Florida State Seminoles
Sunshine Saturday
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Here’s a Florida College football fan’s guide to this week’s games as the 2020 college football season is on its way into Week 12.
Last Saturday, Florida showed no signs of hangover from the World’s Largest Cocktail Party, by trouncing Arkansas 63-35.
Senior Quarterback Kyle Trask keeps breaking SEC records with his sixth game with four or more touchdowns.
The Gators travel to Nashville to take on the Commodores of Vanderbilt. Florida opens as a 31.5 point favorite.
Can Kyle Trask continue to play at an All-American level? Can the Gators put the game away early and rest some starters? My predictions: Trask throws for 5 touchdowns and they roll Vandy 45-13.
Last Saturday, FSU fans got a glimpse of their future. Chubba Purdy started the contest versus the North Carolina Wolfpack. Purdy played well, going 15 for 23 for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it still wasn’t enough as the Wolfpack dominated the Noles 38-22.
FSU hosts number four Clemson at noon in Doak Campbell Stadium and the Noles are a historic underdog in the contest.
The Tigers open as a 32.5-point favorite over the 2-6 Seminoles. FSU was a 26-point underdog to Clemson last season, which was believed to be the largest point spread in school history.
Clemson suffered their lone loss two weeks ago to Notre Dame without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Their signal caller is expected back and that means bad news for the Noles. Clemson is a national powerhouse and Florida State is a national landfill.
In my opinion, this is the worst Florida State team in program history! Clemson 52 FSU 20.
Last Saturday night in Orlando, UCF manhandled Temple 38-13.
The Knights opened the game with a strip sack and never looked back. The Knights offense did not look like it was clicking until the start of the 3rd quarter, when Dillon Gabriel found Marlon Williams for an air mail touchdown.
For UCF, standards this season have been disappointing. The Knights are 5-2 after being picked by many to win the AAC conference.
The Knights and Bearcats renew their revere on Saturday in the Bounce House. With very limited capacity, the Bounce House during the 2020 season has not provided their normal home field advantage.
The Bearcats come into this game looking to remain unbeaten and take another step towards a potential playoff spot. Cincy opens as a 4-point favorite.
This is a battle between UCF’s offense and Cincinnati’s nationally ranked defense. The Bearcats are outscoring their opponents 212-57, with an average margin of victory of 31 points per game.
Those numbers are against quality offenses like Memphis, Houston and SMU.
UCF will score points, but Cincinnati is too legit this year. Give me the Bearcats 48 Knight 38.
The Miami Hurricanes game against Georgia Tech has been postponed due to COVID.
The Canes are coming off an impressive come from behind victory over Virginia Tech last Saturday.
D’Eriq King led a second half comeback to keep the Canes in the mix for the ACC title game. King makes Miami the U again.
So, sit back, buckle up and enjoy some college football this weekend.
If you are a Knight expecting a battle in the Bounce House, a Seminole praying for a miracle, a Gator witnessing a massacre or a Hurricane just waiting to troll the other fan bases, live college football offers us an escape during these stressful times.
Tar Heels To Step On Seminoles?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida State hosts number 5)North Carolina on Saturday evening at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles enter the game with a 1-3 record, including an ugly 0-3 record against their Atlantic Coast Conference foes.
The Tar Heels are at an undefeated, 3-0, with all three victories coming in conference play. North Carolina enters the game on a six-game winning streak.
The Tar Heels’ offense is led by sophomore quarterback Sam Howell (fun fact: He was at one time an FSU commit).
Howell leads the ACC with passes over 10 yards and greater (154), 30 yards and greater (30) and 40 yards and greater (17). After three games, Howell is 57 of 83 for 777 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Howell isn’t the only weapon on offense, Michael Carter and Javonte Williams have created arguably the best running back tandem in today’s college football.
The duo has a combined average of 232 rushing yards per game.
Carter is averaging 10.3 yards per carry and has two rushing touchdowns so far.
Williams is averaging 6.3 yard per rush and has seven total touchdowns.
