Florida State Football

Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin will be eligible to play in the 2020 season after transferring to the Seminoles from Texas A&M in December the school announced Tuesday.  

"We are grateful to the NCAA for this decision and to Texas A&M for supporting this process," head coach Mike Norvell said. "We're excited for Jashaun and the opportunity he's going to have to impact this program on and off the field."

The redshirt sophomore will have three years of eligibility remaining.

"Thank you to everyone in compliance for working on my behalf and to my coaches for their support throughout this process," Corbin said. "I also want to say thank you to Texas A&M for making this possible. I'm looking forward to being a big contributor to the team this upcoming season."

In two seasons and 14 games, Corbin has rushed for 483 yards and two touchdowns. He was Trayveon Williams' backup in the 2018 season and came into 2019 as the team's starter before a hamstring injury ended his season after just two games.

God makes no mistakes.. I’ll be back even stronger next year! In due time.. 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/hLicFFAyOd

— Jashaun Corbin (@Jashaun06) September 9, 2019

Corbin had originally committed to Florida State but decommitted after Jimbo Fisher took the Texas A&M job. He was ranked as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings and considered the No. 8 all-purpose running back, No. 49 recruit in the state of Florida and the No. 261 recruit overall in the Class of 2018.

As for how he'll help Florida State going forward, Brendan Sonnone of 247Sports.com noted that Corbin is a "reliable change-of-pace back and a dynamic returner on special teams." 

He added that while "it remains to be seen whether he has the elite physical tools to be a true difference-maker," Corbin has intriguing upside and "based on how Norvell likes to use his backs, Corbin will assuredly be an invaluable asset as a runner, receiver and returner."

The Arizona State Sun Devils secured their first bowl win since the 2014 season with a 20-14 victory over the Florida State Seminoles in the 2019 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday.

ASU finished with an 8-5 record by virtue of the win, marking the first time it finished with at least eight wins in a season since 2014. Meanwhile, the Seminoles dropped to 6-7, giving them a losing record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1973-76.

Both teams were without some of their top offensive weapons Tuesday, as Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk sat out to prepare for the NFL draft, while running back Cam Akers did the same for FSU.

With so much offensive talent missing, defense took center stage, as the Sun Devils finished with just 282 yards of total offense and 13 first downs, while the Seminoles turned the ball over six times.

     

Notable Stats

James Blackman, QB, FSU: 14-of-26 for 244 YDS, 1 TD, 4 INT

Deonte Sheffield, RB, FSU: 18 CAR for 87 YDS; 1 REC for 1 YD

Tamorrion Terry, WR, FSU: 9 REC for 165 YDS, 1 TD; 3 CAR for 18 YDS

Jayden Daniels, QB, ASU: 12-of-28 for 195 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT; 12 CAR for 36 YDS

Demetrious Flowers, RB, ASU: 11 CAR for 31 YDS

Kyle Williams, WR, ASU: 2 REC for 76 YDS; 6 CAR for 12 YDS

     

Blackman's Miscues Sink FSU, Squander Strong Defensive Effort

Much-maligned sophomore quarterback James Blackman may have sealed his fate Tuesday with four interceptions and one lost fumble in a losing effort against Arizona State.

The Seminoles didn't score a single point during the first half and trailed 9-0 at the break largely because of Blackman's inability to protect the football.

FSU was gifted with great field position on its first drive when Arizona State lost a fumble on the first offensive play of the game, but Blackman was picked off in the end zone:

We've got big plays early in The Sun Bowl. pic.twitter.com/UaA9sICRsX

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 31, 2019

After getting a field goal blocked on its second drive of the game, Florida State turned the ball over again on the third drive when Blackman lost a fumble:

Force the fumble and recover the ball, Merlin Robertson did it all for @ASUFootball. pic.twitter.com/dGrhvrG4QZ

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 31, 2019

Following a miserable opening half for the FSU offense, it looked as though the Seminoles were turning things around in the second half. They started with an 11-play, 91-yard drive that culminated in a three-yard touchdown run by Ontaria Wilson:

WE'VE GOT A TOUCHDOWN. @FSUFootball finds the end zone. pic.twitter.com/QmJFPqSgRG

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 31, 2019

Florida State began its next drive on its own 9-yard line and scored once again, only needing one play this time.

Blackman overcame his struggles to drop a perfect deep pass to wide receiver Tamorrion Terry, who ran it the rest of the way for a 91-yard touchdown:

91 YARDS FOR @FSUFOOTBALL!
Can't do it much better than this. pic.twitter.com/d2qQNSCOkt

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 31, 2019

Brendan Sonnone of Noles247 and Curt Weiler of the Tallahassee Democrat provided some remarkable stats regarding Terry's big-play ability:

Tamorrion Terry has 17 career touchdowns.

