A five-star who picked Texas A&M, a Clemson defense that put two guys on Malachi Toney and still lost by 28 and a seven-game streak we owe Florida State.
That's where your questions went this week as former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards took them on today's Ask AR.
A&M is losing some momentum, and you kow Mario is going to text this kid every time Texas A&M loses and every time we win.
The pitch is simple: Markel Bell and Francis Mauigoa are starting in the NFL. And the money is not going to be a problem.
Ahmmon is ready to forgive. His point is that if Matthews had picked us and ridden for Miami the way he's riding for A&M, we'd all look at it differently. He also sees the need. Matthew McCoy is more than likely headed to the NFL and Samson Okunlola is already getting day-one and day-two buzz.
"Go get me Mark Matthews," Ahmmon said. "It's OK, brother. We'll forgive you as long as you come on Greentree and you go hard."
The personality stuff doesn't worry us. Offensive linemen aren't all smooth operators. They have their quirks. Ahmmon played with linemen who did splits in the locker room and linemen who were into anime.
"When you put on the helmet and you go out there and do your job, everything else no one cares about," he said. "I promise you."
Go look at the 2001 line. Every kind of personality, guys from all over. Best offensive line we ever had, maybe the best of all time. They didn't allow a sack until week eight.
Clemson sold out. Man coverage, with a bracket on Malachi Toney. Ashton Hampton is a really good corner, he's 6-foot-2, and he traveled into the slot and jumped everything underneath because he knew he had help over the top.
"It's a lot easier to cover a guy when you know you got help behind you," Ahmmon said. He took it as respect.
The one time Clemson didn't double him, after the shift when we caught them in Cover 2, you saw what happens.
You beat it with double moves. You beat the safety across his face, because safeties are naturally a little slower. That's how Toney got the third-down catch over the middle. And you use motion. Ahmmon would have liked to see more of it, with Toney motioning and going deep, an out-and-up, more whip routes.
"It's really hard," he said. "That's the wide receiver one treatment that some guys get." His read is that Toney figured out at some point he was going to be the decoy and was fine with it. We won by four touchdowns.
"When you have the Jimmys and Joes to back it up, that kind of outweighs a lot of stuff," he said.
Look at Florida State's recruiting classes the last few years, he called them God awful. When they ran off seven in a row they had the Jameis Winstons and Jalen Ramseys of the world. Now it's flipped. We've had the Rueben Bains and the Akheem Mesidors, we have Darian Mensah, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Toney, and Nick Lennear and A'Mir Sears are on the way.
Those are the guys who used to end up in Tallahassee.
"As long as they keep Norvell there, that's like guaranteeing it," Ahmmon said.
Where he landed is tackling. Corey Hetherman teaches the first man to take his shot and force the ball back inside to the swarm, and when everybody is running to the football it hides the misses.
Beyond that, he doesn't see the top-end talent or the scheme to really punish us. What Florida State does best is run it, with the quarterback or with Ousmane Kromah, and we're No. 1 in the country at stopping the run.
"If you don't run the football on us, it's going to be hard to beat us," he said.
I'd watch the Virginia game. Virginia's tackling was horrible, and Florida State was the one forcing those misses. Expect them to get the ball out quick and see whether we can get guys on the ground one-on-one in space.
"It's a slow death," he said. "We're chipping away at you. Jab and jab and jab and jab."
With Toney winning in the slot all the time, the choice is a 50-50 go ball or Toney wide open. Mensah is making the right one.
As teams keep trying to erase Toney, you'll see more days like the one Cooper Barkate just had. And Elija Lofton was running free up the middle against both Wake Forest and Clemson. Hit those and the explosive plays show up.
The numbers back him up. We're sixth in the country in yards per attempt and 69th in yards per completion. That's a surgical offense.
Ahmmon thinks there's another level we haven't seen.
"I don't know who this dude is, he's skinny, but he can play," he remembered thinking.
Then Smith went to Alabama and won the Heisman.
"When she pats us on the back, just know she may have a knife in the other hand," Ahmmon said. He thought she was with us last year, right up until the playoff debate. "If you say something enough times, people believe it."
Send your questions for the next Ask AR in the live chat or on the board beforehand.
That's where your questions went this week as former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards took them on today's Ask AR.
Can we flip Mark Matthews from Texas A&M?
The staff could not care less about the commitment video. They think he's tough and they know he has a ton of talent.A&M is losing some momentum, and you kow Mario is going to text this kid every time Texas A&M loses and every time we win.
The pitch is simple: Markel Bell and Francis Mauigoa are starting in the NFL. And the money is not going to be a problem.
Ahmmon is ready to forgive. His point is that if Matthews had picked us and ridden for Miami the way he's riding for A&M, we'd all look at it differently. He also sees the need. Matthew McCoy is more than likely headed to the NFL and Samson Okunlola is already getting day-one and day-two buzz.
