Surging Seminoles look to keep rolling vs. Eagles

Jimbo Fisher isn't jumping up and down about Florida State's 5-1 record. And the first-year coach wants his Seminoles to know they haven't achieved anything yet.

After a humiliating loss at Oklahoma last month, the 16th-ranked Seminoles have reeled off back with four straight victories, outscoring opponents by an average of nearly 26 points a game.

But it's only halftime as far as the season is concerned.

''Just don't get caught up in the hype about what's been done so far,'' Fisher said while reflecting on Saturday's impressive 45-17 victory at Miami. ''We haven't accomplished anything as a football team right now except that we're playing very well. We have to win another game to be bowl eligible. All our goals and aspirations are still out there.''

Four of Florida State's final six games are at home where the Seminoles are 3-0 and have outscored opponents 124-16.

But the players are getting the Fisher's message.

Quarterback Christian Ponder reinforced his coach's midseason analysis, noting that reaching the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in Charlotte, N.C. in early December is the minimum measurement for a successful season.

''We've won a couple games,'' said Ponder, who is 18-10 as a starter at Florida State. ''That's not that big a deal.''

Ponder, who missed the last four games of the 2009 campaign with a shoulder injury noted that Florida State has been healthy all season.

''Knock on wood,'' Ponder said.

Florida State (5-1, 3-0 ACC) has scored 144 points the last four weeks while giving up only 41 as it turns its focus to Boston College (2-3, 0-2), which has been one of the Seminoles most nettlesome foes in recent years.

Fisher is confident his young team (only five senior starters) can handle the recent success by taking care of business in games they're supposed to win.

''We're together right now, but we have six more games to play,'' he said. ''We'll see how we stay together.''

Florida State's defense under new coordinator Mark Stoops has allowed 94 points this season, but half of those came in a 47-17 loss at Oklahoma on Sept. 11.

It was that embarrassment that Fisher believes accelerated the progress of this year's team.

''I think they realized they don't want their rear ends handed to them again,'' Fisher said Monday.