Notes column: Fitzgerald splitting the uprights for No. 4-ranked Florida State

Published 6:46 pm Sunday, October 15, 2023

MOULTRIE — Ryan Fitzgerald connected on field goals of 48 and 29 yards and converted after all five touchdowns in Florida State’s 41-3 victory over Syracuse last Saturday, continuing the perfect start to his red-shirt junior season.

The Seminoles are now 6-0 overall, 3-0 in the ACC and the former Packer is more than doing his part.

He has made all seven of his field goal attempts and all 32 of his extra point attempts for the No. 4-ranked Seminoles.

And 23 of his kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks.

Fitzgerald, who is the older brother of current Colquitt County kicker Brett Fitzgerald, is climbing Florida State’s list of all-time leading scorers.

After being red-shirted in 2019, he was 12-for-13 in extra point attempts and 4-of-7 in field goal attempts in 2020; had 37 PATs and 10 field goals in 2021; and 57 PATs and 12 field goals last year.

Going into the season, he was ranked No. 19 in school history with 184 points. He is now up to 237 points on 33 field goals and 138 PATs.

And he is not close to being finished.

Florida State will be home to face No. 17 Duke at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday.

Of this and that:

• Fitzgerald’s former Colquitt County teammate Daijun Edwards is also having an outstanding season for Georgia.

After rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 37-20 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, Edwards now leads Georgia in rushing with 460 yards and six touchdowns despite missing the first two games of the the season with a knee injury.

His 62-yard run to set up his fourth-quarter touchdown against the Commodores was the longest of his career.

He now has rushed for 1,662 yards and 17 touchdowns since heading to Athens.

The 6-0 Bulldogs will not play this Saturday and will go to Jacksonville to put their 4-0 SEC record on the line against Florida on Oct. 28.

• Former Packers were on both sidelines when Austin Peay defeated Gardner-Webb 41-14 last Saturday.

Jaheim Ward got some work in the secondary for Austin Peay, which will take a 4-2 record into its Saturday game at Southern Utah.

Ty French started at defensive end and had a quarterback pressure for Gardner-Webb, which fell to 2-4 heading into its Saturday home game against Eastern Kentucky.

• In Alabama A&M’s 45-24 victory over Grambling State, Kaleb Dawson started in the secondary and had 10 total tackles and two pass breakups.

The red-shirt senior, who previously played at Appalachian State, has 25 total tackles, including two for losses and two interceptions this season.

Alabama A&M will play host to Alabama State on Oct. 28.

• Kamaar Bell started his sixth-straight game at right guard for Florida Atlantic in the Owls 56-14 win over South Florida last week.

Tight end Carter Boatwright has played in all six games, but has not yet had a pass reception.

Boatwright did have four catches for 33 yards for FAU last season.

The Owls are now 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the American Athletic Conference and will be home to face UTSA on Saturday.

• Orion Bonner had a 4-yard pass reception for Glenville State in its 27-13 win over Wheeling University last week.

Now 3-3, the Pioneers will be home to meet Concord University on Saturday.

• Zy Brockington had a pair of solo tackles when Memphis lost 31-21 to Tulane last week.

Now 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the American Athletic Conference, Memphis will travel to play UAB on Saturday.

• Three former Packers continue to contribute to Thomas University’s first football team.

In the Nighthawks 34-20 loss to Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., Cole Holmes started at left tackle, Julian Harper started at linebacker and had one solo and one assisted tackle and Raheim McBride came off the bench to to make three solo and one assisted tackle.

Thomas University will be home to face Warner University at noon Saturday at Veterans Stadium in Thomasville.

• Wagner College’s Steven Krajewski completed 16-of-28 passes 193 yards and a touchdown in the Skyhawks 31-7 loss to St. Francis University.

Krajewski also was Wagner’s leading rusher with 42 yards on eight carries.

Wagner will play Central Connecticut State at noon on Saturday.

• In Western Illinois’ 48-7 loss to Missouri State, Tajh Sanders had two pass receptions for 19 yards.

The 0-6 Leathernecks will play at North Dakota State on Saturday.

• Freshman Qway McCoy has played in four games for UL-Monroe and had two assisted tackles in the 21-20 loss to Texas State.

The Warhawks, now 2-4, will play at 4-2 Georgia Southern on Saturday.

• Ava Dickens has played in 24 matches for the Andrew College volleyball team this fall.

• Freshman Mark Breedlove got off to a fine 5-0 start during the fall season with the Belhaven University men’s tennis team.

Playing No. 5 singles, he won 6-2, 6-1 against Hinds Community College; playing No. 3 doubles, he won 8-5 against Coastal Alabama; playing No. 3 singles, he won 6-3, 6-1 against LaGrange; and playing No. 3 singles, he won 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Wallace University.

• Sophomore Maggie Bishop and her teammates on the Piedmont University women’s swim team will compete next on Oct. 21 against Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C.

On Sept. 30, she placed fourth in the final in the 500-yard freestyle, the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke in the Sewanee Dual in Sewanee, Tenn.

Bishop competed 10 times for the Lions in the 2022-2023 season, with a best finish of third place in the 1,650-yard freestyle at the Independent South Championships.

Last season she was named Independent South All- Conference and All-Academic.