TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- According to Florida State safety Lamarcus Joyner, there is a time and a place to talk trash to an opponent. And in Boston College's case, their timing was poor.
Linebacker Nick Clancy told Boston.com that he didn't think the Seminoles had the persistence to set aside a heartbreaking loss at North Carolina State.
“I think their mindset is, OK, we were these big-time recruits, they’re much more talented than us, we don’t belong on the field with them,” he said. “They think that we’re much less talented. But when it comes down to it, we’re just different type of people.
"We’re blue-collar people. We have a very strong work ethic. We know when adversity’s thrown in our face what to do and how to respond. And I think that’s what separates us.”
When the clock struck zero on Saturday night and the scoreboard read 51-7 in favor of Florida State, Clancy was apparently mistaken.
Sure, the Seminoles weren't thinking about those comments when their number was called in the huddle. They probably were more concerned with what route to run, what guy to block and the snap count.
But it was some added motivation that allowed for increased focus.
"I mean, those guys got what they were asking for," said Joyner. "That's all I'm saying. I don't want to be too arrogant about it, but that is what happens when you talk trash before the game starts.
"I will say this, I think they did it at the wrong time."
Starting left tackle Cameron Erving agreed. But playing in the trenches is a physical deal, and the reality was they were concerned more with their teammates assignments than the Eagles unfortunate phrasing.
"We heard it, processed it and just used it as motivation to help us to play hard," Erving said. "We already had the edge coming in because we just had to bounce back. At the same time, we were playing for each other, not for them."
Clancy, meanwhile, finished the game with five tackles.
