Saturday at 4 PM on the ACC Network the Seminoles will host the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
NC State is 6-2 on the year with wins versus South Florida, Furman, Clemson, Louisiana Tech, Boston College and Louisville. The two losses were against Mississippi State and Miami.
The Seminoles are 26-14 versus the Wolfpack in the all-time series. NC State has won 3 out of last 4 meetings with FSU winning the last home game in 2019.
Observations from the last game
The offense had a tough time dealing with Clemson’s pass rush. This led to multiple quarterback pressures and false starts.
Clemson’s offense had the same issues as Jermaine Johnson and the defensive line had another stellar performance.
The ‘Noles made several mental mistakes after Johnson’s touchdown, which made it easy for Clemson to close it out.
‘Nole Notes
Quarterback Chubba Purdy has entered the transfer portal.
Florida State offense versus North Carolina State defense
NC State has had a rash of injuries this season with the most impactful being the all-conference linebacker Peyton Wilson. The defense numbers have gotten worse over the course of the season but only slightly. This is partly due to ‘do everything’ linebacker Drake Thomas (68 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 interceptions).
Establishing the run will be the key once again, but it will difficult due to the strong Wolfpack rush defense. The FSU offensive line will play better as they are at home and NC State doesn’t have quite the pass rush that Clemson has. Jordan Travis will need to bring his” A” for the ‘Noles to emerge victorious.
Florida State defense versus North Carolina State offense
The NC State offense is led by quarterback Devin Leary, who is quietly having a great season. Leary is 10th in the FBS with 21 touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions. Leary is at his best when he is able to spread the ball around. Seven members of the Wolfpack have at least 11 catches, but the bulk of the targets go to Emeka Emezie (42 receptions) and Thayer Thomas (37 receptions).
NC State has a serviceable rushing attack led by Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person. The FSU defense has been solid slowing down the run, which leads me to believe the Wolfpack will be one dimensional. This might be a scary thought for Seminole fans considering FSU’s numbers against the pass. If defensive backs Kevin Knowles, Jarrian Jones and Jarvis Brownlee can continue to improve they should get enough stops to win the game.
Special Teams
NC State’s veteran kicker, Christopher Dunn, is 9/13 on field goal attempts this year and their punter Trenton Gil is one of the best in the nation. I would have to give the advantage to North Carolina State.
Prediction
The ‘Noles have played well in 4 straight games and despite all the stats being against them I think that trend will continue against the Wolfpack. Seminole 30 NC State 28
FSU Preview: Florida State versus North Carolina State added by Scott Carswell Jr on
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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”