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FSU lineman Smith to miss Fiesta Bowl
Posted: Tuesday December 29, 1998 07:56 PM
PHOENIX (AP) -- Florida State's top-ranked defense will be without noseguard Larry Smith for Monday night's Fiesta Bowl against No. 1 Tennessee. Smith, a 6-foot-5, 288-pound junior, sprained his right knee on Tuesday during the Seminoles' first workout here. Billy Rhodes, a 6-1, 265-pound senior, will replace Smith. The second-ranked Seminoles rotate linemen, so Rhodes with share time with All-American Corey Simon and Jerry Johnson. Smith was injured during drills when a player inadvertently hit him from the side. He was taken off the field on a motorized cart. Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said a decision was made to work out in pads to get the heavy work out of the way early. "And then we lose one of our tackles right off the bat," he said. "He's a great player." Smith, who had 10 tackles for losses, missed two games this season with an injury but bounced back to become a force on a defense that allowed just 214.8 yards per game, tops in the nation. "There's no way you can lose a player of that quality, just like when Weinke went down, and it won't affect you," Andrews said, referring to quarterback Chris Weinke's neck injury that sidelined him late in the season. "We have three starters on the defensive line, we lost one and we have two. The guy that takes his place is not as physically talented as Larry, so he's got to be a guy that somehow will play hard enough that it will make a difference." Also, wide receiver Marvin Minnis damaged a ligament in his right thumb and will wear a cast Monday night to protect the injury.
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