September. A win over Clemson during the ACC also helped.

But this is a team that was marred by inconsistency and if they was to keep the fan base, alumni interested, there has to be marked improvement in 2024 or the catcalls will be out for the ouster of Cristobal.

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out in over the next 12 months.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can find him on Twitter/X @TribuneSouth.

Also, to see his broadcasts, by Subscribing to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

Also, Scott wrote his first book “Lessons From The Microphone” which can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle.

Veterans Day In Florida State Capital

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

TALLAHASSEE, FL

I’ve covered some football games on Veterans Day in the NFL, but not in College Football until last weeks contest featuring the Miami Hurricanes at Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Prior to going to the game, I predicted on the External Bum Podcast on Friday that the 14 point underdogs, Miami Hurricanes would lose the game, but I was hoping the Canes would keep it close. Miami did just that as the Canes and Seminoles were tied at 10-10 at the end of the first half and lost 27-20.

Miami decided to start freshman QB Emory Williams to give the team a spark. The Canes figured his mobility could stretch the Seminoles defense. Williams did amass five carries for a negative seven yards but one of those carries was a sack. 

Williams was a factor in the passing game as he went 8-23-0 interceptions and had two touchdown passes for 175 yards and was sacked twice. One of those passes was an 85 yard strike to Jacolby George. His favorite target was George, who had five receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

Leading the Miami rushing attack was Donald Chaney Jr. He had 12 carries for 85 yards with a long of 29 followed by Mark Fletcher Jr. He had 16 carries for 55 yards.

The numbers definitely told the story of this game. 

Miami definitely dominated on the ground 34 carries for 131 yards, while FSU had 31 carries for 57 yards, however, QB Jordan Travis was sacked for 30 yards. Trey Benson led FSU in rushing with 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns. One of his touchdowns was a 38-yard rush.

FSU more than made up for it in the passing yards as Travis was 19-31, 0 interceptions, 265 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked three times. Leading the receivers for FSU were Johnny Wilson, 5-82, Keon Coleman 4-24, one touchdown, JaKhi Douglas three for 69 yards and Jaheim Bell three for 41 yards.

Miami out gained FSU in total yards 335-322. FSU led in time of possession 30:40-29:20 and first downs 17-13. Miami was penalized seven times for 40 yards while FSU three times for 35 yards.

The Hurricanes had a chance to win the game late, but unfortunately Williams was injured and was carted off the field. The Canes turned to Tyler Van Dyke, but he wasn’t able to lead his troops to the end zone . Van Dyke was 2-7 for 29 yards and one interception.

Kicker Andy Borregales kicked two field goals, one of 27 yards and the other was 51 yards, plus converted his pair of extra points.

Florida State got more than it bargained for, not covering the 14 points and once again, escaped with a 27-20 win.

The talk after the game centered around Williams——————————injury and while Coach Mario Cristobal was pleased with the effort of his squad, a moral victory in the State Capital isn’t what he was looking for as you’re going to see and hear in the video enclosed.

He did say that he’s delighted as to what the Canes QB situation looks like in the future.

All of the videos are available from the Miami post-game press conference. 

This was my first trip to FSU and it was quite an experience. 

From the long walk starting with the Media Garage to picking up my credential, walking around the stadium taking a photo at the Bobby Bowden Statue to getting into the game and just observing the environment in the press box was worth the seven hour trip.

There was a long walk to the other side Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Walker Stadium going on the field and into the Miami Interview Room, engrossed into the sights and sounds of the sellout crowd of 79,560 fans.

If you like college football, this is a place you have to get to. It was that electric. 

Meanwhile, the loss dropped Miami to 6-4 while FSU improved to 10-0. They are ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff.

The Hurricanes, whom are bowl eligible wrap up their home schedule at Noon at Hard Rock Stadium face the Louisville Cardinals (9-1) for the newly created Howard Schnellenberger Trophy. The Canes will also honor for QB Gino Torretta, who won a Heisman Trophy while playing for “The U.”

Scott Morganroth can be reached at Southfloridatribune@Gmail.com and you can find him on Twitter/X @TribuneSouth. To see all of his broadcasts, there is no charge to Subscribe to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

Also, Scott has a new book called “Lessons From The Microphone” that can be purchased at Amazon or Kindle.