He's averaging 49 yards per touchdown reception. 49!!!

Entered game with 53.75 yards per TD, leading NCAA. That's up to 57.8 yards per TD after the 91-yard reception.

— Brendan Sonnone (@BSonnone) December 31, 2019

Tamorrion Terry already has five career catches of 70-plus yards, two more than any other #FSU player ever.

How many will he have by the end of next season?

— Curt Weiler (@CurtMWeiler) December 31, 2019

Terry has already announced that he will return to Florida State in 2020, and with another strong season, he has a legitimate chance to be a first-round pick in 2021.

Much was made of how the absences of Benjamin and Aiyuk would impact the ASU offense, but Sonnone pointed out that Blackman didn't have much to work with Tuesday beyond Terry:

Not playing this game/half for FSU:
Akers (Draft)
Laborn (Injury)
Grant (N/A)
Matthews (Injury)
Harrison (portal)
Helton (Injury)
Young (Injury)
Thompson (N/A)
Adams (portal)

FSU had 12 scholarship RBs/WRs entering the season (yikes). Three are available this half.

— Brendan Sonnone (@BSonnone) December 31, 2019

That manifested itself in the fourth quarter when Blackman, while nursing a 14-12 lead, had a miscommunication with his receiver.

The result was an interception by Willie Harts, who returned it 25 yards for the go-ahead touchdown:

SUN DEVILS COMING UP BIG IN THE SUN BOWL. pic.twitter.com/GFWQll07MT

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 31, 2019

In a fitting end to the game for Florida State, the next three drives all ended in disaster, as the Seminoles turned the ball over on downs, Blackman was intercepted for a fourth time and Terry lost a fumble.

All of that allowed Arizona State to come out on top despite getting out-gained significantly and not scoring an offensive touchdown.

While the result was a disappointing one for FSU, there may be brighter days ahead with Mike Norvell taking over as the new head coach.

Florida State University has agreed to a deal with Memphis head football coach Mike Norvell to lead the Seminoles, according to ESPN's Chris Low.

FSU has not confirmed the news but said in a statement that it would introduce its next coach at noon ET on Sunday in a press conference.

Norvell will replace Willie Taggart, who was fired after a 4-5 start this season. Taggart posted a record of just 9-12 in parts of two seasons with the Seminoles, and in 2018 they failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 1981.

The 38-year-old Norvell was hugely successful in four seasons as the head coach at Memphis. He led the Tigers to at least eight wins in each of his four years at the helm, and they reached the AAC Championship Game in each of the past three campaigns.

This season was Norvell's most successful one as a head coach, as he led the Tigers to a 12-1 record and a conference championship.

Memphis won at least nine games in each of the two seasons before Norvell took over, but before that, the Tigers had just two seasons with eight-plus wins (2003 and 2004) since going 8-3 in 1973.

Norvell brought a high-octane offensive attack to Memphis; the Tigers ranked 15th, second, seventh and eighth in the nation in scoring in his four years as head coach.

The Irving, Texas, native was a standout wide receiver at Central Arkansas before going on to coach at Central Arkansas, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State. Norvell was the passing game coordinator at Tulsa, co-offensive coordinator at Pitt and offensive coordinator at ASU.

Over the past three seasons, the Seminoles have struggled offensively, ranking 71st, 113th and 67th in the nation in scoring.

Norvell is the type of offensive mind who can potentially turn the Seminoles' misfortunes around on that side of the ball, and there will be a great deal of pressure on him to do so.

Norvell will be Florida State's third different permanent head coach in four seasons, and the Seminoles can ill afford to fall further away from their longtime status as an elite program.

FSU is now six years removed from its last national championship and three years removed from its last 10-win season, but there is hope for a return to that status with Norvell in the fold.

The Florida State Seminoles reportedly found a "leading candidate" to become their next head football coach.

According to Mark Schlabach and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com, Memphis head coach Mike Norvell is in that position after succeeding with the Tigers the past four seasons. Memphis is 11-1 in 2019 and will play the Cincinnati Bearcats in Saturday's American Athletic Conference championship game.

It is the team's third straight conference title game under his direction.

Norvell has a 37-15 record with Memphis and has finished with double-digit wins in two of his four campaigns. For perspective, the Tigers won less than eight games every season but two from 1974 through 2013.

Schlabach and Rittenberg called him "one of the most respected offensive minds in college football" and pointed to the fact the Tigers scored 30 or more points in 43 of the 53 games with him on the sidelines.

