TALLAHASSEE -- Jimbo Fisher knew it during the spring. Florida State's receivers figured it out during the summer. Now, the rest of the college football world is catching on to the fact that Christian Ponder is not just developing into a capable quarterback, but a special one.

In the past two weeks, Ponder's name has been added to watch lists for two postseason honors -- the Maxwell Award for the nation's top player and the Manning Award for the nation's top quarterback -- and his disappointed fans flooded Internet message boards when he was not named a semifinalist for another, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden said the junior's play has even piqued the interest of NFL scouts.

``He's beginning to attract a lot of attention -- you can tell by the pros that come out here,'' Bowden said.

Through seven games, Ponder already has passed for more yards than he did in 13 games last season. He also has improved his accuracy -- from 55.7 percent in 2008 to 70.0 percent in 2009 -- and reduced his interceptions from an average of one per game to one in seven games.

Ponder, who never came close to throwing for 300 yards in his first season as a starter, has now done it four times. And his statistics seem to improve every week -- during the Seminoles' past three games, Ponder is throwing for an average of 365 yards and is completing 75 percent of his passes.

Against North Carolina on Oct. 22, he threw for a career-high 395 yards and rallied the Seminoles from an 18-point second-half deficit to a 30-27 victory.

EXHIBITING CONTROL

``During a drive, I told him, `You're looking real nice right now,' '' sophomore receiver Bert Reed said. ``Just the way he controlled the team and controlled the offense. That's what you need from a good quarterback. And Ponder's growing, man.''

The improvement is so dramatic that some media outlets, who listed Ponder as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's weakest quarterbacks during the preseason, now are touting him as one of the nation's best.

But there are no recent converts in Florida State's locker room. The Seminoles' players and coaches insist they saw it coming.

``I was surprised in the summer,'' said senior receiver Rod Owens, who caught nine of Ponder's passes for 199 yards in the North Carolina game. ``Everything that he's doing now, I kind of expected. I just trust him. I just run my routes and trust him. I think so highly of him. And it makes me more comfortable running my routes because I know he's going to throw the ball where it needs to be.''

According to Ponder, the feeling is mutual. During the junior quarterback's weekly sit-down with the media, he practically implored reporters to share the praise with his teammates.

``They're playing really well,'' he said. ``When I put up the yards I do, it's because of them. If I don't have time to throw, it's not going to get done. So all of the accolades need to go to them. They're playing their hearts out.''

SIGN OF TRUST

Fisher, the Seminoles' offensive coordinator, said that mutual respect is more than just lip service. He said it's a sign of the trust that can power an offense.

It gives receivers the confidence that their quarterback is going to make the right decisions, and it helps Ponder trust that his teammates are going to be in the right place when he delivers the ball.

``It's either true or it's not,'' Fisher said. ``The guys on the team -- the guys you're around every day -- if you're for real, they know it. You can snow the media at times. But the guys in the huddle, the guys on the team, they know who they can count on and who they can't count on. Who's for real, and who lives what they talk about.

``And I think that's what they see in him.''

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