Florida State football: Mycah Pittman faces former coach Mario Cristobal, Miami for first time

Florida State wide receiver Mycah Pittman is treating this week's game like any ordinary week.

Pittman, an Oregon transfer, will be playing his former head coach and first-year Miami coach Mario Cristobal this week in Miami.

The teams will clash at 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. ABC will broadcast the game.

During the offseason on his Youtube channel, Pittman opened up about his decision to transfer from Oregon.

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Ahead of Saturday's contest, Pittman played coy about what the game means for him.

"I just block it out. I'm just going to go out there and play to the best of my ability and just execute on opportunities I get," Pittman said following Tuesday's practice. "We have a good game coming up, it'll be my first game in the rivalry."

Pittman entered the transfer portal Nov. 21, 2021 and announced his decision to transfer to FSU on Dec. 19, 2021.

Cristobal inked a 10-year deal to sign with the Hurricanes to replace former coach Manny Diaz on Dec. 6.

The former No. 85 overall recruit and No. 13 wide receiver in the 2019 class, according to 247Sports, said he struggled to adjust in Cristobal's run-first offense.

“I wasn’t getting a fair share of targets. I wasn’t being utilized the way I was expecting and wanting to," Pittman said in the YouTube clip. "I felt I’ve had great camps throughout the years, period.

"Every single year, I feel like I put up a great fall camp. Just to show and tell the coaches I am able to do great things for the program. Sadly, the season didn’t go the way I wanted it."

Pittman added he approached Cristobal about redshirting the season following either Week 2 or 3 and was convinced to stay.

But the final straw for him came in the Nov. 13 game against Washington State.

"I started and I played, and I played very well. But I think we ran the ball almost 40 times that game, and we threw the ball like 20 times," Pittman said. "I was in for a total of six pass plays, and five of them were check-downs to our running backs, and then one was a sack.

"That hurt my opportunities, and for a guy who wants to go to the NFL, you need to throw the ball at least more than six times a game, or at least be able to be utilized for the six times per game."

Pittman's taken advantage of his opportunity with the Seminoles to display his skillset. He has 25 catches for 288 yards and three touchdowns, all career-highs.

How head coach Mike Norvell utilizes his players' is a reason Pittman decided to come to Tallahassee.

"I saw what Coach Norvell is able to do with his playmakers and seeing the resume he has," Pittman said following Tuesday's practice.

"You always want to be part of that resume and become one of his playmakers. He's somebody who looks towards and he gets guys in the NFL. So it's been great."

Pittman's older brother is Michael Pittman Jr., a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, and he is the son of former NFL running back Michael Pittman.

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First time in rivalry

Pittman, who grew up in Tampa, is excited for his first foray in the Hurricanes-Seminoles historic rivalry.

"I know a little bit about him, but I'm learning a lot more as the week comes up," Pittman said. "Coaches that even played, (wide receivers) coach (Ron) Dugans, take the rivalry seriously. He's talking about it, how we need to execute and make plays, because he feels like he's going out there and playing."

Pittman spent three years at Oregon and got to play in an in-state rivalry game against Oregon State.

But he said this feels like his first in-state rivalry game.

"I never really ever had that, because Oregon-Oregon State isn't a rivalry," Pittman said. "Because we always dominated them. We expect to go out there and play to the best of our ability. They have great talent on the defensive side."

Pittman said that he does have experience in playing in a rivalry, pointing out the annual duel between Washington and Oregon.

"The rivalry with Washington is a little bigger," Pittman said. "I'd still say Washington is the loudest stadium I've ever played in. I couldn't hear anything. It was really crazy."

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Dillan Gibbons Named Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist

Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons is one of 12 semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, it was announced Tuesday.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach. Established in 2005 and named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.

Gibbons, who is a member of the 2022 Allstate Good Works Team and was named to the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team last season, has established a non-profit foundation to raise funds for those in need. His foundation partners with collegiate ambassadors across college football and connects with charitable causes they are passionate about, including those with special medical needs, shopping with children in the community and repairing damage caused by natural disasters.

Finalists for the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy will be announced Nov. 29, and the winner is set to be revealed Dec. 8.

— FSU Sports Information

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Travis Named To Davey O’Brien QB Class Of 2022

Travis is one of 40 quarterbacks in the nation named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2022, it was announced Tuesday. Travis is the only Power 5 quarterback in the state of Florida and one of five ACC quarterbacks on the list.

By being named to the QB Class of 2022, Travis is eligible to be one of 16 semifinalists for the 2022 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. For the third straight year, a fan vote will help decide which quarterbacks advance. The top-five in voting on each social media platform will receive bonus committee votes which will be added to the ballots cast by the selection committee. Voting is open on the Davey O’Brien Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. Fans vote by “liking” the post highlighting the individual quarterback on the official channels.

The 16 semifinalists for this year’s award will be announced Nov. 15, and three finalists will be released Nov. 29. The winner of the 2022 Davey O’Brien Award will be revealed Dec. 8 on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

— FSU Sports Information

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GAME INFORMATION

Who: FSU (5-3, 3-3 ACC) vs. Miami (4-4, 2-2)

When/where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens

TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM

Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @CarterKarels on Twitter; @Ehsan_Kassim on Twitter; @JimHenryTALLY

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Mycah Pittman faces Mario Cristobal, Miami for first time