"Go get me Mark Matthews," Ahmmon said. "It's OK, brother. We'll forgive you as long as you come on Greentree and you go hard."
The personality stuff doesn't worry us. Offensive linemen aren't all smooth operators. They have their quirks. Ahmmon played with linemen who did splits in the locker room and linemen who were into anime.
"When you put on the helmet and you go out there and do your job, everything else no one cares about," he said. "I promise you."
Go look at the 2001 line. Every kind of personality, guys from all over. Best offensive line we ever had, maybe the best of all time. They didn't allow a sack until week eight.
Does the way Clemson covered Toney hurt him as a pro?
No. Ahmmon compared it to Jaxon Smith-Njigba coming out of Ohio State. NFL defenses mostly don't double a slot receiver all game, because of what it takes away from everything else they do.Clemson sold out. Man coverage, with a bracket on Malachi Toney. Ashton Hampton is a really good corner, he's 6-foot-2, and he traveled into the slot and jumped everything underneath because he knew he had help over the top.
"It's a lot easier to cover a guy when you know you got help behind you," Ahmmon said. He took it as respect.
The one time Clemson didn't double him, after the shift when we caught them in Cover 2, you saw what happens.
So what is bracket coverage, and how do you beat it?
It's a two-on-one. With Toney in the slot, the defensive back lines up with outside shade, a step or a yard outside of him, and forces him inside. The safety sits inside and watches only him. Anything in-breaking, the safety jumps. Anything outside, the corner already has the leverage.You beat it with double moves. You beat the safety across his face, because safeties are naturally a little slower. That's how Toney got the third-down catch over the middle. And you use motion. Ahmmon would have liked to see more of it, with Toney motioning and going deep, an out-and-up, more whip routes.
"It's really hard," he said. "That's the wide receiver one treatment that some guys get." His read is that Toney figured out at some point he was going to be the decoy and was fine with it. We won by four touchdowns.
Can we match FSU's seven straight?
We're at two, Ahmmon thinks seven is more than doable."When you have the Jimmys and Joes to back it up, that kind of outweighs a lot of stuff," he said.
Look at Florida State's recruiting classes the last few years, he called them God awful. When they ran off seven in a row they had the Jameis Winstons and Jalen Ramseys of the world. Now it's flipped. We've had the Rueben Bains and the Akheem Mesidors, we have Darian Mensah, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Toney, and Nick Lennear and A'Mir Sears are on the way.
Those are the guys who used to end up in Tallahassee.
"As long as they keep Norvell there, that's like guaranteeing it," Ahmmon said.
What could FSU actually exploit?
Ahmmon had to think about it.Where he landed is tackling. Corey Hetherman teaches the first man to take his shot and force the ball back inside to the swarm, and when everybody is running to the football it hides the misses.
Beyond that, he doesn't see the top-end talent or the scheme to really punish us. What Florida State does best is run it, with the quarterback or with Ousmane Kromah, and we're No. 1 in the country at stopping the run.
"If you don't run the football on us, it's going to be hard to beat us," he said.
I'd watch the Virginia game. Virginia's tackling was horrible, and Florida State was the one forcing those misses. Expect them to get the ball out quick and see whether we can get guys on the ground one-on-one in space.
Do we need more out of the deep passing game?
Ahmmon wants more deep shots. He also gets why we aren't taking them."It's a slow death," he said. "We're chipping away at you. Jab and jab and jab and jab."
With Toney winning in the slot all the time, the choice is a 50-50 go ball or Toney wide open. Mensah is making the right one.
As teams keep trying to erase Toney, you'll see more days like the one Cooper Barkate just had. And Elija Lofton was running free up the middle against both Wake Forest and Clemson. Hit those and the explosive plays show up.
The numbers back him up. We're sixth in the country in yards per attempt and 69th in yards per completion. That's a surgical offense.
Ahmmon thinks there's another level we haven't seen.
Which recruit do you wish we'd gotten when you played?
DeVonta Smith. Ahmmon was at Paradise Camp and still has a photo on his phone."I don't know who this dude is, he's skinny, but he can play," he remembered thinking.
Then Smith went to Alabama and won the Heisman.
What's the beef with Heather Dinich?
His idea is to call the play before it's run. He heard her say we'll be in the playoff and then question the seeding, and he thinks she'll be first in line if we drop a game. His other issue is Notre Dame, which plays close to an ACC schedule. Why do the same opponents count for more when it's them?"When she pats us on the back, just know she may have a knife in the other hand," Ahmmon said. He thought she was with us last year, right up until the playoff debate. "If you say something enough times, people believe it."
Send your questions for the next Ask AR in the live chat or on the board beforehand.
