TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Back in August, Florida State was expected to be contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff.One weekend into October, the 23rd-ranked Seminoles are searching for ways to salvage their season.Florida State (3-2) goes into Saturdays game against rival No. 10 Miami struggling to stop a tailspin that started the middle of last season. FSU had won 35 of 36 games from December of 2012 until midway through last season, including a national championship in 2013, but are 7-5 in their last 12 after last Saturdays 37-35 loss to No. 16 North Carolina. Of those five losses, that was the second to happen on the last play of the game.They have also dropped their first two Atlantic Coast Conference games for only the third time since joining the league in 1992. The only time FSU has started 0-3 in ACC play was 2009.Coach Jimbo Fisher spent most of Mondays press conference saying players on the offense and defense werent at odds with each other and that his team was still united. After last Saturdays loss running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end DeMarcus Walker both said that they did everything they could do during the game. Florida State took the lead with 23 seconds left on a Deondre Francois touchdown run before losing on a 54-yard field goal as time expired.Right now youre going to find out the pretenders and the contenders on your team and who they are and what they really want to be, the true character, Fisher said.The majority of Florida States struggles are on the defensive side of the ball. It is allowing 6.98 yards per play, which is fourth-worst among the Football Bowl Subdivisions 128 teams. The Seminoles have also given up 25 plays of 30 yards or more, which is second-most in the nation.Take out the Sept. 10 game against Charleston Southern (a Football Championship Subdivision school) and the numbers are worse. FSU has allowed all four FBS opponents this season to score 30 points or more. In 51 possessions, opponents have scored 24 times, including 23 touchdowns, and allowed a TD on the opening drive of each game.The only other time a Florida State defense has allowed more than 30 points and 400 yards per game was Bobby Bowdens final season in 2009, when they went 7-6.Fisher and defensive coordinator Charles Kelly tried using cards last week to relay plays in from the sideline to make communication easier. Fisher said that might be used again this week. He also said that Kelly will continue to call the plays but that Fisher would be more involved in evaluating schemes and personnel.Well support those guys and make sure theyre doing the right things and were doing the right things for the players, Fisher said. What can I help you do? Tell me how I can help you. What will make you prepare better? What will make you see it better? What can we do better? Youve got to give them a voice too.On offense running back Dalvin Cook leads the nation in yards from scrimmage (921) and leads Power Five backs in rushing yards with 635. Quarterback Deondre Francois has no turnovers the past two games but has struggled passing in the red zone along with taking too much time for plays to develop.Florida State has won six straight against Miami, but the Hurricanes (4-0, 1-0) are the highest-ranked team in Florida for the first time since Nov. 14, 2010. This will also mark the first time in 30 years that the Hurricanes comes into the game ranked in the top 10 and the Seminoles are ranked 20th or lower.Fisher thinks facing a main rival this week could provide a little more incentive.I think it will get the kids attention to go down and play, knowing what it means historically here to what happens, he said.---The APs college football page: http://collegfootball.ap.org---Follow Joe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joereedy and his work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/joe-reedy Jamie McLennan Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Scott Stevens Jersey . 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NEW YORK -- Kristaps Porzingis had 31 points and nine rebounds, Derrick Rose scored six of his 18 points down the stretch, and the New York Knicks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 107-103 on Tuesday night.Rose made the go-ahead basket with a little more than 3 minutes remaining and hit the jumper that clinched it with 6.8 seconds left.Carmelo Anthony finished with 17 points despite a scoreless fourth quarter for the Knicks, who won their fifth straight at home. Brandon Jennings had 11 assists off the bench.Damian Lillard scored 22 points for the Trail Blazers but fell to 4-1 at Madison Square Garden. CJ McCollum added 16 points.NUGGETS 110, BULLS 107DENVER -- Rookie Jamal Murray scored a season-high 24 points, Will Barton hit two free throws with 9.5 seconds left and the Nuggets beat the Bulls.It was Denvers 10th straight home win over the Bulls and its 16th in the last 17 meetings at Pepsi Center.Butler had 35 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, which last won in Denver on Feb. 8, 2006. Dwyane Wade had 22 points after sitting out Sundays game against the Lakers.The Nuggets used a 22-0 run at the start of the second quarter to take a 41-31 lead. Murray had 15 of his 17 first half points in the period and Wilson Chandler scored 12 of his 16 in the second quarter.ddddddddddddThe game was tied when Barton was fouled on a drive to the basket, and he hit two free throws left to give Denver a 109-107 lead. Isaiah Cannon shot an airball on a 3-point attempt and the Nuggets got the ball.PELICANS 112, HAWKS 94ATLANTA -- Tim Frazier had 21 points and 14 assists, Terrence Jones added 17 points and the Pelicans won their third straight game with a victory over the Hawks.Pelicans forward Anthony Davis returned to begin the fourth quarter after bruising his right knee and missing the second and third periods. Davis, a three-time All-Star and the NBAs leading scorer, finished with 13 points.New Orleans led by 20 at the end of the first quarter and never let up.Dennis Schroder and Kyle Korver each scored 14 for the Hawks, who have lost three in a row. Atlanta was tied for the Eastern Conference lead last week but now begins a five-game road trip playing its worst basketball of the young season.The Pelicans have won five of seven and are 3-0 since Jrue Holiday returned after missing the first 12 games to be with his sick wife. ' ' '