Both are very capable receivers as well; Carter has 8 receptions for 81 yards and Williams has 6 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Watch out for junior receiver Dyami Brown, he leads the Tar Heels with 13 receptions for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball the Tar Heels are led by sophomore defensive end Tomari Fox. Fox leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. North Carolina has 20 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hurries.
Florida State enters this game with one certainty, Jordan Travis will be the starting quarterback.
Travis was one of few bright spots in the 16 point beat down last week by Notre Dame. He showcased some play making abilities that were really impressive.
Jordan Travis, a transfer from Louisville, was 13- 24 for 204 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
He also rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown. Travis’s 48-yard bomb to Tamorrion Terry late in the first quarter showed his play making potential.
The Seminoles still have a problem protecting the quarterback and opening lanes for the running backs.
All the sacks and pressures from the first three games can be placed into one of three categories: missed assignments, linemen getting beat, and poor quarterback play.
After last Saturday night, those categories have shrunk to two. But without a supporting cast on the front line, will it make a difference?
Freshman Robert Scott, getting his second career start at right tackle, showed some flashes and impressed me. The other four starters on the line couldn’t bust a grape!
Here’s a stat: No defense in the country allows more first downs than Florida State. The Seminole’s defense has been pounded on the ground and through the air. Playing defense has become a trending problem for every team in the entire state of Florida.
North Carolina opens as an eight-point favorite. This one will be close for the first half, then I see the Tar Heels wearing down the Noles. Final score: UNC 48 FSU 27.
FSU took another loss on Tuesday when their top linebacker recruit Branden Jenning decommitted. FSU currently has 16 commits and ranks 25 overall.
Saturday’s Buzzing Chant
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Mike Norvell era begins on Saturday September 12, 2020 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
It’s game week for FSU football, which means it’s time for Coach Norvell to unveil his plan to get FSU back to relevancy.
After four seasons as the head coach at Memphis, Coach Norvell was hired to replace Willie Taggart.
FSU comes into the game week as a 12.5 point favorite against Georgia Tech.
One of the biggest questions going into the contest is Mike Norvell; is he the right person to lead FSU back to prominence?
The past two seasons FSU has struggled with costly penalties, turnovers, personnel, alongside other detailed issues.
The first offseason at a new school is always a challenge for a head coach, as they set out to install their offensive and defensive schemes. FSU’s culture and expectations for the program remains high.
This offseason has been even more complicated by COVID-19, Norvell was attempting to operate the offseason remotely. The trying nature of this offseason has taken the anticipation to perhaps an even higher level ahead of Saturday’s kickoff.
Saturday is a great opportunity for the FSU football team and Mike Norvell to show their fans, alumni and supporters that the program is in good hands and is heading in the right direction.
Watching Coach Norvell’s press conference on Monday, Coach Norvell never stopped smiling. He beams confidence and leadership. His job is to rebuild one of the most dominant college football programs from a deflating down period.
Don’t get me wrong, FSU is not competing for a National Championship or even an ACC Championship this season, but Coach Norvell must show positive results on the field. He will be playing his home games on Bobby Bowden Field.
Norvell will be facing a program in Georgia Tech with second year head coach Geoff Collins.
Georgia Tech coming off a very disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2019. The Yellow Jackets look to rebound in 2020.
Saturday’s game is a big game for both teams as the Jackets look to take a big step forward in year two of the Geoff Collins era, while FSU looks to get the Mike Norvell era off to a good start in his first game as the Seminoles head coach.
With both programs having plenty to prove, I expect things to be sloppy at times with missed tackles, blown assignments, and penalties on both teams.
I think it will be a fairly high scoring game, but we do have to take into account the lack of practice time.
The Seminoles biggest problem on offense last year was their offensive line which allowed a whopping 48 sacks, that’s a weakness that Georgia Tech must exploit to win.
Look for James Blackmon to stay upright and FSU’s team speed will be the difference in this matchup, as Florida State simply has too many talented weapons at their disposal and that leads tips the game heavily in favor of the Seminoles.
Final Score Prediction: FSU 34 Georgia Tech 13