Florida State could use a boost like that as a blue-blood program that has fallen on hard times of late.

The Seminoles fired Willie Taggart nine games into the campaign and finished 6-6 on the year. They lost in embarrassing fashion to archrivals Florida (40-17) and Miami (27-10) and have fallen far behind Clemson as the powerhouse of the conference.

Florida State also went 5-7 last year under Taggart and missed a bowl game for the first time since 1981, which was before it joined the ACC.

The program is not far removed from a stretch under Jimbo Fisher when it won double-digit games in six of seven seasons, as well as a national championship, from 2010 through 2016. If Norvell can parlay his success at Memphis to Florida State, perhaps the once proud program can rediscover its place in the college football hierarchy.

Florida State University revealed Thursday that it is paying DHR International $100,000 plus expenses to conduct its search for a new head football coach, according to WarChant.com. 

The Seminoles fired Willie Taggart last month after a 4-5 start to the season. Taggart also went 5-7 in 2018, giving him a disappointing 9-12 mark overall.

Since replacing Taggart and serving as the interim head coach, Odell Haggins has gone 2-1, which was enough to make FSU bowl eligible.

Last season marked the first time Florida State failed to reach a bowl game since 1981, and if the Seminoles lose in a bowl game this season, they will finish with a losing record in consecutive years for the first time since having four straight losing campaigns from 1973-1976.

Not counting Haggins, the Seminoles will have their third different head coach in four years whenever they make a hire.

Taggart was initially viewed as a good hire due to his success at South Florida (10-2 in 2016) before going 7-5 at Oregon in 2017. He simply wasn't a quality fit, however, and the program dropped off significantly under him compared to where it was with Jimbo Fisher at the helm.

Fisher left FSU at the conclusion of the 2017 season to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M. During his eight seasons at Florida State, Fisher went 83-23 with six seasons of double-digit wins and a national championship.

The next head coaching hire will be a pivotal moment in Florida State history in terms of determining whether the program will continue down its current path or return to the Fisher and Bobby Bowden glory days.

Since he is 4-1 in two separate stints as interim head coach, Haggins figures to be a strong candidate for the job.

If FSU decides to look elsewhere, Memphis head coach Mike Norvell, Penn State head coach James Franklin and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly are all reportedly under consideration, per Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat.

Penn State head coach James Franklin is happy in Happy Valley.

"I'm hoping this thing is going to be over very quick, but, like I told you, I love Penn State," Franklin told reporters in regard to rumors he is a candidate for Florida State's head coaching vacancy. "I love our players. I don't see that changing anytime soon."

The No. 10 Nittany Lions defeated Rutgers 27-6 on Saturday to finish the season 10-2.

247Sports' Brendan Sonnone reported Tuesday that Franklin is Florida State's "top candidate" to replace Willie Taggart, who was fired Nov. 3.

Sonnone also reported "mutual interest" between Franklin and Florida State on FM 96.9 The Game and added that Franklin's representatives reached out to FSU before the university hired Taggart ahead of the 2018 season.

It's tough to see why Franklin would want to leave Penn State.

Penn State hired Franklin in January 2014. Since then, the Nittany Lions have gone 55-23 and appeared in a bowl game each year.

Franklin's signature victory came when Penn State beat Washington in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, but he has led the program to two New Year's Six bowl appearances and narrowly missed out on the College Football Playoff in 2016.

The Nittany Lions are expected to play on New Year's Day again this season. They were firmly in the conversation for the CFP until they lost 31-26 to No. 8 Minnesota on Nov. 9. Penn State's only other loss came against No. 1 Ohio State last weekend.

Franklin has a track record of building programs. Penn State hired him away from Vanderbilt after he had led the Commodores to three straight bowl games and a 24-15 record from 2011-13.

Sonnone also told FM 96.9 The Game that Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell "makes the most sense" for Florida State. On Nov. 23, SportsLine listed Campbell as the odds-on favorite for the job at +200 with Franklin fifth at +1200.

Florida State has reportedly removed former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops from its list of coaching candidates after speaking with his representatives. 

Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat reported the update Friday after Stoops, who currently serves as the general manager and head coach of the XFL's Dallas Renegades, told ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit last week rumors about him taking the Seminoles job were inaccurate.

Florida State fired Willie Taggart on Nov. 3 following a loss to rival Miami. One day later, Alison Posey of WTXL reported a deal between Stoops and FSU was "really close to being done."

The 59-year-old Ohio native was quick to push aside the speculation, however, and appears committed to the XFL ahead of its debut season in 2020. He retired from college football in June 2017.

Florida State was one college football's premier programs in the 1990s and returned to the national championship stage in 2013 by defeating Auburn in the BCS title game.

