By Coley Harvey, Orlando Sentinel
10:10 p.m. EST, November 8, 2012
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters Tuesday afternoon in Tallahassee that WR Kenny Shaw, who he said had been banged up in a car accident earlier in the week, would be in attendance Thursday night when the 10th-ranked Seminoles visited Virginia Tech.
True to Fisher’s word, Shaw was accounted for and able to play. He participated in pregame warmups and walk-throughs with no apparent physical problems.
Early in the game, though, the junior Orlando native was nowhere to be seen. FSU used other receivers as Shaw stood on the sideline.
Then, midway through the third quarter, as the Seminoles were driving from midfield, he finally got in the game. One play before junior Greg Dent hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass, Shaw set him up for the score with a 16-yard, first-down reception one play before.
Sophomore Rashad Greene also benefited early from Shaw’s absence. Before halftime, he caught a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave the Seminoles a second-quarter lead.
Freeman gets tailback touches early
Sophomore TB Devonta Freeman got the bulk of FSU’s early touches at the position, as fellow sophomore James Wilder Jr. sat shelved on the bench.
During the Seminoles’ game against Duke two weeks ago — FSU was off last week as it observed its bye — Wilder suffered a minor shoulder bruise after landing awkwardly following a catch along his sideline.
Fisher thought Wilder would be healthy enough to play this week despite the injury. He held him out of all of last week’s practices before returning him to a limited role this week.
Wilder didn’t see the field until the 5:08 mark near the end of the first quarter.
Both players have been sharing touches at the position since Oct. 20, when senior starting TB Chris Thompson was lost with a torn ACL. The injury came at Miami. Thompson was FSU’s leading rusher before the injury.
Hopkins closes in on records
FSU K Dustin Hopkins entered with a pair of NCAA records in his sights. Before the game even reached halftime, he had nearly accomplished them both.
Called upon twice to kick field goals in the game’s first 16 minutes, the senior place kicker cut well into the scoring and field goal records he was chasing. He came into the ballgame five field goals shy of tying the Football Bowl Subdivision’s career mark, and 10 points short of tying the FBS career scoring mark for kickers.
Four seconds into the second quarter, Hopkins had already amassed six points on two field goals. The first was a 52-yarder that cut through a strong headwind. It was the second field goal of 50 or more yards that Hopkins had in as many weeks. It also was the seventh of his career from that distance. Only Florida’s Caleb Sturgis (eight) and Idaho’s Trey Farquhar (nine) currently have more.
Hopkins already took over as the ACC leader in career field goals, surpassing the previous high mark of 80. He set the record with a 56-yard field goal against Duke.
Teams honor Veteran’s Day
As part of college football’s recognition of Veteran’s Day, the Seminoles and Hokies wore specially-designed camouflage long sleeves. The Seminoles’ sleeves were patterned in differing shades of light and dark garnet.
