Special Teams Too Ordinary vs. FSU

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Among the most troubling aspects of Saturday’s loss was the way Florida State outplayed Virginia in all facets of special teams, an area where the ‘Hoos had consistently outperformed their first five opponents. UVa coach Al Groh called the performance of his special teams “very poor.”

Only the second-half play of oft-maligned punter Sean Johnson, who took a strong turn toward improvement after some early-game struggles, gave special teams coach Mark D’Onfrio anything to feel good about. Special teams ace Alvin Pearman said he was surprised by Florida State’s advantage in the kicking game.

“That was one area where we thought we had a big advantage on them and where we could exploit them, but it turned out to be just the opposite,” he said. “Going into the game that was one of our strong areas and one of their weak areas.”

The Cavaliers did start strong, as Jon Thompson tracked down FSU’s Antonio Cromartie on the opening kickoff at the Seminole 15. The defense held FSU to three plays and out, but Virginia’s luck quickly soured.

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