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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No one on Florida States roster knows more about bouncing back after getting knocked down more than Matthew Thomas.For the first time in four years, the junior linebacker is living up to the potential many saw when he was recruited in 2013. Thomas leads the 13th-ranked Seminoles in tackles going into Saturdays game at South Florida.Florida State (2-1) is trying to bounce back after a 43-point loss last Saturday at Louisville. Considering that during the past three-plus seasons Thomas has dealt with shoulder injuries, the death of a parent and being academically ineligible, the blowout win by the Cardinals is just a small roadblock.Last year at this time Thomas was on the sidelines watching his teammates and wondering if he would ever play football or even remain at Florida State.I know I put myself in a lot of bad situations, bad predicaments. I dug myself in a hole, so I just had to get myself out of them he said. I may take some hits, but I get back up.Coach Jimbo Fisher said earlier this week that Thomas finally started maturing and understanding the importance of trying to revive his career.Hes really turned into a really good player for us, but more importantly becoming a very good leader, Fisher added.Thomas credits running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end DeMarcus Walker for their emotional support last year. Cook and Thomas are both Miami natives while Walker first met Thomas at a high school all-star game in 2013.Besides dealing with injuries and academics, Thomas was also struggling with the loss of his mother, Mariska Nyon, in January of 2015. As a five-star prospect at Booker T. Washington, Thomas wanted to attend Southern Cal but it was his mom who wanted him to go to Florida State.Thomas oldest brother has moved up to Tallahassee and has also provided emotional support.Thomas also said he owes Fisher a lot for standing by him and keeping his word to his mother that Fisher would support him.Besides maturity, another thing players and coaches have noticed is that Thomas is having more fun. He is the first to acknowledge that the game wasnt fun due to the repeated shoulder injuries. Thomas had shoulder surgery last spring and this is the one the healthiest stretches he has had at FSU.When asked how he would assess the first three games, Thomas said he still feels as if he is rusty. He remains a physical tackler that some have compared to former FSU standout Telvin Smith, who is in his third season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.Thomas has 20 tackles, including two for loss. He is one of the quickest players on the defense but has been tentative at times by thinking too much on the field. Thomas and the Seminoles defense has struggled against option teams and face another test on Saturday against South Floridas high-scoring offense.The 3-0 Bulls have rushed for over 200 yards in eight straight games and have scored 45 points or more in their last three.I still feel like Im getting right a little bit with different situations and different atmospheres, he said. I dont want to mess up. I just want to make my teammates proud, make my couches proud. So Ive been trying stay on point.Right now, Thomas teammates are just happy that he is on the field and making plays.As time went by he saw the door closing. At the last minute, he grabbed it and opened it, Walker said. Im glad hes my teammate and hes bought in.---Online: 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-reedyAir Max 270 White Cheap .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. Cheap Nike Air Max 270 China . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. http://www.max270cheap.com/air-max-270-just-do-it-sale.html . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Nike Air Max 270 Womens Discount . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. Nike Air Max 270 Discount . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina coach Larry Fedora knows all about the unpredictable nature of the Atlantic Coast Conferences Coastal Division after his Tar Heels made a surprise climb to the top last season.Staying there? Now that will be tough based on the divisions recent run.While league heavyweights Clemson and Florida State just trade the Atlantic Division crown back and forth, the Coastal keeps making a mess of all the preseason expectations. There hasnt been a repeat division champion since 2011, while the past three champs were all teams picked to finish fifth or worse in the seven-team field.Now its the Tar Heels turn to try to become the first division team to repeat as champion since Virginia Tech did it in 2010-11.Were still working exactly the same, whether people are talking about us or not, Fedora said Thursday during the ACC Kickoff preseason media days. Thats never been the motivating factor anyway, so whether you pick us first, you pick us last, it doesnt really matter.The ACC will release the medias preseason picks next week. And the Tar Heels (11-3) will be a favorite after a season that saw them match the program record for wins, post their first 8-0 ACC mark and even pop into the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since Mack Browns final season before leaving for Texas.UNC went on to lose to top-ranked Clemson 45-37 in the ACC championship game, but returns plenty of talent on offense with tailback Elijah Hood along with receivers Ryan Switzer and Mack Hollins two years removed from a 6-7 season.Offseason workouts have amped up a little bit because were not dwelling on a six-win season or a seven-win season, Switzer said. We had an 11-win season and the opportunity to have even more wins is in front of us, which gets us a lot more pumped up and get us a lot more motivated.Still, things have rarely gone to plan in the Coasstal of late.dddddddddddd.In 2013, Duke went from being picked to finish last to winning the division as the defining moment in David Cutcliffes rebuilding of a long-woeful program. A year later, Georgia Tech won the division after being picked to finish fifth in preseason.Miami was picked to win the Coastal both times but went just 8-8 over those two years.And last season, the Yellow Jackets were picked to repeat as division champ only to finish last at 1-7 as the Tar Heels surprised everyone after being picked fifth.Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson summed it up when asked by a reporter about the Yellow Jackets likely having lower preseason expectations.Well, weve only been picked to win the thing one time and we finished last, Johnson said. So you guys dont have a very good track record.One thing is certain: theres plenty of experience back throughout the division in 2016. Every team has at least six returning starters on offense -- the Yellow Jackets and Hurricanes each boast nine -- with five of the seven returning their starting quarterback.On the defensive side, six of the seven teams have at least six returning defensive starters led by Pittsburgh, which returns eight a year after finishing as division runner-up to UNC.On top of that, theres a new variable this year with roughly half the division teams introducing new coaches: Mark Richt at Miami, Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia and Justin Fuente at Virginia Tech.No one in Charlotte is pretending to know what will happen, either.I think its exciting, Duke all-conference specialist DeVon Edwards said. You never know what youre going to get on that Saturday.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap and the APs college football site at http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '