8B
Wednesday, August 18, 1993
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Ward set to lead Seminoles
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward drops back for a pass. Kansas will face Ward and his team Aug. 28 in the Kickoff Classic.
Court experience helps Seminole QB on gridiron
By Matt Doyle
Kansan sportswriter
Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward was known for his exploits as point guard on Florida State's basketball team well before he became the starting quarterback for the Seminole football team last season.
The 6-foot-1 1/2 Ward has quarterbacked the Seminoles basketball team to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Ward has been described as a player who could find the open man, create scoring opportunities for teammates and make great decisions on the fast break.
However, those three characteristics did not describe Ward as a football quarterback in his first two starts for the Seminoles in 1992. He completed 37 of 72 passes for 528 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions in the two Seminole victories.
But as Ward gained experience by playing through his mistakes, he gained recognition as one of college football's most talented and dangerous quarterbacks after an 11-1 season in 1992.
That's not good news for Kansas coach Glen Mason or the eleven other head coaches that must prepare for the Ward-led Seminole offense in 1993. Mason's Jayhawks will get the first opportunity to stop Ward and Florida State when the two schools meet in the Kickoff Classic Aug. 28 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Seminole senior gave Coach Bobby Bowden a glimpse of those basketball characteristics during late fourth quarter drives against Miami and Georgia Tech. Ward, setting up in the shotgun offense against Miami, drove Florida State 59 yards to the Hurricane 22 yard line. But kicker Dan Mowery missed a possible gameening field goal as time expired.
Two weeks later, Ward used the shotgun offense again to rally Florida State back from a 10-point deficit with five minutes remaining for 29-24 victory at Georgia Tech.
"The coaches simplified things in the offense that made it easier for me to operate." Ward said.
Bowden said he had been trying to implement Ward into Florida State's
pro-set offense, but changed to a shotgun, no-huddle "East Break" offense in order to utilize Ward's abilities of making good decisions, scrambling and turning busted plays into big plays.
pause.
"We didn't give up on him at all after he got off to a slow start last year." Bowden said. "But remember, that was his first time starting. Now, he's got a year under his belt. I'm almost scared to say it, but he could be even better."
Mason said he was impressed with the versatility that Ward possessed.
"Charlie Ward, for someone who excels in both football and basketball, is a tremendous athlete," Mason said. "He has the capability of making the big play in the clutch situation."
When Florida State employed their "Fast Bash" offense for the last month of the 1992 season, the Seminoles were notorious.
missed field goals when we used the "Fast Break" offense in the last three games of the regular season," said Bowden.
*We either scored touchdowns or
Florida State scored 184 points and totaled 1,817 yards in offense in those three games, which were victories against Maryland, Tulane and Florida. Ward personally accounted for 1,172 yards in that three-game stretch with nine touchdown passes and two touchdown runs.
Ward capped off a successful season by earning Most Valuable Player honors in Florida State's 27-14 triumph against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. He completed 15 of 30 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
The improvement from the beginning to the end of the season did not surprise Ward all that much.
"Id rather not compare my games at the first of the season to those at the end of the season," he said. "The things I did late in the season were
When football season concluded, Ward joined the Seminole basketball team and helped them reach the finals of the Southeast Regional in the NCAA Tournament, where Kentucky defeated Florida State 106-81.
due to the experience I gained throughout the season."
Just like when he is on the gridiron, Ward is a winner on the hardwood as well. Florida State's basketball team is 42-15 when Ward has been in the starting lineup the last three seasons. He ranks ninth on Florida State's career assist list with 296 and is 22 steals shy of setting the career record in that category.
"I can't really say which sport I am better at," he said. "I play each with the same intensity and let others form opinions on which sport I'm better at."
Because of the success he attained in both sports, Ward was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Male Athlete of the Year for the 1992-93 academic year.
"He's a better football player, in my opinion, because 6-foot-1 1/2 stands taller on the football field than it does on the basketball court," Bowden said. "He's the most dangerous quarterback in the country and he's an outstanding basketball player. I think he can play both sports on the professional level."
ward said he did not expect to join the ranks of Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders as two-sport performers.
"That's impossible." Ward said of playing both sports professionally. "I'll need to make a decision on which sport to pursue," Ward said. "It's good to have the option of which sport to play."
While playing basketball last season, Ward suffered a partial dislocation of his left, nonthrowing shoulder which required surgery in April. Ward said that the surgically repaired shoulder had fully recovered, and that he expected no problems.
"It's almost better than my right shoulder now," he said. "I've got my full range of motion back, and it's stronger than it ever was."
Ward has been mentioned as a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy this season along with San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk. But Ward said he had more important goals in mind.
"The Heisman is not my first goal. My first priority is to help the team win every game, then the ACC championship and then the National Championship," he said. "If we do that, then the individual things will take care of themselves."
Knight-RidderTribune
Ronalda state receiver Kevin Knox attempts to catch a pass in last year's Kickoff Classic, which ended in a 45-24 Semi-victory against Florida.
Mason eager for Classic despite odds, naysayers
By Matt Doyle
Kansan sportswrite
Kansas was not the first choice of the Kickoff official officials to play Florida State in the 11th annual contest on Aug. 28 in East Rutherford, N.J.
In fact, the Jayhawks were probably not the second choice either. Officials of the game had hoped to have Texas AAM, a probable top five team this season, or Boston College, coached by former New York Giants assistant Tom Coughlin, face the Seminoles, but neither match up materialized.
None of that matters to Kansas coach Glen Mason, who said he was excited to have the opportunity to play in the game that traditionally opens the college football season.
"I'm sure that maybe someone else had the opportunity before us to go in this game, and because the opponent was Florida State, they passed." Mason said. "I glad they did because we wouldn't have this opportunity to play the best, to play on TV and in a stadium like Giants Stadium."
Mason's excitement was not tempered when former Kansas and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers said that the Jayhawks' appearance in the Kickoff Classic could hurt the program this season.
Sayers, during an informal interview session at the Meadowlands
Racetack in New Jersey on Aug. 4, said it was not worthwhile for the Jayhawks to play in this game against a team like Florida State.
"I'm not saying it's going to kill your program, but I am saying Florida State has a tremendous football team, and if Kansas comes in here and gets beat 40-zip, it could discourage a lot of players," Sayers said.
Mason said that Sayers had the right to his opinion, but that the only opinions he was concerned with were the ones of his coaching staff and players.
Senior center Dan Schmidt said he had watched past Kickoff Classic games, but never thought he would participate in one during his college career.
"This game is a great opportunity for us," he said. "Florida State is a huge challenge, but playing them can only do good things for us."
The Kansas coach said that for his program to reach this elite level in college football, with the likes of Florida State and Nebraska, games such as the Kickoff Classic are just too good to pass up.
"If we were stillhere in Lawrence on Aug. 28, watching two other teams playing, knowing we had the opportunity, we would be embarrassed that we shied away from competition," Mason said. "I might not have the best players or coaches, but we're not afraid of losing."
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