KAREEM COPELAND
Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida State Seminoles may have thought they were past the off-field issues involving Jameis Winston and the sexual assault case involving the Heisman-winning quarterback.
As the top-ranked Seminoles prepare to host The Citadel in their sold out home-opener Saturday, Baine Kerr, an attorney for the woman, said the university is conducting an investigation of the 2012 incident involving Winston.
Florida State Attorney Willie Meggs announced last December that no criminal charges would not be filed against Winston due to a lack of evidence.
The Seminoles did not let the Winston investigation distract them last season; they went undefeated and won the national championship.
Winston could ultimately be charged with violations of the school’s student code of conduct policy, but coach Jimbo Fisher said right now it’s business as usual for the Seminoles.
“This team just moves on,” coach Jimbo Fisher said after Thursday’s practice. “I have no idea how that’ll go or what it’s about. That’s for other people to find out. We’re just here playing ball.”
Kerr said he was not given a timeframe for the when the investigation would be completed.
This Seminoles have several younger players in many key positions this year and many will be watching to see what, if any, affect the Winston investigation has on the field. Florida State was tested in its opener against Oklahoma State and is looking to develop some momentum against The Citadel.
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Some things to watch for when No. 1 Florida State hosts The Citadel on Saturday:
BOBO IS BACK: Jesus “Bobo” Wilson may have been the most talked about player on the FSU roster this week. Fisher and teammates are thrilled to have the 5-foot-9, 177-pound speedster back from a one-game suspension stemming from the theft of a motor scooter. Winston needs more help from a young receiver corps and Wilson could provide just that.
BIG MARIO: Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards made one of the biggest plays of the game with a fourth-quarter sack that helped stall an Oklahoma State comeback. The 6-foot-3, 294-pounder had a relatively quiet game outside of that. The Seminoles need him to dominate as the top lineman and a possible early-round NFL draft pick. The junior should do just that against an FCS offensive line.
MISSING STARTERS: FSU’s top cornerback P.J. Williams is out after playing through a hamstring injury last week. The injury has been lingering since late in preseason camp. Fisher said both senior Nick Waisome and sophomore Marquez White will fill in. The defensive secondary is the deepest position on the roster and the Bulldogs employ a run-heavy, triple-option offensive scheme. The Seminoles will also be without defensive end/linebacker Chris Casher for a second consecutive week due to an academic issue. Sophomore DeMarcus Walker started in his place last week.
STEPPING UP: First-year Citadel coach Mike Houston hasn’t faced an atmosphere like this in his playing or coaching career. Houston played at Mars Hill, then coached at Brevard and Lenoir-Rhyne before accepting the Citadel job after last season. Houston says the biggest game he played in previously was last year’s NCAA Division II title game, which had an attendance of 6,543 in Florence, Alabama last December — a slice of the 82,300 expected to fill Doak Campbell Stadium to celebrate the Seminoles’ national title.
BUILDING THE BULLDOGS: Houston knows there’s a reason for such big boy-little brother games, he just wished he could wait a couple of seasons until his program was more mature. The Bulldogs will get $440,000 for the contest, a big payday for an athletic budget looking to plug holes. But Houston wishes he had more time before taking on the Seminoles.
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AP Sports Writer Peter Iacobelli in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
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