The Seminoles success continued with a 33-7 mark under Jimbo Fisher over the next three years, but they've gone just 17-18 over the past three seasons. Fisher resigned in December 2017 to accept the Texas A&M job and was replaced by Taggart.

Wayne McGahee III of the Tallahassee Democrat listed Iowa State's Matt Campbell, Minnesota's P.J. Fleck, Penn State's James Franklin and Memphis' Mike Norvell as the school's "Tier 1 targets."

While the search continues, Florida State faces a suddenly important game against FCS opponent Alabama State. FSU stands one win away from bowl eligibility, but can't afford a shocking upset against the Hornets with a road game against No. 11 Florida looming in the regular-season finale.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has given Deion Sanders a ringing endorsement to become Florida State's next head football coach amid rumors the school is looking at the Pro Football Hall of Famer. 

Appearing on 105.3 The Fan's The K&C Masterpiece, Jones explained why Sanders has what it takes to become a successful head coach: 

"I've actually watched him coach. I've watched him work with younger players in the pros and he's outstanding. He has all the credibility that you could ever imagine, both from knowing what he's talking about, plus the sensitivity or the perception that he has with people skills. 

"He's really good and he generates excitement. So, with that energy package he's got, along with his understanding of how to maximize your talent ... I think he can coach that. He'd be a great coach."

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Sanders has "emerged as a candidate" to become Florida State's next coach. 

The Seminoles are in the market for a permanent head coach after firing Willie Taggart, who went 9-12 since the start of 2018. Their 5-7 record last season ended the school's 36-year streak of playing in a bowl game. 

Sanders is a significant part of that bowl legacy at Florida State. He was a star athlete at the university from 1985-88 in football, baseball and track. The school retired his No. 2 football jersey, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. 

Jones has a relationship with Sanders from Primetime's five seasons with the Cowboys from 1995-99 that includes a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. 

Since retiring from the NFL, Sanders has worked as a television analyst for the NFL Network and has spent the past two years working as an offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill in Texas, where his sons play football. 

  

Amid rumors that Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is a candidate for the vacant head coaching job at Florida State, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James threw his support behind Prime Time.

On the heels of NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reporting that Sanders is under consideration at his alma mater of FSU, LeBron tweeted the following:

Man it would be so dope and just seems PERFECT for Prime Time @DeionSanders to be the HC of FSU! I mean right?? One thing about it he would get in any household on the planet to talk with a kid/parent/s. #ItsTimeforPrime

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 8, 2019

The Seminoles are on the hunt for a new head coach after firing Willie Taggart on Sunday. Florida State was off to a 4-5 start under Taggart this season, and it went just 9-12 during Taggart's 21-game tenure.

Taggart was chosen as the replacement for Jimbo Fisher, who took the head coaching job at Texas A&M. He was unable to build on the strong foundation laid by Fisher and Bobby Bowden, though, as the Noles did not qualify for a bowl last season, which ended a 36-year bowl streak.

The Seminoles were perennial national title contenders under Fisher, and they won a national championship in 2013, but they are nowhere near that level currently.

While Sanders has no coaching experience above the high school ranks, he is one of the greatest players in Florida State history, and he could be a major coup in terms of helping the Seminoles recruit top-end talent.

If the Seminoles hire Sanders, pairing him with an assistant who has more extensive coaching experience could allow him to learn on the job.

Odell Haggins is the interim coach currently after going 2-0 in an interim role in 2017. He was Sanders' teammate at Florida State in 1988 and has been part of the Seminoles' staff since 1994.

If Florida State doesn't give Haggins the head coaching job, his presence could be key in helping Sanders develop into a quality head coach should the school opt to go in that direction.

Florida State could turn to one of the most iconic football players in school history to serve as its next head coach.    

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Deion Sanders has emerged as a candidate to lead the Seminoles. 

Florida State is seeking a permanent head coach after Willie Taggart was fired Sunday following a 27-10 loss to Miami. 

Odell Haggins, who has worked as a defensive line coach for the Seminoles since 1996, replaced Taggart on an interim basis. The team was 9-12 under Taggart, who was hired as Jimbo Fisher's replacement in December 2017. 

Sanders is one of the greatest athletes in the history of Florida State University. He played football, baseball and ran track during his four years at the school from 1985 to '88. Prime Time won the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best multisport athlete and had his No. 2 Florida State jersey retired. 

Since he retired for good in 2006, Sanders has primarily worked as a television analyst for NFL Network. He's also been the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill High School since 2017. The school won back-to-back TAPPS Division II state championships in his first two seasons with the program.