TALLAHASSEE — Jimbo Fisher believes that at the end of the day, football comes down to the details.
Talent and schemes are important, of course. But the Florida State coach thinks that the difference between winning and losing is often just a few inches — and it comes down to the little things.
"We talk fundamentals and details, alignment, assignment and technique," Fisher said. "The secret is in the details. It's not the scheme. The good teams I've ever been on, people know what you're going to do. There are no secrets out there involved. We know what they're going to do, and they usually know what we're going to do, to an extent.
"It's how well you do it and how well you execute it. . . . You need to develop those habits now so they carry over in the fall so that you constantly do it."
As FSU opened up four weeks of spring practice on Monday, Fisher's focus is on the details.
Coming off a 9-4 season that included wins over Miami, Florida and Notre Dame, FSU returns a roster that is loaded with veteran talent and is chasing the Seminoles' first Atlantic Coast Conference title since 2005.
Fisher feels like FSU's young offensive line — four freshmen started in the Champs Sports Bowl win over Notre Dame — will be better because of the growing pains they went through last season.
And Daniel Glauser, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound tackle who was born in Switzerland and is a junior-college transfer, has enrolled early and may push for a starting job or significant playing time. Because of a rule that neither FSU nor the New Mexico Military Institute were aware of until recently, Glauser will only be able to play one year at FSU. But he could have an impact nonetheless.
"He's got the ability," Fisher said. "He's big and athletic. Powerful. He'll have a chance to really battle."
FSU was often banged up on the offensive line and as a result allowed 41 sacks in 2011. The Seminoles will use the spring to evaluate the young linemen and figure out how to protect rising senior quarterback EJ Manuel better.
Manuel broke the fibula in his left leg in the second half of the bowl win but still threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes.
He did not need surgery and has been throwing passes in the offseason to FSU's receivers.
"The leg feels fine," Manuel said. "Good enough to practice. With any bone injury, just see how it feels."
Manuel will have plenty of wide receivers this spring, too. Willie Haulstead, who caught 38 passes for 587 yards in 2010, returns to practice after missing all of last season with a concussion.
And talented 6-6, 240-pound receiver Kelvin Benjamin has slimmed down after taking a redshirt last season.
"Kind of like throwing LeBron James the alley-oop," Manuel said of Benjamin. "You always know he's going to come down with the dunk. He's gotten a lot better with his route-running, too. He's become a better receiver all around."
FSU has also moved a few players to different positions, notably safety Nick Moody sliding up to strongside linebacker and Christian Jones moving from the strongside over to weakside.
Moody had 23 tackles at safety and has always been a ferocious hitter. Now he has bulked up to 242 pounds, and Fisher feels that Moody is a natural linebacker.
"I think he's running better now at 242 than he did then," Fisher said.
FSU will be carefully juggling running backs this spring. Devonta Freeman won't play after suffering a lower back injury, and Chris Thompson will be kept out of contact for the first week or two as he returns from a lower-back injury.
Another running back, James Wilder Jr., also can't participate in meetings or practice because his legal issues have not yet been resolved.
Wilder, a five-star recruit and the son of former Tampa Bay Bucs star James Wilder, was charged with obstructing a law enforcement officer without violence and battery on a law enforcement officer on Feb. 22.
So FSU coaches asked fullbacks Lonnie Pryor and Debrale Smiley to drop a few pounds the past few months and take some carries.
And early enrollee Mario Pender will benefit — much like Freeman did a year ago — by earning reps in spring practice.
"He's going to get plenty of touches," Fisher said. "You couldn't have scripted it out any better for him to have a perfect opportunity to have an impact.
"That's what good players do. You have to take advantage of opportunities when they are presented."
