Former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke set to face alma mater in opener
Heisman Trophy winner is Chris Weinke is proud to be a Florida State Seminole.
But there is an obvious conflict.
“That's my alma mater. I'm proud of where I went to school. I'm proud of where I graduated from but I am coaching at Georgia Tech, okay?” Weinke said earlier in preseason camp.
“And that's the first challenge on our schedule this year. Happens to be on a big stage, which we like.”
No. 10 FSU and Georgia Tech open the college football season in less than two weeks in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday Aug. 24.
FSU is currently listed a 13-point favorite and extended forecast for the noon kickoff calls for temperatures in the mid-60s and a chance of rain.
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Weinke is in his third year as Georgia Tech’s quarterbacks coach, his second year as the Yellow Jackets’ co-offensive coordinator and his first year as Tech’s assistant head coach.
His starting quarterback, Haynes King, emerged last season as one of the nation’s top signal-callers.
King was one of only two Power Five players with at least 2,800 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and 10 touchdown runs in 2023, joining Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in the NFL draft Jayden Daniels.
King, however, also led the ACC in interceptions with 16.
According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), King will be the fourth-highest-graded returning quarterback in the ACC, behind SMU's Preston Stone (91.3 Overall Grade), Florida State's DJ Uiagalelei (82.0), and Miami's Cam Ward (80.7).
“The quarterback makes everything go,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said Monday.
“Haynes is a really good player. You saw his confidence grow as the season continued to go on. And I think they do a good job of putting those guys in position to be able to make plays.”
The Yellow Jackets (7-6) made impressive strides last season under first-year coach Brent Key.
They won four of their last six, capping the season with their first bowl win since 2106 with a 30-17 victory over UCF.
Tech returns plenty of experience, including running back Jamal Haynes (1,059), leading receiver Eric Singleton Jr. and four starters on the offensive line.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci was hired after one season at Duke, where he directed the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game (16th nationally).
“We have a good football team, we do,” Key said after the Yellow Jackets’ scrimmage last Saturday.
“Now, how we are in relation to our competition I don’t know. That’s why you play the games. Have we made improvement? Yeah, we’ve made improvement. We’ve challenged these guys every single day. And there’s not been a day go by they have not answered the challenges as a team.”
Georgia Tech coach Chris Weinke last faced Florida State in 2017 with Alabama
FSU and Georgia Tech last played in 2022, when the Seminoles’ 41-16 victory ignited a 19-game win streak.
Weinke, who won the 2000 Heisman Trophy and led the Seminoles to a national championship in 1999, said earlier in camp he expected the “juices to be flowing” when the Yellow Jackets turned their full attention to the Seminoles.
“And I think the most important thing is it's an exciting opportunity for our kids, right?,” said Weinke, who last faced the Seminoles in 2017, when he was an offensive analyst at Alabama under Nick Saban. The eventual national champion Crimson Tide beat the Seminoles 24-7 to open the season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
“You're playing against a team that had a lot of success last year," Weinke continued.
"Their roster has changed a little bit. Our roster changed a little bit, not necessarily on our side of the ball. Okay, we've had a few pieces, but our focus right now is to be the best that we can be each and every day. And when our mindset changes to start to focus on them, I think it'll get ramped up around here.”
FSU football schedule 2024
Week 0: vs. Georgia Tech, noon Saturday, August 24 in Dublin, Ireland
Week 1: vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 2
Week 2: Open
Week 3: vs. Memphis, noon Saturday, September 14
Week 4: vs. California, Saturday, September 21
Week 5: at SMU, Saturday, September 28
Week 6: vs. Clemson, Saturday, October 5
Week 7: Open
Week 8: at Duke, 7 p.m. Friday, October 18
Week 9: at Miami, Saturday, October 26
Week 10: vs. North Carolina, Saturday, November 2
Week 11: at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9
Week 12: Open
Week 13: vs. Charleston Southern, Saturday, November 23
Week 14: vs. Florida, Saturday, November 30
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Former FSU quarterback Chris Weinke now coaches at Georgia Tech
